The meaning of the plot of 8 immortals on a dragon boat. Eight immortals. Lu Dongbin – scientist, expels demons and evil spirits, helps with studies, heals diseases

Han Xiang Ji

Han Xiang Ji was the nephew of Han Yu, a great poet and scholar of the Tang Dynasty. He studied and prepared to pass state exams, but to the great chagrin of his uncle, he did not take them. He was an intelligent, but somewhat wild child; pomp and vanity were alien to him. Despite being expelled from a Buddhist ashram for rudeness and hooliganism, he loved silence and solitude. He was initiated into the secrets of Taoism by an immortal named Lü Dong Bin as a teenager and even then began to master the practices of internal alchemy. He experienced the mystery of Heaven and mastered the transformation of the Five Elements. One day, Lü Dong Bin took him to the mythical World Tree to tell him about the Universe. Han Xiang Ji fell from a tree and died, but was immediately resurrected. He began to work miracles and predict the future. He made wine without using grapes, and his flowers could bloom in the middle of winter. One day he grew a peony bush, and on each petal were written verses in gold, predicting the fate of his uncle. He is often depicted with a bouquet of flowers. He carries a flute and plays six healing sounds on it. He is shown riding a buffalo, a mythical Buddhist deity.

Quan Zhong Li

Quan Zhong Li born in the 3rd century. During the Han Dynasty, he served as an army general. After meeting with the elder who taught him the Tao, he left public service and went to the mountains, becoming a beggar wanderer. One day while meditating stone wall his home split open, and a jade box appeared in the crack. The box contained secret instructions on the practices of Immortality. He followed the instructions, and one fine day his cell was filled with rainbow clouds and divine music. A crane flew in and took him to the land of Immortality. After this, he was able to roam the skies on his own. During the Great Famine, he turned copper and tin into gold and silver and distributed it to the poor, saving many lives as a result. He taught Lu Dong Bin Taoist secrets after he proved to him the frailty of existence and convinced him to join the ranks of the Immortals. He is usually depicted with a beard and light clothing. His hair is styled in two buns. His symbol is a fan, with which he revives and reincarnates the souls of the departed. He is already 1800 years old, but he sometimes appears on earth as a messenger from heaven.

Cao Guo Jiu

Cao Guo Jiu - This is one of the two brothers of the empress of the Sung dynasty, who ruled in the 11th century. n. e. He was so ashamed of his brother, a murderer and hedonist, that he gave away all his wealth to the poor and went to the mountains in search of the Tao. In the mountains he wore clothes made from wild plants and lived like a hermit. Over time, he harmonized his mind, body and spirit and learned Taoist transformation techniques. One day, while walking through his mountain kingdom, he met two of the eight immortals: Zhong Li Quan and Lu Dong Bin. Lü Dong Bin asked him, "What are you doing?" He replied, “I nurture the Tao and study the Path.” When asked where Tao was, he pointed to the sky. When asked where heaven was, he pointed to his heart. Zhong Li Quan brightened and said: "The heart is heaven, and heaven is Tao. You have truly found the truth and the way. You understand the essence of things "They invited him to travel with them. His symbol is castanets, the rhythm of his castanets is calming and relaxing, which makes it easier to meditate and travel through the Universe. He rides on a horse, whose spirit may have helped him discover the secrets of the Tao and immortality. They say that he still lives on Earth.

Zhang Guo Lao

Zhang Guo Lao born in the 8th century AD, but in past life served as First Minister to the legendary Emperor Yao (2357-2255 BC). He was already old and lived as a hermit in the mountains when the secrets of immortality were revealed to him, and he turned to "Original Steam". He had an amazing donkey that carried him thousands of miles in a matter of seconds. When he arrived at his destination, he simply put the donkey in his pocket like a piece of paper. When it occurred to him to travel again, he simply took the donkey out of his pocket and wet it with water. Many Tang Dynasty emperors invited him to court, but he usually refused them. He entertained one of the emperors by turning invisible and drinking poisons. The Emperor gave him the title "Master of Understanding Miracles" offered him a high post and a daughter to boot, but Zhang Guo Lao rejected both offers. And when the emperor wanted to force him to do this, he fell on his face and died. He was buried in a coffin, but later, when the coffin was opened, it was empty. After this he was often seen alive. His symbol is a quiver with magic wands or "phoenix feathers", with which he can predict fate.

Lan Sai He

Lan Sai He born during the Tang Dynasty and at the age of 16 became the youngest immortal. He was an artist and, like many ancient shamans, he wore makeup and wore women's clothing. He was a poor street singer and gave away everything he earned. He walked through the streets barefoot, singing and dancing, and a crowd of onlookers followed him, thinking that he was crazy. He wrote and sang songs about life, about its illusory pleasures, endless and useless reincarnations. In winter, he slept in the snow, and steam emanated from his body, which testified to his mastery of the technique of internal alchemy. One evening after a performance, he left the tavern and sat on a crane, which descended to the ground, accompanied by the sounds of a divine choir. And in front of the amazed audience, the crane gracefully lifted this " holy fool " . Its symbol is a basket of chrysanthemums, flowering branches peach, paws of pine and bamboo. He sits astride an elephant, a symbol of wisdom, strength and prudence.

Lü Dong Bin

This immortal is often called Progenitor Lu or Lu Wang. Lü Dong Bin - this is the one who comprehended the incomprehensible truth on the top of Mount Stor. He was born in the 8th century AD. and is still alive. He was a student of the Confucian school and became a Taoist, having been initiated into the secrets of inner alchemy by the immortal master Chung Li Chun. He sits astride a tiger, a symbol of sacred energy emanating from the Taoist goddess Xi Wang Mu, who rules the West. Lü Dong Bin holds a horsehair broom in his hands, which demonstrates his ability to fly through the sky and walk on clouds. He is always depicted with a magical double-edged sword on his back. This sword was given to him by a dragon, with its help you can hide in heaven and become invisible to evil spirits. Beard Lü Dong Bin is divided into three parts and symbolizes the three Piercing Channels used in the technique of internal alchemy. He can instantly travel thousands of miles in search of people with kind soul and give them Immortality. He also takes every opportunity to punish the rich and noble if he sees them oppressing the weak and poor. The Chinese people have always loved and respected Ancestor Lu. He lived on earth for 400 years, and often appears again.

