經歷

堯讓帝位

堯晚年，因其子丹朱不肖，又聽聞許由志向之高潔，於多次請教後，欲傳帝位予其，許由得知後，便退隱至箕山之下，農耕度日，拒不受其位。 《莊子‧雜篇‧卷九下》中就有提及：堯以天下讓許由，許由不受。

而這件事情在後來也成為君王博得好名聲的一種手段，既能保持原有的身分地位，又能獲得賢明的美稱。《史記‧世家‧卷三十四》中提到：鹿毛壽謂燕王：『不如以國讓相子之。人之謂堯賢者，以其讓天下於許由，許由不受，有讓天下之名而實不失天下。今王以國讓於子之，子之必不敢受，是王與堯同行也。』

召為九州長

堯在禪讓失敗後，再度召許由擔任九州長，一樣充耳不聞。《莊子‧雜篇‧卷九下》中提及：堯又讓於子州支父，子州支父曰：以我為天子，猶之可也。雖然，我適有幽憂之病。方且治之，未暇治天下。』

接著，許由又至穎水旁沖洗耳朵，以表達世俗名聲髒了他的耳朵。然而當巢父牽牛至穎水邊飲水，問許由洗耳之因後，認為這是許由為博得好名聲而故意為之，不然，如果其真心要隱居，又豈是能如此輕易被找著的。《史記‧列傳‧卷六十一‧伯夷列傳第一》中就有提到：堯又召為九州長，由不欲聞之，洗耳於潁水濱。時有巢父牽犢欲飲之，見由洗耳，問其故。對曰：『堯欲召我為九州長，惡聞其聲，是故洗耳。』巢父曰：『子若處高岸深谷，人道不通，誰能見子？子故浮游，欲聞求其名譽。污吾犢口。』牽犢上流飲之。

逝世

許由死後，便葬在箕山（亦名許由山）腳下。今鄢陵縣陳化店鎮許由村有一座許由塚，明嘉靖《鄢陵縣誌》記載：『許由塚在甘羅南保」』，它是古鄢陵八景之首，塚前曾建有許由寺、許由祠和許由塔。但如今寺、祠、塔已蕩然無存。

影響

隱士

被視作後世隱士的始祖及標準。

Life

Xu You denounced the society and retreated to the north of Ying River. Living a simple life, he scooped river water with his bare hands, even though he had a hulu (an ancient water bottle shaped like a gourd). Xu was a disciple of the female teacher Gnaw Gap, whom Xu described as "blending a myriad things ... senior to high antiquity but is not aged". The legendary ruler Emperor Yao regarded Xu with utmost respect and requested that he be his teacher. They shared a positive relationship. Towards the end of Yao's rule (traditionally believed to be circa 2256 BC), the ruler chose Xu as his successor. (Much later, the Chinese sage Confucius greatly lauded Yao's decision to appoint Xu as the next emperor in line.) However, Xu refused to accept the throne, commenting that he had "no need for all under heaven". Legend goes on to state that an abashed Xu "washed out" his ears' contents into the Ying River, contaminating it. After Xu died, he was apparently buried at the summit of Mount Chi. The Han Dynasty "Grand Historian" Sima Qian mentioned Xu in a chapter of his work Records of the Grand Historian. Sima personally visited the alleged grave of Xu and wrote that Xu was an epitome of "highest virtue". Xu You is also depicted in a seventeenth-century Japanese artwork titled Xu You and Chao Fu, illustrating the popular tale of another fellow hermit detouring from the Ying River because of the filth Xu had contributed to it by washing out his ears there. It is now housed at the British Museum.