In the late Tang Dynasty, in Yucheng of Jiangnan, stood Udumbara Temple, famed for its Pill Spring Well. A mon…
In the late Tang Dynasty, in Yucheng of Jiangnan, stood Udumbara Temple, famed for its Pill Spring Well. A monk named Shanshi lived there alone.
As wars ravaged the land, a wounded white deer sought refuge in the temple. Shanshi healed its wounds, and the deer lingered, unwilling to leave.
Over a decade later, during a worship ceremony, villagers caught sight of a deer tomb behind Shanshi's quarters—and beside it, a graceful maiden calling herself the Deer Maiden. Enraged, they slapped Shanshi for desecrating the holy site and planned to sell the maiden. As Shanshi wept helplessly, no amount of pleading could stop them.
The Deer Maiden wiped Shanshi's tears, clasped her hands, and said: "I shall be the mother of immortality." Then she leaped into the well.
Colored clouds surged from the well, lifting her to the sky. The villagers hailed her as an immortal and departed in awe. That night, Shanshi passed away in meditation by the well.