Chiseling Caves to Cultivate the Tao
 
Hao Datong (1149 – 1212 AD) is one of the Seven Taoists in Quanzhen Taoism, who are very well-known in China due to their depiction in Chinese kung fu novels. Instead of killing an elderly woman by mistake as dramatized in the novels, according to Feng Bi Preface in Taigu Collections (available from Orthodox Taoism Scriptures compiled in the Ming Dynasty), he once traveled to Wozhou (also known as Zhaozhou, or Zhao County in Hebei Province today). There he sat still for mediation under the Zhaozhou Bridge for 6 years. During that time, naughty children made fun of him, and he was not bothered. The children even piled up stones over his head, and he was not disturbed. As water rose in the river, he did not leave, but nonetheless remained safe. That is, he was a person with high morality and supernormal abilities.
 
Hao Datong was a student of Wang Chongyang, the founder of Quanzhen Taoism. After Wang Chongyang passed away, becoming a divine being, his seven disciples separated from each other and wandered around the land. Hao Daotong went to various places, and survived by begging for food. After arriving at Zhaozhou, he sat for meditation every day under Zhaozhou Bridge. One day, Wang Chongyang changed form to a young adult and told him that, only by chiseling a cave in Mount Hua, one of the Five Great Mountains of China, and cultivating in it could he reach consummation.
 
Hao Datong followed his master’s words and went to Mount Hua. He spent three years chiseling in Beidouping (Beidou Plains on Mount Hua). Finally, he completed the Ziwei Cave and he planned to cultivate there. When constructing the cave, two disciples began to follow him: Meiliang and Zhuqing. These two disciples helped Hao Datong dig the cave and worked very hard. Hao Datong was also responsible to them. Surprisingly, as soon as Ziwei Cave was finished, one elderly Taoist arrived and said, "Your cave looks spectacular. I do not know how to create a cave, can I have this cave to cultivate here?" Hao Datong agreed immediately without any objection and gave the cave to him. The two disciples were upset, but could do nothing since their teacher had already agreed. Hao Datong and his two disciples climbed further up the mountain to chisel a cave. As soon as the second cave was finished, another fellow Taoist came and asked for it. In this way, after Hao Datong and his two disciples spent their efforts chiseling one cave, a fellow Taoist would come and take it; after completing another cave, another fellow Taoist would come take it. More than forty years passed, and they finished 70 caves, but still had no place to cultivate.
 
Hao Datong and his two disciples then went to Nieniechuan. This was a sharp cliff, a wonderful place to cultivate. He asked his two disciples to hold the rope while he lowered himself down using the rope to chisel a cave on the mountain face. These two disciples originally planned to cultivate into divine beings, but through the years, they only helped him dig caves and give them away to other people, while learning nothing about the Tao. Many times they had planned to quit, but did not want Hao Datong to see them leave. Now it seemed a good opportunity and they had a wicked idea. They cut the rope, letting their teacher fall to his death. The two quickly left with their belongings to descend the mountain. As soon as they passed a large rock at Qianchichuang, they saw Hao Datong walking lightly toward them. The two disciples immediately realized their teacher had already become an enlightened being, and felt immense guilt. Seeing their regret, Hao Datong once again accepted them as disciples. That large rock was later named the "Regretting Rock."
 
One day, Hao Datong and his two disciples returned to Nantianmen on Mount Hua, and started to chisel a cave there on the cliff. One day, as they were digging, the two disciples saw someone walking towards them. The two disciples told their teacher, "Someone is walking towards us." Upon hearing that, Hao Daotong shifted himself into the cave, sat down and passed away, turning into a divine being. This cave was thus not completed, and was named the "Half-Finished Cave."
 
郝大通凿洞修道
 
因为武侠小说的渲染，说起全真七子之一的郝大通，在中国大概无人不晓。不过史料上记载的郝大通，并没有失手打死老婆婆，相反据收录在《太古集》冯璧序（录于明《正统道藏》），他在沃州（即赵州，今河北赵县）云游时，曾在赵州桥下打坐六年不动，顽皮的童子对之打骂戏耍，他并不还手；孩子们甚至在他头上堆起石块，他依旧不动；河水涨了他不走也不会淹着他，乃是颇有道行的高人。
 
郝大通当年投拜在全真教祖师王重阳门下修道，后来王重阳羽化登仙了，他和其他六个师兄师弟就各走一方，云游而去。郝大通四处云游要饭，到了赵州，每日在桥下闭目静坐养性。一日，王重阳化作童子现身点化他，要他到华山凿洞修道，方可成正果。
 
郝大通遵师嘱到了华山，在北斗坪上开凿三年，凿出紫薇洞准备在此修行。在凿洞过程中，他收了两个徒弟，一名梅良，一名竹青。他俩跟郝大通开山凿洞，很卖力。郝大通对徒弟也带得蛮认真。可谁知紫薇洞刚凿好，就来了一位老道人，恳求说：「您老的洞打得真好，我不会打，就让给我吧。」郝大通听了，二话没说，就把洞让给了老道。两个徒弟满心不痛快，见师父已经应允，也只好作罢。郝大通带上两个徒弟，登上山峰，继续选点凿洞，谁知第二个洞凿好了，又被道友要去了。就这样师徒三人凿一个洞，让与了道友，又凿一个洞，还让与了道友，直花费了四十馀年，凿了七十个洞自己还是没有栖身修道的地方。
 
郝大通带着两个徒弟来到臬臬椽，这里悬崖绝壁，是个修行的好地方。他叫两个徒弟用绳子把他吊下去，在半山崖里打洞。这两个徒弟本来一心想修道成仙，可谁知碰著一个这样的师父，只知打洞送人，没传一点道给他们，多次想下山不干，又怕师父看见。现在见时机来了，一时起了恶念，割断绳子，将师父摔下山去。两个徒弟收拾行李急忙下山，刚走到「千尺幢」下一块大石头旁，见师父迎面飘然走来。两个徒弟顿时明白师父是得道成仙之人，心中后悔不已。郝大通见二徒有悔过之心，重新收下他们。那块石头后来就被叫做「回心石」。
 
这一日郝大通引著两个徒弟回到南天门，又在那峭壁上凿起洞来。一天，当他们继续凿那个还未完成的半截洞时，梅、竹二徒看见有人走过来，就对师父说：「有人来了！」郝大通一听，扭身往洞内一坐，就瞑目坐化登仙了。这个洞终未凿成，所以只是个「半截洞」。