Daoji (1130-1209), commonly known as Ji Gong (Master Ji, Rinpoche Ji Gong), was a Buddhist monk during the Southern Song Dynasty in China. He was born with the name of Li Xiu-yuan. Dao Ji was also called Hu Yin (Recluse from the Lake) and Elder Fang Yuan (Square Circle). He was a monastic at Ling Yin Temple near Hangzhou. Even though his eccentric behavior broke the rules of the vinaya (traditonal code for monastics), Daoji had a kind heart and was always ready to lend a helping hand to ordinary people. Unlike a traditonal 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.
Ji Gong’s name is Li Xiu-yuan (李修緣) whose names in religion are various, including Ji Dian (濟顛), Monk Ji Dian (濟顛和尚), or the Living Buddha Ji Gong (濟公活佛) etc. Ji Gong was in Sung Dynasty. He is a descendant of a military marshal, Lee Wen-he (李文和), around Tian Tai (天台) area, Zhe Jiang province (浙江省). When he was eighteen, he became a monk at Ling Yin temple (靈隱寺), Hang Zhou (杭州). His master was Hui-yuan (慧遠), a very kind master to Ji Gong. It is said that Ji Gong was a monk not obeying the disciplines of Buddhist monastery. He drank wine and ate meat. His talking was naughty and behavior was crazy. Other monks did not like him and always wanted to expel him from the temple. However, his master always kept him stay well until his mater was dead. After that, Ji Gong was ejected from the Ling Yin temple. He moved to another temple, the Jingci temple (淨慈寺), and stayed there till he was dead. Because he had some magical power, he always helped people, such as to cure their sickness or predicate their accidents etc. Then People loved him very much and think that he was the incarnation of a Buddhist saint, the Taming Dragon Arhat (降龍羅漢). Ji Gong was dead in 1209 and buried at Hu Pao Di (虎跑地), a place by Western Lake (西湖).
The belief on Ji Gong is so popular because of not only Ji Gong’s legendary biography but also the folk literature’s contribution as well. By the beginning of Ming dynasty, many storytellers propagated Ji Gong’s thaumaturgical stories. All the material enriched Ji Gong’s story. Today, Ji Gong’s story is rewritten as some TV shows also. They are very popular not only in Taiwan but also in Mainland China and Tibet area.
Ji Gong is an important figure in the popular religion. Many sects in Taiwan regard him as a deity. For example, when people call upon their gods (降神) or hold on the flying phoenix ritual (扶鸞), Ji Gong is one of the major deities who possesses on the medium. In I-kuan Dao, the disciples call Ji Gong ‘Lao shi’ (老師), the master or the teacher, and they believe that I-kuan Dao's founder, Zhang Tian-ran (張天然, 1889-1947), was the incarnation of Ji Gong. Another famous sect, Ci Hui Tang (慈惠堂), is the one who familiar with Ji Gong’s mediumship. In popular religion, although Ji Gong is not the highest god, he is the benevolent messenger who helps people.
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