In the ancient days of the Han Dynasty, there lived a man named Wu Gang, who was also known as Wu Zhi or Wu Kang in the various dialects of the Middle Kingdom. Wu Gang was a man of great ambition, but his heart was plagued by a restlessness that made him unable to commit to any single path for long. He sought the ultimate prize of existence: immortality. He desired to become a xian, a celestial being who could ride the clouds, command the elements, and live forever in the presence of the gods. However, Wu Gang lacked the fundamental virtue required for such a transformation: patience. He wanted the fruits of enlightenment without the labor of cultivation. He sought shortcuts in his meditations and skipped the foundational breaths taught by the masters of the mountains. This arrogance and flightiness would eventually lead to a fate that has become one of the most enduring legends of the night sky.
Wu Gang’s journey toward his eternal punishment began on the mist-shrouded peaks of the sacred mountains on Earth. He had traveled to the heights of Mount Tai in Shandong, seeking the secrets of the cosmos. For years, he attempted to follow the teachings of various Taoist sages, but he would soon grow bored. When a master taught him how to refine his internal energy, Wu Gang would complain that the process was too slow. When he was taught how to identify the herbs of life, he would claim he already knew their secrets. He believed himself to be above the mundane struggles of a student. One day, he committed a grave offense against the divine order. Some say he attempted to steal the secrets of the Jade Emperor himself, while others claim he abandoned his post during a critical celestial ritual because he found the chanting tedious. Regardless of the specific transgression, his lack of discipline and his disrespect for the Way reached the ears of the Heavenly Court.
Upon learning of Wu Gang’s failures, the Jade Emperor, the supreme ruler of the heavens, decided that a unique punishment was necessary to teach the mortal the value of persistence and the consequences of a half-hearted spirit. The Emperor summoned Wu Gang to the Guanghan Palace, the vast and lonely palace situated on the Moon. The Moon was a place of silver light and biting cold, inhabited by the goddess Chang'e and the industrious Jade Rabbit, who spent his days pounding the elixir of life in a mortar. When Wu Gang arrived, he looked upon the barren lunar landscape with confusion. The Jade Emperor appeared before him in a flash of gold and pointed toward a massive, towering tree that stood near the palace walls. It was an osmanthus tree, often called a cassia tree in Western translations, and it reached hundreds of feet into the star-strewn sky. Its leaves were thick and green, and its blossoms emitted a fragrance so sweet it could be smelled across the cosmos.
'Wu Gang,' the Emperor declared, his voice echoing like thunder across the craters. 'You have sought immortality without effort. You have sought to master the universe without mastering yourself. If you truly wish to join the ranks of the gods, you must prove your dedication. You are to take this axe and chop down this osmanthus tree. When the tree lies fallen on the lunar dust, you shall be granted the immortality you so desperately crave and be allowed to return to the celestial courts as a true xian. Until then, your work is your existence.' Wu Gang, confident in his physical strength and eager to finally secure his prize, seized the heavy axe. He believed that even the largest tree would eventually yield to a strong arm. He took a deep breath, swung the axe with all his might, and buried the blade deep into the trunk of the tree. A great crack echoed through the silence of the Moon.