From « Tales of the Dancing Dragan, Stories of the Tao » Traditional Tao Stories compiled and translated by Eva Wong, Shambhala, Boston and London, 2007, pp. 107-110

Sun Xiyao the Medicine Sage

During the early years of the Sui dynasty there lived a herbalist named Sun Xiyao. From childhood Xiyao took an interest in the healing arts. It was said that at twelve he was able to identify all the known herbs and their medicinal qualities. By sixteen his skill in diagnosing illness and prescribing cures surpassed that of doctors with decades of experience.
Sun Xiyao was also an adept in the arts of longevity who brewed and ingested herbs to preserve and circulate his internal energy. One time while collecting herbs by the river, he saw a small green snake lying in the tall grass. The snake appeared to be injured and was near death. Xiyao took some ointment from his medicine case and smeared it on the snake's body. Then he mashed some herbs into a paste and fed it to the snake. Not long afterward the snake lifted its head, as if in gratitude, and crawled away.
Several days later Sun Xiyao was gathering herbs in the same area by the river when he saw an old man wearing a robe of red and gold walking toward him. A child dressed in green was following behind. The old man approached Xiyao, bowed to him, and said, "I am forever grateful to you for saving my grandson's life." Turning to the child he said, "Come and thank the man who gave you back your life." The child came forward, knelt, and' bowed to Sun Xiyao. Xiyao suddenly realized that this child was the little green snake.
The old man continued, "We are snake spirits who are the guardians of this river. May I invite you to my humble dwelling for a meal in your honor?"
Xiyao consented. The old man took Xiyao by the arm and led him into the river. The moment his feet touched the water, Sun Xiyao found himself inside a large mansion. Inside the mansion, a feast of the finest seafood had been prepared. Sun Xiyao thanked his host and said, "I have abstained from eating sentient beings. Please do not be offended if I eat only seaweed and river grass."
The old man said, "I will not be offended. Name a gift you would like to have. If I can procure it, I will give it to you."
Sun Xiyao replied, "You need not give me any gift. As a healer it is my responsibility to save your grandson."
His host sighed and said, "Even so, I am grateful. For years I've seen you gathering herbs along the river and experimenting with them. I'll give you a catalog of herbs that grow along riverbanks and a manual on how to use them."
Sun Xiyao was delighted. He thanked the snake spirit and said, "I will honor your gift and will always use this knowledge for the good of sentient beings."
Returning home, Sun Xiyao studied the herbal catalog and manual and incorporated the knowledge into his medical practice. Soon he was able to cure all kinds of incurable diseases. His fame as the Medicine Sage spread far and wide. Eventually it reached the ears of the emperor.
The Sui emperor invited Sun Xiyao to be the court physician, but Xiyao declined, saying that he needed time to compile a master catalog of herbs. To his close students he said privately, "The emperor is an ambitious man with questionable scruples. He's not interested in the welfare of his subjects. All he wants from me is the elixir of immortality. I don't think his dynasty will last long."
As Sun Xiyao had predicted, the Sui dynasty fell after twenty-nine years of rule. Harsh laws and heavy taxation drove the people into rebellion. The Sui was replaced by the Tang.
When Tang Taizong took the throne, he reduced taxes; opened the imperial granaries and distributed food to starving peasants; and encouraged trade with Japan, Tibet, India, Persia, and the European empires. The rule of Taizong brought China into a golden age.
Taizong was a follower of Taoism. Hearing that the Taoist medicine sage Sun Xiyao was living in the Taibai Mountains, he sent a special emissary to the healer asking him to be the court physician. Xiyao thanked the messenger and said, "Please relate to His Majesty that I cannot accept the post, but I would be happy to advise him on medical matters."
Taizong formally invited Sun Xiyao into his court. When he saw the Medicine Sage, Taizong exclaimed, "I have heard that there are sages who never grow old, but this is the first time I have seen one! How were you able to
preserve your youthfulness?"
Sun Xiyao replied, "People often learn the arts of longevity for the wrong reasons. Some do it because it's a fad, others because they're afraid of death. I am only a simple man who dispenses herbs to cure illness. There is no such thing as an elixir of immortality. My herbs can cure illness and prevent untimely deaths but cannot bring the dead back to life or preserve the body forever. As for conserving energy and prolonging life, there are no quick solutions. Longevity results naturally from stilling the mind and living a simple life."
The emperor nodded and said thoughtfully, "I now understand what it means to cultivate longevity. Though I would like to devote my life to cultivating spirituality, I know it is not possible. I have a country to rule. My people's welfare depends on me. If I abandoned my subjects, I would have committed the greatest crime in history. However, may I ask you to stay in the court and be my personal physician?"
Sun Xiyao bowed before Taizong and said, "Your Majesty is wise. As it is your responsibility to rule as king, it is my responsibility to be a physician of the people." Taizong pressed Xiyao no more.
Sun Xiyao returned home and began the task of documenting a lifetime of research on medicinal herbs. He died peacefully in his thatched cottage at the age of ninety. It was said that when he breathed his last, a mist entered the room and coiled around his body. An apparition of Sun Xiyao sat up on the deathbed and was carried off by two intertwining snakes.

My comments :

- You cannot buy health

- "Please do not be offended if I eat only seaweed and river grass." Do you hear ? Don't eat fish, eat seaweed. THAT'S where the Iodine is!!!! Now would river grass also be a good source? Or is it full of chlorophylla and would be some kind of chlorella helping with mercury detox?

- "We are snake spirits who are the guardians of this river." In Yoga terms, this river is the Kundalini, and the two snakes who are its guardians are Ida and Pingala, carrying the parasympathetic and sympathetic energies.
They are the same snakes/river found in the caduceus of doctors.
Sickness happens when Kundalini does not flow properly, and interestingly, there is here a small and a big snake! The small snake is sick. Now my idea is that the small snake is the parasympathetic one (Ida). Overstimulation of Pingala on the right creates an imbalance and is much more common than the contrary.
Excess sympathetic > adrenal problems, exertion, pH problems. You can cure your Ida with iodine!

- "Longevity results naturally from stilling the mind and living a simple life." Stilling the mind = Meditation.
Meditation normalizes blood pH and allows perfect absorption of the elements found in food. No need for expensive supplements if you absorb what is in your seaweed plate!

Strange as it sounds, I am staring to see references to Iodine everywhere, even when cryptic!
Lots of good wishes :)