Well there you have it – eight simple, totally achievable blueprints for immortality. Were you taking notes?
No matter, of course. Each path is unique, I couldn’t begin to guess what obstacles you may face on your journey. All I can do is wish you luck.
But if and when you somehow manage to ascend
One last warning, as a friend:
You still haven’t reached the end
We all have a need to know what lies beyond the realm of our understanding
Even the Immortals, who spent lifetimes learning to sublimate their earthly desires-
(If you can let go of the fear and desire…)
To be beacons of compassion, moderation, and humility –
(If you can stand still balancing on a wire…)
To want for nothing but to be in equilibrium with the Tao-
(If you can keep calm stepping into the fire, the fire…)
Even these towering legends, who had defied death and earned the keys to eternity – even they were haunted by the question: what comes next?
Having mastered the realms of earth and heaven, the Immortals were drawn together for one final journey where none had gone before- to cross the sea
(If you can sing out with the wind in your face…)
Ba Xian Guo Hai, Ge Xian Shen Tong
(Before you stop time and give up on the chase)
Eight immortals crossed the sea, each revealing a gift
Each carrying a secret hope
Each making an offering
Each risking the knowledge and power of the world they knew, for the promise and the mystery of the unknown…