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The Eight Immortals are one of the most popular celestial groups in China. In fact almost every Chinese recognizes their names and stories. The Eight Immortals are quite a celebrity, having their names and images in many legends, novels, pictures, plays and drama serials. Some say that having their images bring good fortune and success to the household.
This is the first part of a two-part series on the Eight Immortals. In this first part, origins and basic stories of some of these immortals are explained, these immortals being Li Tieguai, Zhongli Quan, Zhang Guo and Lu Dongbin.
Image courtesy of Dragon-Gate.com
The Immortal on a Crutch
A popular figure on his own, Li Tieguai is also known as 'Iron Crutch Li' or 'Medicine Man'. His appearance was unkempt with scruffy hair and a dirty face. As one of his legs was crippled, he had to use a crutch to get about, hence the nickname.
However Li was not always like this. He was originally smart with pleasant facial features and a strong body. He studied Taoism and had a young disciple. One day he prepared to set his soul out of his body to travel Huashan Mountain. Li told his disciple that in case his soul did not come back after 7 days, his body should then be cremated.
On the 6th day, the disciple received news that his mother in another village was very ill. He could not wait to go home, and so cremated his master's body before the stipulated day. When Li's soul came back on the 7th day, it could not find his body. He wandered into a nearby forest and found a dead body. Elated to have a 'host' for his soul, Li immediately attached himself to the body. When he came back to life, he realized that the body was of a beggar, ugly and crippled in one leg. His teacher, Lao Zi (purportedly author of 'Tao Te Ching', the 'textbook' of Taoism) then advised Li that outer appearances had no effect on the cultivation of Taoism. Li hence forgave his negligent disciple and cured his mother. He also gave him a pill that would help his becoming an immortal in two centuries time.
Li eventually became an immortal and would often wander on earth to save mortals. A 'documented' example goes as follow - Once, Li approached a night watchman named Chao Tu. Li walked into a fiery furnace and asked the latter to follow him. Chao Tu however was afraid and refused. Li then brought Chao Tu to a river and told him to step on a floating leaf, which he said was a boat that would carry him across the river safely. Chao Tu again refused to do such a thing, afraid that his weight would bring him to the bottom of the river. Li remarked that Chao Tu had yet to leave behind his worldly burdens to become an immortal. He then stepped on the leaf himself and disappeared in the twinkling of an eye.
As his 'forte' was healing people, he is always depicted holding a gourd, said to contain magical medicine which could heal all sorts of illnesses.
The Voice of Heaven
Zhongli Quan is also known as Han Zhongli because he lived during the Han Dynasty. He was born with a peculiar appearance - a round face with a high forehead, deep-set eyes with a sharp nose and a square mouth, thick earlobes with large cheeks and broad shoulders. His face and lips were very red and his arms longer than everyone else. Stranger still, he did not cry and refused all food and drinks. When he was 7 days old, he suddenly jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "I want to go to play in the Purple Palace and Jade Capital where the immortals live."
When Zhongli Quan reached adulthood, he joined the military and eventually promoted to a general. In one battle, they suffered heavy defeat against (ancient) Tibet. Zhongli Quan's army was scattered and he fled all alone into a valley on his horse. At midnight, he met a foreign monk (today the monk would be termed a Caucasian) who led him to a mansion and told him to rest there. The monk then left and Zhongli Quan, though tired and hungry decided not to disturb the occupants of the mansion. So he wandered about the grounds of the mansion, thinking and sighing about his battle loss.
Suddenly, a voice spoke, "It must have been that blue-eyed monk who let out the secret." Startled, Zhongli Quan turned around to find an old man standing behind him. The old man who had a white deer fur coat over his shoulders and a green walking stick in hand asked, "Are you not General Zhongli Quan? Why don't you come in and have a rest in the house?" Zhongli Quan immediately knew that this was no ordinary person. Weary of the material world, he went down on his knees and implored the old man to teach him Taoism. To his delight, the old man agreed.
