1-> ;  2->;  3->

These three images feature Daoist immortals and dragons. Click on each to see a larger version.

1. This Han-dynasty image shows immortals riding dragons (that look somewhat like dogs) into the heavens. Ordinary people at right pay them homage. Recall that the dragon was a classic symbol of the dao, and it was typically associated with clouds in the sky and large bodies of water. The notion of hitching a ride on dragons is a visual metaphor for a state of perfect integration and harmony with the forces of nature. A person in such a state of integration with the forces of nature would live forever.

2. Notice in the center image that the dragon merges into the mist above and the rolling waves below.

3. We have already seen this image in an earlier chapter. It is the famous immortal Lu Dongbin riding the dragon in the mists and uncorking a vial of the elixir of immortality.

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