☯In Taoism, there is a story called "Shen Jing Boils the Stone" that has been widely circulated.
☯Shen Jing was intelligent from an early age and aspired to study Taoism. Later, he traveled to Zhongshan (Bell Mountain). One day, while in the mountain, he encountered an old woman. The old woman said to him, "You have a pure heart, a fine bone structure, and a refreshing spirit. As long as you practice with dedication, you can attain the Tao." After speaking, she gave Shen Jing a piece of white stone and instructed, "Boil this white stone with mountain spring water. Do not stop the fire. When the white stone softens, eat it. If the white stone does not soften, you must continue boiling." As soon as she finished speaking, the old woman vanished.
☯Shen Jing guessed that he must have met an immortal. So he built a thatched hut in the mountain and boiled the stone with mountain spring water, without interruption for ten years. However, seeing that the white stone never softened, Shen Jing gradually lost confidence and soon stopped the fire, no longer boiling it. One late night, the old woman appeared in front of Shen Jing again and asked him, "I told you to boil the white stone with mountain spring water. Why have you stopped now?" Shen Jing replied, "I followed your words and boiled it continuously for ten years, but the white stone still did not soften, so I stopped the fire." The old woman said, "This white stone is not an ordinary stone. The reason why you couldn't boil it soft is that you had doubts in your heart. If you had been devout，the white stone would have softened in less than ten years." Shen Jing asked, "What kind of stone is this? What is so extraordinary about it? If it is really a divine object, why must it be boiled soft before eating?" The old woman replied, "This white stone is a fruit from the jade tree in the Heavenly Palace. It was lost in this mountain by someone unknown and was hardened by the poisonous wind of the mortal world. If you boil it devoutly with mountain spring water, it will soften, and eating it will allow you to attain the Tao." Shen Jing bowed to thank the old woman, but when he stood up, she had already disappeared.
✨ Recommended Taoist Talismans
Discover powerful talismans for your spiritual journey
☯Thus, Shen Jing bathed, fasted, and with a devout heart, began boiling the white stone again with mountain spring water. The next day, the white stone softened, and its fragrance filled the entire mountain. Shen Jing bathed and fasted once more, then ate the softened white stone. In an instant, he regained a childlike face, with black hair and beard, a clear mind, and a light and agile body. People who saw him thought it was miraculous. Before long, Shen Jing disappeared without a trace.
