NATURE'S FORCES AS THE EIGHT IMMORTALS
The eight immortals represent the universe's eight powers outside the visible.
Each of the eight immortals, which represent natural powers, is aligned with a specific geographical path, season, color, earth, species, organ, and so on. We'll start in the southeast with Han Hsien-Ku and work our way counterclockwise around the pakua, listing the characteristics of each of the eight immortals.
The eight immortals represent the universe's eight powers. The directions associated with each of the powers in this configuration of the trigrams correspond to the normal compass-point directions seen on every map, with north at the top and south at the bottom. For a more in-depth look at each of the eight immortals, we'll stick to this plan.
HAN HSIEN-KU
Characteristics of Han Hsien-Ku
Purple is the color of choice (green)
Sun (wind) (force) (force) (force) (force) (force) (force) (
The number four (4)
The season is late spring.
Yin has a lot of energy (-)
The year is 800 CE.
Pluto is a planet.
Sensitivity is a mental trait.
Mountain is another name for it. Sage is a kind of sage
Nervous System
Quality: Increasing
Air is the element (wood)
Generating Movement
Magic is a symbol. Flute (flute)
Adrenal Gland
Sprouting seed
Pull-down in Tai Chi
Penetration/following in the I Ching
Southeast is the direction.
Kindness, forgiveness, graciousness, and friendliness are good emotions.
Jealousy, resentment, jealousy, and rage are negative emotions.
Chi is a word that means "to warm up."
Tendon nourishes
Buffalo is a kind of animal.
Determination is a positive attitude.
Tung-Pin, Tung-Pin, Tung-Pin, Tung-Pin
Gallbladder is a form of gallbladder.
Tears are made.
Climate: Wet
Function: Making a decision
Green Dragon Spirit
Sense: Observation (eyes)
Sh-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h
In the eighth century CE, Han Hsien-Ku (Han Xiang Zi) was born (see fig. 4.2). He was the nephew of Han Yu, the famous Tang poet and scholar. He learned and qualified for the state civil exams, but he chose not to take them, much to his uncle's chagrin. He was a bright but rambunctious boy who despised the world's pomp and arrogance.
Despite being expelled from a Buddhist temple for being disrespectful and mischievous, he enjoyed silence and anonymity. When he was only a youth, fellow Immortal Lu Tung-Pin introduced him into the secrets of Taoism, and he soon became immersed in the art of internal alchemy. He delved into the mysteries of heaven and perfected the five energy phases (elements).
The divine knot on his robe represents his achievement in fusing the yin and yang forces into one original force.
Han Hsien-Ku (Han Hsien-Ku) is a Taiwan
Lu Tung-Pin once took him up to the legendary World Tree's vantage point to show him the cosmos. Han Hsien-Ku was killed after he fell from the tree, but he soon revived. He was impoverished, but he was unconcerned about it because he was enamored of the Tao. He was able to accomplish amazing feats and predict the future. He made wine without grapes and flowers bloomed in the dead of winter. He mysteriously grew a bunch of rose peonies one winter, with verses written in gold on each petal foretelling his uncle's fate.
He is often portrayed with a floral bouquet. He holds a flute and does the Six Healing Sounds on it. He is depicted riding a buffalo, a legendary creature that represents the Taoist goddess Hsi Wang Mu, queen of the west.
CHUAN CHUNG-LI,
Light green in color
Chen (thunder) (+) Force
The number three (3)
Early spring is the season
Great Yang's energy (-)
Year: 200 CE
Jupiter is a planet.
Emotional: Mental
Tendons are also known as the General System.
Growth: Quality
East is the direction.
Generosity, forgiveness, benevolence, and benignity are also good emotions.
Negative emotions include blame, aggression, remorse, and annoyance.
Chi means moist in Chinese.
Nerves are nourished.
Chimera is a kind of animal.
Decisiveness is an attitude.
Lao-tzu was my teacher.
Wood is an element (air)
Developing Movement
Feather fan as a symbol
Hypothalamus is a gland in the hypothalamus.
Sprouting seed
Tai Chi: Push and Pull
Intuition/action in the I Ching
Liver is a body organ.
