Mythology - The eight immortals

This is my favorite story when i was young. My granddad use to tell me this story and bought a book about it for my family and til today i have it with me >< Their story is called the eight immortals cross the sea. But that story is not very interesting... But the story of how they became immortals are meaningful...

This story was written during the opium war...

one of their life stories><
TieGuai Li story =D
TieGuai is from a very poor family, in one year there was a drought and his father killed himself.... so he decided to beg for food. one day he noticed someone left their carrots outside the house and he decided to steal it. Seeing his mother so happy with more food he decided to steal because it was easier. one night when  he was trying to steal a work, a figure (some Taoist god) appeared in front of him asking him to return the wok for a family without a wok cannot survive as they cannot boil water. Scared, TieGuai asked for mercy as his mother is blind and they have not eaten in 3 days. the figure sees that he is a filial son after all and said return the wok and look for me for i will provide help in some way... after TieGui returned the wok he realized that  the figure has super-natural powers as he turned the sky dark for him to return the wok unnoticed he then went to find the figure and the figure gave him a gourd that contains efficacious medicine for worldly illnesses. TieGuai went around curing ppl and eventually he went to live in a cave to practice the Tao. One day, Laozi and Master Wan Qiu visited him and revealed to him the highest Taoist teachings. After he had mastered the quintessence of Taoism, he accept a disciple named Lang Ling. One day he has to go to Huashan to meet Laozi. So he made his soul leave his body and asked Lang Ling  to take good care of his body and if he doesn't return in 7 days he is to cremate his body. But on the 6th day, Lang Ling's mother was seriously ill and he was a filial son so he cremated his masters body and wen to take care of his mother.. When TieGuai returned he could not find his body. While wondering what to do, he spotted a corpse of a person who had just died and decided to enter the body. But then he only found out that the body was ugly, old and lame. TieGuai tried to get out of the body but the figure appeared and stopped him saying that the action of Tao is not dependent on appearances and gave him an iron crutch to help him move around.Since then TieGuai roamed around everywhere to help the sick and became one of the eight immortals.

There are lots of lessons to be learnt from their life stories and more.


REPRESENTATIONS:
They represent all kinds of people—old, young, male, female, civil, military, rich, poor, afflicted, cultured, noble. They are also representative of early, middle, and later historical periods.Zhang Guolao's drum can augur life. Lu Dongbin's sword can subdue the evil. Han Xingzi's flute can cause growth. He Xiangu's Water Lily can cultivate people through meditation. Tie Guai's gourd can help the needy and relieve the distressed. Zhong Liquan's fan can bring the dead back to life. Cao Guojiu's jade board can purify the environment. Lan Caihe's basket of flowers can communicate with gods.
The Eight Immortals are the gods who punish evildoers and encourage people to do good, help those in distress and aid those in peril.

ZUANG GUOLAO ( CHANG KUO-LAO ) He is represented as an Old Man riding a donkey. (Sometimes Backwards) He is usually carrying two drumsticks. Legend has it that at the end of his journeys, he could fold up his donkey like a piece of paper and store him in his wallet. When he was ready to travel again he would sprinkle water on his wallet and the Donkey would reappear.

ZHONG-LI QUAN ( CHUNG-LI CHUAN ) This is the familiar Fat Man with his bare belly showing. He always carries a fan and sometimes a peach. He is also considered the Chief of the Immortals.

HAN XIANG-ZI ( HAN HSIANG-TSU ) This is the happy Immortal that is always seen playing a flute. It is said that Han could make flowers bloom with just his will, and soothe wild animals with his music.

HE XIAN-GU ( HO HSIEN-KU ) One of two female Immortals, He Xian-Gu carries with her a magical Lotus flower. She was brought into the group of Immortals by Lu Dong-Bin after he rescued her from a demon with his magic sword.

LAN CAI-HE ( LAN TS'AI-HO ) The second woman amongst the Immortals is always shown wearing a tattered blue gown and only one shoe. A basket of flowers is her symbol, and is usually carried with her.

LI TIE-GUAI ( LI TIEH-KUAI ) He is the most recognizable of the Eight Immortals. He is depicted as a lame beggar carrying a double gourd. Legend explains his lame state as follows. His spirit would frequently leave his body to wander the land and heavens. One day his body was found and thought to be dead. It was burned, as was traditional. When he returned from his journey to find his body gone, he entered the first body he found...that of a lame beggar.

LU DONG-BIN ( LU TUNG-PIN ) Upon his back he wears a magic sword used to slay dragons and demons. In his hand he carries a fly brush. He is said to have traveled the earth for over 400 years slaying dragons.

CAO GUO-JUI ( TS'AO KUO-CHIU ) The finest dressed of the Eight Immortals. He is always shown wearing formal court dress and carrying castinets.

PS: sry if i wrote too much i summarized the story T.T took me an hour to do this assignment =D had fun =D love this legend>< by the way, nobody knows if LAN CAI-HE is a male or a female