Perseverance Precedes Immortality-A Taoist Story

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A man called Wang who was inclined to Taoism, wanted to know the secret of immortality. He hence approached a monastery to learn the truth from its head. Wang on arriving at the monastery, bowed low to the Master and requested to guide him. The master simply said, “You will not be able to cope up with the fatigue!"

On Wang's persistent imploring, the Master accepted him as one among his other disciples. In the morning he was sent to cut firewood with the other disciples. This followed for a month at a stretch with Wang's legs and hands swelling up. He secretly wished to retreat from his mission on seeking immortality.

One evening, Wang was surprised to find two strangers with the master. One among them, an old priest cut out a paper in the shape of a round mirror and pasted it on the wall. To his amazement it became a dazzling moon and the disciples at once came crowding around the table.

Another stranger suggested, “We should enjoy this festive occasion by indulging in some wine" He at once took out a kettle of wine which seemed too small to contain enough wine for everyone. The disciples clamoured for it for the fear of the drink getting exhausted. However, to their astonishment the kettle remained full!

Next a stranger said that it was boring to enjoy the wine without entertainment. He suggested, “Why not ask Chang-ngo to join us ?" At once he reached for a chopstick and threw it into the moon. Thereupon a beautiful girl, who was just a foot high emerged from the beams of the moon and soon grew to full size of a normal woman. Her voice broke forth into melodious numbers. When having done with the songs, she at once jumped on the table and became a chopstick again.

A stranger then suggested, “I do not have enough room to drink my wine. Will you join me in the palace of the moon to drink a parting glass of wine?" They soon took the table and walked into the moon, where the disciples could see them drinking to their heart's content. Soon the moon became obscure and the disciples brought a lighted candle into the room to just find their master sitting.

Wang was excited about the magic and decided not to go home. But there was no more magic for and Wang was again into his strenuous and monotonous work of cutting firewood. He could not contain himself anymore as the master did not teach him any magical art. He hence asked the master to teach him some magic if not the way to immortality. The master at first drove him back to cut firewood. However on Wang's constant pestering to teach him to walk through a wall, the master imparted the lesson.

Wang tested his newly acquired skill and was excitedly made his way home. On reaching home his wife claimed the fruit of his long absence. Wang who wanted to exhibit his skill ran towards the wall in full speed to pass through it, ended up falling down on the floor with a big lump on his head.

Perseverance coupled with a focus is what will usher in immortality.