It is rare that a saint would behave like ordinary men and for that matter a vagrant man wearing beggarly robes. Often men will often rewrite history to present that saint as high and mighty and a god of sorts to be worshiped, to be awed and feared.
Ji Gong as Li Siu Yan in old China was every inch a man of the streets even though he has heart of a saint. It was said, whether rightly or not that he was a saint who came down to be reborn. This might be true or an exaggeration.
He was very ordinary like the men in the street. He ate meat, drank wine and frolicked with children and beggars even though he joined the monastery. But he had a heart of gold and mingled with men and behaved like one of them so that they would find it comfortable to be with him and seek his blessing.
He was unlike the monks at the monastery who behaved holy and noble. Men who were even near them felt far and distant from them. There is distance somehow separating men from the monks. The monks though near to men were far from men.
Monkhood and the monastery kept the monks and the men in the street poles apart. The monks were near but yet far.
This calls to mind what Lord Bo Tien said that the far may be near and the near far. Ji Gong was kicked out of the monastery but the men in the street could identify with him and not the monks at the monastery.
There is no social or psychological barrier. He was so carefree and easy going. It was easy to be with him. Though far from being accepted as monk in the monastery, he was near to society.
He was able to help and bless men in ways the monks at the monastery could not. He believed that "what matters is not what one does or what goes through the gut, but what goes through the heart."
He did not put up a mask or external front which would put off men in society. Ji Gong comes to us as one of us even till this day even though he is a living buddha.
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| Ji Gong never portrayed in saffron but in green or grey. Portrayed here in saintly arahat pose |
He is of Heaven but he still roams the street corners of men. He prefers the floor than the high seat of the main altar of a temple. He lies on the floor while men stood in front of him when they seek his blessings. This is Ji Gong.
He makes it the point that he is one of us and if he can make it when monks and leaders in a temple or church may not make it despite their rather privileged positions to provide leadership, then something must be amiss and seriously wrong with institutional religion even centuries ago in old China.
To this day and even in the future, why are those in leadership often far from God and saints though near to God and saints by virtue of being leaders in the temple or church of God and saints?
Many out there in society are far from temple or church but yet near to God and saints. Ji Gong is one saint who became a saint by this route.
Despite being a saint instead of staying around in heaven, he makes the world of men his residence. He even prefers the open space and places outside temple than be in temples.
He obviously lives up to his name. Ji Gong comes to us as one of us.
To this day and even in the future, why are those in leadership often far from God and saints though near to God and saints by virtue of being leaders in the temple or church of God and saints?
Many out there in society are far from temple or church but yet near to God and saints. Ji Gong is one saint who became a saint by this route.
Despite being a saint instead of staying around in heaven, he makes the world of men his residence. He even prefers the open space and places outside temple than be in temples.
He obviously lives up to his name. Ji Gong comes to us as one of us.
