One day he got into his wagon and set out on a long journey. And he
met a girl, dressed in red, who begged him to take her with him. He
allowed her to get into the wagon, and drove along for half-a-day
without even looking in her direction. Then the girl got out again and
said in farewell: "You are truly a good and honest man, and for that
reason I must tell you the truth. I am the Fire-God. To-morrow a fire
will break out in your house. Hurry home at once to arrange your
affairs and save what you can!" Frightened, the man faced his horses
about and drove home as fast as he could. All that he possessed in the
way of treasures, clothes and jewels, he removed from the house. And,
when he was about to lie down to sleep, a fire broke out on the hearth
which could not be quenched until the whole building had collapsed in
dust and ashes. Yet, thanks to the Fire-God, the man had saved all his
movable belongings.
Note: "The Fire-God" (comp. with No. 15). The Holy
Southern Mountain is Sung-Schan in Huan. The Fiery Star
is Mars. The constellations of the southern quarter of
the heavens are grouped by the Chinese as under the name
of the "Red Bird." The "land of the four rivers" is
Setchuan, in the western part of present-day China.
XXIV
THE THREE RULING GODS
There are three lords: in heaven, and on the earth and in the waters,
and they are known as the Three Ruling Gods. They are all brothers,
and are descended from the father of the Monk of the Yangtze-kiang.
When the latter was sailing on the river he was cast into the water by
a robber. But he did not drown, for a Triton came his way who took him
along with him to the dragon-castle. And when the Dragon-King saw him
he realized at once that there was something extraordinary about the
Monk, and he married him to his daughter.
From their early youth his three sons showed a preference for the
hidden wisdom. And together they went to an island in the sea. There
they seated themselves and began to meditate. They heard nothing, they
saw nothing, they spoke not a word and they did not move. The birds
came and nested in their hair; the spiders came and wove webs across
their faces; worms and insects came and crawled in and out of their
noses and ears. But they paid no attention to any of them.
After they had meditated thus for a number of years, they obtained the
hidden wisdom and became gods. And the Lord made them the Three Ruling
Gods. The heavens make things, the earth completes things, and the
waters create things. The Three Ruling Gods sent out the current of
their primal power to aid in ordering all to this end. Therefore they
are also known as the primal gods, and temples are erected to them all
over the earth.
If you go into a temple you will find the Three Ruling Gods all seated
on one pedestal. They wear women's hats upon their heads, and hold
scepters in their hands, like kings. But he who sits on the last
place, to the right, has glaring eyes and wears a look of rage. If you
ask why this is you are told: "These three were brothers and the Lord
made them the Ruling Gods. So they talked about the order in which
they were to sit. And the youngest said: 'To-morrow morning, before
sunrise, we will meet here. Whoever gets here first shall have the
seat of honor in the middle; the second one to arrive shall have the
second place, and the third the third.' The two older brothers were
satisfied. The next morning, very early, the youngest came first,
seated himself in the middle place, and became the god of the waters.
The middle brother came next, sat down on the left, and became the god
of the heavens. Last of all came the oldest brother. When he saw that
his brothers were already sitting in their places, he was disgusted
and yet he could not say a word. His face grew red with rage, his
eyeballs stood forth from their sockets like bullets, and his veins
swelled like bladders. And he seated himself on the right and became
god of the earth." The artisans who make the images of the gods
noticed this, so they always represent him thus.
Note: "The Three Ruling Gods" is set down as told by the
people. It is undoubtedly a version of the Indian
Trimurti. The meaning of the terrible appearance of the
third godhead, evidently no longer understood by the
people, points to Siva, and has given rise to the
fairy-tale here told. As regards the Monk of the
Yangtze-kiang, comp. with No. 69.
XXV
A LEGEND OF CONFUCIUS
When Confucius came to the earth, the Kilin, that strange beast which
is the prince of all four-footed animals, and only appears when there
is a great man on earth, sought the child and spat out a jade whereon
was written: "Son of the Watercrystal you are destined to become an
uncrowned king!" And Confucius grew up, studied diligently, learned
wisdom and came to be a saint. He did much good on earth, and ever
since his death has been reverenced as the greatest of teachers and
masters. He had foreknowledge of many things. And even after he had
died he gave evidence of this.