He Xian Gu

He Xian Gu was born in the 7th century AD and is now over 1400 years old. She became immortal when she was 14 and met the immortal Lü Dong Bin, who taught her inner alchemy and gave her PEACH OF IMMORTALITY. Once the girl ate the peach, she was able to travel in her spirit body and pay her respects to the great Taoist goddess of immortality, Xi Wang Mu, who kindly showed He Xian Gu her new home- endless gardens. The girl learned to stop menstruation and conserve her vital energy. She also gained the ability to feed exclusively on the sweet dew of God, connecting with the omnipresent Qi. In her youth, she told fortunes by flying over the mountain tops and collecting herbs and food for her mother and the poor people. The fame of the girl’s wonderful abilities reached imperial palace, and the Empress of China summoned her to her. But the girl ascended to heaven and was no longer seen during the daytime. A few years later, she was seen flying on a cloud over the Ma Ku Temple. And now He Xian Gu comes to virtuous people in need of support. She is depicted holding a lotus flower (symbol of an open heart and holy radiance), demonstrating her strength and purity. She sits astride a deer, a symbol of longevity and inexhaustible energy.

Lee Te Guai

Lee Te Guai (or "Li Iron Crutch"), born during the Han Dynasty. He lived for 10 years in the mountains, where he meditated so selflessly that he sometimes forgot to eat and sleep. Some legends say that the great Laozi himself initiated him into Taoist practices, others indicate that the divine Xi Wang Mu, the ruler of the West, taught him immortality. He is depicted in the guise of a lama, although he was previously handsome and well-built. He turned into a freak after his spiritual body flew to see Laozi. Lee Te Guai asked his disciple to watch his body for seven days and not allow animals, insects and other spirits to enter it. The disciple said that his mother was dying, so he burned the body and went to his mother's bedside. On the seventh day, Lee returned and wanted to enter his body. Seeing that it was destroyed, he entered the body of the newly deceased beggar lama. By pouring water on the beggar's bamboo staff, he turned it into an iron crutch and a magic staff. His symbols are a staff and a pumpkin (symbol of the Universe). Having perfectly mastered the Five Elements technique and learned to combine yin and yang into one primordial energy, he acquired the ability to change things with the help of a staff and heal with the help of medicines that were stored in the gourd. It is said that he brought back to life the mother of one of his students using a potion mixed with a pumpkin. At night he turns into a tiny man and crawls into a pumpkin to sleep. His generosity is well known to the poor, sick and unfortunate. He eventually went to heaven in the form of a dragon, but often he returns to help those in need. He sits astride a chimera, a mythical guardian, a symbol of courage and bravery.

Images of the Eight Immortals in A4 format (glossy) and their Lives can be purchased from us in the Center .

Each of the Eight Immortals represents different states and positions in life, due to which the Eight Immortals are the patrons of almost all types of human activity.

Lü Dongbin (Chinese: 呂洞賓): The famous Taoist patriarch, depicted with a magic sword, is also the patron of literature and hairdressers.
Li Tieguai (Chinese: 李鐵拐): Doctor and scientist, depicted with a magic gourd and an iron stick; protector of the sick, patron of magicians and astrologers.
Zhongli Quan (Chinese: 鐘離權): Patron of soldiers. He is depicted with a fan and is the owner of the elixir of immortality.
Han Xiangzi (Chinese: 韓湘子): Known as the nephew of the Tang Dynasty scholar Han Yu. Plays the flute. Patron of musicians.
Cao Guojiu(Chinese: 曹國舅): Known as a representative of the ruling clan during the Song Dynasty. Depicted with castanets and a jade tablet giving the right to enter the imperial court. Patron of actors and mimes.
Zhang Guolao (Chinese: 張果老): He is a magician and is depicted with a bamboo drum and a mule. Patron of the elderly.
Lan Caihe (Chinese: 藍采和): Depicted as a woman or a man with a basket of flowers. Patron of flower sellers and gardeners.
He Xiangu (Chinese: 何仙姑): Woman with a lotus flower or basket of flowers and a peach wood flute. Patron of housewives.

Lu Dongbin Lu Dongbin
Legendary skin Lü Dong-bin had already formed by the middle of the 11th century, his first detailed description contained in “Notes from the Study of the Unreasonable” by Zheng Jing-bi (late 11th century). A temple was built in his honor in Yuezhou (modern Hunan Province); he was officially canonized in 1111.
According to legend, Lü Yan (his second name is Dong-bin, i.e. “guest from the cave”) was born on the 14th of the 4th moon of the year 798. At the moment of conception, a white crane descended from the sky to the mother’s bed for a moment. From birth, Lü had the neck of a crane, the back of a monkey, the body of a tiger, the face of a dragon, the eyes of a phoenix, thick eyebrows, and a black mole under his left eyebrow. Lü could memorize 10 thousand characters a day. When he served in the government in the Tehua region (modern Jiangxi province), he met Zhongli Quan in the Lushan mountains, who taught him magic, fencing and the art of making himself invisible. The teacher called him Chunyanzi - “the son of pure power - yang (bright beginning).” According to another version, fifty-year-old Lü was forced to flee with his family to the Lushan Mountains, where Zhongli Quan converted him to Taoism. Lü, who promised the teacher to help people comprehend the Tao (“the way”), came to Yueyang under the guise of an oil merchant and decided to help those who would not demand to be hanged with a hike. This turned out to be one old woman. Lü threw several drawings into the well near her house, and the water in it turned into wine; by selling the wine, the old woman became rich.

