“Lü Dongbin” (Cavernguest Lü), from Zengxian liexian zhuan (Illustrated Immortals’ Biographies)
Lü Yan, also known as Cavernguest Lü [Dongbin],
lived under the Tang dynasty and was a native of Yongle District in Puzhou. He
was later called the Master of Pure Yang [Chunyang]. When his
mother gave birth to him, an unearthly perfume pervaded the house and the
sounds of celestial music wafted from the sky. A white crane flew down from
heaven, appeared between the curtains of her bed, and vanished again.
Even as a
newly born infant, Lü’s body had a golden shimmer and his flesh a radiant
freshness. The crown of his head formed a high dome resembling a crane’s, while
his back was arched like that of a tortoise. His eyes were as brilliant as
those of a phoenix, and his eyebrows extended on either side to meet the hair
on the temples.
While still
a child, he was very quick at learning, being able to memorize ten thousand
words a day. His language was fluent and couched in classical terms. Eight feet
two inches in height, he resembled the immortal Zhang Zifang. At the age of
twenty, he had not yet taken a wife.
The
Patriarch Ma had seen him at the beginning of his life, when he was still in
swaddling clothes, and exclaimed: “This child’s bones are of no ordinary
mortal. Extraordinary in character, he will hold aloof from worldly affairs.
Whatever hovel he happens upon he will make his home. Whenever he sees a goblet
of wine he will partake of it. Mark well my words!”
Later on
Dongbin wandered to Mount Lu. There he met a Taoist known as Master Firedragon
[Huolongl, who instructed him in acquiring supernatural invisibility by the
magic sword method.
During the
reign period Accomplished Prosperity [841-46], he went up twice for the
imperial degree, but failed. At that time he was sixty-four years of age.
Once he
wandered into a tavern in Chang’an to see a Taoist priest, dressed in a gray
cap and white gown, spontaneously scribble a poem on the wall. It ran,
Sit or
lie–I always grasp a pot of wine,
No need to
tell my eyes to see the starry zone.
Vast like
heaven and like earth,
I never
have a name,
Among so
many mortals,
I’m
scattered and alone.
Impressed and attracted by the Taoist’s strange appearance
and unusual old age, as well as by the grace and naturalness of his verse,
Dongbin bowed to him and inquired his name.
“I am
Master Cloudchamber [Zhongli Quan],” he answered.
“My home is
the Crane Ridge in the Zhongnan Mountains. Would you like to join me in my
wanderings?” Dongbin hesitated to agree to this proposal, so Master
Cloudchamber took him to an inn. While he attended to the preparation of a
simple meal, Dongbin reclined on a pillow. Soon he became oblivious of his
surroundings and fell asleep.
He had a
dream. He dreamt that he went up to the capital as a candidate of the imperial
examination and passed it at the top of the list. Starting his career as a
junior secretary to one of the Boards, he rapidly rose in rank to positions at
the Censorate and the Hanlin Academy. Eventually he became a Privy Councillor
after he had occupied, in the course of his unbroken success, all the most
sought-after and important official posts.
Twice he
was married, he further dreamt, and both wives belonged to families of wealth
and position. Children were born to him. His sons soon took themselves wives,
and his daughters left the paternal roof for their husbands’ homes. All these
events happened before he even reached the age of forty.
Next he
found himself Prime Minister for a period of ten years, wielding immense power.
This corrupted him. Then suddenly, without warning, he was accused of a grave
crime. His home and all his possessions were confiscated, his wife and children
separated. He himself, a solitary outcast, was wandering toward his place of
banishment beyond the mountains. He found his horse brought to a standstill in
a snowstorm and was no longer able to continue the journey.
At this
juncture in his dream Dongbin woke with a heavy sigh.
Lo and behold! The meal was still being prepared. Laughing
at his surprise, Master Cloudchamber intoned a verse.
The yellow
millet simmers yet uncooked,
A single
dream and you have reached the world beyond!
Dongbin
gaped in astonishment. “Sir,” he stammered, “how is it you know about my dream?”
“In the
dream that just came to you,” Master Cloudchamber replied matter-of-factly, “you
not only scaled the dizziest heights of splendor but also plumbed the uttermost
depths of misery. Fifty years were past and gone in the twinkling of an eye. What
you gained was not worth rejoicing over, what you lost was not worth grieving
about. Only when people have a great awakening, they know that the world is but
one big dream.”
Impressed
by this incident, Dongbin received spiritual enlightenment. He fell to his
knees before the master and entreated him for instruction in the arts of
transcending the limitations of this earthly sphere.
To try his
determination, Master Cloudchamber said, “Your inner stature is not yet fully
developed. Before you can attain transcendence of this world, many generations
shall come and pass.”
Having uttered these strange words, he suddenly
vanished into thin air. After that Dongbin abandoned his semiofficial position
as a literatus preparing for examination and lived in retirement.
Master
Cloudchamber duly subjected him to ten tests of his
immortal stamina.
The first of these occurred when Dongbin returned home after
a long journey to find his entire family dead from a mortal sickness. There was
no feeling of vain sorrow in his heart. Instead he manfully set about making
lavish preparations for the funeral, when–lo and behold!–they all rose up alive
and well.
The second time Dongbin was put on trial he had sold some
copper ware to a dealer who soon wanted to return the merchandise and asked for
his money back. They sought out the market inspector, and Dongbin handed over
the required sum without any ado. Another day, he was negotiating the sale of
some of his belongings and had come to a definite agreement about the price.
