During the days when Ji Gong was a man as Li Xiuyan, many would wonder why a scholar and only son of a wealthy military adviser would decide to enter the monastery after the demise of his parents and yet not keep to the norms. Why the monk Ji Gong who knew the scriptures well would choose to be crazy in behavior and what he did like eating meat and drinking wine were incongruous with his adeptness in scriptures and with his being a monk in robes.
But the truth is that he knew more than the rest and found it disturbing that the rest knew less but acted beyond what they knew or could cultivate. He had many truths to tell of what would happen and how they were wrong. But there was no way he could make them understand and win them over.
He also do not believe in going along and putting on a front of outward spirituality and for that he had to conform to norms. Many during his time, could not accept what he said as what he said was way beyond their expectations and belief. He was also lower in social heirachy compared to many others in his monastery and to the many in the laity who were prominent in society.
But one thing stands out is that he knew better and knew more. He had to be abrupt and direct but this only result in ire and disbelief by others in him. It was difficult then for him to explain and to convince. He had to resort to being not abrupt but at times crude and rude. Even then many still did not believe in him. When he said that "what is important is not what goes through the gut but what goes through the heart", many in his time could not accept and they insisted he was wrong and crazy to eat meat and drink wine whilst in monk's robes.
He had to leave the monastery. He was in fact asked to leave but he continued to be in robes of a monk, albeit his own style and way. His was more like a beggar's garment but yet there was no denying that he was in robes but robes torn and with many areas of patch work. Monks then would not frolic with the beggars and the down trodden but he did. The monks then would help the beggars but remained a distinct class from them.
On one eventful occasion, he foresaw a gale coming and the upheaval of nature would result in the village in front of a temple being buried He told the villagers to flee but they thought he was a joker and ignored him. Unable to convince the villagers, he resorted to stealing the bride at a wedding and ran away with the bride. The whole village ran after him and that was how, he saved the villagers and the monks in the temple.
They thought he was a trouble maker and an outcast not only of the temple but also of society. But he was already a saint at heart and many notches above the rest then. But he was not recognized and they were way far behind in cultivation than him to be able to understand and appreciate him.
So the only way is to be point blank and to forewarn. This did not go well with the community then and often, he was mistaken as wrong and uncouth. But events and their outcome proved he was right and that he was way ahead of the times and cultivation of even the best spiritual teachers of his time. It took some time for people to acknowledge him as right and not only right but also a saint, savior and spiritual elder of men.
In modern days of 2013, there are many religious men who are religious but far too ignorant. They know that much and no more but acted as though they know the world and took on the leadership of the crowd at a temple or church.
There are a handful who knew better and could not convince them for they are in the majority and holding sway. These few wise ones could not convince the ignorant rest and would usually have to leave.
If however a wise one refused to leave, and insisted stubbornly to correct the rest, such a person would be thought as crazy and sheer trouble maker, He would be expelled. Even if expelled, if the wise one who was misconceived as trouble maker and lunatic of sorts should decide to return to change their ways, there would be hue and cry and even to-and-fro litigation.
The wise one like Ji Gong in his days as man and monk in China some 1000 plus years ago may decide to be adamant and to help the seemingly ungrateful rest. Truth will prevail. Right will always triumph over the not so right in the long term. Such a person will be a modern day version of Ji Gong but of course they may just even at best be only a semblance of Ji Gong.
One person in Bo Tien Mission is such a man. He is Elder Ling Diung Kwong age 77 in 2013 and not too far from his end and yet pushing on and on with what is and should be. From the beginning he was at odds even with the appointed spiritual intermediary Philip and two other mediums but the lord saint Lord Bo Tien had faith in him to hold the loose bunch together. He was the only one who was always calm, steady, ever so forthright, direct, straightforward, always speaking his mind and unwavering though coming across as crude, hurtful, brash, antagonistic and uncivil. This earned him the label of unpolished diamond by the lord saint.
Two incidents stood out when there was despair.
Once at old temple premises, Ling gave the courage to push through the illegal construction of dormitory for aged despite reservations. He succeeded then and even made it legal subsequently and that is because because he was holding the chair and reins of management.
Then there was call by the relevant agency for the aged home to be closed and inmates to be dispersed to other bigger homes. The then chair of temple Pete wanted to comply but though no longer in management, Ling took matters in own hand and overruled the move and renegotiated with relevant agency. Pete had the wisdom to toe Ling's advice.