Once, when the wicked Emperor Tsin Schi Huang had conquered all the
other kingdoms, and was traveling through the entire empire, he came
to the homeland of Confucius. And he found his grave. And, finding his
grave, he wished to have it opened and see what was in it. All his
officials advised him not to do so, but he would not listen to them.
So a passage was dug into the grave, and in its main chamber they
found a coffin, whose wood appeared to be quite fresh. When struck it
sounded like metal. To the left of the coffin was a door, which led
into an inner chamber. In this chamber stood a bed, and a table with
books and clothing, all as though meant for the use of a living
person. Tsin Schi Huang seated himself on the bed and looked down. And
there on the floor stood two shoes of red silk, whose tips were
adorned with a woven pattern of clouds. A bamboo staff leaned against
the wall. The Emperor, in jest, put on the shoes, took the staff and
left the grave. But as he did so a tablet suddenly appeared before his
eyes on which stood the following lines:
O'er kingdoms six Tsin Schi Huang his army led,
To ope my grave and find my humble bed;
He steals my shoes and takes my staff away
To reach Schakiu--and his last earthly day!
Tsin Schi Huang was much alarmed, and had the grave closed again. But
when he reached Schakiu he fell ill of a hasty fever of which he died.
Note: The Kilin is an okapi-like legendary beast of the
most perfected kindness, prince of all the four-footed
animals. The "Watercrystal" is the dark Lord of the
North, whose element is water and wisdom, for which last
reason Confucius is termed his son. Tsin Schi Huang
(B.C. 200) is the burner of books and reorganizer of
China famed in history. Schakiu (Sandhill) was a city in
the western part of the China of that day.
XXVI
THE GOD OF WAR
The God of War, Guan Di, was really named Guan Yu. At the time when
the rebellion of the Yellow Turbans was raging throughout the empire,
he, together with two others whom he met by the wayside, and who were
inspired with the same love of country which possessed him, made a
pact of friendship. One of the two was Liu Be, afterward emperor, the
other was named Dschang Fe. The three met in a peach-orchard and swore
to be brothers one to the other, although they were of different
families. They sacrificed a white steed and vowed to be true to each
other to the death.
Guan Yu was faithful, honest, upright and brave beyond all measure. He
loved to read Confucius's "Annals of Lu," which tell of the rise and
fall of empires. He aided his friend Liu Be to subdue the Yellow Turbans
and to conquer the land of the four rivers. The horse he rode was known
as the Red Hare, and could run a thousand miles in a day. Guan Yu had a
knife shaped like a half-moon which was called the Green Dragon. His
eyebrows were beautiful like those of the silk-butterflies, and his eyes
were long-slitted like the eyes of the Phenix. His face was scarlet-red
in color, and his beard so long that it hung down over his stomach.
Once, when he appeared before the emperor, the latter called him Duke
Fairbeard, and presented him with a silken pocket in which to place his
beard. He wore a garment of green brocade. Whenever he went into battle
he showed invincible bravery. Whether he were opposed by a thousand
armies or by ten thousand horsemen--he attacked them as though they were
merely air.
Once the evil Tsau Tsau had incited the enemies of his master, the
Emperor, to take the city by treachery. When Guan Yu heard of it he
hastened up with an army to relieve the town. But he fell into an
ambush, and, together with his son, was brought a captive to the
capital of the enemy's land. The prince of that country would have
been glad to have had him go over to his side; but Guan Yu swore that
he would not yield to death himself. Thereupon father and son were
slain. When he was dead, his horse Red Hare ceased to eat and died. A
faithful captain of his, by name of Dschou Dsang, who was
black-visaged and wore a great knife, had just invested a fortress
when the news of the sad end of the duke reached him. And he, as well
as other faithful followers would not survive their master, and
perished.
At the time a monk, who was an old compatriot and acquaintance of Duke
Guan was living in the Hills of the Jade Fountains. He used to walk at
night in the moonlight.
Suddenly he heard a loud voice cry down out of the air: "I want my
head back again!"
The monk looked up and saw Duke Guan, sword in hand, seated on his
horse, just as he appeared while living. And at his right and left
hand, shadowy figures in the clouds, stood his son Guan Ping and his
captain, Dschou Dsang.
The monk folded his hands and said: "While you lived you were upright
and faithful, and in death you have become a wise god; and yet you do
not understand fate! If you insist on having your head back again, to
whom shall the many thousands of your enemies who lost their lives
through you appeal, in order to have life restored to them?"
