The Way of Longevity

Written by Peter Li-Chang Kuo

(Chinese)

Poem

Guan Yu’s immortal name shines bright,

From Xieliang in Hedong he won his merit for the Han.

Within Cao’s camp he bore humiliation yet held a loyal heart,

Escorting his lord’s wife a thousand miles, he showed true devotion.

At Red Cliff the storm raged, Jingzhou was the prize,

On the Han River’s waves he drowned seven armies.

At Maicheng his blood was spent—yet he became the Martial Saint,

For loyalty and righteousness through the ages he is revered as the Lord-Emperor.

Story

No. 45, Chong-An Street, North District, Tainan City, stood on a slope between the Upper and Lower Tudigong temples. It was a long and narrow house divided into three households; we lived in the very front one. At the back, the passage led to the San-Laoye Temple on Yu-Min Street.

The middle household had a tianjing (open courtyard) with a hand-pumped water well. Every morning, the three families would gather to pump water, wash our faces, and brush our teeth — harmonious and cheerful.

Our own dwelling was a shabby mud-brick house. Curiously, inside there was a set of "cypress-made altar tables" — an upper (top) and lower table, both very heavy. Such tables were used for ancestral and divine worship: the upper table to place deity statues, ancestral tablets, incense burners, candles, and offerings of fruit and flowers; the square lower table for wine and food offerings, sometimes also serving as a dining table.

At that time, we were extremely poor, so the tables were mostly bare. Only on the upper table stood an eight-inch-high statue of “Lord Guan” reading the “Spring and Autumn Annals.” Whenever I had free time, I would sit at the lower table and gaze at him. On festivals, I would use my grandmother’s silk cloth to wipe the dust from him. Gradually, he and I became good friends.

Fig 1: Statue of Lord Guan and the altar table

I was curious about why Lord Guan's left hand was always holding a book. I'd been influenced by this, and I'd read every book I got at least once. I'd read "The Biography of Edison," a gift from my sworn my sworn elder brother Shi-Rong Yang, dozens of times, and it had a profound impact on me.

When I was nine, an assassin stabbed my temple with the iron rods as thin as chopsticks. I collapsed in a pool of blood. In that moment, an enlarged vision of Lord Guan appeared in my mind — he saved me from death at the very brink. Lying there, I saw his radiance illuminate my heart, revealing the true cause of our family’s poverty: the young men, instead of working, idled away their lives, leaving only “my grandmother’s little scissors cutting paper” to support us.

From that day of surviving death, I began to take care of myself and to practice diligently with every crude tool at home until I mastered them. By June 1965, before the farewell song rang out at Kong-Yuan Elementary School, I could already design and produce super-precision "progressive deep-drawing dies," assemble mechanical auto-feeding devices, and mount them on presses to manufacture precision tubular parts.

Thus, in less than two years as in charge of the household, I had already cast poverty far behind. Those who once never thought of earning a living now ate Fuji apples every day. More importantly, I built the first house for the Kuo family since its collapse 37 years earlier, moving us away from Chong-An Street into a deep alley on Kong-Yuan Road.

But because of disgraceful events, my grandmother—whose foot had been broken by police beatings — had to live in the corner of my workshop. There, I had the chance to hear her recount the legendary stories of the Kuo family during her 27 years as matriarch of "Ho-Mei Trading Company." From her, I also learned the origin of the eight-inch statue of Lord Guan — it was brought to Taiwan by our ancestors from Zhangzhou.

In 1937, when my grandfather refused to transport comfort women, treacherous servants colluded with the Japanese army to raid my grandparents' home. The vast family estate and over a thousand hectare of farmland were stolen overnight. One day, the servant who had seized the Ho-Mei headquarters threw the "eight-inch Lord Guan and the altar tables" at the door of No. 45 Chong-An Street, saying: “This belongs to your Kuo ancestors!”

The reason: the servant had converted to another faith, where people told him “Lord Guan must be destroyed.” But he dared not do it himself, fearing disaster, so he dumped it back to us. My grandmother then enshrined the statue in our humble dwelling.

My great-grandmother, Madam Kuo Chang Bian-Nang, was a bound-footed woman, and so she required a large-footed maid to run errands. That maid somehow became pregnant and gave birth to a son, Ah-Ji, whom my grandfather Kuo Biao raised as a younger brother.

My grandmother, Madam Kuo Chen Shu-Chen, also had bound feet, and likewise needed a large-footed maid. One day, someone brought a girl, saying: “If you don’t take her, she’ll be sold into a brothel!” Out of compassion, my grandfather took in the girl — called Ah-Qi — as maid for my grandmother.

