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Taoist

8th Century

China
(East Asia)

Lu Tung Pin

Timeline (755 - 805)

Poems by Lu Tung Pin
Books - Links

Lu Tung Pin, Lu Tung Pin poetry, Taoist, Taoist poetry, poetry, poetry, poetry

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Lu Tung Pin (Lu Dong Bin, sometimes referred to as Immortal Lu) was one of the Eight Immortals of Taoist folk tales. It is difficult to separate out legendary tales that have accumulated around him from possible historical fact, or whether the poems attributed to him were written by the historical person or attributed to him later.

Lu Tung Pin is said to have been born in 755 in Shansi province of China. As Lu grew up, he trained to be a scholar at the Imperial Court, but he did not pass the required examination until late in life.

He met his teacher Chung-Li Chuan in a marketplace where the Taoist master was scrawling a poem on the wall. Impressed by the poem, Lu Tung Pin invited the old man to his home where they cooked some millet. As the millet was cooking Lu dozed and dreamed that he had passed the court examination, had a large family, and eventually rose to a prominent rank at the court -- only to lose it all in a political fall. When he awoke, Chung-Li Chuan said:

"Before the millet was cooked,
The dream has brought you to the Capital."

Lu Tung Pin was stunned that the old man had known his dream. Chung-Li Chuan replied that he had understood the nature of life, we rise and we fall, and it all fades in a moment, like a dream.

Lu asked to become the old man's student, but Chung-Li Chuan said Lu had many years to go before he was ready to study the Way. Determined, Lu abandoned everything and lived a simple life in order to prepare himself to study the Great Tao. Many tales are told of how Chung-Li Chuan tested Lu Tung Pin until Lu had abandoned all worldly desires and was ready for instruction.

He learned the arts of swordsmanship, outer and inner alchemy and attained the immortality of enlightenment.

Lu Tung Pin considered compassion to be the essential element of realizing the Tao. He is greatly revered as a physician who served the poor.

Poems by Lu Tung Pin

	My heart is the clear water in the stony pond
	People may sit till the cushion is worn through
	Sojourning in Ta-yu mountains
	What is Tao?
	When the moon is high I'll take my cane for a walk

Recommended Books

	The Eight Immortals of Taoism: Legends and Fables of Popular Taoism, by Man-Ho Kwok / Joanne O'Brien Amazon.com
	The Secret of the Golden Flower: The Classic Chinese Book of Life, by Lu Tung-pin Amazon.com
	Tales of the Taoist Immortals, by Eva Wong Amazon.com
	Tao of Health, Longevity, and Immortality: The Teachings of Immortals Chung and Lu, by Eva Wong Amazon.com

Related Links:

	Lu Tung Pin http://mypage.uniserve.ca/~bggibson/sara/Healing/LuTungPin.html A brief retelling of several tales associated with Immortal Lu.
	Lu Tung Pin, Taoist Immortal http://www.uwec.edu/beachea/Lu_Tung_Pin.html The symbolism and folk tales of Lu Tung Pin.

Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

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Lu Tung Pin

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