Tears are made.
Warm climate
Controls are the function of this object.
Green Dragon Spirit
Sense: Observation (eyes)
Sh-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h
Chuan Chung-Li (Fig. 4.3)
In the third century CE, Chuan Chung-Li (Quan Zong Li) was born (fig. 4.3). He was an army general (Marshall of the Empire) under the Han Dynasty. He quit government service and went to the mountains to become a wanderer and beggar after encountering an old man who told him about the Tao. The stone wall of his mountain home crumbled once when he was meditating, revealing a jade jar. Secret meditation notes on how to become invincible is hidden within the case. Following the orders, his chamber was filled with rainbow clouds and divine music one day. A crane appeared and took him into the realms of immortality on its back.
After that, he was free to roam the heavens on his own. During a severe drought, he converted copper and pewter into gold and silver, which he distributed to the needy, saving thousands of lives. After reminding Lu Tung-Pin of the emptiness of creation, he taught him the mysteries of Taoism and convinced him to join him in his blissful existence as a fellow immortal.
He is shown as lightly dressed and bearded. On the sides of his ears, his hair is gathered in two coils. A fan is his mark, which he uses to reincarnate and resurrect the spirits of the dead. He has frequently appeared on Earth as a messenger to Heaven despite being over 1,800 years old. He's riding a chimaera, a legendary being associated with Hsi Wang Mu, the Taoist goddess of life.
TSAO KUO-CHIU,
Kuo-chiu Tsao Identifying Features
Blue is the predominant colour (brown, associated with yellow and the center)
Fairness, transparency, peace, and recognition are constructive emotions.
Lesser energy Yang Yang Yang Yang Yang Yang Yang Yang Yang (-)
1100 years ago
Uranus is a planet in the Solar System.
Chi is a balancing force.
Flesh Nourishes
Spirit Animal equine
Stabilizing mentality
Tung-Pin, Tung-Pin, Tung-Pin, Tung-Pin
Spleen is a digestive organ.
Saliva is a product of the salivary glands.
Mild climate
Balances-integrates is the function of this object.
Yellow Phoenix is a being.
Taste is a sense (mouth)
Who-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Northeast is the direction.
Ken (mountain) (+) Force
The number eight (8)
Early autumn is the season (Indian summer)
Worry, fear, false sympathy, and diversion are examples of negative emotions.
Clarity in mind
Mountain Hermit is his nickname.
Lymphatic system
Equalize the quality
Earth is the element.
Centering: Movement
Castanets is the symbol for Castanets.
Castanets, Castanets, Castanets, Castanets, Cast
Ripening Seeds
Shoulder attack in Tai Chi
Stopping/Stillness in the I Ching
Tsao Kuo-Chiu (Cao Guo Jio) is one of two royal brothers (fig. 4.4). During the eleventh century CE, their sister was a Sung empress. He was so afraid of his murderous and hedonistic brother that he gave away all of his riches to the poor and fled to the mountains in search of the Tao.
He dressed himself in wild plants and lived as a hermit in the mountains.
He eventually harmonised his mind, body, and spirit to the point that he could effortlessly turn into the Tao.
Kuo-Chiu Tsao
He encountered two of the eight immortals, Chung-Li and Lu Tung-Pin, one day while wandering around his mountain world. “What are you doing?” Lu Tung-Pin inquired. “I am cultivating the Tao and learning the Way,” he answered. Kuo-Chiu looked to Heaven when asked where the Tao was. He pointed to his heart when asked where Heaven was. “The heart is Heaven, and Heaven is the Tao,” Chuan Chung-Li beams. You did, in fact, discover the truth and the path. You're aware of the origins of things.” They asked him to join them on their adventures as immortals.
His icon is the castanets, which he uses to inspire meditation and journeying across the world by playing them in a calming and stimulating pattern. He's riding a horse whose spirit may have assisted him in discovering the Tao's mysteries and attaining immortality. He is said to still be alive on this planet.
CHANG KUO-LAO (NORTH)
Kuo-Lao Chang Kuo-Lao Chang Kuo-Lao Chang Ku Identifying Features
Black in colour (blue)
(+) Kan (water) force
The number one (1)
Winter is the season.
