What is a true Taoist? What is true cultivation? This article may provide some inspiration for friends who aspire to cultivate.
This story was told by Liang Huotang.
It is said that there was a wealthy man in eastern Guangdong who, tired of making money, fell in love with the idea of cultivating immortality. With plenty of money at home, he invited dozens of talented individuals to live with him.
This group of people were very good at mutual flattery in business, boasting that they could easily help others ascend to the heavens in broad daylight. The wealthy man spent a lot of money on these people because occasionally there were small miraculous occurrences; this little sweet spot drew him deeper into their world, and his trust in them grew day by day.
One day, a Taoist suddenly visited the wealthy man’s home. Although the Taoist wore tattered clothes and a worn-out bamboo hat, he appeared like a solitary crane among pine trees, exuding an air of elegance and grace. He had come seeking refuge as well.
Of course, wanting to eat from the wealthy man’s plate wasn’t that simple; it required an interview.
However, this divine person was extraordinary; during the interview, he impressed the wealthy man right from the start.
The questions during the interview were met with answers from the Taoist that were subtle and profound. Even though the wealthy man prided himself on having some understanding of immortality cultivation, he couldn’t help but be captivated by the unexpected depth of knowledge displayed by the Taoist. Having passed this theoretical knowledge test, the wealthy man began to assess his magical abilities.
Whether it was commanding spirits or summoning winds and rain, the Taoist handled everything with ease. Besides these feats, he also had surprises for the wealthy man. The bass fish from Songjiang, fresh mushrooms from Taizhou, honey oranges from Wudi, and lychees from Fujian—no matter how far away they were, it was as easy as reaching into his pocket to obtain them.
With material abundance secured, the spiritual nourishment provided by the Taoist also satisfied the wealthy man’s desires; he could summon celestial maidens like calling upon his own servants to play music and dance gracefully.
The wealthy man held talismans drawn by the Taoist in his hands—celestial mountains at sea and islands across ten continents—he could dreamily wander wherever he wished. The Taoist could even produce golden elixirs as small as millet grains that could turn stone into gold; gold refined through his process would suffer no loss even after being smelted hundreds of times.
The wealthy man was awestruck by this all-powerful magic; previously encountered practitioners seemed trivial in comparison. If any one of those practitioners possessed even half or one-tenth of what this Taoist could do, they would be regarded as esteemed guests. He never imagined that with sincere devotion he would truly attract a celestial being down to him.
When those practitioners saw what capabilities this Taoist possessed, they recognized their inferiority and bowed down one after another. They hoped for him to impart his magical arts to them.
Facing this circle of kneeling individuals, the Taoist stroked his beard and nodded: “Alright then, let’s choose a day for a ceremony where I will teach you one by one.” When that day arrived and everyone had bowed before him on stage, the Taoist asked them: “What do you seek?” Everyone replied in unison: “We seek immortality.” “Why do you seek me for immortality?” “Master, you possess such extraordinary abilities; if not an immortal then what are you?”