When Ah-Ji and Ah-Qi reached marriageable age, my grandparents matched them together, treating them like younger siblings. Yet, to everyone’s misfortune, the Kuo family’s grand estate eventually perished in the hands of this couple. Still, bold as they were, they dared not destroy the ancestral Lord Guan statue brought from Tangshan (Mainland), fearing calamity — for they themselves had adopted the surname “Kuo” (in Japanese “Kaku,” カク).

Since surviving the assassination attempt in 1962, whenever I encountered hardships, I would silently pray: “If there is a god, tell me what to do!” Often after a night’s sleep, the solution would appear. In this way, I gained the skills I needed, along with my elementary school diploma — for I had prayed: “If there is a god, please let me live until I graduate elementary school.”

By October 1965, my father finally received the “final court ruling” after 13 years of litigation — he had lost. The following month, he ordered me to throw away my junior high school bag and accompany him in fleeing to Kaohsiung. From then on, I became head of the household, earning more than enough money to fund their extravagance.

Transformation in Kaohsiung

In Kaohsiung, we settled behind the Kuomin Market on Qing-Nian Road. On a vacant lot at No. 16 Chong-Hsing Street, I built an airtight, makeshift workshop out of sugarcane boards. There, I crafted butcher knives for Ah-Yi, ladles for a tofu pudding stall, hinges for the World Grand Ballroom, as well as small oil lamps and swastika-shaped rings. These experiences greatly sharpened my skills and led me to realize the “U-shaped replication method,” which finally enabled my precision eyelet progressive dies to achieve large-scale automated production.

In addition to the great progress in skills and physical fitness, the greatest gain, however, was that in Kaohsiung I absorbed much of "the thought of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Zen," and I awakened a peculiar ability—to read and comprehend entire pages at once.

Each night, a displaced scholar from the mainland would spread out a pile of old books at the entrance of Guomin Market. Nobody bought them; only I would squat there, reading without paying. Over several months, I not only learned to speak Mandarin with him but also devoured many books on history and philosophy. Among them, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" gave me a deeper bond with Lord Guan. His life story may be summarized as follows:

Guan Yu, style name Yunchang, originally named Changsheng, hailed from Xieliang in Hedong (today’s Yuncheng, Shanxi). He was a renowned general of Shu-Han during the late Eastern Han dynasty, famed as “a match for ten thousand.” After the Oath of Brotherhood in the Peach Garden, he followed Liu Bei through campaigns east and west. When Liu Bei first suffered defeat, Guan Yu temporarily submitted to Cao Cao, who conferred upon him the title "Marquis of Hanshou Pavilion." Yet his heart remained loyal to Liu Bei. He later made the celebrated journey of “Passing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals,” escorting Liu Bei’s family (wives) a thousand miles back — a tale of loyalty and righteousness. After the Battle of Red Cliff, he held Jingzhou as General of the Van. In the 24th year of Jian’an (219 CE), he launched his northern campaign against Xiangyang and Fancheng, using the swollen Han River to flood seven enemy armies, capturing Yu Jin alive and executing Pang De—his renown shook all of China. But Sun Quan seized the chance to attack Jingzhou; Guan Yu was defeated at Maicheng and killed by Wu forces. Liu Bei’s subsequent campaign at Yiling to avenge him ended in failure. Later, Liu Shan, Shu’s emperor, posthumously named him “Marquis Zhuangmou.” Guan Yu’s image of loyalty, righteousness, courage, and martial skill has endured through the ages. He was posthumously honored by successive dynasties as the “Martial Saint,” to stand alongside Confucius, the “Sage of Culture.” Among the people, he is revered as “Lord Guan,” “Emperor Guan,” “Holy Lord Emperor Guan,” his cult spreading throughout the Chinese world as a symbol of loyalty and righteousness.

The story of Guan Gong’s “Passing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals” gave me the confidence and resolve to overcome every hardship. Facing the needs of a family of nine, I had no fear, working twenty hours a day to provide all that was required. Strangely enough, besides sleeping very little, I also ate very little—almost enjoy "a feast on the bliss of dhyana" everyday, yet I grew stronger and stronger.

Years later, An American client once told me that in 1966, after the tragic Apollo 1 test fire claimed the lives of three astronauts, NASA sought a “PTH” solution. They approached suppliers in the United States, Japan, and Germany. More than half a year passed, and no one could produce a sample. At last, they came to Taiwan on a gamble. They first sought me at No. 16 Chong-Hsing Street, but by then I had already moved. They tracked me through Kuomin Market and finally to Chong-An Street.

