The National Taoism Examiner was recently emailed a YouTube video regarding the top 10 longest living creatures. You will notice that the Taoism Examiner removed “human” from the list which did appear as #9, as Taoists view humans as belonging to their own kingdom or category, distinct from all other life.

Taoists have always been fascinated with longevity and since the time of Fu Xi, Nuwa (both approx. 8,000 B.C.E.) & Shen Nung (3,500 B.C.E.) have rigorously researched and catalogued all life that met the characteristics of longevity, i.e.: a life span of at least 100 years. The life forms studied included: minerals, vegetation, animals and humans, as these constituted the kingdoms that are “visibly living”.

Some of the minerals, vegetation and animals had such an extraordinary lifespan and contained a very high level of energy or Qi (Chi) that they were included in the Chinese Materia Medica as Forgotten Foods or Herbs. Shen Nung, the father of herbology, spent his entire life studying, testing and formulating many herbs or forgotten foods.

The ancient Taoists also created many Internal Exercises that would increase a person’s longevity, many of the exercises are named after animals with longevity; for example the turtle and crane exercises. Huang Di (over 5,000 years ago) in “The Classic of the Internal”, named the Internal Exercises: Yang Shēng Shù which can be defined as the achievement of a happy, healthy, and long life through the utilization of mental and physical movements to prevent and correct ailments, reverse the aging process, and improve all functions of the body.

It is in the Taoist tradition of studying longevity, that we explore this list of some of the animals with the longest life spans. Enjoy the list, ponder the possibilities and challenge for a moment your preconceived notions of: time, space and aging.

10) Tuatara lizard, over 100 years
9) Lobster, over 140 years
8) Red sea urchin, over 200 years
7) Bowhead whale, over 211 years
6) Koi carp, 226 years
5) Giant tortoise, over 250 years
4) Arctica Islandica, 405 years
3) Actarctic sponge, 1,550 years
2) Black coral, 4, 265 years
1) Immortal jellyfish, infinite!

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