Han Xiang Zi: immortal wisdom

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:39

In blessed times, when part of China was ruled by the Tang Dynasty, a boy was born who was destined for a place in the pantheon of immortals. His talents showed up very early, especially in the field of miracles, vague predictions and aphorisms.

If you want to be like everyone else, you will be nothing

Whether he strove to be different from all the others or not is not known for certain. But he followed his convictions no matter the circumstances. If you remember that he professed Taoism, the doctrine of the path predetermined from above, there is nothing particularly surprising here.

His famous uncle, Han Yu, a poet, statesman and person close to the emperor, tried to set him on the path of truth. He was a Confucian and wanted to lead his nephew along the path of an official at court. The path was trodden by the uncle himself, and for some time Han Xiang Zi walked on it as a government official.

Despite his uncle's exhortations, the future immortal left his position and set out to seek the truth. Very soon he became famous for his miracles, one of which especially impressed the opponents of Taoism. To prove that the power of Tao is greater than the power of wine, he somehowbanquet drank an exorbitant amount of intoxicating drink. The Confucians who witnessed his exploits were greatly shaken in their rejection of the Tao. Plus, he wasn't drunk at all.

It is also said that he could make wine from water. Before him, only Jesus Christ was famous for this.

Who shows my mistakes is my teacher

Han Xiang Zi's aphorisms prove that he could make more than just wine. He wanted and knew how to seek the truth. But first, a teacher had to be found. They became Lu Dunbin.

The teacher not only initiated Han Xiang Zi into the mysteries of magic, in which he was an unsurpassed expert. The immortality that the young man gained was in some way a gift from the teacher. There is nothing to be surprised here. Lu Dunbin himself is considered the main immortal in the Taoist pantheon.

The legend describes the process of transformation like this (maybe it will be useful to someone): the teacher and the student came to the area where peach trees grew. Not simple ones, but those that gave "spirit peaches". Han Xiang Zi climbed a tree, but did not have time to eat the fruits. The branch cracked, and he hit the ground so hard that life left him. This is where the transformation happened. He ascended into the sky and immediately returned alive, but already immortal.

Who does not believe, can read the book "The Complete Biography of Han Xiang Zi", written with true Chinese elegance.

If you don't forgive a mistake, you make a mistake yourself

You have to be able to forgive mistakes. And we must help the wrong one. Especially if you have magic.

The high-ranking uncle, although he was a philosopher, did a lotmistakes for which he once paid with the position and favor of the emperor. Wanting to eradicate Taoism, he once composed a treatise "On the Bone of the Buddha" and submitted it to the office. The emperor did not evaluate the work of his minister in the way the author had hoped. He himself was a Buddhist and practiced the Tao.

Shortly before this event, Han Xiang tried to convince his uncle and did it in Chinese. That is, so that you don’t immediately guess. He recited his poems, which mentioned flowers blooming instantly. Han Yu demanded proof, and the young man brought it. He covered the earth with a cup, took it away in a minute. In front of everyone's eyes, a flower appeared from the earth. It grew, blossomed, blossomed, and verses written in gold appeared on two petals. The verses contained a prediction that no one understood, and it was only when my uncle went into exile that it became clear to him what was being said.

Nowhere is it mentioned that he was reforged, but his nephew not only explained to him the perniciousness of stubbornness, but also predicted that he would return to the throne. And so it happened. He also gave a cure for all diseases.

Do you know what kind of guy he was?

If there's anything to be sure of, it's that he was cheerful, cheerful and handsome. So he remained in the people's memory, in legends and traditions.

He was considered the patron saint of musicians and gardeners. He always had a fruit basket and a jade flute with him. When it sounded, flowers bloomed around, and everyone was treated to fruit.

In the pictures of his face sometimesgave feminine features, he was so handsome. He had a cheerful disposition and love of life. How unlike the Christian saints! Well, after all, China is not Europe either.

Immortality and wisdom

Nevertheless, he became famous not only because he was a shirt-guy among immortal colleagues. Han Xiang Zi quotes on the tables of wisdom lovers occupy no less space than the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Both sages are somewhat similar internally.

He apparently did not leave scientific works, but the principles of life contained in the chosen Han Xiang Zi taught many:

• if you want to clean up the world, clean your house first;
• kindness is defenseless and therefore exists;
• good faith is rewarded, but money has nothing to do with it;
• flower is beautiful until touched;
• wise is not the one who thinks about the great, but the one who does not think about the little things.

If there was a pantheon of immortal wisdom, these aphorisms would certainly be there.