Tales of the Taoist Immortals Read Online Free Page B

Tales of the Taoist Immortals
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people and never stayed in oneplace for more than a month. His favorite haunts were restaurants and wine shops, where he would drink and entertain the patrons with songs about life in the immortal lands. But T’sai-ho’s favorite audiences were the children and the elderly who gathered at the street corners to hear him sing.
    Whenever Ts’ai-ho was given coins for his performance, he would tie them to a string and drag them behind him as he walked. If he lost his money, he was not concerned. If he had money left after paying for his food and drinks, he would give it to the poor.
    One day, while eating and drinking on the terrace of a restaurant, Lan Ts’ai-ho heard the music of reeds and pipes. When a crane flew down from the sky and landed on his table, he knew it was time for him to leave for the immortal realm. He jumped onto the crane’s back, threw his shoe and sash on the ground, and flew up to the sky. When the people in the street tried to pick up his belongings, both the shoe and the sash vanished.
    While wandering around in the immortal lands, Lan Ts’ai-ho met Lü Tung-pin and Chungli Ch’uan. Taken by Ts’ai-ho’s carefree manner and beautiful voice, the two elder immortals invited the youth to travel with them to visit the famous mountains and lakes of the celestial realm.

     
    L AN T S’AI-HO lived during the Five Dynasties (907–960 CE ). Not much is known about him except that he was a street entertainer and was famous for his beautiful singing voice.

8
    The Hermit Aristocrat
    Ts’ao Kuo-chiu
     

 
     
     
     

     

 
     
    Ts’ao was a brother of the queen mother and the kuo-chiu (maternal uncle) of the emperor. However, despite being born into nobility, he was not interested in politics and power. His younger brother, on the other hand, was ruthless and cruel and used his royal connections to obtain land, jewels, and even other men’s wives.
    When Ts’ao failed to steer his brother away from his unethical ways, he said to himself, “There is nothing left for me to do in the palace.” He left the capital, went into the woods, and devoted his life to cultivating the Tao.
    One day, the immortals Lü Tung-pin and Chungli Ch’uan happened to walk by Ts’ao’s retreat.
    Lü Tung-pin called out, “I’ve heard that you had given up the life of a prince to cultivate the Tao. Tell me, where’s the Tao that you are cultivating?”
    Ts’ao pointed to the sky.
    Immortal Lü then said, “And where’s heaven?”
    Ts’ao pointed to his heart.
    Immortal Chungli Ch’uan clapped his hands and exclaimed, “Well said. The way of the Tao is the way of heaven and the way of heaven is in your heart. You have seen your original nature.”
    The three men laughed together. Lü Tung-pin and Chungli Ch’uan then invited Ts’ao to travel with them to the immortal realm.

     
    T S’AO K UO-CHIU lived during the early part of the Sung dynasty (960–1279 CE ). Not much is known about him except that he shunned nobility and devoted his life to studying the Tao.

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    The Father of Ch’i-Kung
    Chen Hsi-yi
     

 
     
     
     

     

 
     
    Chen Hsi-yi was born into a well-to-do family as Chen Tuan. He did not speak until he was five, but once he began, he could read and write and quote the Confucian and Taoist classics from memory. By fifteen he had also mastered the arts of divination, medicine, and astronomy.
    When Chen Tuan’s parents died, he said to his relatives, “What I learned in the past was book knowledge. From now on, I will seek out living teachers to show me how to cultivate the Tao.” So Tuan sold all his possessions, gave the money to the poor, and left his home.
    His decision to devote his life to cultivating the Tao was admired by scholars, intellectuals, and would-be Taoist practitioners alike. Many approached him, asking to be accepted as students. However, Tuan was not interested in their company. He knew that these people were not really interested in cultivating the Tao; they only
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