THE EIGHT IMMORTALS OF TAOISM

TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY KWOK MAN HO AND JOANNE O’BRIEN INTRODUCTION

MARTIN PALMER MERlOlAN By the same authors

THREE LIVES ESSENTIAL TEACHINGS OF ISLAM ESSENTIAL TEACHINGS OF BUDDHISM THE CONTEMPORARY I CHING The Eight Immortals of Taoism

Legends and Fables of Popular Taoism Translated and Edited by Kwok Man Ho and Joanne O'Brien Introduction by Martin Palmer

A MERIDIAN BOOK MERIDIAN Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Books USA Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5TZ, England Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 2801 John Street, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 1B4 Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182-190 Wairau Road, Auckland 10, New Zealand Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England Published by Meridian, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. Originally published in Great Britain by Random Century Group Ltd. First Meridian Printing, February, 1991 10 9 8 7 Copyright © Martin Palmer, Kwok Man Ho and Joanne O'Brien, 1990 All rights reserved.

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

The Eight immortals of Taoism : legends and fables of popular Taoism I translated and edited by Kwok Man Ho and Joanne O'Brien : introduction by Martin Palmer. p. cm. ISBN 0-452-01070-5 1. Pa Hsien (Taoist mythology) 2. Mythology, Taoist. I. Ho, Peter Kwok Man. II. O'Brien, Joanne. BL 1923.E54 1990 299'.514213— dc20 90-22715 CIP Printed in the United States of America Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photo­ copying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE AT QUANTITY DISCOUNTS WHEN USED TO PROMOTE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. FOR INFORMATION PLEASE WRITE TO PREMIUM MARKETING DIVISION, PENGUIN BOOKS USA INC., 375 HUDSON STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10014. Contents

INTRODUCTION 7 Finding the Way 8 The Path to Immortality 11 The August Ones 14 The Pill of Immortality 15 The Original Breath 16 Heaven Falls upon the Earth 18 Taoism for the People 22 The Eight Immortals 23 The Eight Trigrams 30 The Folk Setting of the Eight Immortals 32 The Imperial Government 36 Spirits of the Land 38 The Jade Emperor's Court 43 The Yellow Emperor, Kuan Yin and Lao Tzu 44 Gods of Earth and Water 46 The Courts of Hell 47 Reincarnation and Ancestor Worship 49 Changing the Future 51 Turning to Magic 52

THE STORIES 56 The Jade Emperor's Birthday 56 The Grottoes of Chung Ling 61 Pai Shih's Drama 64 The Dream of Lu Tung Pin 72 The Oil Seller 74 Shaoshing's Aromatic Pastries 76 Lu Tung Pin's Vengence 79 A Matchmaker for Kuan Yin 82 The Path to Immortality 86 The Student's Mother 93 The Fragrant Nine Crooked Stream 95 The Eight Immortals' Table 98 The Punishment of K'uang Tzu Lien 100 The Black Pearl 105 The Lame Healer 109 Donkey Fire 113 A Thronged Straw Sandal 115 Why Chang Kuo Lau Rides his Donkey Backwards 118 The Bamboo Shoot that Grows Upside Down 120 How Chang Kuo Lau Obtained a Donkey 122 Ts'ao Kuo Chiu Repents his Sins 128 How Ho Hsien Ku Became an Immortal 130 A Hundred Birds in a Mountain 133 The Prophecies of Han Hsiang Tzu 137 The Dragon Girl and the Immortal Flute 139 The Flower Basket Epiphany 142 P'eng Cho and the Eight Immortals 148 Han Tzu and the Young Master 150

APPENDIX ONE The Dynasties of China 153 APPENDIX TWO The Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches 155 APPENDIX THREE The Chinese Calendar 156 For centuries the message of popular Chinese Taoism—harmony with nature, immortality, magic, power, the triumph of good over evil —was spread by peasant storytellers who roamed the countryside. Of all the tales and legends they told, the best loved are those of the Eight Immortals, whose adventures and personalities have taught the way of Tao to millions. Their myths have affected every aspect of Chinese culture, and to this day they are among the most popular figures in Chinese art. Compiled in this one extraordinary volume are 28 legends and fables featuring the Eight Immortals. In these colorful tales, the Immortals visit the sacred places of Chinese religion, intercede on behalf of oppressed humans, and demonstrate the way of Tao. This fascinating collection of ancient myths will appeal to anyone who enjoys a good story, as well as to anyone looking for insight into the complex and fascinating world of popular Chinese religion and culture.

Cover design by Melissa Jacoby Background art: Li Shih-cho (active ca. 1690-1770), Morning Sun aver the Isle of the Immortals series: Landscape Album, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri (Anonymous Gift) F78-18/4 Inset art: Artist unknown, The Taoist Immortal Lù Tung-pin, late 13th to early 14th century, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri (Nelson Fund) 62-25 jJJN A MERIDIAN BOOK Mythology/Asian Studies F1070

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