Ji Gong


Ji Gong, born Li Xiuyuan and also known as "Chan Master Daoji" was a Chan Buddhist monk who lived in the Southern Song. He purportedly possessed supernatural powers, which he used to help the poor and stand up to injustice. However, he was also known for his wild and eccentric behavior, who didn't follow Buddhist monastic rules by consuming alcohol and meat. By the time of his death, Ji Gong had become a legend in Chinese culture and a deity in Chinese folk religion. He is mentioned by Buddhists in folktales and kōans, and sometimes invoked by oracles to assist in worldly affairs.

History

Li Xiuyuan was born to a former military advisor, Li Maochun. After the death of his parents, at the age of 18, Li was sent to Hangzhou and was ordained as a monk in Lingyin Temple. He was mentored by the vinaya master Huiyuan and was given the monastic name Daoji. Unlike traditional Buddhist monks, Daoji did not like following traditional monastic codes. He had a penchant for openly eating meat and drinking wine; his robes were often tattered and dirty from traveling from place to place, and stumbling while intoxicated. However, Daoji was kindhearted and was always ready to lend a helping hand to ordinary people. He would often treat the sick and fight against injustice. The monks, bewildered and fed up with his behavior, expelled Daoji from the monastery. From then on, Daoji roamed the streets and helped people whenever he could.
According to legend, while cultivating the Buddha's teaching, Daoji attained supernatural powers. Many who noticed his eccentric yet benevolent and compassionate nature began to think that he was an incarnate of a bodhisattva, or a reincarnate of an arhat. He was widely recognised by people as the incarnate of the Taming Dragon Arhat, one of the Eighteen Arhats.
When Daoji last stay was at Jingci Temple and moved to heaven on the 14th day of the 5th Lunar month, syncretic Taoism began to revere Daoji as a deity. Not long after that, Buddhism began to recognise Daoji's compassionate efforts and he is involved in many classic kōans.
Mediums claimed to receive texts from Ji Gong through spirit writing, later called Fuji , since the mid-1860s. These messages led to a development of the worshipers of Ji Gong, which was actively promoted by the Buddhist monk Falun at the Hupao Temple in Hangzhou, where Ji Gong’s grave is located. The messages gradually acquired a moralistic tone and recommended to engage in charitable work. Ji Gong’s messages received through spirit writing played a role in the establishment of the Benevolent Relief Society, whose leaders later participated in the foundation of the Red Cross Society of China.
A new Buddhist movement, the Hong Kong-based Tung Cheng Yuen Buddhist Association, worship him. Yiguandao has also adopted him into their pantheon of deities, citing Zhang Tianran, contemporary founder of the Yiguandao, as his reincarnation.

Depiction

Ji Gong can usually be seen smiling in tattered monastic robes, and usually carries a bottle of wine in his right hand, and a fan in his left hand. He wears a hat with the Chinese character Fo, meaning "Buddha". He can also be seen holding his shoes in his right hand. Because of his carefree nature, he is rarely ever shown with a serious facial expression.

In popular culture

Ji Gong has been portrayed by numerous actors in films and television series from as early as 1939.

Books

Chinese novel Ji Gong Quan Zhuang by Guo Xiaoting. Adventures of the Mad Monk Ji Gong: The Drunken Wisdom of China's Most Famous Chan Buddhist Monk, Guo Xiaoting; John Robert Shaw trs., Tuttle Publishing, 2014.

Films

, known for his role as Ji Gong in Zen Master .