[~jK~]

Lü Dongbin's Yellow Millet Dream

One night when Lü Yan was in Chang'an or Handan (邯鄲 Hándān), he dozed off as his yellow millet was cooking in a hotel. He dreamed that he took the imperial exam and excelled, and thus was awarded a prestigious office and soon promoted to the position of vice-minister (侍郎). He then married the daughter of a prosperous household and had a son and a daughter. He was promoted again to be the prime minister. However, his success and luck attracted jealousy of others, so he was accused of crimes that caused him to lose his office. His wife then betrayed him, his children were killed by bandits, and he lost all his wealth. As he was dying on the street in the dream, he woke up.

 

Although in the dream, eighteen years had passed, the whole dream actually happened in the time it took his millet to cook. The characters from his dream were actually played by Zhongli Quan in order to make him realize that one should not put too much importance on transient glory and success. As a result, Lü went with Zhongli to discover and cultivate the Dao/Tao.

This dream is known as "Dream of the Yellow Millet" (黃粱夢 Húang Líang Mèng) and is described in a writing compiled by Ma Zhiyuan (馬致遠 Mă Zhìyǔan) in Yuan Dynasty.

***

 

Lǚ Dòngbīn is the most widely known of the group of deities known as the Eight Immortals and hence considered by some to be the de facto leader. (The formal leader is said to be Zhongli Quan or sometimes Iron-Crutch Li.)

 

Edited August 31, 2010 by ~jK~

[everseeking]

Absolutely awesome. Could you recommend some books for me to read this type of thing in?

 

Thankful-

 

~N~

[Dreamingawake]

When that story was first told to me, it started with Lu in a bar drinking away his sorrows having just failed his first attempt at those tests. Zhongli sits next to him at the bar and asks why he's so sad that he has to drink himself into a coma and after explaining his pitiful plight Lu promptly passes out face-first on the bar and has the dream. When he finally comes around he recognizes Zhongli and follows him to learn the way. I like this version better because it has beer Also for some reason I've alway associated Lu Dongbin with alcohol

[DaoWaDiddy]

Absolutely awesome. Could you recommend some books for me to read this type of thing in?

 

Thankful-

 

~N~

 

One book that I enjoyed was Tales of the Taoist Immortals by Eva Wong. It has a version of this story, stories of the other immortals, and tales of Sages, Magicians, Diviners and Alchemests.

 

I found it enjoyable.

 

All the best,

Charlie

[Guest paul walter]

When that story was first told to me, it started with Lu in a bar drinking away his sorrows having just failed his first attempt at those tests. Zhongli sits next to him at the bar and asks why he's so sad that he has to drink himself into a coma and after explaining his pitiful plight Lu promptly passes out face-first on the bar and has the dream. When he finally comes around he recognizes Zhongli and follows him to learn the way. I like this version better because it has beer Also for some reason I've alway associated Lu Dongbin with alcohol

 

 

I think that's the plot of a Charlie Bukowski novel you got confused with or were you dreaming you were Bukowski dreaming he was Lu after you fell asleep drunk one night at the bar...

Edited August 31, 2010 by paul walter

[Dreamingawake]

I think that's the plot of a Charlie Bukowski novel you got confused with or were you dreaming you were Bukowski dreaming he was Lu after you fell asleep drunk one night at the bar...

 

I could just be confusing it with another Lu story I heard too. Lu drank a bar dry (as in all the wine they had) then couldn't pay the tab. He resolved this by painting a picture (of a crane I think) that was so beautiful and lifelike that people would come from far away just to see the picture bringing much profit to the bar owner. This lasted until the bar had made enough money from the travelers to cover Lu's tab at which point the bird in the painting came to life and flew away

[Guest paul walter]

I could just be confusing it with another Lu story I heard too. Lu drank a bar dry (as in all the wine they had) then couldn't pay the tab. He resolved this by painting a picture (of a crane I think) that was so beautiful and lifelike that people would come from far away just to see the picture bringing much profit to the bar owner. This lasted until the bar had made enough money from the travelers to cover Lu's tab at which point the bird in the painting came to life and flew away

 

Well now that one reminds me of Van Goghs famous painting of the night cafe in Arles where he and Gauguin got pissed all the time. I bet in todays money the sale of that painting would just about cover their accumulated tab!

[everseeking]

Bumping this thread because it is so awesome.

Ahh, the road less traveled.