In the Nineteenth year of the Kaiyuan reign of the Tang Emperor Xuanzong (731 CE) Old Man Lü, a follower of the Dao, was lodging at a post-station on the road to Handan. A fellow guest, a young man surnamed Lu, was yawning and said to no one in particular that he was very sleepy. While preparing some yellow millet for his meal, Old Man Lü scrounged around in his knapsack and pulled out a pillow, handing it to the young man he said, "By resting your head on this, you will enjoy all of life's honors and success." As soon as he laid his head on the pillow, young Lu was fast asleep, and he dreamed a dream that was so vivid and clear he could not distinguish it from ordinary reality.

In his dream, the young man married a beautiful young maiden of the Cui family, and attaining first place in the civil service exam for that year, he began his career as Military Commissioner of the Hexi and Longyou Circuits. He was recalled to the Capital to serve as Vice Director of the Secretariat Jointly Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat and the Chancellery. After ten years of service in managing the major affairs of state, he was enfeoffed as Duke of the State of Zhao. More than thirty years passed and his illustrious career was without peer in the realm, for he had become the most outstanding statesman of his time. Upon reaching old age he asked for permission to resign from office and retire to his grand estate, but the emperor could not do without him. Finally, as a white-haired old man, Lu dies in office.

With a start, the young man awakens from his dream only to find that the yellow millet had yet to come to a boil. Looking at young Lu, the old man smiled, "This human life of ours is also like that." Young Lu replied, "You have shown me how to deal with my desires, dare I refuse such a teaching." With repeated bows, the young man left.

[A somewhat embellished but faithful translation from the Chinese. --RHS]

For those of you who are Star Trek fans, there was an TNG episode entitled "The Inner Light" wherein Captain Picard experienced an entire life in a dream induced by an alien probe, and which I am sure takes some of its inspiration from this story.

STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION--COME BACK LATER SO YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO READ THE ENTIRE COUPLET.