According to the most popular version of the legend, the young scientist Lu Dong-bin met a Taoist at an inn, who told the hostess to cook millet porridge and, while waiting for the ordered food, started a conversation with Lu about the futility of worldly desires. Lü disagrees. He falls asleep and sees in a dream his future life, full of ups and disappointments, terrible scenes and misfortunes. When he is threatened with death, he wakes up and sees himself in the same yard, the housewife is cooking porridge, and the Taoist is waiting for food. Lu, who has regained his sight, becomes a Taoist hermit. This legend uses a plot that developed back in the Tang era and was known in the 8th century. based on the novel by Shen Ji-ji “Notes about what happened at the head”, where the Taoist bears the surname Lü.

In popular beliefs, Lü is a holy ascetic who experienced suffering in worldly life and decided to serve people as a caster of demons who haunt the helpless people. On popular prints he is usually depicted with a sword cutting through evil spirits and a fly chaser - an attribute of a carefree immortal, next to him is his student Liu ("willow"), from whose pointed head a willow branch grows (according to legend, this is the spirit of the old willow - the werewolf whom Lu converted to his faith). Sometimes Lü is depicted with a boy in his arms - the desire to have numerous sons, in this capacity of the saint-child-giver Lü was honored by Chinese scientists. Liu was credited with the ability to show the path to healing or salvation. The legends about Liu have a noticeable Buddhist influence, particularly in the story of the miraculous dream. There are Buddhist interpretations of his sword art as “cutting off” all passions and earthly aspirations. In later Taoism, Lü began to be revered as the patriarch of some Taoist schools.

Zhongli QuanZhong Liquan
Zhongli Quan (according to another version, Han Zhongli, i.e. Han Zhongli, the second name of Yun-fang is “cloud house”) allegedly came from near Xianyang in Shaanxi province.

Legends about Zhongli apparently developed by the 10th century, although it is said that he himself attributed his birth to the Han era (in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD). According to the first mentions of him (in “Xuan-he shu pu” - “List of calligraphic inscriptions of the Xuan-he years”), he is a brilliant calligrapher of the Tang era, he has tall, curly beard (according to other sources, it fell below the navel), thick hair at the temples, bare head with two tufts of hair, tattooed body, bare feet. According to later legends, Zhongli was sent by the Han emperor at the head of an army against the Tibetan tribes. When his warriors were about to win, an immortal flying over the battlefield (according to some versions, Li Tie-guai) decided to set him on the path (dao) and told the enemy how to defeat Zhongli. Zhongli's army was defeated, and he himself fled to the desert lands.

In desperation, he turned for advice to a monk he met, and he took him to the Lord of the East, the patron saint of all male immortals, who advised Zhongli to abandon thoughts of a career and devote all his strength to comprehending the Tao. Zhongli took up alchemy and learned to turn copper and tin into gold and silver, which he distributed to the poor in times of famine.

One day, a stone wall split in front of him, and he saw a jade box - it contained instructions on how to become immortal. He listened to them, and a crane descended to him, and Zhongli sat on it and flew away to the land of the immortals. Zhongli is usually depicted with a fan that can revive the dead.
Zhongli was canonized during the Mongol Yuan dynasty, in the 13th and 14th centuries, due to his veneration as one of the patriarchs of some popular Taoist schools.

Cao Guo-jiuCao Guojiu

The immortal Cao Guo-jiu, according to the “Notes on the miraculous penetration of the immortal sovereign Chunyang” (“Chunyang dijun shen xian miaotong ji” by Miao Shan-shi, approximately the beginning of the 14th century), was the son of the first minister Cao Biao under the Sung sovereign Ren-tsung ( reigned in 1022-1063) and the younger brother of Empress Cao (Guo-jiu is not a name, but a title for the brothers of the empress, literally “uncle of the state”).

Cao Guo-jiu, who despised wealth and nobility and dreamed only of the “pure emptiness” of Taoist teaching, once said goodbye to the emperor and empress and went to wander around the world. The sovereign gave him a gold plate with the inscription: “Guo-jiu can travel everywhere, like the sovereign himself.” When he was crossing the Yellow River, the carrier demanded money from him. He offered a plate instead of payment, and the companions, having read the inscription, began to shout toast to him, and the carrier froze with fright. A Taoist wearing rags sitting in the boat shouted at him: “Since you became a monk, why are you showing your power and scaring people?”

Cao bowed and said: “How dare your disciple show his power!” - “What about throwing the gold plate into the river?” - asked the Taoist. Cao immediately threw the plate into the rapids. Everyone was amazed, and the Taoist (it was Lu Dong-bin) invited him with him.

According to a later version, Cao suffered a serious tragedy due to the dissipation of his brother, who wanted to take possession of the beautiful wife of a scientist whom he killed. On the advice of Cao, the brother threw the beauty into the well, but she is saved by an old man - the spirit of one of the stars. When a woman asks Cao for protection, he orders her to be beaten with a wire whip. The unfortunate woman reaches the incorruptible judge Bao, who sentences Cao to life imprisonment and executes his brother. The sovereign declares an amnesty, Cao Guo-jiu is released, he repents, puts on a Taoist dress and goes to the mountains. A few years later, he meets Zhongli and Liu, and they classify him as one of the immortals. Cao Guo-jiu is usually depicted with paiban (castanets) in his hands and is considered one of the patrons of actors.

Lee Tie-guaiLi Tieguai

Li Te-guai (Li “iron stick”, sometimes Te-guai Li) - his image apparently developed by the 13th century. based on legends about various immortals - lame people.

