Saints & Sages Part I:
彭祖爺
Founding Ancestor Peng
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This hagiography originates from a classic called《Biographies of Spirit Immortals 》[神仙传] authored by Ge Hong [葛洪].
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彭祖者，姓錢，名鏗，帝顓頊之玄孫。至殷末世，年七百六十歲而不衰老。少好恬
靜，不恤世務，不營名譽，不飾車服，唯以養生治身為事。殷王聞之，拜為大夫，常稱疾閑居，不與政事。善於補養導引之術，並服水桂、雲母粉、麋鹿角，常有少容，然其性沈重，終不自言有道，亦不作詭惑變化鬼怪之事，窈然無為，時乃遊行，人莫知所詣。伺侯之，竟不見也。有車馬而不常乘，或數百日或數十日不持資糧，還家則衣食與人無異。常閉氣內息，從平日至日中，乃危坐拭目，摩搦身體，舔唇咽唾，服氣數十，乃起行，言笑如故。
Founding Ancestor Peng, family name Qian, first name Keng, was the great-great grandson of emperor Zhuan Xu. Reaching at the end of the Yin dynasty, at the age of seven-hundred sixty years [he was] yet not feeble nor old. [When] young [he was] fond of being carefree and tranquil, not worrying about worldly affairs, not striving for fame or reputation [and] not decorating the chariot and [his] garments. [He] only utilized nourishment of the body as his [major] affair. The Yin-dynasty king heard [about it] and appointed [him] to act as senior official, [but Founding Ancestor Peng] frequently stated illness and lead an idled life, not taking part in politics. He was good at the art of tonifying and nourishing Dao-Yin [exercises], furthermore ingesting water cassia, mica powder [and] David’s deer antler. [He] constantly had a youthful appearance. However, his Inner Nature was deeply serious. In the end [he] did not say that he possessed the Dao. [He] also did not undertake affairs of deceitful temptations or transformations into ghosts and monsters. He had a countenance of serenity, hidden depth and non-action. Therefore at times [he] roamed and travelled [around], [and] people did not know [his] whereabouts. Waiting upon [him], eventually [he was] not to be seen [anymore]. There were vehicles and horses, yet [they were] not frequently ridden [by him] . Maybe several hundred days, maybe several dozens of days [he did] not maintain [himself] or provide [himself] with grains. Returning home, in the case of clothes and food, [he was] no different from other people. He frequently stopped his [external] Qi and breathed inside engaging [in this] commonly until noon. Thus, [he would] sit upright, wipe his eyes [to remain vigilant], rub and grasp [his] body, lick [his] lips, swallow saliva[and] ingest Qi in multiples of ten. Only then would set out to travel [about], speaking and smiling as before.