Ling saved the day on those two momentous occasions and made the difference for the temple and mission. The home still stands to this day though it originally was scheduled to be closed by the authorities. There are of course other events which are not covered in this post
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| Lord Bo Tien |
Two incidents stood out when there was despair.
Once at old temple premises, Ling gave the courage to push through the illegal construction of dormitory for aged despite reservations. He succeeded then and even made it legal subsequently and that is because because he was holding the chair and reins of management.
Then there was call by the relevant agency for the aged home to be closed and inmates to be dispersed to other bigger homes. The then chair of temple Pete wanted to comply but though no longer in management, Ling took matters in own hand and overruled the move and renegotiated with relevant agency. Pete had the wisdom to toe Ling's advice.
Ling saved the day on those two momentous occasions and made the difference for the temple and mission. The home still stands to this day though it originally was scheduled to be closed by the authorities. There are of course other events which are not covered in this post
Ling was anointed the Head by the lord saint but more often than not, unable to convince the rest with his gifted foresight and insight, he had to resort to being more than ever pushy and crude. Others soon found him not rational and with new generations taking over matters, they just could not stand him any more and they expelled him point blank. The rest to come will soon be history.
He is a man a bit like Ji Gong to save the others in a temple or mission though he may rattle others in the process, not just once or twice but most of the time. That was why they expelled him from the temple but this makes little difference and even today (2013) he still pushes head-on with what is right and should be done even if others don't see eye to eye with him and even if others don't want him to get on their nerves.
For example, he wanted the charitable body to under the umbrella of the temple body as in the past out of concern on two scores:-
(1) In years to come, the two legally separate institutions occupying same premises may squabble over the premises.
(2) In perhaps year 2030 when temple premise lease is due for renewal, the funds of the welfare society cannot be pulled together to pay for new lease for the lease as the temple is the sole holder of the lease
This however is too far in the horizon for others and they are very unhappy and rattled by his obsession. To them, it is none of his business and he should not interfere. After all, he has been expelled and why is he still a pain in the neck for them. To them, he is old man and near his end. Why is he so bothersome?
Now that he is age 77 (2013), how far can he go? God knows. He has guts and he knows what he is doing but not many will agree with this despite the good he had done and his continuing good intentions. Can't he shut up and be less meddlesome? They believe that he is a very old man and should truly retire in every sense of the word and mind his own business. Tell him that and he will give you a tongue lashing. (Oops, not tongue lashing but a lecture or discourse on the mission of Lord Bo Tien. That would be a earful, painful to the ears and way too much to digest.) How could he let go when he read the 1981 anniversary message by Lord Bo Tien in the turqoise colored book LORD BO TIEN TEACHINGS that he must not let the temple mission falter and he must write the history of the mission for posterity.
Some think he is just dumb. Is he dumb? If he is not but a saint, then his detractors would be dumb-folded that he is after all a saint of sorts, albeit just a wee bit like Ji Gong. If he is dumb, then Ji Gong the Living Buddha was even that much more dumb but nobody would say that. Though during his days as man in China some 1000 plus years ago, Ji Gong was considered an aberration, crazy and nuts in the head.
Perhaps, Elder Ling needs to pass on to next life before they could appreciate what he was and is doing and from where he is coming from. But to those who still think he is nuts in the head and mad, Heaven cries in pity when it rains, for they know not what they do. Elder Ling tries to help but to no avail and had to resort to being abrasive, blunt and eccentric. May be, they are beyond help but saints like Ji Gong will never say that.
Even Elder Ling still thinks that they should be given a chance and that's why he allowed them to be in the temple with him but somehow they climbed over his head and bit the hand that nurtured them. They even shooed him away from the temple. Indeed he is a poor soul. Alas, this is not the case. He is not the poor soul but perhaps others are, even if they (those that bit his hands) are not. These others have lost the blessing of a well run temple based on doctrine thrust if Elder Ling could make it and win them over.
The day of reckoning is near and even Elder Ling Diung Kwong at age 77 will not be spared. Man of mission and vision must not be bowled over and bogged down by trivialities. They must not make mountains out of mole hills. But in issues that are not trivial, they must not give up either or face the music down the road of life and death, if not this life, then the next. Avoid being loud, jarring and be perceived as crazy, unless of course there is no other way because realistically we cannot be Ji Gong except a wee bit semblance of Ji Gong.
