Title: The EIGHT IMMORTALS
Description: Iron Stick Li, Who Attaches his Soul ...
Description: Iron Stick Li, Who Attaches his Soul ...
REBORN - September 27, 2006 03:16 PM (GMT)
[b]Iron Stick Li, Who Attaches his Soul to Others' Bodies:]/b]
It was said that Iron Stick Li's surname was Li, and his personal name Ningyang or Hongshui. In childhood, his nickname was Crippled Kid. He normally called himself Minor Official Li. It is said that he was born on the tenth day of the seventh lunar month. According to the Original Chaos Chart of Immortals' Lineages, Li was Lu Dongbin's disciple. It is said that, at the invitation of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign and Gentleman Wanqiu, Li Ningyang's soul would visit Mt. Hua. Prior to his departure, he ordered his disciple to take care of his body during his seven-day absence. Unfortunately, on the sixth day, because his mother was terribly sick, the disciple had to go home. In a hurry, he burned the master's body. When Li's soul came back next day, he could not find his body. His soul was homeless.
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.
In later times, he was granted the title of 'Imperial Sovereign Donghua Who Reaches the Sun and Reveals the Origin'.
It was said that Iron Stick Li's surname was Li, and his personal name Ningyang or Hongshui. In childhood, his nickname was Crippled Kid. He normally called himself Minor Official Li. It is said that he was born on the tenth day of the seventh lunar month. According to the Original Chaos Chart of Immortals' Lineages, Li was Lu Dongbin's disciple. It is said that, at the invitation of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign and Gentleman Wanqiu, Li Ningyang's soul would visit Mt. Hua. Prior to his departure, he ordered his disciple to take care of his body during his seven-day absence. Unfortunately, on the sixth day, because his mother was terribly sick, the disciple had to go home. In a hurry, he burned the master's body. When Li's soul came back next day, he could not find his body. His soul was homeless.
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.
In later times, he was granted the title of 'Imperial Sovereign Donghua Who Reaches the Sun and Reveals the Origin'.