THE EIGHT IMMORTALS OF THE TAOIST RELIGION 6& 



In order to fulfil his promise, made to Chung-li that 

 he would endeavour to convert his fellow men to the true 

 belief, he came to Yoh Yang & Jil in the guise of an oil 

 seller, thinking that he would transmigrate all those who 

 did not ask for additional weight to the oil purchased. 

 During one entire year he met customers who were selfish, 

 and extortionate, and only one dame who was honest and did 

 not ask for more than her due. Then he came to her house, 

 and finding that there was a well in the courtyard he threw 

 a few grains of rice into it. The water miraculously turned 

 into wine which the old dame sold and amassed much wealth 

 therefrom. 



He also killed a dragon which had done much damage, 

 and declined compensation. He transmigrated many who 

 were really of good heart, and did other magical perfor- 

 mances. 



In the twelfth century, temples were erected in his 

 honour and were dedicated to his worship under the designa- 

 tion % M. M A which he had made his own. He is also 

 called Lii Tsu £ IE or the patriarch Lii, under which designa- 

 tion he is for some obscure reason, worshipped by the fra- 

 ternity of barbers. 



The following excerpt from Dore's Recherches sur les 

 Superstitions en Chine, is also interesting. "At other times, 

 we find Lii Tung-pin and Kwan-kung HI -S- bearing in 

 their arms a male child. This is an assurance that the new 

 home will be blessed with numerous progeny, reckoning 

 amongst them literati and remarkable state officials. It is 

 indeed a well-known fact that Lu Tung-pin is one of the 

 Immortals honoured by the literati, and that Kwan-kung 

 combines in his person, the titles of god of war and patron 

 of literature." 



Lii Yen was also skilful in fencing, and is always re- 

 presented as carrying on the back a sword, which also was 

 useful in his magical deeds. 



7. Han Hsiang-tzu H M J' . 



The last word "Tzu" does not belong properly to his 

 name, and a similar case is seen in Li Tieh-kuai sometimes 

 called Tieh-kuai Tzu; and his literary appellation is ^ 5fc. 

 He was nephew of the great Han Yii ft M and a man 

 "of an idle and harum-scarum disposition." No earthly 

 lust or pleasure could attract and divert him, and he became 

 an ardent votary of transcendental study. His scholarly 

 uncle urged him to the study of Confucian literature, and 



