Daoji

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

• Chinese :   道濟禪師,濟公活佛

Daoji (道濟禪師 1130-1207), commonly known as Ji Gong (濟公 or 濟公活佛, Master Ji, Living Buddha Ji Gong), was a Buddhist monk during the Southern Song Dynasty in China. He was born with the name of Li Xiuyuan. (李修元) Dao Ji was also called Hu Yin (Recluse from the Lake) and Elder Fang Yuan (Square Circle). Dao Ji was a monastic in the Linji Ch'an school

History

A statue of Daoji

Born Li Xiuyuan to a former military advisor, Li Maochun, Daoji was born after his parents, who could not have children, entered a temple. Upon reaching the Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats, the statue of Mahakasyapa was knocked off its lotus throne, a sign that the arhat had descended to earth.

After his parents' death, he went to Hangzhou and became a monastic at the famousLing Yin Temple near Hangzhou. Even though his eccentric behavior broke the rules of the vinaya (traditional code for monastics), Daoji had a kind heart and was always ready to lend a helping hand to ordinary people. Unlike a traditional Buddhist monk, he ate meat and drank wine. The monks then had enough of his behavior and kicked him out of the monastery. From then on, Daoji roamed the streets and helped people whenever he could.

While cultivating in the Buddha's teaching, Daoji acquired magical powers. Since many people noticed his compassionate nature, many started thinking of him as an incarnate of a bodhisattva, or as a reincarnate of an arhat. He was soon recognized as the incarnate of the Taming Dragon Arhat (降龍羅漢, Xianglong Luohan).

When Daoji died at the Jing Ci monastery on the 14th day of 5th Lunar month (17 June 1207), Syncretic Taoism began to revere Daoji as a god from heaven and later adopted him as a deity. Not long after that, even Buddhism began to respect him, and added him into the list of arhats.

The I Kuan Tao has also adopted him into their pantheon of deities.

Depiction

Daoji can usually be seen smiling in his tattered monastic robes, and usually carries a bottle of wine in his right hand, and a fan (believed to be magical) in his left hand. He wears a hat with the Chinese character Fo（佛）, meaning "Buddha". He can also be seen holding his shoes in his right hand.

Daoji in popular culture

• The life of Daoji has also been popularized in a TV series which aired in 1993 called (in English) "Legends of Ji Gong."
• Comedic actor and director Stephen Chow portrayed Ji Gong in his 1993 movie “The Mad Monk”.

External links

• a site on Jigong
• a review on a book on Daoji
• Jigong features in a game
• Website about a Jigong statue that wears the world's largest pair of sunglasses
• The Legend of Ji Gong Television series (1997)