Observations placeholder
The Liezi - 列子 "Book of Master Lie" - Chapter 2
Identifier
010794
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
The Liezi (列子 "[Book of] Master Lie"), was, according to Louis Komjathy (2004:36) "probably compiled in the 3rd century CE (while containing earlier textual layers)",
Nearly half of Chapter 2 ("The Yellow Emperor") comes from the Zhuangzi, including this recounting of the fable about Mount Gushe (姑射, or Guye, or Miao Gushe 藐姑射).
A description of the experience
The Ku-ye mountains stand on a chain of islands where the Yellow River enters the sea. Upon the mountains there lives a Divine Man, who inhales the wind and drinks the dew, and does not eat the five grains.
His mind is like a bottomless spring, his body is like a virgin's.
He knows neither intimacy nor love, yet [仙聖] immortals and sages serve him as ministers. He inspires no awe, he is never angry, yet the eager and diligent act as his messengers. He is without kindness and bounty, but others have enough by themselves; he does not store and save, but he himself never lacks.
The Yin and Yang are always in tune, the sun and moon always shine, the four seasons are always regular, wind and rain are always temperate, breeding is always timely, the harvest is always rich, and there are no plagues to ravage the land, no early deaths to afflict men, animals have no diseases, and ghosts have no uncanny echoes. (tr. Graham 1960:35)