When he heard this the Duke Guan bowed and disappeared. Since that
time he has been without interruption spiritually active. Whenever a
new dynasty is founded, his holy form may be seen. For this reason
temples and sacrifices have been instituted for him, and he has been
made one of the gods of the empire. Like Confucius, he received the
great sacrifice of oxen, sheep and pigs. His rank increases with the
passing of centuries. First he was worshiped as Prince Guan, later as
King Guan, and then as the great god who conquers the demons. The last
dynasty, finally, worships him as the great, divine Helper of the
Heavens. He is also called the God of War, and is a strong deliverer
in all need, when men are plagued by devils and foxes. Together with
Confucius, the Master of Peace, he is often worshiped as the Master of
War.
Note: The Chinese God of War is a historical personality
from the epoch of the three empires, which later joined
the Han dynasty, about 250 A.D. Liu Be founded the
"Little Han dynasty" in Setchuan, with the aid of Guan
Yu and Dschang Fe. Guan Yu or Guan Di, i.e., "God
Yuan," has become one of the most popular figures in
Chinese legend in the course of time, God of War and
deliverer in one and the same person. The talk of the
monk with the God Guan Di in the clouds is based on the
Buddhist law of Karma. Because Guan Di--even though his
motives might be good--had slain other men, he must
endure like treatment at their hands, even while he is a
god.
TALES OF SAINTS AND MAGICIANS
XXVII
THE HALOS OF THE SAINTS
The true gods all have halos around their heads. When the lesser gods
and demons see these halos, they hide and dare not move. The Master of
the Heavens on the Dragon-Tiger Mountain meets the gods at all times.
One day the God of War came down to the mountain while the mandarin of
the neighboring district was visiting the Master of the Heavens. The
latter advised the mandarin to withdraw and hide himself in an inner
chamber. Then he went out to receive the God of War. But the mandarin
peeped through a slit in the door, and he saw the red face and green
garment of the God of War as he stood there, terrible and
awe-inspiring. Suddenly a red halo flashed up above his head, whose
beams penetrated into the inner chamber so that the mandarin grew
blind in one eye. After a time the God of War went away again, and the
Master of the Heavens accompanied him. Suddenly Guan Di said, with
alarm: "Confucius is coming! The halo he wears illumines the whole
world. I cannot endure its radiance even a thousand miles away, so I
must hurry and get out of the way!" And with that he stepped into a
cloud and disappeared. The Master of the Heavens then told the
mandarin what had happened, and added: "Fortunately you did not see
the God of War face to face! Whoever does not possess the greatest
virtue and the greatest wisdom, would be melted by the red glow of
his halo." So saying he gave him a pill of the elixir of life to eat,
and his blind eye gradually regained its sight.
It is also said that scholars wear a red halo around their heads which
devils, foxes and ghosts fear when they see it.
There was once a scholar who had a fox for a friend. The fox came to
see him at night, and went walking with him in the villages. They
could enter the houses, and see all that was going on, without people
being any the wiser. But when at a distance the fox saw a red halo
hanging above a house he would not enter it. The scholar asked him why
not.
"Those are all celebrated scholars," answered the fox. "The greater
the halo, the more extensive is their knowledge. I dread them and do
not dare enter their houses."
Then the man said: "But I am a scholar, too! Have I no halo which
makes you fear me, instead of going walking with me?"
"There is only a black mist about your head," answered the fox. "I
have never yet seen it surrounded by a halo."
The scholar was mortified and began to scold him; but the fox
disappeared with a horse-laugh.
Note: This tale is told as traditionally handed down.
The Master of the Heavens, Tian Schi, who dwells on the
Lung Hu Schan, is the so-called Taoist pope.
XXVIII
LAOTSZE
Laotsze is really older than heaven and earth put together. He is the
Yellow Lord or Ancient, who created this world together with the other
four. At various times he has appeared on earth, under various names.
His most celebrated incarnation, however, is that of Laotsze, "The Old
Child," which name he was given because he made his appearance on
earth with white hair.
He acquired all sorts of magic powers by means of which he extended
his life-span. Once he hired a servant to do his bidding. He agreed to
give him a hundred pieces of copper daily; yet he did not pay him, and
finally he owed him seven million, two hundred thousand pieces of
copper. Then he mounted a black steer and rode to the West. He wanted
to take his servant along. But when they reached the Han-Gu pass, the
servant refused to go further, and insisted on being paid. Yet Laotsze
gave him nothing.
