The disciple failed his final test

Losing the Heart for the Tao

Fei Changfang, an official in the Han Dynasty, noticed an old man selling medicine at the market. At dusk, the man would vanish into a wine gourd—something only Fei saw. Curious and seeking transcendence, Fei brought the man wine and meat. The old man invited him into the gourd, which contained a lavish, otherworldly realm.
The old man revealed he was once a god, now finishing his punishment in the human world. He offered to take Fei along to pursue the Tao. Before leaving, they shared wine from a tiny jar that never emptied, showing the power of the immortal world.
Fei hesitated, worrying for his family. The old man cut a bamboo stick to resemble Fei and had him hang it behind his house. The bamboo transformed into his likeness, and his family believed he had died.
Fei followed the old man through dangerous trials—wild tigers, a falling rock—but showed no fear. At last, he was asked to eat feces filled with maggots. Fei refused. The old man sighed, “What a pity—you almost attained the Tao,” and sent him back.
Before parting, the old man gave him a talisman for protection and a stick to fly home. Though gone for over ten years, Fei felt it had only been ten days. He proved his story by showing the bamboo "body" in his grave.
Back home, Fei developed supernormal powers, healing the sick and appearing in many places at once. But when he lost the talisman, he was killed by ghosts.
Su Che, a later scholar, wrote that Fei didn’t simply lose the talisman—he lost his sincere heart for cultivation because he began pursuing fame and wealth. And without that true heart, all protection was gone.

https://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2025/3/7/225763.html


Music License:
Music: Hope
Musical instruments: Flute and harp
Composed by Francisco La Russa
(Minghui.org)



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