A Strange Childhood Of The Zi Wei Dou Shu‘s Master Chen Tuan

From a very young age, Chen Tuan experienced many extraordinary events. Born mute, he was given the nickname “Silent Boy.” Even at the age of five or six, he had not yet spoken a word. If not for a fateful encounter, history might have been deprived of countless legendary tales and celestial stories.

One day, when he was six, while playing by the riverbank, an immortal who introduced herself as Mao Nu carried Chen Tuan into the mountains. She gave him a mystical elixir to drink. Suddenly, joy filled his heart, his mind expanded, and he miraculously gained the ability to speak. Mao Nu placed a book in his arms and gifted him a poetic verse:

“The sprout of medicine fills not the chest,
Climbs once more to the towering crest.
The path returning clearly shown,
Guides the noble through mist unknown.”

When Chen Tuan returned home, he was suddenly able to recite this poem fluently. His parents were astonished and asked, “Who taught you this poem?”

Chen Tuan shared the encounter and retrieved the book from his chest. Upon inspection, it turned out to be the “I Ching”. Chen Tuan could read it effortlessly and immediately grasped the essence of the Eight Trigrams. From then on, no book was beyond his understanding, yet the I Ching remained ever close to him, whether sitting or standing.

(to be continued…)