Ancient Cultivation Stories: Taoist Master Cypress Leaves

The Taoist Master known as “Cypress Leaves” real name was Tian Luan, and he lived in the ancient city of Chang’an. His family had a history of holding official posts that stretched back for generations, and he was thus very rich when he was born. However, five or six of his brothers all died before they had reached the age of thirty. When he turned 25, his mother became very worried about his health and he was also very afraid.

Tian Luan was told that the Taoist people had magic skills that saved them from aging and death. He then went to Hua Moutain with a sincere heart, asking about and searching for Taoist Masters. One day, a few dozen miles away from the foot of the mountain, he met a Taoist priest coming down from the mountain. Tian Luan went over and greeted him with respect and sincerity whilst asking him about the secrets of obtaining a long life. The priest pointed to a cypress tree and said, “This is an elixir! It is not necessary to go anywhere further or deeper. Just ask yourself how strong your will is.”

Tian Luan asked for the ingredients. The priest said, “Keep taking the cypress leaves without interruption and you will make it.” Tian Luan then dried the leaves in the sun, ground them into powder and took them. Gradually he began to eat less and less meat or fish. He took what he had been told very seriously and approached it with single-mindedness. After sixty to seventy days, he felt no special effects, but merely felt agitated and hot. But he kept eating the powder without ceasing. Two years later, he began to develop a headache and a fever, and sores appeared everywhere on his body. His mother cried and said, “At first the purpose of the leaves was to enable him to live longer but now they are putting his life in danger.” Nevertheless, Tian Luan didn’t give up. Seven or eight years later, he found the fever much more serious and was now accompanied with a strong burning sensation; therefore no one was able to approach him. People could smell the odor of cypress leaves coming out of his body. His sores even began to fester and a type of yellow liquid flowed out of them which turned to a glue-like in texture after it dried. His mother believed he was dying like his brothers. Suddenly one day, Tian Luan said, “I feel better today. I want to take a bath.” He asked people to put a big basin of water in his room. They picked him up and put him into the big basin. He had seldom slept after getting the disease, but just then, he suddenly wanted to. He asked people around to leave the room, close the door and not to make any noises that would wake him up. He fell asleep in the basin. Three days later, he woke up and called for people to lift him up. His sores had all disappeared and he was in high spirits with clean and clear skin. His eyebrows and beard had turned black with a trace of green and he also found himself with perfect eyesight and hearing. He said, “I had a dream while sleeping. Pairs of Taoist priests, carrying banners and whisks, led me to visit Shangqing [the Taoist heaven], where I saw all of the celestial beings from ancient times. All of them said to each other, ‘Taoist Master Cypress Leaves has come.’ They taught me celestial skills, carved my name with golden characters onto a jade tablet, and stored it up in Shangqing. They said, ‘For now you need to stay in the human world so that you can practice cultivation. We’ll bring you here later when there is a vacancy.” They then brought me back.”

After that, Tian Luan no longer ate any food, but would never feel hungry. He lived in seclusion in the city of Songyang. During the Zhengyuan period, he was already one hundred and twenty-three years old, and still looked very young. Suddenly one day, he talked to his disciples and then suddenly died without an obvious cause. His face remained the same. It might be the phenomenon of “Corpse-Extrication”. When he passed away, there was an unusually sweet smell lingering around his room and music was coming from the sky. It was said that he had gone to visit Qingdu for an appointment among the celestial beings.

Eating cypress leaves in itself doesn’t allow one to extend their life. But Tian Luan was firm and never gave up, which reflected his strong will and desire to cultivate. So the celestial beings, after he passed their test, purified his body and taught him celestial skills.

[Story from Tai Ping Guang Ji]

Translated from:
http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2002/11/27/19361.html