Abstract: Abraham Harold Maslow advanced the theory of 5 basic human needs and self-realization. Generally speaking, the 5 needs were to be accomplished successively. But Tao Yuanming accomplished his self-realization without fully satisfying the intermediate even the lower needs, the reason of which lay in the powerfulness of his 3 personality essentials of the power of wisdom, moral power and the power of will, all of which made him possess the power to surpass frustrations, a power that ordinary people were void of. The present article analyses and deals with Tao’s self-realization in the light of the theory of modern personality psychology.

Key words: Tao Yuanming, self-realization, power to surpass frustrations, power of wisdom, moral power, power of will