ExclusiveTraditional Chinese Tales：The Encounter of Scholar Song with an Immortal

The Encounter of Scholar Song with an Immortal During the Qing Dynasty in Wuchang, Hebei Province, there lived Scholar Song, who had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations and gradually became disillusioned with worldly pursuits. He decided to travel to Xiangling to ease his mind. One day, he encountered a Taoist with a unique appearance and a long, silver-white beard of over four feet. Song was amazed by his appearance and invited him to his residence, offering food and drink. The Taoist asked, I've heard that divine beings and sages do not seek fame. Why are you troubled by worldly fame? Upon hearing this, Song felt ashamed of his past pursuit of fame. He then asked the Taoist about the secret to longevity. The Taoist replied, In this world, how can ordinary people achieve immortality? Human lifespan can naturally reach a hundred years. But due to attachment to desires and emotions, it becomes difficult to attain longevity. It's like clear spring water being contaminated by the addition of various flavors. It's impossible for it to remain pure and fresh. That night, bathed in moonlight, the Taoist asked, Would you like to travel with me? Song replied, That's exactly my wish. The Taoist then took out two paper cranes from his pocket and sprayed them with a mouthful of water. Suddenly, they grew into live birds. They each mounted a crane and the Taoist instructed Song not to look back. The crane ride was smooth and steady. From above, they could clearly see everything below, as if looking at the lines on one's own palm. Song thought to himself, Human life is as fleeting as that of a cicada, just a short sojourn in this world. Compared to the vastness of heaven and earth, humans are as insignificant as a grain of sand in the Ganges River and as a drop in the immense ocean. How short my life is, yet I can't let go of my feelings for my wife and children. As Song grew attached to the thoughts of his family, the Taoist sighed and gave up. Song immediately floated to the ground, feeling as if he were falling like leaves in the wind, completely unharmed. At that moment, someone heard noises and came out. To his surprise, it was his wife and children. It turned out that he had floated back to his home in Wuchang. The family was surprised at this unexpected reunion. And Song explained the events in detail. From then on, Song pursued the study of immortality and ceased going after officialdom through the imperial examinations. Scholar Song must be predestined to have such an extraordinary experience of meeting an immortal and getting his guidance. It's a pity that he couldn't let go of his concern for his family and was eventually sent back home by the Taoists. Otherwise, he might have received further enlightenment to become an immortal himself. This shows how serious cultivation is.