Notes on Longevity

Chapter 56 Its branches slowly grow, safely entering the galloping horse.

Once everyone in the courtyard had left, the courtyard returned to normal, except that the gates would not be opened today, for fear that the prince might return halfway through, so the performance would have to wait until the next day.

As dusk approached, yellow clouds filled the sky, and birds occasionally flew across the courtyard. Amidst their chirping, a sound of reading and conversation arose. Looking down, in the pear orchard, in the backyard, under the eaves, a man held a book and read aloud, while a woman accompanied him, reading along with him.

The book is the Book of Songs, which says: "You gave me a papaya, I returned a beautiful jade. It was not a repayment, but a token of our lasting friendship!"

The man's name was You'an, and the woman's name was Xiaoshuang. He used this poem to express his gratitude to Xiaoshuang for saving his life; he also said that he loved her and would marry her once he passed the imperial examination.

"Senior brother, how much longer until we arrive?"

In a densely forested mountain, a handsome young man walks hand in hand with a boy who looks about ten years old through the woods.

The man was dressed in a Taoist robe and held a whisk in his hand. He stood upright with his arm bent upwards, the whisk resting on his shoulder.

Hearing the boy's words, he smiled and said, "We still need to walk a while, but we'll arrive after dark."

"But why don't we do what we did when we left the Pear Garden at noon, senior brother?" the boy asked in confusion.

"There are magic arrays on the mountain, so you generally can't use magic to travel through the forest," the man explained patiently.

"A magic array? What's that?" the boy continued to ask.

The man continued speaking patiently, and before they knew it, it was already dark.

"You should rest first. I'll take you to meet someone tomorrow."

"it is good."

"Can you hold your spirit and embrace oneness without separation? Can you exert your vital energy and achieve gentleness like an infant? Can you cleanse your inner darkness and be as flawless as a baby? Can you love the people and govern the country without knowing anything? Can you be like the female when the gates of heaven open and close? Can you be like the male when you understand everything? This is the completeness of life; to give birth without possessing; to act without relying on; to nurture without dominating; this is called profound virtue."

Zoumaguan is located in a high mountain about ten miles from the southwest gate of Fuyang City.

Zouma Temple was built against the mountain, unlike other Taoist temples that were rebuilt by breaking down mountains, so this mountain is also called Zouma Mountain.

Aside from the main gate leading from the foot of the mountain and several magnificent halls dedicated to the Three Pure Ones, the Taoist Ancestor, and for reading, the disciples' lodgings were mostly simple wooden huts.

Every morning, disciples from all over the mountain would recite or read the Tao Te Ching in their respective study halls, or engage in leisurely wandering.

The sound of reading aloud echoed through the mountains and forests, startling the birds perched on the trees and waking the sleeping boy.

Hearing the sound of reading, Ping An slowly opened his eyes. Looking at the wooden roof in his eyes, he slowly sat up.

He got up and got out of bed, and a young Taoist priest carrying a wooden basin walked in.

The Taoist priest was tall and thin with regular features and a handsome appearance. Whether it was because he had been living in this temple since childhood or for some other reason, he looked even younger than Ping An.

"woke up?"

The young Taoist priest placed the wooden basin on the wooden shelf and said to Ping An, "Uncle Ping An, please wash up first, and I will go get you your vegetarian meal."

After saying that, he left.

Ping An watched the young Taoist priest leave with some confusion. He didn't understand why the young man called him "Uncle-Master" when he was clearly older than him.

Ping An didn't think too much about it and went to the door to start washing up.

After washing up, the vegetarian meal was placed on the table in the middle of the room. Before eating, he recited the Pure and Tranquil Sutra once again. After eating, he changed into the Taoist robe that Yu Yan had sent the night before, and then, guided by the young Taoist priest, walked through several chanting halls. After winding around several turns, he finally arrived at the place near the top of the mountain where the Three Pure Ones and the Taoist Ancestor were enshrined.

"Uncle-Master Yu Yan, we've arrived safely." Outside the Sanqing Hall, the young Taoist priest bowed to Yu Yan, who was standing at the entrance of the hall. "Alright, Lingyun, you can go back now. Come back later."

"Yes."

After Lingyun bowed in response, she turned and went down the mountain again.

Yu Yan smiled as she watched Ling Yun's departing figure, then said to Ping An, "The abbot asked me to show you around. Come with me."

Ping An stood outside the magnificent Sanqing Hall and bowed to Senior Brother Yu Yan, saying, "Yes."

Ping An followed Yu Yan into the Sanqing Hall. He looked around and found that there were hardly any people inside. The only people present were a few pine trees in front of the statues of the Three Pure Ones.

The entrance to the Sanqing Hall is an ancient bluestone path. If you encounter two people walking one above the other, you must turn sideways to pass.

The leaves of the trees on both sides rustled slightly in the morning light, making the entire forest appear lush and verdant.

He walked up to the statues of the Three Pure Ones and, guided by Yu Yan, first offered incense to them.

Soon, after Ping An got up, Yu Yan led him out of the Sanqing Statue Hall and back into the courtyard.

Ping An followed him to a door on the side. He opened the door and went out, with Ping An following closely behind.

Behind the gate was a stone platform, and three zhang below the platform was a huge bluestone field. It was full of people dressed in Taoist robes, standing in groups of three or five, or alone.

A bell rang out in the mountains and forests, and the Taoist priests who had been standing motionless began to stretch their bodies. As they chatted and laughed, a clear voice suddenly rang out among them:
"In the Northern Ocean there is a fish, its name is Kun."

This is a Daoist figure, the first line of Zhuangzi's "Free and Easy Wandering." As the recitation began, they suddenly dispersed, leaving only a young man and two middle-aged Daoists standing in place.

"The Kun is so large that no one knows how many thousands of miles it spans; it transforms into a bird called Peng. The back of Peng is so large that no one knows how many thousands of miles it spans; when it flies in anger, its wings are like clouds hanging from the sky. This bird will migrate to the Southern Ocean when the sea is in motion."

As the young Taoist priest's recitation began again, the two middle-aged Taoist priests started swaying their bodies.

"It looks like the Free and Easy Kung Fu, but the steps look like Tai Chi steps."

"This is a demonstration created by one of our senior brothers after he came out of seclusion, combining the Free and Easy Skill and the Tai Chi Steps."

Ping An watched as the arms on the stage rose, then bent backward, palms facing outward, before the body stretched out, and he walked with slow yet energetic steps. Yu Yan patted Ping An and explained to him. Then she turned and walked towards the Sanqing Hall, with Ping An following closely behind.

"Xiaoyao Gong is for strengthening muscles and bones, while Tai Chi steps are for improving blood circulation. By removing some of the more complicated movements and combining them into one, you can not only achieve the effects of both, but also further improve your lower body foundation and achieve better coordination with your upper body."

"Ping An doesn't understand," Ping An said, shaking his head.

"Don't understand? Haven't you practiced it?"

"No."

Ping An had never heard his master mention these things, let alone practice them.

Yu Yan seemed to have suddenly thought of something, and nodded thoughtfully: "You followed Uncle Qing Xuanzi to seek immortality and the way to longevity, so it's normal that you haven't practiced it."

Yu Yan led Ping An to another door. He gently pushed the door open and then stepped aside, saying, "The abbot is waiting for you upstairs."

After saying that, he left. Ping An watched Yu Yan's retreating figure with a somewhat nervous expression, then looked at the door. Finally, he stepped onto a path lined with trees, and the door behind him slowly closed by itself.

"coming?"

(End of this chapter)