How was the monk Jigong reincarnated?

According to legend, the monk Jigong was reincarnated as a dragon-descending arhat. Jigong (1148-1209), formerly known as Li Xiuyuan, was a monk in the Southern Song Dynasty. He is a native of Yongning Village, Tiantai County, Zhejiang Province, and later generations respectfully call him "Jigong Living Buddha".

He is a broken hat, a broken fan, a broken shoe and a dirty dress. He seems to be crazy. He first became a monk in Xiaoguo Temple, then lived in Lingyin Temple and then in Jingci Temple. He is not bound by precepts, loves wine and meat, and behaves like a crazy monk. He is a learned and moral monk. He is listed as the fiftieth ancestor of Zen Buddhism and the sixth ancestor of Yangqi School, and he is the author of Quotations from the Peak.

Jigong knows Chinese medicine and has cured many intractable diseases for the people. He is good at fighting injustice and saving people's lives. His virtues of helping the poor, eliminating violence, promoting good and punishing evil have left a unique and beautiful impression in people's hearts.

The expansion piece Ji Gong is a real figure in history. Born in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province in the 18th year of the Southern Song Dynasty (A.D. 1 148), he died in Jiading for two years (A.D. 1209). His real name is Li Xiuyuan and his legal name is Doggi. Because of his brilliant life and generosity, he knew the people's sufferings, was punished as rich and heartless, won the people's love and was respected as helping the public.

Jigong was the great-grandson of Li Wenhe, a captain of Tiantai Linhai at that time. The place where he became a monk was in Xiaoguo Temple, and what he did all his life was grotesque by the people. As a matter of fact, Jigong is a famous monk with a frank and upright personality. His master is a famous Hui Yuan Zen master in the Blind Temple. Jigong's Buddhist attainments are quite high, but his life behavior is really different from that of ordinary monks. Jigong lives a happy and elegant life, and likes to travel everywhere, covering Zhejiang, Anhui, Sichuan and other places.

He is often disheveled and fidgety; Buying medicine stones for people, treating diseases and practicing medicine, and solving problems are often effective and widely help the people's sufferings. Therefore, its virtue is widely praised by people. Also known as Buddhist monk Ji Dian. Jigong Living Buddha is a broken hat, a broken fan and a broken shoe. He looks crazy, not bound by precepts, likes wine and meat, and acts like a madman, but he is indeed a learned monk who does good deeds and accumulates virtue. Everyone knows his stories, such as fighting against injustice, saving lives, helping the poor, eliminating violence and promoting good, punishing evil and promoting good, and so on.

Stories and legends about Jigong began to spread from the Southern Song Dynasty. First, some legendary stories about prodigy Li Xiuyuan or Taoist Daoji spread among the people in China, and then gradually enriched the content through storytellers' stories. The stories circulating in Tiantai, the hometown of Jigong, are mostly about his birth, childhood life, drama, punishing evil and helping the poor, such as "Jigong was born", "Little Jigong threw mustard leaves to save the temple", "Li Ji Bridge", "Playing Shoulian", "Saving the son in western Zhejiang" and "mending the fate and becoming a monk". The stories spread in Hangjiahu area are more extensive, because it is the main living and activity place of Jigong after he became a monk. Among them, stories such as Feilaifeng, Gu Jing Yun Mu and Teasing Qin Xiangfu are the most popular. It was not until the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty that the Biography of Jigong appeared, which recorded the legendary deeds of Jigong.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia-Jigong