A few years later having 'graduated' from the old man, Zhongli Quan went on his way and met the Immortal Huayang and Deity Wang Xuanpu. They both taught him deeper and more profound Taoism, magical arts and also the secret to immortality. After a few years of traveling, Zhongli Quan finally became an immortal on a mountain. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, he appeared on Earth to guide Lu Dongbin (one of the Eight Immortals) to immortality.
Zhongli Quan's main weapon is his magical feather fan. Since becoming an immortal, he had appeared on Earth to bring divine messages from Heaven. Hence, he became known as the Voice of Heaven.
The Mysterious Immortal
During the Tang Dynasty was a mysterious man named Zhang Guo. Some people call him Zhang Guo Lao out of respect, since the word 'Lao' means 'elder'. Zhang Guo lived at the Zhong Tiao Mountain in the province of Zhanxi and traveled a lot between cities. His only mode of transportation was a white donkey, on which he would ride backwards. This white donkey could travel thousands of miles a day and was kept by being folded like a piece of paper and placed in a case. When Zhang Guo needed the donkey again, he would spit on the donkey and it would assume its original form.
Two prominent emperors offered Zhang Guo an official post in the imperial court, but were duly refused. When Empress Wu Zetian (AD 684 - 705) sent for him, he prepared for the trip but suddenly fell dead at a temple's gates. The body quickly decayed and was buried. However in the next few days he was seen alive at his abode in the mountain, quietly going about his business.
In AD 735, Emperor Xuanzhong sent an imperial decree to Zhang Guo, inviting (more like commanding) him to the palace and take up the post of 'Chief of the Imperial Academy'. Zhang Guo went with the troops sent to escort him to the palace. During one occasion, the emperor asked a famous Taoist priest, Yeh Fashan if he knew who Zhang Guo really was. Yeh Fashan told the emperor that Zhang Guo was actually the spirit of a white bat when the world was created. Immediately after saying this, he dropped down dead. The emperor implored Zhang Guo for an answer, in which the latter smiled and said that the priest talked too much. He then sprinkled some water on Ya Fashen and promptly revived him to life.
A few years later, Zhang Guo fell ill and resigned his official post. He went back to his mountain alone and died shortly after. Moments before his burial, his disciples who had wondered why the coffin which carried their master was so light opened the said coffin, only to find it empty. Amazed by this turn of events, the emperor ordered that Louxia Temple be built in Zhang Guo's honor.
Born to be Immortal
In the province of Shansi in AD 798, a family of officials welcomed another addition to the household. When Lu Dongbin was born, an exotic fragrance filled the room and there was heavenly music from the sky. His mother lifted her eyes to see a white crane descending from Heaven to her bed, then promptly vanished.
Lu was 5'2'' in height and had a most extraordinary appearance. His body was likened to a tiger, he had cheeks like a dragon, eyes like the phoenix and his eyebrows slanted up above his temples. He had a mole on the tip of his left eyebrow and the lines on his feet were like those of a turtle. Although he was very clever since young, he failed the imperial examinations on both times that he sat for it.
During one of his journeys, he met the Immortal Fire Dragon at Lushan Mountain. The immortal taught Lu many kinds of highly sophisticated sword skills and also magical arts. When he was 64 years old, he met Zhongli Quan who had ascended on Earth to bring Lu to immortality. Zhongli Quan first tested Lu's perception and attitude on various issues such as life, death, poverty, wealth, vanity and impermanence. Lu provided straightforward answers, which satisfied the wise immortal. Lu practiced under Zhongli Quan for 10 years before latter was summoned back to Heaven. For the next 1000 years, Lu wandered about the country, preaching Taoism and suppressing demons.
Lu Dongbin's magic weapon was his 'Devil-Slaying' sabre, which could slay any demon into oblivion. In his other hand was a whisk, which was a common tool in Taoism that represented the owner being able to walk on clouds or fly to Heaven whenever he wished. Lu actually occupied quite a high place in the school of Taoism. Being the central figure of the Eight Immortals, the Quanzhen School of Taoism venerated him as the Pure Founder.
Click here to read Part 2.
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Suan Tew
Managing Editor for Feng Shui Times. |
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