When they came to the house of the guardian of the pass, red clouds
appeared in the sky. The guardian understood this sign and knew that a
holy man was drawing near. So he went out to meet him and took him
into his house. He questioned him with regard to hidden knowledge, but
Laotsze only stuck out his tongue at him and would not say a word.
Nevertheless, the guardian of the pass treated him with the greatest
respect in his home. Laotsze's servant told the servant of the
guardian that his master owed him a great deal of money, and begged
the latter to put in a good word for him. When the guardian's servant
heard how large a sum it was, he was tempted to win so wealthy a man
for a son-in-law, and he married him to his daughter. Finally the
guardian heard of the matter and came to Laotsze together with the
servant. Then Laotsze said to his servant: "You rascally servant. You
really should have been dead long ago. I hired you, and since I was
poor and could give you no money, I gave you a life-giving talisman to
eat. That is how you still happen to be alive. I said to you: 'If you
will follow me into the West, the land of Blessed Repose, I will pay
you your wages in yellow gold. But you did not wish to do this.'" And
with that he patted his servant's neck. Thereupon the latter opened
his mouth, and spat out the life-giving talisman. The magic signs
written on it with cinnabar, quite fresh and well-preserved, might
still be seen. But the servant suddenly collapsed and turned into a
heap of dry bones. Then the guardian of the pass cast himself to earth
and pleaded for him. He promised to pay the servant for Laotsze and
begged the latter to restore him to life. So Laotsze placed the
talisman among the bones and at once the servant came to life again.
The guardian of the pass paid him his wages and dismissed him. Then he
adored Laotsze as his master, and the latter taught him the art of
eternal life, and left him his teachings, in five thousand words,
which the guardian wrote down. The book which thus came into being is
the Tao Teh King, "The Book of the Way and Life." Laotsze then
disappeared from the eyes of men. The guardian of the pass however,
followed his teachings, and was given a place among the immortals.
Note: The Taoists like to assert that Laotsze's journey
to the West was undertaken before the birth of Buddha,
who, according to many, is only a reincarnation of
Laotsze. The guardian of the Han-Gu pass is mentioned
by the name of Guan Yin Hi, in the Lia Dsi and the
Dschuang Dsi.
XXIX
THE ANCIENT MAN
Once upon a time there was a man named Huang An. He must have been
well over eighty and yet he looked like a youth. He lived on cinnabar
and wore no clothing. Even in winter he went about without garments.
He sat on a tortoise three feet long. Once he was asked: "About how
old might this tortoise be?" He answered: "When Fu Hi first invented
fish-nets and eel-pots he caught this tortoise and gave it to me. And
since then I have worn its shield quite flat sitting on it. The
creature dreads the radiance of the sun and moon, so it only sticks
its head out of its shell once in two thousand years. Since I have had
the beast, it has already stuck its head out five times." With these
words he took his tortoise on his back and went off. And the legend
arose that this man was ten thousand years old.
Note: Cinnabar is frequently used in the preparation of
the elixir of life (comp. No. 30). Fu Hi is "the
life-breeding breath." Tortoises live to a great age.
XXX
THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (I)
There is a legend which declares that Eight Immortals dwell in the
heavens. The first is named Dschung Li Kuan. He lived in the time of
the Han dynasty, and discovered the wonderful magic of golden
cinnabar, the philosopher's stone. He could melt quicksilver and burn
lead and turn them into yellow gold and white silver. And he could fly
through the air in his human form. He is the chief of the Eight
Immortals.
The second is named Dschang Go. In primal times he gained hidden
knowledge. It is said that he was really a white bat, who turned into
a man. In the first days of the Tang dynasty an ancient with a white
beard and a bamboo drum on his back, was seen riding backward on a
black ass in the town of Tschang An. He beat the drum and sang, and
called himself old Dschang Go. Another legend says that he always had
a white mule with him which could cover a thousand miles in a single
day. When he had reached his destination he would fold up the animal
and put it in his trunk. When he needed it again, he would sprinkle
water on it with his mouth, and the beast would regain its first
shape.
The third is named Lu Yuan or Lu Dung Bin (The Mountain Guest). His
real name was Li, and he belonged to the ruling Tang dynasty. But when
the Empress Wu seized the throne and destroyed the Li family to almost
the last man, he fled with his wife into the heart of the mountains.