Lee is usually portrayed tall man with a dark face, large eyes, a curly beard and curly hair, grabbed by an iron hoop. He is lame and carries an iron staff. His permanent attributes are a gourd hanging on his back, in which he carries wonderful potions, and an iron stick. In the drama by Yue Bochuan (13th-14th centuries) “Lü Dong-bin turns Li-Yue with an iron stick into immortals,” the immortal Lü Dong-bin revived a certain official who died from fear of a dignitary in the guise of the butcher Li (hence the new surname ), and then made him immortal.
about another version, reflected in the novel “Journey to the East” (16-17 centuries), Taoist Li Xuan, having learned the secrets of the Tao, left his body in the care of a student, and sent his soul to the mountains, warning that he would return in seven days, otherwise, he ordered the student to burn the body. Six days later, the student learned about his mother’s illness, burned the teacher’s body and hurried home. Li Xuan's returning soul had no choice but to enter the body of the deceased lame beggar.
Subsequently, he appeared at the student’s house, revived his mother, and 200 years later took the student to heaven. According to another version, recorded in the work of the philologist Wang Shi-zhen (1526-90), Li allegedly lived in the 8th century. He studied Tao for 40 years in the Zhongnanshan Mountains, and then, leaving his body in the hut, he went wandering. The body was torn to pieces by a tiger, and the returning soul moved into the flesh of the deceased lame beggar. There are stories about how Li swam across the river on a piece of bamboo and sold miraculous potions at the market that cured all diseases. Lee was revered as the patron of magicians, and his images served as a sign for apothecary shops.

He Hsien-guHe Xiangu
The woman He Xian-gu (literally “immortal maiden He”) is also among the Eight Immortals.

There are many local legends about girls who bore the surname He, who apparently later merged into a single image. Wei Tai's "Notes at the Eastern Terrace" (11th century) tells about the maiden He from Yongzhou, who was given a peach (or date) to taste as a child, after which she never felt hungry. She knew how to predict fate. Local residents revered her as a saint and called her He Xian-gu.

According to the “Second Collection of Mirrors on the Comprehension of Tao by Light Immortals of All Epochs” by Zhao Dao-i (13th-14th centuries), He was the daughter of a certain He Tai from Zengcheng County near Guangzhou. During the time of the Tang Empress Wu Tse-tian (reigned 684-704), she lived near the Mica Stream.

When she was 14-15 years old, a saint appeared to her in a dream and taught her to eat mica flour in order to become light and not die. She vowed not to marry. Subsequently, she ascended to heaven in broad daylight, but then appeared on earth more than once. It is believed that the saint who set her on the path of immortality was Lü Dong-bin. However, initially in mid. 11th century, when legends about He received widespread, they were not associated with the legends of Liu. According to early versions, Lü helped another girl, Zhao, and later her image merged with the image of He.

By the end of the 16th century. Apparently, the idea of He Xian-gu as a goddess sweeping away flowers near the Heavenly Gates was already widespread (according to legend, at the Penglai Gate there was a peach tree that bloomed once every 300 years, and then the wind covered the passage through the Heavenly Gates with petals) and associated with Lu. It was at his request that the Heavenly Sovereign included He in the group of immortals, and Lü, having descended to earth, guided another person onto the true path, who replaced her at the Gates of Heaven. This function of He Xian-gu was reflected indirectly in the images. Her attribute is a flower white lotus(symbol of purity) on a long stem, curved like the sacred wand zhuy (wand fulfillment wand), sometimes in the hands or behind the back is a basket of flowers; in some cases, it is as if a cup of a lotus flower is combined with a basket of flowers. According to other versions, her attribute is a bamboo ladle, since she had an evil stepmother who forced the girl to work in the kitchen all day long. He showed exceptional patience, which touched Lu, and he helped her ascend to heaven. In her haste, she took a ladle with her, so He is sometimes revered as the patroness of the household.

Han Xiangzi Han Xiangzi

The first records about Han Xian date back to the Song era. The image of Han Xiangzi is based on a real person, the nephew of the famous thinker and writer of the Tang era Han Yu (768-824), who was the complete opposite of his uncle, a Confucian rationalist who did not believe in either Buddhist or Taoist miracles

All the main legends about Han Xiangzi are dedicated to demonstrating the superiority of the Taoists over the Confucians. According to one of them, when Han Yu, during a drought, unsuccessfully tried to cause rain by order of the sovereign, Han Xiangzi, taking on the guise of a Taoist, caused rain and snow, deliberately leaving his uncle’s estate without precipitation.

Another time, at a feast at his uncle’s, Han Xiang filled a basin with earth and grew two beautiful flowers in front of the guests, among which appeared golden hieroglyphs forming a couplet: “The clouds on the Qinling ridge blocked the path, where are home and family? The snow has covered the Languan passage, the horse does not move forward.”

Han Yu understood the meaning of these lines later, when he was sent into exile to the south for speaking out against Buddhism. Having reached the Qinling ridge, he found himself in a snowstorm, and Han Xiang Tzu, who appeared in the guise of a Taoist, reminded him of the prophetic verses and spent the whole night talking about Taoist mysteries, proving the superiority of his teachings.

As a farewell, Han Xiang gave his uncle a gourd flask with malaria pills and disappeared forever. The meeting in the Qinling Mountains became a popular theme for paintings already among Song painters. Han Xiangzi was depicted holding a flute. Legends about Khan are also recorded among the Central Asian Dungans (Khan Shchenzy), where he appears as a magician and sorcerer.

Zhang Guo-laoZhang Golao

Zhang Guo-lao (lao, “venerable”), one of the Eight Immortals, apparently is a hero deified by the Taoists who lived in the Tang era under Emperor Xuanzong (8th century).

His biography is available in official stories Tang Dynasty. The earliest record about him is from Zheng Chu-hui (9th century), where he is described as a Taoist magician. Zhang rode a white donkey that could run 10 thousand li a day. Stopping to rest, Zhang folded it like paper. When he had to go again, he splashed water on the donkey and it came to life. According to the earliest of the legends associated with Zhang's life at the court of Xuanzong, Zhang in the same way revived the magician She Fa-shan, who revealed to the emperor the secret that Zhang was a spirit - a werewolf of the white bat, which appeared during the period of the creation of the world from chaos (according to other legends, Zhang was allegedly born under the mythical ancestor Fu-si or under the legendary sovereign Yao), and, having told this, he immediately gave up the ghost.