Fear, shock, tension, worry, doubt, and anxiety are all negative emotions.
Chi: To chill
Bones are a good source of nutrition.
Spirit Animal equine
Willpower is an attitude.
Lao-tzu was my teacher.
Kidneys are a type of organ.
North is the direction.
Positive emotions include gentleness, stillness, alertness, and appreciation.
Greater Yin in terms of energy (-)
The year is 800 CE.
Mercury is a planet.
Mental: Unpredictability
Mountain is another name for it. Hermitage
Arrangement: Absorbing Element: Water Urinary Quality
Gathering: Movement
Urine is made.
The weather is chilly.
Ambitions is a feature.
Blue Turtle is the spirit of
Sense: Auditory (ears)
Who-o-o-
Phoenix Feather as a Symbol
Adrenal Gland
Dormant seed
Tai Chi: Defend yourself
I Ching: Danger/passion
Kuo-Lao Chang
In the eighth century CE, Chang Kuo-Lao (Zang Guo Lao) was born (fig. 4.5). He claimed to have served as a grand minister to the mythical Emperor Yao (2357–2255 BCE) in a former life. When he mastered the mysteries of immortality and became "the Original Vapor," he was an elderly mountain hermit. He had a magnificent horse that could transport him thousands of miles in a matter of seconds. He used to ride backwards a lot. He would topple the horse, fold it like a piece of paper, and store it in his pocket until he arrived at his destination. He'd pull it out and moisten it with water to transform it back into a horse until he was able to ride again.
Many Tang emperors welcomed him to court, but he refused much of the time. He amused one emperor by disguising himself and drinking poisons.
The emperor conferred the title of "Master of Understanding the Mystery" upon him, as well as a high rank and his daughter in marriage. Chang Kuo-Lao turned down both offers; but, when he got another, he accepted it.
While receiving an imperial order, he lied down and died. He was buried in a coffin, but it was later discovered to be hollow when his disciples opened it. He was frequently seen alive after that.
His emblem is a wand-filled funnel or a "Phoenix feather," which he uses to predict luck and misfortunes. He is credited for assisting souls in reincarnation. His portrait can still be seen in the bedrooms of many in China who are seeking to start a family.
LAN TSAI-HO IN THE NORTHWEST
Tsai-Ho Lan Lan Tsai-Ho Lan Tsai-Ho Identifying Features
Silver grey in colour (gold)
Chien (heaven) (+) Force
The number six (6)
Season: Late autumn
Yang is the most powerful energy (-)
The year is 300 CE.
Neptune is a planet in the Solar System.
Intuition is a mental concept.
Often known as: Respiratory Minstrel System
Condensing quality
Metal is a metal element (ether)
Compressing movement
Flower Basket as a Symbol
Thyroid gland
Falling Seeds
Single whipping in Tai Chi
Strength/creativity, according to the I Ching.
Northwest is the direction.
Righteousness, dignity, order, and substantiality are good emotions.
Depression, loss, gloom, dejection, and down are destructive emotions.
Chi is a Chinese word that means "cooling."
Skin is nourished.
Elephant is a kind of animal.
Vitality is an attitude.
Lao-tzu was my teacher.
Colon is a kind of colon.
Mucus is made.
The weather is nice.
Stabilizes the situation.
White Tiger's Spirit
Smell is a sense (nose)
Sss-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s
Lan Tsai-Ho (Lan Cai He) was born under the Tang Dynasty, and at the age of sixteen, he became the first male immortal (see fig. 4.6). He was a performer who, like some ancient shamans, dressed and looked like a woman. He was a beggar and a street performer who gave his money to the sick.
He marched about with one bare foot, still jumping and singing, and was surrounded by people that thought he was crazy. He wrote and sang songs that questioned life, its ephemeral pleasures, and its inexorable and pointless reincarnations. In the night, he'd sleep soundly in the snow, steam emerging from his body, a sure indication that he'd perfected internal alchemy techniques. He was always seen buying wine for everybody in taverns.