He said: “Who would have thought that a 140-centimeter-tall teenager could deliver a sample within two days, pass the most rigorous requirements, and even produce that lasting certificate of 'Approval Sheet' which helped Apollo 4 launch into space. Your capacity surpasses the combined efforts of American, Japanese, and German competitors.” In truth, this was the outward result of my mystical bond with Lord Guan.

The tale of Lord Guan’s “Escort of Lady Gan (Liu Bei's wifer)” reminded me of Confucius’s teachings on ethics. Even when some mocked me, shouting daily: “Hey, four-legged wretch, earn more money to me…” Meanwhile, scheming to rob me and take my life, I never once struck back. I even dared not loudly recite the "Universal Gate Chapter" verse: “All curses and poisons, if they would harm the body, by invoking Avalokiteshvara’s power, return upon their source.”

Amid great “internal strife and external threats,” I nonetheless restored the honor of my family, created Taiwan’s precision industry, and pioneered electronic commerce. Truly, it was only because Lord Guan stood with me that I could achieve the effect of “Passing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals” — overcoming every impossible trial.

The Devious Scheme of the Apostates

At the most critical moment, my wife was beguiled into joining a heterodox sect! These apostates (aka reverend and pastors) would come — one man with one version, ten men with ten different versions — but their common theme was always: “Destroy what must be destroyed.”

What they considered “things that must be destroyed” included our writings — such as "The Daughter of a Defense Employee" (A Lady of Rich Taiwan), the spiritual attainments in both exoteric and esoteric practice, and even my wife's inborn bloodline connection to Master Shi Chuan-Zhi and etc. Once all these so-called “things to be destroyed” were eliminated, it was as if we had been stripped bare and thrown onto the battlefield — destined either for death or for crippling injury. Life became like that of a lonely bachelor, while the cartel of corruption grew ever stronger.

Fig 2: The book falsely accused of being destructible

At the 1999 APEC in New Zealand, that woman — hailed as “the future richest social entrepreneur and inventor of e-commerce in the 21st century” — was besieged to the brink of death.

The Revelation of the Red Washer

On August 18 of this year, while wiping my face in the bathroom, a single “red washer” from thirty-nine years ago seemed to fall through a wormhole and land in the empty bathtub. Its crimson color reminded me of Lord Guan, prompting me to employ "Social Network Analysis" (SNA) to trace the long chain of disasters that began in 2002, when the apostate wolf was allowed into our living room. All the strands pointed back to "a single node" — the one who attempted to assassinate me in 1962, a modern-day Jezebel. Fortunately, I have the blessing of God, which allows me to survive one disaster after another.

So it was karmic entanglement from past lives! Fortunately, in this life I never struck back. Instead, I returned evil with virtue. Now she and many of her companions are bearing the consequences of their unrighteousness, faithlessness, and lack of filial piety — suffering in a burning lake of sulfur.

From August 23 (the first day of the seventh lunar month), I resumed morning and evening devotions, reconnecting with both my bloodline and Dharma lineage. The response of Lord Guan was this poem:

Spreading the Great Way, upholding ethics and bonds,

Guiding and exhorting, reversing decay with compassion.

Accumulating virtue with propriety hand in hand,

Delivering all beings, returning them to the Light.

A loyal and righteous heart shines across a thousand lands,

A spirit of cultivation inspires the nations.

Attain deliverance in this very life with prosperity,

And in the next, roam freely amidst the heavens.

This poem conveys the lofty mission of "Martial Saint Guan Gong" in transmitting the Dharma, upholding moral responsibilities, and encouraging self-cultivation and virtue. It stresses the accumulation of merit alongside righteousness, the vow to deliver all beings back to light, and the embodiment of loyalty, courage, and noble aspiration — securing prosperity in this life and transcendent freedom in the next.

The Eight-Inch Statue and Its Inspiration

The eight-inch seated statue of Lord Guan reading the "Spring and Autumn Annals" inspired me to love reading and believe the maxim “Within books lie houses of gold.” I embraced the ancient truth: “To raise a noble family, one must study.” Even while working twenty hours a day, I still managed to carve out time to pursue education — starting with night school in junior high. My gift of reading entire pages at a glance made taking first place a trivial task -- a piece of cake.

Hearing ordinary people curse my monastic relatives as “the world’s foolish and lazy people” prompted me to explore their reasons. Hearing unworthy descendants curse my grandfather as “the most notorious spendthrift in Tainan” day after day led me to a deeper appreciation of the true meaning behind his steadfast adherence to the principle of “love your neighbor as yourself.” Consequently, I have also read extensively about the faiths they followed, and therefore understand that there is a “mysticism.”