The issues of man are truly many and plentiful as had and has been said by saints like Lord Bo Tien and Ji Gong Buddha. But a man a bit more like Ji Gong may save the day in any temple or church and all will be well for that temple or church. Let all who know better be a bit like Ji Gong and help the rest, never mind if the rest perceive them as crazy and loud mouth. Truth must prevail.
Omitofo!
He is a man a bit like Ji Gong to save the others in a temple or mission though he may rattle others in the process, not just once or twice but most of the time. That was why they expelled him from the temple but this makes little difference and even today (2013) he still pushes head-on with what is right and should be done even if others don't see eye to eye with him and even if others don't want him to get on their nerves.
For example, he wanted the charitable body to under the umbrella of the temple body as in the past out of concern on two scores:-
(1) In years to come, the two legally separate institutions occupying same premises may squabble over the premises.
(2) In perhaps year 2030 when temple premise lease is due for renewal, the funds of the welfare society cannot be pulled together to pay for new lease for the lease as the temple is the sole holder of the lease
This however is too far in the horizon for others and they are very unhappy and rattled by his obsession. To them, it is none of his business and he should not interfere. After all, he has been expelled and why is he still a pain in the neck for them. To them, he is old man and near his end. Why is he so bothersome?
Now that he is age 77 (2013), how far can he go? God knows. He has guts and he knows what he is doing but not many will agree with this despite the good he had done and his continuing good intentions. Can't he shut up and be less meddlesome? They believe that he is a very old man and should truly retire in every sense of the word and mind his own business. Tell him that and he will give you a tongue lashing. (Oops, not tongue lashing but a lecture or discourse on the mission of Lord Bo Tien. That would be a earful, painful to the ears and way too much to digest.) How could he let go when he read the 1981 anniversary message by Lord Bo Tien in the turqoise colored book LORD BO TIEN TEACHINGS that he must not let the temple mission falter and he must write the history of the mission for posterity.
Some think he is just dumb. Is he dumb? If he is not but a saint, then his detractors would be dumb-folded that he is after all a saint of sorts, albeit just a wee bit like Ji Gong. If he is dumb, then Ji Gong the Living Buddha was even that much more dumb but nobody would say that. Though during his days as man in China some 1000 plus years ago, Ji Gong was considered an aberration, crazy and nuts in the head.
Perhaps, Elder Ling needs to pass on to next life before they could appreciate what he was and is doing and from where he is coming from. But to those who still think he is nuts in the head and mad, Heaven cries in pity when it rains, for they know not what they do. Elder Ling tries to help but to no avail and had to resort to being abrasive, blunt and eccentric. May be, they are beyond help but saints like Ji Gong will never say that.
Even Elder Ling still thinks that they should be given a chance and that's why he allowed them to be in the temple with him but somehow they climbed over his head and bit the hand that nurtured them. They even shooed him away from the temple. Indeed he is a poor soul. Alas, this is not the case. He is not the poor soul but perhaps others are, even if they (those that bit his hands) are not. These others have lost the blessing of a well run temple based on doctrine thrust if Elder Ling could make it and win them over.
The day of reckoning is near and even Elder Ling Diung Kwong at age 77 will not be spared. Man of mission and vision must not be bowled over and bogged down by trivialities. They must not make mountains out of mole hills. But in issues that are not trivial, they must not give up either or face the music down the road of life and death, if not this life, then the next. Avoid being loud, jarring and be perceived as crazy, unless of course there is no other way because realistically we cannot be Ji Gong except a wee bit semblance of Ji Gong.
The issues of man are truly many and plentiful as had and has been said by saints like Lord Bo Tien and Ji Gong Buddha. But a man a bit more like Ji Gong may save the day in any temple or church and all will be well for that temple or church. Let all who know better be a bit like Ji Gong and help the rest, never mind if the rest perceive them as crazy and loud mouth. Truth must prevail.
Omitofo!
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| Ji Gong like Lord Bo Tien knows and cares even if men don't. The interest of men is his business even if they don't know him. Let's hope men will have affinity to be blessed by him Omitofo! |
