唐玄宗时的右丞相李林甫，二十岁时还没有读书。他在东都洛阳时，爱好狩猎打球、架鹰养狗。他常常在城里的槐坛下骑驴打球，几乎天天都去。有时骑驴打球累了，就坐在地上或头枕着手躺在地上歇息。
一天，有个长相丑陋的道士对坐在地上的李林甫说：“骑驴打球有什么可乐的，值得你这样沉迷呢？”李林甫生气的望着道士说：“关你什么事？！”道士就走了。第二天道士又来了，对李林甫又重复了昨天的话。李林甫从小就聪明悟性好，立刻意识到道士非平凡之人，就起身理好衣服，向道士施礼致谢。
道士说：“郎君你虽然擅长骑驴打球，如果有一天突然从驴背上摔下来的话，你将后悔莫及！”李林甫马上向道士表示今后要修身，谨慎，不再骑驴打球了。道士听后笑着说：“三天后的五更时，我在这里等你。”李林甫答应了。
到了约定的时间，道士已经先他而到。道士说：“你为何来晚了？”李林甫忙陪罪道不是。道士让李林甫三天后五更再来。到了那天，李林甫半夜就赶到约定的地点，等了很久道士才来。这次道士显得很高兴，与李林甫谈笑融洽，并说：
“我在人世已经五百年了，看见你已名列仙籍，如果修练的话，你将会白日升天成仙。如果你不愿意成仙，那么你有当二十年唐朝宰相的命，而且大权在握。你今天先回去，好好想想，三天后的五更时我们再在此会面。”
李林甫回去后，暗自思忖：“我出身皇家宗室，自小就侠义，二十年宰相，重权在己，白日升天成仙哪有做宰相好？”决定后，李林甫如期去见道士，说自己想当宰相，不愿成仙。道士听后，嗟叹不已，并斥责李林甫说：“我在人间考察了五百年才遇见你这一个可以成仙的人，可惜可惜！”
李林甫听了想反悔，道士说：“不行，神明已知道了。”临别时道士告诫李林甫说：“二十年宰相，掌握着生杀大权，威振天下，然而你千万不要暗藏坏心玩阴谋害人，要广泛救拔众生，不要乱杀无辜，多积阴德。这样的话，三百年后，你就能白日升天成仙了。现在你的官禄已至，可以进京做官了。”李林甫匍匐在地上哭泣着叩拜，道士和他握手告别。
当时，李林甫的堂叔在京城中为库部郎中，李林甫就进京去拜见他。堂叔因为李林甫一向放纵浪荡，很少教导他，也不和他来往，当看见他时，颇感惊奇地问道：“你怎么到京城来了？”李林甫说：“侄儿知道从前错了，这次来拜见堂叔，是想从此改邪归正好好读书，如果做不到，情愿受堂叔的鞭打。”
堂叔感到非常诧异，并未马上让他读书，而是让他监查每次宴请宾客前的杯盘餐具的准备工作。他办事认真，所用餐具被洗刷的干干净净，排列的工工整整。有时堂叔让李林甫去办事，即使雪深过踝，也不推辞。堂叔对他的印象越来越好，常和同朝大臣们说起他这个侄子，好名远扬。
后来在堂叔的关照下，李林甫被任命为赞善大夫，不到十年的时间，当上了宰相。李林甫胸有城府，精于权术，能知道皇帝的心思，深得皇上的恩宠。他独揽大权，权倾朝野，宫廷内外上上下下无不畏惧。几年后，李林甫为了巩固自己的地位，诛杀异己，冤死相继，冤狱连连。完全忘了当初槐坛下道士的告诫。 (待续)
Stories of Immortals: To Be a Prime Minister or a Deity?
Li Linfu was the Prime Minister during the reign of Emperor Tang Xuanzhong (713-756 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty 618-905 A.D.). Li did not attend school until the age of twenty. When he was at the eastern capital, Li greatly enjoyed hunting, playing games, eagle fights and raising dogs. He visited the place in the city with the Chinese scholar trees to play games daily. Sometimes, when he became tired from riding the donkey during the games, he would sit or lie on the ground, with his arm as a pillow.
