Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
This Zhuangzi ‑ Keyi excerpt rejects deliberate striving in five pursuit types. It advocates serenity, emptiness and wu‑wei: the sage follows natural rhythms, guards pure spirit and becomes the True Person.
From Pu Songling’s Liaozhai, this tale tells of scholar Tan Jinxuan. Obsessed with Daoist inner‑alchemy meditation, he hears a tiny voice in his ear. A miniature demon emerges, yet flees at a sudden knock, driving Tan mad. It warns against craving supernatural visions.