Li Tieguai (Iron Crutch Li)
Iron Crutch Li, also known as Li Xuan, was the first of the immortals, and appears in many legends. He is usually depicted as a dirty vagrant with a lame leg and a crutch
One story given for his appearance and immortality says that Li Xuan was originally a clever and hard working practitioner of Taoism. One day he planned to have his soul leave his body and travel to Huang Shan, one of the five holy mountains of China. He instructed his disciples that if he did not return within seven days they were to cremate his body. Seven days passed, and as Li Xuan had not returned, his disciples reluctantly did as he had asked.
When Li Xuan’s soul did come back soon after, he no longer had his own body, and had to use a corpse that he found in the forest. As soon as he stood up in his new body, he realized something was wrong with one of his legs. Following this he took a potion given to him by Lao Zi, his teacher and the founder of Taoism, and his soul and its new body became a living man, albeit ugly.
Lao Zi says “Outer appearance yields no influence over the cultivation of Taoism. So long as one achieves merit and virtue one can become a celestial being.”
