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| All website contents are copyright of Flying Empress Kites Ltd., 2005 |
| Lĭ Tiĕguăi (Iron Crutch Li) |
Iron Crutch Li, also known as Li Xuan, was the first of the
immortals, and appears in many legends. He is usually
depicted as a dirty vagrant with a lame leg and a crutch.
One story given for his appearance and immortality says
that Li Xuan was originally a clever and hard working
practitioner of Taoism. One day he planned to have his
soul leave his body and travel to Huang Shan, one of the five holy mountains of China. He
instructed his disciples that if he did not return within seven days they were to cremate his
body. Seven days passed, and as Li Xuan had not returned, his disciples reluctantly did as
he had asked.
When Li Xuan’s soul did come back soon after, he no longer had his own body, and had to
use a corpse that he found in the forest. As soon as he stood up in his new body, he realized
something was wrong with one of his legs. Following this he took a potion given to him by Lao
Zi, his teacher and the founder of Taoism, and his soul and its new body became a living
man, albeit ugly.
Lao Zi says ‘Outer appearance yields no influence over the cultivation of Taoism. So long as
one achieves merit and virtue one can become a celestial being.”
immortals, and appears in many legends. He is usually
depicted as a dirty vagrant with a lame leg and a crutch.
One story given for his appearance and immortality says
that Li Xuan was originally a clever and hard working
practitioner of Taoism. One day he planned to have his
soul leave his body and travel to Huang Shan, one of the five holy mountains of China. He
instructed his disciples that if he did not return within seven days they were to cremate his
body. Seven days passed, and as Li Xuan had not returned, his disciples reluctantly did as
he had asked.
When Li Xuan’s soul did come back soon after, he no longer had his own body, and had to
use a corpse that he found in the forest. As soon as he stood up in his new body, he realized
something was wrong with one of his legs. Following this he took a potion given to him by Lao
Zi, his teacher and the founder of Taoism, and his soul and its new body became a living
man, albeit ugly.
Lao Zi says ‘Outer appearance yields no influence over the cultivation of Taoism. So long as
one achieves merit and virtue one can become a celestial being.”
| Flying Empress Kites Ltd |