Ancient Cultivation Stories

Stories from Ancient China: The Stolen Chicken

2007-06-21

When he returned to this world, he asked his wife whether she had once stolen a chicken from her neighbour. His wife denied it in the beginning. When he told his wife what he had seen in the nether world, she admitted it. She explained that because the chicken ate the grain she had spread outside to dry she accidentally killed it. She was afraid of being rebuked by her neighbour so she hid the chicken to conceal what she had done.

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Stories from Ancient China: Fulfilling a Worthy Goal with a Modest and Unselfish Attitude

2007-06-18

Zheng Xuan and Fu Zishen were contemporary scholars, noted for their knowledge of ancient classics and history. They had never met each other prior to the above encounter. But, on finding Fu's ideas so similar to his own, Zheng Xuan unconditionally offered support by giving away his own completed work, hence enabling Fu to complete the mammoth task.

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Stories from Ancient China: Even an Emperor Must Pay for His Misdeeds

2007-06-10

Emperor Xuan Di felt another intense pain in his head. Emperor Xuan Di failed to realise it was karmic retribution and did not admit his fault in torturing the maid-in-waiting. Instead, he became all the more enraged and shouted, "She is my nemesis!" He had the maid-in-waiting cut into two pieces at the waist. As soon as she died, Emperor Xuan Di was in agony because of a sudden stomach and lower back pain.

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Ancient Cultivation Stories: The Legendary Bukong

2007-06-04

During the period of Emperor Daizong, there was another long drought and Bukong was again asked to pray for rain. The Emperor also said: "If it rains within three days, it is the monk's supernatural power; if it rains only after three days, then it is just due to nature's spontaneous reasons." Bukong accepted the imperial decree and built an altar. It rained heavily the next day.

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Stories from Ancient China: Honest Words for the King; Open-Hearted and Selfless

2007-05-24

Yan Ying had already met Luan Ying by then. He told King Zhuang, "Luan Ying is cunning and dishonest. I noticed it when he first talked with me. Just now, I saw that he was full of flattery to you and had no words of sincerity. He is acting this way because he has some ulterior motives. As King, you should be on your guard."

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Ancient Cultivation Stories: The Buddhist Cultivator Seng Jia

2007-05-22

One day at the Imperial Court, Emperor Zhong Zong said to Seng Jia, "The capital city has had no rain at all for several months. I am very worried about it and expect your mercy to resolve the problem." Seng Jia held a bottle of water and sprayed it towards the four corners. Soon afterwards, black clouds gathered overhead and a heavy rain covered the land. Zhong Zong was so happy that he ordered that the name of the temple where Seng Jia resided be changed to Lin Huai Temple.

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Ancient Cultivation Stories: The Great Monk, Dao Xian

2007-05-14

Shi Dao Xian originally came from the State of Kang Ju of the Western Region of ancient China. He had used to be a travelling businessman. One day, he attended a senior Buddha monk's lecture and became awakened. He sank his treasure ship into the river, said his farewells to his wife and children and became a monk at the Bamboo Wood Temple in Guan Kou. At the tonsure ceremony, he swore to the public, "I'll not leave the temple until I become enlightened."

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Stories from Ancient China: The Rabbit and the Silver

2007-05-11

Balang had no choice but to divorce his wife. He told her, "Please go back to your parents. I will seek shelter from an old friend in Xinzhou and hope to turn things around a little. If I'm lucky, I will come back for you." Before he set off, he swore to the heavens: "I have to leave now because I have owed too much debt. If things get better for me and I come back in the future, I will pay double all my debts."

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Stories from Ancient China: The Monk and the Tiger

2007-05-10

In the early morning the tiger approached the north side of the tree. It seemed to be quite surprised and happy to see Faan, slowly approaching his feet. Faan recited sutras and taught the tiger the precepts. The tiger seemed to listen attentively without the slightest movement. After a while it left. At daybreak, the villagers rushed to the tree and found Faan unharmed. Seeing that he wasn't killed by the tiger they thought he was an immortal.

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How Tang Emperor Taizong Bore the Blame Himself and Swallowed a Locust

2007-05-01

The ancient Chinese believed in the unity of heaven and man and that man's rise and fall reflects the changes in the cosmos. In the dynasties of the past, the official historians always set aside one chapter in their history books to describe how the changes of the cosmos corresponded to the rise and fall of their dynasties. The historians did this in order to alert people and to urge the kings and emperors to respect heaven, which would bring benefits to the people.

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Ancient Cultivation Stories: The Monk Dao Shun

2007-04-30

Dao Shun didn't have any savings and he only ate one meal a day. The rest of the time he meditated. Snakes and rats often hid under his bed and lived in peace with each other. Once a tiger came to his cottage and Dao Shun spoke about the dharma to it. Once a person came to visit him. When he saw the tiger, he turned around and left. He told Dao Shun he 'd come back when the tiger left. Dao Shun Told the tiger: "I will have a visitor coming tomorrow so you will have to go somewhere else for the day."

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Stories from Ancient China: The Miraculous Beggar

2007-04-28

Taoist priest Mai Daolu was originally a eunuch in the Song dynasty. Once he went out to buy some lumber for the palace. When he rode past Xishuimen at the capital, he saw a dead beggar lying by the riverbank. There were a worn out mat and a short cane beside the beggar. Daolu bought a shirt and a pair of pants, hempen sandals, and a scarf and buried the beggar.

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Ancient Cultivation Stories: The Female Pheasant

2007-04-26

During the reign of Emperor Wenzuan of the Qi dyansty, Sengan cultivated on Wangwu Mountain and had two dozen disciples following him. When he began to teach the Nirvana Sutra, a female pheasant would crawl over to the side of a seat to listen. When the monks were having a meal, it would go out to search for food. No matter whether it was day or night, it would come to listen to the dharma. But, strangely, the pheasant stopped coming before Sengan finished volume three of the sutra. Everyone thought it was odd.

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Ancient Cultivation Stories: Bodhidharma

2007-04-20

Bodhidharma was born in a Brahman family in the southern India. He was cheerful, wise, and had a rather high enlightenment quality. He focused all his energy on studying in the Mahayana or "Great Vehicle" school.

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Stories from Ancient China: The Thunder Deity

2007-04-17

Taoist Zheng performed his regular routine: he chanted incantations, drew some symbols, and then held a sword and declared something loudly. After a while, accompanied by cold winds and splashes of rain, a deity wearing a tall hat and carrying a heavenly axe in hand appeared. The deity said, "I am the Thunder Deity, I come to Master Zheng's summon. Please tell me what I should do."

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