The Cao Guojiu 曹国舅

Cao Guojiu, one of the Eight Immortals in Taoism, has a jade tablet as his magical instrument. He holds the most exalted position among the Eight Immortals. Despite his high status as an imperial uncle, his being conferred the title of Guojiu, and his innate intelligence, he had no liking for enjoying a life of wealth and luxury, nor did he want to take advantage of privileges. Instead, he was fond of Taoist practices.

Cao Guojiu had a younger brother who, relying on their kinship with the imperial family, acted arbitrarily and committed evil deeds. He seized the fields of common people and took them as his own, and many lawless scoundrels emerged from his household. Cao Guojiu tried his best to admonish his brother from beginning to end, but failed to make him reform himself. In the end, he was even regarded as an enemy by his brother.

Cao Guojiu said, "It is an unalterable principle in the world that those who accumulate good deeds will prosper, and those who accumulate evil deeds will perish. Our family has done good deeds and accumulated hidden merits, which is why we have the wealth and honor today. Now my younger brother has committed extreme evil. Although he can escape the punishment of criminal laws openly, he cannot evade the laws of heaven secretly. If a disaster occurs and the family is ruined and people die, even leading a yellow dog out of the East Gate will be impossible at that time. I feel both ashamed and afraid that this will really happen." So Cao Guojiu distributed all his family property to help the poor. Finally, he bid farewell to his family and friends, put on Taoist robes, hid in the mountains and rocks, and cultivated his mind and temperament.

After several years, he reached a state where his heart was in harmony with the Tao, and his body was transformed along with his spirit. One day, Han Zhongli and Lü Dongbin traveled to the place where he was practicing Taoism and asked him, "What do you cultivate in your leisure time?" Cao Guojiu replied, "I do nothing else but practice Taoism." The two immortals asked, "Where is the Tao?" He pointed to the sky. The two immortals then asked, "Where is the sky?" He pointed to his heart. Han Zhongli laughed and said, "The heart is the sky, and the sky is the Tao. You have comprehended the true meaning of the Tao." Then they taught him The Secret Instructions of Returning to Truth and instructed him to practice Taoism with dedication. Before long, Cao Guojiu was inducted into the ranks of immortals by Han Zhongli and Lü Dongbin.