Zhang was credited with the ability to predict the future and report events of the distant past. Zhang Guo-lao is usually depicted as an old Taoist with a bamboo rattle in his hands, often sitting on a donkey with his face to the tail.

Luxury prints with his images (Zhang bringing his son) were often hung in the newlyweds' room. Apparently, there was a contamination here between his images of Zhang and Zhang-hsien bringing sons. Among the Miao people (Western Hunan), Zhang Guo-lao turned into a mythical hero who struck 11 of the 12 suns and moons that were shining simultaneously with iron arrows from an iron bow, and also tried to cut down a tree growing on the moon that was obscuring its light. He fell asleep under a tree and found himself buried forever in its trunk.

In these myths, Zhang seemed to simultaneously replace two heroes of Chinese mythology: Wu Gan and the arrow Yi

Lan Tsai-he Lan Caihe

In Taoist literature, the first of the Eight Immortals is Lan Tsai-he. In “Continuation of the Lives of the Immortals” by Shen Fen (10th century), Lan is described as a kind of holy fool.

He wears a torn blue dress (Lan means “blue”) with a belt more than three inches wide with six ebony plaques, a boot on one foot, the other barefoot. In his hands were bamboo planks (a type of castanets). In the summer he insulates his robe with cotton wool, in the winter he rolls around in the snow. He wanders through the city bazaars, singing songs of which he knows many, and begging for food. Lan strung the money that people gave him onto a long cord and dragged it behind him.

At times he lost coins, distributed them to the poor people he met, or drank them away in wine shops. One day, when he was singing and dancing near Lake Haoliang and drinking wine in a wine shop there, a crane appeared in the clouds and the sounds of a reed pipe and flute were heard. At the same moment, the Doe climbed onto the cloud and, throwing down his boot, dress, belt and castanets, disappeared.

In some medieval texts, Lan is identified with the dignitary Chen Tao, who allegedly became immortal, and with the hermit Yu. Xu Jian, but in the Yuan drama "Han Zhongli Takes Lan Cai-he Away from the World" - Lan Cai-he is the stage name of actor Xu Jian.

It is believed that his name comes from a similar-sounding refrain in some songs of the 10th-13th centuries.

Images of Lan also appeared in the 10th-13th centuries. Subsequently, when compiling a cycle of stories about V. b. stories appeared about Lan's meeting with other characters in the group. At the same time, he loses his original attributes - the paiban castanets and the flute, thanks to which in the early period he was apparently revered as the patron saint of musicians: the castanets go to Cao Guo-jiu, the flute to Han Xiang-tzu, and Lan himself is depicted with a basket (Doe also means basket); its contents - chrysanthemums, bamboo branches - were associated with immortality, and Lan began to be revered as the patron saint of gardening.

In folklore, the ever-young Doe turns into a fairy of flowers, although he often retains a male appearance.

So, Veight immortals - these are legendary personalities who achieved immortality thanks to their unsurpassed art and asceticism.

Each of them has various supernatural abilities and perfections.

The image of the eight immortals is very popular in Chinese art

1. Mount Taishan

“That by which life is born is death”
Lao Tzu
Life and death... The two most important phenomena that concern absolutely everyone! But strangely enough, we know very little about this. And with the development of man himself, the idea of life and death changes. IN modern dictionaries“life” is a special form of existence of matter that arose at a certain stage of its development, the main feature of which and its difference from inanimate objects is metabolism. And “death” is the cessation of life, the death and disintegration of the body. But by and large, no one knows what life and death are. There are only our attempts to define and cognize these states.
What then is life without death, i.e. immortality? Defining this is much more difficult.
The idea of immortality is found in one form or another among almost all ancient peoples. The Greeks and Jews understood immortality as the ghostly existence of souls in the kingdom of shadows. The Egyptians believed in the immortality of the human soul. They believed that when a person's body dies, his soul passes into a child who is born at that moment.
“A person is born for death, but dies for life, for life,” our ancestors said.
The existence of immortality, without any doubts or other ulterior motives, was recognized by Latin American, Celtic, Indian, and Taoist traditions. Perhaps the Taoists made the most progress in this direction.
Taoism is a Chinese traditional teaching, including elements of religion and philosophy, formed in the 2nd century AD. It is based on the mystical and shamanic cults of the Chu kingdom of Southern China, the doctrine of immortality and magical practices of the Qi kingdom, and the philosophical tradition of Northern China. The founders of Taoism are considered to be the Yellow Emperor Huangdi and the sage Lao Tzu. The main treatises are the Tao Te Ching and Zhuang Tzu.
Depth, sophistication and sophistication philosophical views Taoists, wide practical application their knowledge attracted and attracts the minds of many people. I want to talk about a recent trip to the mountains of Southeast China - the sacred mountains of Taoism - the Mountains of the Immortals. Amazing in beauty, perception and power of influence, they left in my soul part of their wisdom, spirituality, greatness and Immortality. Five famous mountains, shrouded in secrets and legends... Taishan, Laoshan, Maoshan, Longhushan, Lofushan.
Oleg Cherne, head of the International Ethnic Center “INBI”, practicing for many years Taoist alchemy, who organized this trip and led the group along the roads of the Immortals, considers the space of China to be special. Writer, traveler, master, he has visited almost all countries of the world, is familiar with many outstanding people of our time, the author of numerous books and articles, he still continues his search and helps others in their search.
Oleg Cherne:
I am often asked: when did my interest in Taoism begin? In general, nothing can start just like that; it begins when we really understand what we are doing. Just because we begin to study something or follow someone or something does not mean that something has begun. We simply exchange one hobby for another. When you begin your personal search, it is the threshold of the path that you are embarking on. Ultimately, I said, okay, we have to do something! I want to know something! and this prompted me to go to China in the first place. This space opened up gradually - like a lotus. And today, when I come here not for the first time, it is for me something more than a Place of Power, people, masters and knowledge. For me it’s like a kind of construction kit, in every part of which I understand what I’m doing. And any trip to China is something extraordinary for me.
Space and energies different countries provide various opportunities for the development of a person following the path of knowledge.
China is home to one of the oldest and most complex civilizations in the world. Its history goes back about 5 thousand years. But time continues to change space, customs, cultures, religions. And the Chinese understand this very well. Modern China is a country of enormous economic potential. The past two decades have greatly changed the traditional life of the Chinese. We are witnessing the rapid development of the space and nuclear industries, petrochemicals and electronics, intensive construction, rapid economic recovery and growth in prosperity. The respectful attitude of the Chinese towards their culture is pleasantly surprising. When allowing any innovation into mass consumption, they always evaluate how the life of the population will improve and how this will affect centuries-old traditions. And in the traditions of the Celestial Empire - to find harmony with the world, spend time in conversations and meditations, improve in the practices of various teachers and masters. After all, they not only develop themselves, but also export their culture to other countries.