In body, speech, and mind I became attuned to Lord Guan, and through this resonance I foresaw many things. Many wondered why, under such heavy pressures of life — especially the constant taunts of those who called me “four-legged wretch” — I would still freely develop precision “PTH” components for Avnet Inc., an American global electronics company. The answer was a revelation from the Holy Spirit: “As long as you win the first purchasing order, you can lead the Kuo family to rise again.” Amid relentless harassment, I truly became the savior of that American firm—and at the same time, redeemed the honor of the Kuo family, which had been mocked for thirty-seven years.

But the devil’s minions, no matter how they disguise themselves, remain devil’s lackeys! All their lives they wielded the wealth they had stolen from me, using my own hard-earned resources against me. Yet when I secured strong commitments at APEC in New Zealand to “urge all economies to develop e-commerce systems,” I actually had already climbed to the summit of the world.

The Assault of the Modern Jezebel

This modern Jezebel intensified her assaults — striking from the spiritual realm. Not only did she consort with occult practitioners she knew, she also allied with the so-called “apostate wolf,” exploiting my weakness: my wife, tormented as if her head were bound by steel cables, admitted those wolves into our home. Matters only grew worse. From then on, in order to save this “daughter of a defense employee,” I found myself utterly defenseless.

Recently, after weeks of morning and evening devotions, my bloodline and Dharma lineage have been reconnected, and the mysteries of the past two decades are becoming clear. The “Spring and Autumn Annals” that Lord Guan reads is indeed the one compiled by Confucius. I am reminded of Confucius’s words:

“The gentleman has nine thoughts: in seeing, to seek clarity; in hearing, to seek acuity; in expression, to seek warmth; in bearing, to seek respectfulness; in speech, to seek truthfulness; in service, to seek reverence; in doubt, to seek inquiry; in anger, to seek caution; in gain, to seek righteousness.”

Thus I composed a regulated verse:

The Confucius’ Nine Thoughts guide self-cultivation,

In sight and hearing, warmth and respect shine forth.

Discerning causes, one must act with reverence,

In speech be truthful, in doubt inquire more.

In anger be cautious lest calamity arise,

In gain recall righteousness as the guiding cord.

With courtesy and humility the grove is filled with grace,

Setting a model for posterity to follow.

The Power of the Yuan Shen (Primal Spirit)

Every person has a "yuan shen" — the primal spirit, the source of true spirituality, and what distinguishes humans from animals. The "Analects" says: “The gentleman attends to the root. Once the root is established, the Way grows.” To abandon the root for the branch is to see without clarity, to hear without understanding, to lose the true direction, and to wander endlessly in birth and death.

With the yuan shen as guardian, even when riding alone across the world, I was able to complete a "satellite receiver" in America that benefited the economy of 1980s. When Mattel struggled with an automation system that tens of thousands of workers failed to repair, I revived it in a single day — keeping it running endlessly, and even saving the “Barbie doll.”

One morning I delivered samples and "Approval Sheet" to World Electric Company after visiting their factory. They complained that “Showa Electronics of Japan had our inquiry data of spec for half a year, but produced nothing.” After I secured the order to make money; however, I suddenly refused all follow-up contracts. A few months later, World Electric Company collapsed without warning — yet among all their suppliers, only we survived unscathed.

My wife vowed to invent a new "Tech-Economic System" (TES) to completely resolve the tragedy of taxi drivers being robbed. After the government said they had "no money" and "couldn't do it in 50 years," we were accompanied only by the Holy Spirit. We continued to make it step by step persevere from scratch, brought it to the international conferences, and promoted it to become a daily necessity for people all over the civilized world, and today helping 1.5 billion people earn global money from home.

With the yuan shen present, one gains wisdom, courage, daring, and responsibility, as well as the power to avoid misfortune and seize opportunity. No matter how many Baal-like forces the modern Jezebel may conjure, we can still be more than victorious and create a new century for future generations that will be different from the 20th century.

Lord Guan is our yuan shen, and therefore must be steadfastly upheld. With the Five Spirits aligned, the Five Energies naturally return to the source. Energy transforms into spirit, spirit returns to the void, essence transforms into energy—thus the roots grow deep, branches blossom and bear fruit, and one attains enduring vitality and long life.

Peter Li-Chang Kuo, the author created Taiwan's Precision Industry in his early years. Peter was a representative of the APEC CEO Summit and an expert in the third sector. He advocated "anti-corruption (AC)/cashless/e-commerce (E-Com)/ICT/IPR/IIA-TES / Micro-Business (MB)…and etc." to win the international bills and regulations.