They changed their names to Lu, and, since they lived in hiding in the
caverns in the rocks, he called himself the Mountain Guest or the
Guest of the Rocks. He lived on air and ate no bread. Yet he was fond
of flowers. And in the course of time he acquired the hidden wisdom.
In Lo Yang, the capital city, the peonies bloomed with special
luxuriance. And there dwelt a flower fairy, who changed herself into a
lovely maiden with whom Guest of the Rocks, when he came to Lo Yang,
was wont to converse. Suddenly along came the Yellow Dragon, who had
taken the form of a handsome youth. He mocked the flower fairy. Guest
of the Rocks grew furious and cast his flying sword at him, cutting
off his head. From that time onward he fell back again into the world
of mundane pleasure and death. He sank down into the dust of the
diurnal, and was no longer able to wing his way to the upper regions.
Later he met Dschung Li Kuan, who delivered him, and then he was taken
up in the ranks of the Immortals.
Willowelf was his disciple. This was an old willow-tree which had
drawn into itself the most ethereal powers of the sunrays and the
moonbeams, and had thus been able to assume the shape of a human
being. His face is blue and he has red hair. Guest of the Rocks
received him as a disciple. Emperors and kings of future times honor
Guest of the Rocks as the ancestor and master of the pure sun. The
people call him Grandfather Lu. He is very wise and powerful. And
therefore the people still stream into Grandfather Lu's temples to
obtain oracles and pray for good luck. If you want to know whether you
will be successful or not in an undertaking, go to the temple, light
incense and bow your head to earth. On the altar is a bamboo goblet,
in which are some dozens of little lottery sticks. You must shake them
while kneeling, until one of the sticks flies out. On the
lottery-stick is inscribed a number. This number must then be looked
up in the Book of Oracles, where it is accompanied by a four-line
stanza. It is said that fortune and misfortune, strange to think,
occur to one just as foretold by the oracle.
The fourth Immortal is Tsau Guo Gui (Tsau the Uncle of the State). He
was the younger brother of the Empress Tsau, who for a time ruled the
land. For this reason he was called the Uncle of the State. From his
earliest youth he had been a lover of the hidden wisdom. Riches and
honors were no more to him than dust. It was Dschung Li Kuan who aided
him to become immortal.
The fifth is called Lan Tsai Ho. Nothing is known of his true name,
his time nor his family. He was often seen in the market-place, clad
in a torn blue robe and wearing only a single shoe, beating a block of
wood and singing the nothingness of life.
The sixth Immortal is known as Li Tia Guai (Li with the iron crutch).
He lost his parents in early youth and was brought up in his older
brother's home. His sister-in-law treated him badly and never gave him
enough to eat. Because of this he fled into the hills, and there
learned the hidden wisdom.
Once he returned in order to see his brother, and said to his
sister-in-law: "Give me something to eat!" She answered: "There is no
kindling wood on hand!" He replied: "You need only to prepare the
rice. I can use my leg for kindling wood, only you must not say that
the fire might injure me, and if you do not no harm will be done."
His sister-in-law wished to see his art, so she poured the rice into
the pot. Li stretched one of his legs out under it and lit it. The
flames leaped high and the leg burned like coal.
When the rice was nearly boiled his sister-in-law said: "Won't your
leg be injured?"
And Li replied angrily: "Did I not warn you not to say anything! Then
no harm would have been done. Now one of my legs is lamed." With these
words he took an iron poker and fashioned it into a crutch for
himself. Then he hung a bottle-gourd on his back, and went into the
hills to gather medicinal herbs. And that is why he is known as Li
with the Iron Crutch.
It is also told of him that he often was in the habit of ascending
into the heavens in the spirit to visit his master Laotsze. Before he
left he would order a disciple to watch his body and soul within it,
so that the latter did not escape. Should seven days have gone by
without his spirit returning, then he would allow his soul to leave
the empty tenement. Unfortunately, after six days had passed, the
disciple was called to the death-bed of his mother, and when the
master's spirit returned on the evening of the seventh day, the life
had gone out of its body. Since there was no place for his spirit in
his own body, in his despair he seized upon the first handy body from
which the vital essence had not yet dispersed. It was the body of a
neighbor, a lame cripple, who had just died, so that from that time on
the master appeared in his form.