The legends and myths of China are full amazing stories about people who achieved immortality as a result of self-improvement according to Taoist practices. Described in ancient Chinese texts, the "Eight Immortal Saints" (Ba Xian), belonging to the Taoist pantheon, were real personalities. Each of them has their own story and their own path to immortality. Having become saints, they were freed from worldly feelings and passions, received eternal life and now live according to heavenly laws. Here are their names.
Zhong Liquan, the head of the Eight Immortals, possessed the secret of making the elixir of life and the powder of reincarnation.
Li Tieguai is considered the patron saint of magicians, wizards, and sorcerers.
Zhang Guolao - of all the eight immortals, he is the oldest in years and the most prudent. He lived as a hermit in the mountains and wandered all his life. He always rode a donkey backwards, traveling several tens of thousands of miles a day. When the immortal stopped anywhere, he folded the donkey as if it were cut out of paper and placed it in a bamboo vessel. And when it was necessary to go further, he splashed water from his mouth onto the folded figure, and the donkey came to life again. Zhang Guolao patronized marital happiness and the birth of children.
Lan Caihe - this immortal is considered the patron saint of musicians and is depicted with a flute in his hands.
Cao Guojiu is known as a member of the ruling clan during the Song Dynasty. Depicted with castanets and a jade tablet giving the right to enter the imperial court. Patron of actors and mimes.
Since childhood, Lu Dongbin was developed beyond his years and could memorize up to ten thousand words daily.
He Xiangu is the only woman among the eight. Even in early childhood, she met Lü Dongbin, who, foreseeing the girl’s future, gave her the peach of immortality. She ate only half of it and since then has had almost no need for earthly food. In the drawings, He Xiangu is depicted as an unusually beautiful girl with a lotus flower in one hand, and in the other she holds a wide wicker basket, sometimes filled with flowers. He Xiangu patronized households and predicted people's fortunes.
Han Xiangzi was the nephew of the famous Han Yu, a scientist and minister who lived during the Tang Dynasty.
The sacred Chinese mountains have always been considered the gateway to the world of blessed celestials. In Taoist traditions, mountains are viewed not only as a connection with heaven or with celestial beings, but as living beings that not only form knowledge, create and generate energy, but also represent certain stages of knowledge and perform specific tasks. For example, the first mountain we visited - Taishan, or Jade Mountain - gives an understanding of the entire structure of development, transformation, crystallization and energy generation, which a person can cognize by transforming this energy 9 times.
Those. each mountain is a certain space where a person can gain certain knowledge or energy to understand and transform the experience already gained. Chinese sages, living for some time on various mountains, imbued themselves with energies of different qualities. Just as bees collect nectar from flowers, so they collected energy into the vessel of their wisdom.
The most valuable of the arts is the art of learning. Everything else is just a consequence. The process of building up or acquiring new qualities requires constant replenishment of one’s own resources and constant work on oneself. Therefore, the secrets of Taoist practices are revealed only to those who are determined.
Oleg Cherne:
Taoism is not for lazy people, it is for people who are ready for action. He allows mistakes, branches, even unnecessary directions, but does not accept inaction until the moment when action becomes natural, natural and then it is considered as inaction. But this is inaction in relation to an action that was not necessary, but in reality creates a build-up, an algorithm, a progression... I.e. there is no goal here, no desire to achieve anything other than relying on one thing, which gives rise to the second. Continuous process of action.
It’s hard to call the Taoists lazy when, after overcoming more than 7,200 steps, they rise to a height of 1,545 m. Mount Taishan, located in Shandong province, is traditionally considered the habitat of Taoist saints and immortals. Not only is it one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism, but it has great cultural and historical significance both for China and for the whole world - the mountain is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. At least once in their life, every Chinese should climb this mountain, preferably on foot, although nowadays there is also a lift.
In Chinese culture, the mountain is entrenched as a symbol of stability, birth and sunrise, giving rise to the saying - “unshakable like Mount Taishan”. This saying was often used by Mao Zedong. Steep stone steps, intense humidity and heat, a staircase leading into the clouds, as if to the origins of all times and beginnings - this is the path for those who are not satisfied with the conventions of civilizations and morality, who are looking for the truly great and eternal, to contain the whole world and touch the origins of everything that happens.
Oleg Cherne:
If we talk about the formation of Taoism as such, then we can say that it was an attempt to live correctly in right space. This is very interesting. The first emperor of the Qing dynasty tried to implement this attempt. The very fact that there was an idea to build the space more correctly than it is built now is of great interest. The person himself is also interesting to me, because I don’t think that people truly realize their human qualities. They realize either animal qualities or superconscious ones. Human qualities require a certain education and development, and in Taoism, a person is a certain element, a certain structure that must be understood and developed.
Taoist practices are based on simple principles: a person is born in order to develop, development requires effort, effort is determined by will. The success of these practices lies in the simultaneous involvement of a person’s mental, energetic and physical potential in the work. Synchronizing these moments gives amazing results.
Many terms from Chinese spiritual practices are widely known throughout the world. Qi is the all-pervading life energy that exists in every person, be he Asian, African or Slavic. Only its name is different in different traditions. The Indians call it prana, the Slavs call it living, the Japanese call it ki. Qi flows in the human body along the meridian system, and a person’s condition directly depends on the state of Qi. According to Chinese philosophy, this energy breathes life into everything that exists, this is the breath of nature itself and life itself. “Man is in the breath, and the breath is in the man.”
Taoist practices work with three main types of energy and their combinations. All these energies are inextricably linked and their separation is conditional. Qi is filling energy, jing is binding, shen is transforming.
Translating the most important Taoist concepts is particularly difficult because Taoism speaks in the language of poetic metaphors. You can also say that qi is breath, jing is seed, and shen is spirit. There is another concept “de” - denoting internal perfection. And finally, the concept of “Tao” is translated by the word “path”. Movement from simple to complex. An endless path across a bridge connecting one state of consciousness to another. The peaks are getting higher and higher, and the Immortals are already walking along them...
The wise Taoists studied and classified the different types of energy that we can generate, use and transform in our body. Their system is more than just an abstract scheme of some abstract esoteric concepts, divorced from real life. It is very interconnected with many other aspects of our existence.