Lan Tsai-Ho
After singing and entertaining in a pub one evening, he climbed aboard a crane that had descended among the strains of a heavenly chorus.
In front of a stunned audience, the crane gracefully lifted this "Holy Fool" into the sky. A bowl of flowers, herbs, and branches from trees synonymous with longevity, such as the chrysanthemum, peach blossom, fir, and bamboo, serves as his emblem. He rides an elephant, which is a sign of intelligence, courage, and prudence.
LU TUNG-PIN (WEST)
Tung-Pin Lu Identifying Features
Metallic white in colour
Tui (lake) (+) force
The number seven (7)
Early Winter is the season.
Lesser Yin Energy (-)
The year is 800 CE.
Venus is a planet.
Intuition is a mental concept.
Wise Sage is a term used to describe anyone who is wise.
Respiratory Quality: Condensing System
Metal is a metal element (ether)
Contracting movement
Symbol: Sword of the Whisk
Pineal Gland
Falling Seeds
Roll back in Tai Chi.
I Ching: Attraction/joy
West is the direction.
Courage, righteousness, appropriateness, and boldness are optimistic emotions.
Sadness, loss, dejection, and sadness are negative emotions.
Chi: the process of drying
Skin is nourished.
Tiger is a kind of animal.
Vitality is an attitude.
Hsi Wang Wu, Hsi Wang Wu, Hsi Wang Wu, Hsi
Lungs are a kind of organ.
Mucus is made.
Dry climate
Strengthens the body
White Tiger's Spirit
Smell is a sense (nose)
Sss-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s
Tung-Pin Lu
Lu Tung-Pin (Lu Dong Bin), also known as Ancestor Lu or Lu Yan, is a magnificently wise hero who lives on Stork Peak (fig. 4.7). He was born in the eighth century CE and is still living, according to legend. He was a Confucian philosopher who converted to Taoism after being introduced by fellow immortal Chuan Chung-Li into the mysteries of internal alchemy. He's riding a tiger, who represents the divine force that flows from the Taoist goddess Hsi Wang Mu, who rules the west. Lu Ting-Pin wears a horsehair whisk, which represents his desire to climb and walk on clouds. He is often shown with a magic sword with two edges (“demon slaying”) strapped to his back. A dragon gave him this sword of magical abilities. It enables him to take refuge in the heavens and become invisible to evil spirits. The three Thrusting Channels used in internal alchemy are symbolized by his three-part beard. He has the ability to fly thousands of miles in an instant and was known to scour China for people with good hearts, especially those who sacrificed their security and well-being to support those in need. When he came across those people, he would use his mystical abilities to assist them in becoming Taoist immortals.
When he caught the wealthy and wealthy oppressing the weak and vulnerable, he used the excuse to humiliate and execute them. The Chinese people have always adored and revered this legendary figure known as "Ancestor Lu." He lived 400 years on Earth and reappears on a regular basis.
He can be reached through mediums or direct contact during meditation or shaman journeying.
HO HSIEN-KU
Hsien-Ku Ho Hsien-Ku Ho Hsien-Ku Identifying Features
Pink is a colour (yellow, which is associated with the center)
Good emotions include: openness, compassion, assurance, and certainty.
Worry, fear, uneasiness, and anguish are negative emotions.
Chi is a balancing force.
Muscles are nourished.
Female is her name. System of Asceticism: Digestive system
Neutralize the quality
Earth is the element.
Centering: Movement
Lotus blossom as a symbol
Parathyroid gland
Ripening Seeds
Shoulder attack in Tai Chi
Receptivity/docility, according to the I Ching.
Southwest is the direction
Kun (earth) (+) is a powerful force.
The number two (2)
Late summer is the season
The greatest source of energy is Yin is a Chinese character (-)
700 years ago (CE)
Saturn is a planet.
Deer is a mental animal.
Stabilizing mentality
Tung-Pin, Tung-Pin, Tung-Pin, Tung-Pin
Pancreas is a kind of organ.
Saliva is a product of the salivary glands.
Mild climate
Balances is the function of this object.
Yellow is the spirit colour. Phoenix is a city in Arizona.
