Tan Jinxuan was a xiucai (county-level scholar) in his hometown. He devoutly practiced the art of daoyin (breathing and gymnastic exercises for longevity), never stopping even in extreme heat or cold. After several months of this, he felt he had made some progress.
One day, while sitting in fūzuò (full-lotus meditation posture), he heard a tiny voice in his ear, like a fly’s buzz, saying: “You may see me now.” He opened his eyes, and the voice ceased. He closed his eyes again, steadied his breath, and the voice returned as before. Believing this to be a sign that his neidan (Inner Elixir, a Daoist alchemical achievement) was about to mature, he secretly rejoiced. From then on, he heard the voice every time he sat in meditation.
He thought to himself: When it speaks again, I shall answer it and observe what happens. One day, the voice spoke once more, and he softly replied: “You may appear.” Soon he felt a rustling in his ear, as though something were emerging. Glancing sideways, he saw a tiny figure about three inches tall, with a hideous, fierce face like a yaksha (a malevolent demon in Buddhist and Hindu mythology). It spun around on the floor.
Startled but curious, he concentrated his mind to watch what it would do. Suddenly, a neighbor came to borrow something, knocking at the door and calling out. The little creature, upon hearing this, seemed panic-stricken. It scurried frantically around the room, like a mouse that had lost its hole. Tan felt his very soul and consciousness scatter; he no longer knew where the tiny being had gone. Thereupon he fell into a fit of madness, shrieking without pause. After half a year of medicine and treatment, he gradually recovered.
Note
This tale reflects the Daoist pursuit of immortality through inner alchemy, but also warns against over-ambition and attachment to supernatural phenomena-a common theme in Pu Songling’s stories, where the boundary between the marvelous and the pathological is often blurred.
Xiucai (秀才):
The lowest degree in the imperial examination system of imperial China, roughly equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in the humanities. It granted social status and eligibility for higher examinations, but not official office.
Daoyin (导引):
A traditional Chinese system of respiratory and physical exercises aimed at cultivating qi (vital energy) and prolonging life. It is closely related to qigong and early Daoist self-cultivation practices.
Fūzuò (趺坐):
The full-lotus meditation posture, with both feet resting on opposite thighs. It is commonly used in Buddhist and Daoist meditation for its stability and promotion of energy flow.
Neidan (丹 – “elixir”):
In Daoist inner alchemy, this refers to a spiritual “pill” or concentrated essence of vital energy, said to be formed in the lower abdomen through prolonged meditation. Hearing voices or seeing inner lights was often interpreted as a sign of nearing its completion.
Yaksha (夜叉):
Originally from Indian mythology (Sanskrit yakṣa), these are nature spirits, but in East Asian folk religion they became fearsome, ogre-like demons with sharp fangs and a violent disposition. The description here evokes a grotesque, terrifying miniature monster.
Madness (颠疾):
Literally “falling sickness” or “mania,” here it implies a psychotic episode induced by fright and the disruption of meditation. In traditional Chinese medicine, such conditions were often attributed to a loss of shen (spirit) or imbalance of vital energies.
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