Kabul

'Have you a medicine of immortality?'

Editorial contextAt his first audience, in the Khan's camp south of the Hindu Kush, Chinggis welcomed the sage, fed him and asked outright for an elixir of immortality; Changchun answered that there were ways to preserve life but no medicine for immortality, and the Khan praised his honesty. At a later audience the sage firmly refused to drink the tung lo set before him, which Bretschneider explains as kumiss or other fermented milk (p.94). His teaching was translated into Mongol by the councillor A-hai and written down in both Chinese and Mongol (p.95).

After this he asked: "Sainted man, you have come from a great distance. Have you a medicine of immortality?" The master replied: "There are means for preserving life, but no medicines for immortality." Chinghiz lauded him for his sincerity and candour. By imperial order two tents were pitched for the master east of the emperor's tents.

About Chinggis Khan