Taste is a sense (mouth)
Who's that sound?
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Ho Hsien-Ku (He Xian Gu) was born in the seventh century CE and is still alive today, at the age of over 1,400. (fig. 4.8). After meeting fellow immortal Lu Tung-Pin, who taught her internal alchemy and gave her a precious rare peach of immortality, she became an immortal at the age of fourteen. She was able to travel in her spirit body shortly after consuming the peach to pay tribute to Hsi Wang Mu, the great Taoist goddess of immortality. The goddess took her off to Ho Hsien-new Ku's home, the gardens of infinite space. She was able to stop menstruating and save her life-force vitality as a result. She also developed the capacity to feed herself solely from the sweet heavenly dew and the ever-present chi. She spent her childhood fortune-telling and travelling and floating from mountain peak to mountain peak collecting herbs and food for her mother and the sick. She even travelled to the mountains on a regular basis to meet other female immortals.
Hsien-Ku Ho
She rose to prominence and was called to the empress of China to introduce herself. She disobeyed the royal order and rose to Heaven in broad daylight, vanishing from Earth. She was also seen floating on a rainbow cloud over the temple of Ma Ku, a renowned female Taoist adept, a few years later. Ho Hsien-Ku continues to appear to the righteous, innocent, and poor who are in desperate need of divine help.
She is depicted holding a magical lotus blossom, which represents her strength and innocence and is the flower of openheartedness and spiritual genius. She is astride a deer, which is a sign of endless energy and immortality.
LI TIEH-KUAI
Tieh-Kuai Li Tieh-Kuai Li Tieh-Kua Identifying Features
Red is the predominant colour.
Li (fire) (+) is a force.
The number nine (9)
Summer is the season.
Greater Yang's energy (-)
Year: 200 CE
Mars is the name of the planet.
Heating is referred to as Chi.
Blood cells are nourished.
Chimera is a kind of animal.
Prosperity is the attitude.
Hsi Wang Mu, Hsi Wang Mu, Hsi Wang Mu, Hsi
Heart Direction: South Organ: Heart
Good emotions include joy, affection, respect, pleasure, honour, and patience.
Hatred, impatience, desire, envy, and cruelty are negative emotions.
Mental: Ingenuity
Lame is a term used to describe someone who isn't very bright. System of the Beggars: Exciting Vascular Quality
Fire is the element.
Expansion in movement
Sweat is generated.
The weather is hot.
Function: energizes
Spirit Color: Red Bird of prey
Sensibility: (tongue)
Haw-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-
Symbol: A crutch made of iron.
Thymus gland
Blooming seed
Tai Chi: Protect Yourself
Attention/awareness is a theme in the I Ching.
Tieh-Kuai Li Tieh-Kuai Li Tieh-Kua
During the Han Dynasty, Li Tieh-Kuai (Li Tie Guai) or "Iron Crutch Li" (fig. 4.9) was born (second century CE). He spent forty years in the mountains, committed to yoga to the point of forgetting to feed or sleep. According to tradition, he was directly exposed to Taoist practices by the great Taoist sage Laotzu. According to legend, he learned the art of immortality from the Taoist goddess Hsi Wang Mu, queen of the west.
He was once a handsome and well-built man of imposing height, but he was depicted as a lame and hideous beggar. Since his spirit body visited Lao-tzu, he underwent a transformation. He asked his student to keep an eye on his physical body for seven days, preventing it from being destroyed by birds, insects, and other spirits. If his student did not return within seven days, he ordered him to burn his corpse. The student discovered that his own mother was dead after just six days, so he burned Li's body and went to his mother's bedside. On the seventh day, Li returned and expressed his desire to join his body. He entered the corpse of a lame beggar who had just died, seeing that his body had been killed. He transformed the beggar's bamboo staff into an iron crutch and a magic staff by blowing water on it.
The staff and gourd are his symbols (a symbol of the universe). He will transmute matter with the staff and invent remedies and potions from his gourd after mastering the five phases of energy and effectively merging yin and yang into the one original energy.
You may also want to read more about Shamanism here.
Also, be sure to check out our section on Religion.