A continuous stream of people moves up the steep road. Stone steps, sometimes of different sizes, contain the imprints of millions of feet. People of different ages, different social status, many young people. It is not easy to rise to a height of 1.5 kilometers in a very stuffy and humid atmosphere, so unusual for us. Therefore frequent stops. Yes, and constant shooting from different points beautiful views mountains take time. After all, I came as part of a small film crew, and our task was to capture the journey through the Immortal Mountains. We have to constantly catch up with the main group, which makes our climb even more difficult.
We are popular with the local crowd. The Chinese are generally delicate people, but the desire to be photographed with us in the background is stronger. And they imperceptibly position themselves so that they, the mountains and us are in perspective. Some, more courageously, ask us to take a photo with them. And we don't refuse. Smiles, gratitude, handshakes. Everyone is pleased and interested - both for us and for them. Oddly enough, there are practically no Europeans on this route.
The highest peak is called Jade Emperor Peak. The mountaintop temple has been the destination of numerous pilgrims for 3,000 years. And although you can climb the mountain by ski lift, it’s still worthwhile to climb it on foot. That’s why an endless line of people stretches along the road hidden in the clouds.
Oleg Cherne:
Tai Chi Tempe Temple - Temple of the Jade Emperor is the most important temple in all of China, located in Taishan. The Jade Emperor symbolizes the highest degree of crystallization and transformation that a person can achieve. This is not just a symbol, but specific place, where the most important energy is accumulated for those who follow the Taoist way. The peculiarity of this place must be felt; deep knowledge of Taoist alchemy is embedded here.
In the Taoist pantheon, the Jade Emperor (Yu-di) occupies the position of the supreme deity who rules the sky and the affairs of people. He sits on a throne in a robe embroidered with figures of dragons, holding a jade tablet in his hands. He is wise and strict, and everything is in his power.
In various ancient traditions, alchemy was the name given to the subtle and complex art of successively purifying and changing a certain substance. Such transformations, according to the ancient sages, could occur both with the human body and with its energy. As the art of internal human transformation, alchemy has been represented in almost all the world's esoteric traditions. However, as a system of knowledge, it found its greatest development in Ancient China. The concept of Macro- and Microcosm, the doctrine of energy circulating in the human body, according to certain laws, was structured by ancient Chinese masters, developed and brought to the highest level.

