,
Ming dynasty. ''-dragon, from
Deng Zhimo's
The Flying Sword (
飛劍記) Since the
Northern Song dynasty, there have been many stories and legends that are connected to Lü Dongbin. The stories were usually about Lü helping others to learn the Tao. According to the official
history of the Song dynasty (), Lü was seen several times visiting the house of
Chen Tuan (), who was believed to be the first person to present to the public the
Taijitu. He was popular even centuries before the Northern Song. The kindness of Lü Dongbin is demonstrated in the
Chinese proverb , which means an inability to recognize goodness and repay kindness with vice. According to the story behind the proverb, Lü Dongbin once argued with
Erlang Shen at the heavenly court, which led
Xiaotian Quan to harbor deep animosity towards Lü Dongbin. One day, Xiaotian Quan fell into the mortal realm as punishment and was captured by humans and sold at a dog meat shop. Around the same time, Lü Dongbin descended to earth and happened to pass by. He saw what had happened and rescued the dog. However, instead of showing gratitude, the dog bit him, remembering its master's grudge. Some say that the original proverb should actually be "," stemming from a story about the friendship between the Dog and Lü Dongbin, who both did for the other great favors, each of which seemed like a disservice initially, signifying the importance of having faith in one's friends. This story is not substantiated because Gou Miao is not mentioned in any classical text, and only popularized on the Internet. According to
Richard Wilhelm, Lü was the founder of the School of the Golden Elixir of Life (Jin Dan Jiao), and originator of the material presented in the book . Also, according to
Daoist legend, he is the founder of the
internal martial arts style called , considered to be one of the martial treasures of
Wudangshan. According to one story, Lü's teacher
Zhongli Quan became an immortal and was about to fly to
heaven, while saying to Lü that if he kept practicing the Tao he would also be able to fly to heaven himself very soon. Lü Dongbin replied to his teacher that he'll fly to heaven only after he enlightens all the sentient beings on earth (another story says all his relatives). According to the book , in his previous
incarnation, Lü Dongbin was a Taoist master and the teacher of Zhongli Quan. According to the Taoist book
History of the Immortals (), Lü is the
reincarnation of the ancient
Sage-
King "Huang-Tan-Shi" (). According to Venerable Hsuan Hua, Lü is one of the transformations of
Guanyin (
Avalokiteśvara) Bodhisattva. Lü killed multiple
dragons with his magic sword. It is said that the immortal Lü Dongbin was greatly attracted to White Peony, one of the most beautiful courtesans in
Luoyang. Lü Dongbin slept with her many times but never ejaculated, because he did not want to lose his Yang essence. Unfortunately, Lu's immortal colleague
Iron-Crutch Li and
He Xiangu taught Mudan how to make him ejaculate by tickling his groin. Finally, White Peony successfully made Lü Dongbin ejaculate and absorbed his Yang essence. Later she cultivated herself and became immortal too. Another version comes from the novel
Ba Xian Dedao. This version is more subtle and there is no sexual intercourse here. One day the immortal Lü Dongbin transforms himself into a handsome scholar and tries to advise the famous prostitute White Peony. In their first encounter, White Peony seduces him passionately, but he refuses to sleep with her. In their second encounter, Lü agrees to sleep with her. But as they walk to the bed, Lü suddenly cries that his stomach is painful, and faints. White Peony is very sorry about his condition and calls a doctor using her money (despite her pimp's grumbling, who incites her to throw the sick Lü to the road). Lü (who is only pretending to be sick) is very pleased knowing Peony's merciful heart. In their third encounter, Lü Dongbin finally succeeds in persuading White Peony to leave her wayward life. She finally becomes immortal too.
Lü Dongbin Drunk at Yueyang Tower Three Times ,
Yuan dynasty Lü Dongbin Drunk at Yueyang Tower Three Times is a well-known Chinese Taoist tale often depicted in plays, novels, and other forms of art. It tells the story of Lü Dongbin, who helps two spirits, a willow and a plum, to become immortals. He reincarnated them as humans, had them marry, and tested their devotion through many difficult trials. The story recounts that Lü Dongbin visited
Yueyang Tower and met the willow spirit, who wanted to become a god but was trapped in a wooden body. Lü Dongbin told the willow spirit to be reborn as a human, promising to return and help him after thirty years. The willow spirit was reborn as Guo Maer, and the plum spirit as He Lamei. They grew up, married, and opened a teahouse below Yueyang Tower. Lü Dongbin visited Guo Maer twice, but Guo was unable to understand his guidance. On his third visit, Lü Dongbin instructed Guo Maer to kill his wife and become a monk. Though Guo Maer couldn’t bring himself to do it, He Lamei still died, and he was blamed for her death. Later that day, Lü Dongbin returned and revealed that He Lamei was not truly dead. The judges then realized they were all immortals in disguise. Guo Maer learned he was the reincarnated willow spirit, and He Lamei the plum spirit. Together, they followed Lü Dongbin into the Dao and became immortals. ==Modern worship==