A Chronicle of aWandering in the Dao
A Chronicle of aWandering in the Dao
As a result, you chose to retire to a simple hut on a cliff, where you contemplated this impasse.
Day and night you sat in meditation, pausing only briefly once a month to suck the dew from
the wind for sustenance. After nine years of meditation, you reached a determination. "None. If you answer in the affirmative, accepting the post, you will suddenly become aware
that you're sitting next to your terrestrial body, which will have just become a corpse. As a
practical matter, this court recommends sitting or lying down when accepting a post."
While you had achieved perfection, very little of the terrestrial realm had done the same.You
resolved to once again wander the earth.This time, you would focus only on teaching mortals
about the Dao.Your every act would be instructive, your every action tailored to impart
insight into the Way. And so, you abandoned your hut and descended the mountain to rejoin
the world." "Indeed, a wise recommendation. Forgive any impertinence on my part, but what would
happen if I were to decline this court's offer?
"There's no need to be demur: it's only natural you would ask such a question. If you decline
today, you will immediately be returned to the terrestrial realm at the location of your
choosing. Of course, there will be no penalty assessed against you for declining."
* * *
"...Which brings us to your one-thousand, ninety-eighth year, and the present day. Do you
concur with the record of your deeds as presented by this court?"
"Would I be able to accept at a later date? I'm assuming formality would be observed, and I
would be seated for another chronicling of my deeds before the court?"
"Yes." "You could be approached by the celestial bureaucracy at a later date, it has happened before,
but you would likely wait a millennium or more.Your assumption is correct: celestial law
requires a recitation with every offer to join the celestial bureaucracy ."
"Splendid. The record will reflect your agreement with this courts chronicling of events.
Zhang Ju, you have been present for the entirety of the recitation by this court, without recess
and without a lapse in attention. Are you ready to answer the question this court wishes to
pose to you?" "I see.Thank you for answering my questions."
"The court is obliged.When you are ready, please state whether or not you accept.You can
take as much time as you need."
"Yes."
"Very well. Zhang Ju, through your numerous deeds, detailed in this court's records, you have
proven yourself most virtuous and wise, despite the initial deception you employed to become
a Shijie Xian.You have strived for over a millennium to improve yourself and the terrestrial
realm. At the behest of the celestial bureaucracy, this court has reviewed the record of your
life up to the present and found you to be a worthy and capable individual.The question is this:
will you surrender your terrestrial form and become aTian Xian? In so doing, you would join
the celestial bureaucracy, where you would perform the duties appropriate to the post
assigned to you. In time, these duties would include traveling to and from the terrestrial
realm.
"I assume it is impossible for me to accept and keep this body?"
"Correct. Celestial law forbids it. Prior candidates have found it useful to think of
surrendering their corporeal forms as yet another transformation.You are free to choose how
you wish to appear in your celestial form.You could have your celestial body look and behave
just as your terrestrial one does, though you might find that limiting."
"I understand. I'm assuming there would be no lapse in consciousness?"
"I have long been unable to further perfect myself, and my efforts to improved the world
below have stagnated.Therefore, though it pains me to surrender my body, I accept."
"Welcome into the celestial bureaucracy, Zhang Ju! Proper funerary rites will be observed for
your old form.Then your training for your post shall begin."UJ