As we said earlier, Taoist philosophy is based on the concept of continuous human development. At the initial phase of training, they work mainly with qi-qi energy, which allows you to build the body and energy circulation, create conditions for energy filling and conservation of the energy that has filled the body. In the alchemical phase, they work with the energies of Jing and Shen and create conditions for linking, transforming and structuring energy. The remaining levels of development are associated with the energies of jing-qi, jing-jing, jing-shen, shen-qi, shen-jing and shen-shen.
In any business, consistency and consistency are important. Purification of energy or transformation of coarser into more subtle results in a permanent change in the experience of the practitioner. And man, as a Microcosm, connects with the Macrocosmos at increasingly deeper levels. This process requires the improvement and unity of three qualities - form (body), movement (energy) and direction (consciousness) until they become a single harmonious energetic substance. These changes and penetrations into the secrets of life and the Universe are “the highest Taoist treasures of human existence.”
Oleg Cherne:
Taoist alchemy is a process of transformation, where a person in the process of life is able to generate, improve, transform and change his energy. Those. At first, he seems to move away from his predisposition of fate and achieves something greater, which he will be capable of thanks to the cultivation of energy. Taoist way- this is a certain process of living in conditions where first you need to achieve a certain harmonious state, in which, in fact, the process of cultivation is possible. The harmonic state is a complex concept for modern man because it defines the combination of energies that allow a person to be in a natural state. It allows consciousness to be in that quality that we call harmonious. This is not a psychological or philosophical attitude - it is a physical state that allows energy to be in balance. Those. Harmony is a special state that allows a person to be in comfortable conditions of interaction with the environment.
Achieving higher states requires enormous spiritual and energetic costs. Although sometimes there is more quick ways achieving such goals. Legends of Mount Taishan say that you can “find Heaven” by throwing yourself down from the top. Therefore, there were always many suicidal pilgrims who tried to throw themselves into the abyss from the top of the mountain. Another belief, more altruistic, says that by doing this you can save your parents from illness and death. Although will their life be joyful after the death of their child?!
Measures have now been taken to fence off the area at the summit to prevent such behavior.
Finally we climbed to the very top of Mount Taishan. There are many temples and hotels for pilgrims here. Heaven and earth changed places. Evening clouds hide the earth from us, and it seems that we, like the Immortals, are already hovering above it. From time to time, a light gust of wind breaks the covering veil and the silhouettes of the temple appear in the remaining haze, like on a canvas. This action fascinates and delights, like man’s eternal attempt to understand the world and himself in it.
Taoist alchemy can also be defined as the science of immortality, close to macrobiotics and divided into “external” (wai dan) and “internal” (nei dan). The first involved the production of elixirs of immortality, the second - the creation of an elixir in the very body of the adept.
Oleg Cherne:
Cinnabar, or “tribute,” is the main ingredient in making “immortality pills.” “Cinnabar fields”, or “dan tien”, are peculiar energy reservoirs in the human body, in which the main qi accumulates and spreads throughout the body. There are three dantians: upper, middle and lower. Accordingly, the “Palace of Nirvana” (niwan gkun), located in the head, the “Purple Palace” (jiang gong) is located near the heart, the “Ocean of vital forces” (qi hai) in the navel area. It is in these places that the crucible is located for melting the “immortality pill” of the internal alchemical process. The “Pill of Immortality” is already a quality of energy that leads to completely different levels of life.
In addition to internal alchemy, there was also external alchemy. Taoists believed that the use of a number of metals, minerals, and plants could ensure longevity. However, specially prepared medications are most effective. They are based on cinnabar, gold, silver, etc.
And on Mount Taishan there are places where cinnabar is formed. Three levels of cinnabar. At first, cinnabar is formed under the influence of qi energy. This place is below. Initially, the process or structuring generates qi energy. And there cinnabar is, as it were, connected with the earth. The second level of cinnabar is associated with the stone, where generation already occurs in relation to the stone. And the third level of cinnabar is associated with the sky, this is another place. This is a place that in a certain way finds its interaction between the crystalline nature of the stone itself, i.e. mineralization, the sun, which allows us to enhance this generation, and the fog that constantly rushes here and nourishes this stone. It is constantly fed and is in a certain rhythm.
To create cinnabar, you need to understand a certain rhythm of energy creation. You can’t just develop energy and do something drastic with it. It's like a carpet. When it is ready, it is a carpet; when it is done, it does not represent integrity and a certain strength. Of course, working with this place is much more difficult than with the place where cinnabar is collected, which is associated only with qi energy.
“The best way to understand what Taoism is is to learn to value in life not the smart, not even the good, but simply the durable, undying, whatever it is. What is durable is not abstract truth, but the sincerity of feeling, infinitely anticipated, expected and therefore infinitely remembered. The wisdom of Tao is addressed to the heart of every person, and without the joyful and selfless spiritual response that holds the life of every being, it is worth little.”

Lyudmila Zagoskina
Dnepropetrovsk
e-mail: [email protected]
(To be continued)

The “Eight Immortal Saints (ba xian)” described in ancient Chinese texts, belonging to the Taoist pantheon, were real historical figures. Having become saints, they were freed from worldly feelings and passions, joys and sorrows. They received eternal life and live according to heavenly laws.

The myths of China are full of amazing stories about people who received immortality as a result of self-improvement according to Taoist practices. It was possible to become immortal in various ways. According to some beliefs, when a Taoist goes to Heaven, he takes his body with him. At the same time, mysterious transformations occur, the body is filled with the substance of heavenly energy and eternally gains immortality. In other cases, transformations occur due to the fact that a person drank an elixir of immortality, most often prepared in the Heavenly Palace, or ate an immortality pill. You can also try a peach from the tree of Immortality, which grows in the garden of the Goddess Sivanmu and bears fruit once every three thousand years, and there is also a magic formula written on paper, read it - and become immortal.

Thus, there are a lot of ways, choose any one. Immortal Taoist Having entered into eternal life, he leads an existence that does not depend on earthly laws. He may live in beautiful caves on sacred mountains or on blessed islands in the sea. He can even settle in Heaven if he has the permission of the Jade Emperor. In any case, this is no longer a person, but a saint with capabilities that are unrealistic for a person. Their physical appearance remained the same for thousands of years as it was in earthly life.

Immortals can take human form and communicate with people. They command celestial animals, can transform, and often possess various magical objects endowed with magical powers, this could be a fan, a cord, a staff, etc.

The myths about the Eight Immortals are most widespread in China. These immortals, revered and loved by the people, were once people, famous historical figures, and then, having become saints, retired to high mountains far from earthly joys and sorrows.

Zhong Li Quan is the head of the Eight Immortals. He lived during the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC-249 AD). During his lifetime, he was a military leader, and is therefore considered the patron saint of soldiers. He is usually depicted as a fat man with his midriff exposed. Sometimes he holds a peach in one hand and a fan in the other, with the help of which he revives the dead, since he possessed the secret of making the elixir of life and the powder of reincarnation.

Zhong Li was born near Xianyang in Shaanxi Province. The first mention of it is in “Xuan-he shu pu” (“List of calligraphic inscriptions of the Xuan-he years”). According to this book, he is tall, has a curly beard, thick hair at the temples, a bare head with two tufts of hair, a tattooed body, and bare feet. This is how he is depicted in the pictures.

Zhong Li Quan is one of the founders of the alchemical art of immortality. He is also one of the founders of the Quanzhen (School of Perfect Truth) Taoist school. In Taoism, he was also called Zhenyang Zushi - the first master of True Yang, as well as the Master of the Cloud Hall. He was a student of another immortal - Li Tie-guai. Under the Mongol Yuan Dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries AD. Zhong Li was canonized and named Taoist Patriarch.

The legend says that when Zhong Li Quan was born, the entire room was illuminated with an unusual radiance, which is why the child was predicted to have an extraordinary future. The appearance of the newborn was also very unusual: a huge head, wide forehead, large ears, thick cheeks and bright lips, long eyebrows and a red nose. His arms were long, like those of a three-year-old child; for seven days the baby did not eat anything or cry.