This notwithstanding, the dealer wished to cancel the bargain and pay only half
the stipulated sum. Dongbin acquiesced and, handing over the goods, walked away
without anger or engaging in dispute.
The third ordeal took place at the time of the New Year.
As Dongbin was leaving his house he was accosted by a beggar demanding alms. He
handed over all he carried, cash and gifts in kind. But the beggar remained
dissatisfied and threateningly demanded more, using the most abusive terms. Yet
Dongbin kept a smiling face and again and again apologized to him politely.
The fourth time he was put to the test, he was looking
after some sheep in the mountains. A hungry tiger came upon them, with the
result that the flock scattered in all directions. Dongbin interposed his own
person between the tiger and the terrified sheep. The tiger gave up the chase
and crept away.
In his fifth ordeal he had retired to a simple thatched hut
in the mountains to study. One day a beautiful lady came to his door, graceful
and lovely and radiant with such unearthly beauty that she was positively
dazzling. She explained she was a newly married bride on the way to visit her parents
but had become lost. Would he allow her to rest a short while in his hut?
Dongbin granted her request. She then tried in a hundred different ways to
snare him from the path of virtue, but he remained steadfast and unmoved to the
end.
Dongbin’s
character was put to a test the sixth time when,
on returning home from a walk in the country, he found that during his absence
thieves had carried away all his goods and chattels, leaving the house bare.
Not even then was his equanimity disturbed. He just set himself to earn a
livelihood by tilling the ground. One day when at work with his hoe he
unearthed gold pieces to the number of several score. Yet he took not a single
one, but quickly covered them all up again.
In his seventh trial he again met Master Cloudchamber who
told him, “In obedience to the summons of the Celestial Emperor, I am on the
way to present myself before his throne. If you behave virtuously during your
abode among humankind, thus acquiring merit, you will in time reach a place
similar to mine.”
“My aim,”
Dongbin replied with another deep bow, “is not to emulate you, sir, but to
bring salvation to every living creature in this world. Only when this vow of
mine has been fulfilled shall I ascend on high.”
The eighth ordeal occurred when he bought some potent
drugs from a crazy Taoist, who used to wander about selling them in the
streets. He claimed that whoever partook of his wares would instantly die, but
would attain the Tao in a future existence.
As Dongbin
was about to buy the drug, the Taoist warned him, “The only thing for you to do
now is to make speedy preparation for your death.”
Yet Dongbin
swallowed the stuf without batting an eyelid, and no harm befell him.
The ninth test Dongbin had to pass came in the spring when
the entire country was flooded. Together with the rest of the local population,
he was seeking safety in boats. Just as they reached the middle of the waters,
a violent storm burst upon them. The waves rose high, lashed into fury by the
wind. All were in a panic except Dongbin, who remained erect in his seat, calm
and unconcerned.
On the tenth occasion, Dongbin was sitting alone in his
house, when without warning there appeared to him an innumerable host of demons
in weird and terrifying shapes, all seemingly determined to beat him to death.
Yet he was not in the least afraid or dismayed. Then a sharp word of command
came from the sky, and the whole crowd of devils vanished.
The voice
was followed by a person who, descending from above, clapped his hands and
laughed with delight. It was Master Cloudchamber.
“I have
subjected you to ten tests,” he said, “all of which have left you utterly
unmoved. There can be no doubt you will succeed in attaining the Tao. I will now disclose to you the mysteries of alchemy
in order that the knowledge may enable you to save
humankind. When you have continued
this meritorious work for three thousand years,
you will have completed your full period of probation. In addition you have to
spend eight centuries in research on your own
behalf. Then, and only then, will you transcend the human sphere.”
“Pray,
sir,” Dongbin asked, “when will my transformation take place?”
“Only after
three thousand years of meritorious service will
you be restored to the state of your original physical purity.”
“Alas!”
Dongbin exclaimed, changing color with vexation. “With the prospect of having
to wait three thousand years, how can I maintain my zeal for such a time?”
“Your
courage,” his mentor assured him with a smile, “will carry you not only over
the three millennia but also over the additional eight centuries. Have no
doubt!”
Thereupon
he took Dongbin to the Crane Ridge and imparted to him the most profound truths
and deepest mysteries of the Tao, including the secret
methods of Numinous Treasure. He also presented him with a few grains of
the cinnabar elixir.
While
teacher and disciple were thus engaged, two immortals appeared. Each reverently
held a golden tablet, the emblem of office, in their hands.
They
announced to Master Cloudchamber: “The Celestial Emperor summons you to serve
as the guardian of the Golden Towers in the Ninth Heaven.”
Master
Cloudchamber immediately climbed into the cloudy carriage provided for him, and
gradually the entourage vanished into the open sky.
Dongbin in
due course succeeded in mastering the Tao as taught by Master Cloudchamber. He
also perfected the magic sword techniques he had
received from Master Firedragon. Then he took to wandering along the banks of
the Yangtze and Huai rivers.
He put the
power of his magical two-edged sword to the test by ridding the country of the inundations
wrought by a nasty waterdragon. He could become invisible to human eyes and
transform his shape at will.
For over four hundred years he constantly journeyed around the
country, visiting places as far apart as Henan and Hunan, Zhejiang and Shensi.
Nobody ever recognized him. He used to call himself the Man Who Returned to the
Tao [Hui Daoren].
END
From Livia Kohn, The Taoist Experience, 1993, pp. 126-132.
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