One day, an ugly looking Taoist priest sat opposite Li Linfu and said: “What pleasure is there in playing games on a donkey, the game that you indulge in so often?” Li Linfu glared angrily at the priest: “What has this got to do with you?” The priest went away. The priest appeared again the next day, and asked Li Linfu the same question. Li Linfu was highly intelligent and had the gift of reasoning at his young age. He realized that the priest was no ordinary person. Li Linfu stood up, adjusted his clothes, saluted and thanked the priest .
The priest said: “Sir, although you are skilled at riding the donkey to play games, if you fall one day from the donkey, you will have deep regrets.” Li Linfu told the priest that he would, from that day on, begin to cultivate his moral character, be prudent and will cease to ride the donkey to play games. After hearing that, the priest smiled and said: “After three days, I will come at the fifth watch (one watch is a two hour period at night, which is divided into five watches) to look for you.” Li Linfu agreed to meet the priest at the appointed place and time
The priest arrived at the appointed time. He asked Li Linfu: “Why are you late?” Li Linfu apologized. The priest made another appointment for three days later at the same time. On the appointed day, Li Linfu was at the appointed site at midnight. He waited for a long time for the priest. On that occasion, the priest was delighted and spoke amicably with Li Linfu:
“I have been in this human world for five hundred years and saw your name listed in the register of deities. If you cultivate, you will rise up to heaven in broad daylight to be a deity. If you do not wish to be a deity, you will be a prime minister with great powers for twenty years. You go home today and give it some thought. Three days later, at the fifth watch we shall meet again.”
Li Linfu went home and thought about it: “I was born into an imperial family and since I was very young I always had a strong sense of justice and willing to help the weak. What is so great about rising to heaven in broad daylight compared to being a prime minister with great powers for twenty years?” After he made the decision, Li Linfu went to meet the priest at the appointed time and informed him that he would choose to be the prime minister and that he had no wish to be a deity. On hearing that, the priest sighed, lamented and reprimanded Li Linfu: “I have been observing you humans for the past five hundred years and have found you to be the one who could become a deity. What a pity! What a pity!”
When Li Linfu heard that he felt sorry and wanted to change his mind. The priest said: “No way! God already knows your intention.” Before parting, the priest advised Li Linfu: “As a prime minister you hold great powers over the life and death of your subjects. Your power will shake the world. However, you must not use your power to harm or murder and have any hidden intentions. You must save sentient beings at all cost. Never kill any innocent people just for the sake of killing. Do good deeds to accumulate merit for your next incarnation. By doing that, you will rise to heaven in broad daylight and become a deity three hundred years later. Your time has arrived to be a prime minister. Go to the capital city and be one. Li Linfu prostrated himself on the ground and wept. The priest shook hands with Li Linfu and departed.
At that time, the paternal uncle of Li Linfu was practicing as a physician who had trained in herbal medicine at the capital city. Li Linfu went to the city to pay him a formal visit. Because Li Linfu had been always undisciplined and immoral, his uncle gave him very little guidance and associated with him as little as possible. When his uncle met with him, he was very surprised and asked: “Why have you come to the capital city?” Li Linfu answered: “Your nephew knows he has been wrong and this time I have come to visit uncle with the purpose of turning over a new leaf and to study seriously. If I cannot accomplish that, uncle can give me a good whipping!”
His uncle was very astonished, but did not immediately begin to teach him. Instead, Li had to prepare the proper crockery and cutlery to use for banquets. Li Linfu was very conscientious in his work and all the required items were clean and sparkling, and meticulously arranged on the tables. Sometimes, his uncle would let him handle some other work, and even though the snow was more than ankle-deep, he would diligently fulfill his duties. Li’s uncle’s gained a much better impression of him and often talked about his nephew with his colleagues at the royal court. Li Linfu’s name became known far and wide.
Later, after the uncle had looked after him for some time, he became a celebrated government official. In less than ten years he became prime minister. He was very shrewd and very well-versed in political trickery. He also understood the moods of the emperor very well. The emperor held great fondness for Li. Thus, Li held great powers over the government and the people. All officials in and outside the royal court feared him. A few years later, Li Linfu, to retain his status, put those who did not agree with him to death. These unjust killings continued without any end to them. He had forgotten the promise he had made to the priest.
From http://www.pureinsight.org/node/3599
(http://www.dajiyuan.com)
