Adventures of the Mad Monk Ji Gong

by Guo Xiaoting

  Liu Miaotong said, “I cannot get anything by begging. Nowadays, the good Liang Yuanwai no longer gives in the way that he used to do. He has been distributing rice porridge at his home. I heard all about it from Ching Jingyi, one of the poor people in this area who is a Daoist believer. He told me all about the scandal as something just between ourselves.

  “Some time ago, one of our honorable Daoist priests received a donation of one hundred ounces of pure silver from the good Liang Yuanwai. The Daoist said he would use it to repair the shrine. Afterward, instead of repairing the shrine, he spent the entire hundred ounces of pure silver in a gambling house, and he was seen coming out of the place by Liang Yuanwai. Because of this incident, the old yuanwai no longer gives to Buddhist monks or Daoist priests. How can I still go there and beg?”

  When Chang Miaoyu heard this story he said, “If I cannot get a contribution from the good man Liang, I will kowtow to you! Tomorrow I will go to his gate.”

  It was because of that conversation that he had come here and now stood face to face with the boy. When he saw the young Liang Shiyuan standing outside the gate, the Daoist drew his eyebrows down in thought, as a plan arose in his heart. By the time that the young master asked him to demonstrate his powers, Chang Miaoyu already was eager to use the five demon needles and the seven arrows piercing the throat to work an evil transformation.

  Chang Miaoyu took the hand of the young master and said, “Young master, your face is one of the best. I can see by your eyebrows and bright, clear eyes that you were born into a family that esteems poetry, books, and music. You had no lowly or careless men as ancestors. They were like jade among ordinary stones, like the crimson cinnamon among flowers.

  “But even among those candidates already with their first degree and preparing for their second degree about the round pond in the imperial college, the star of officialdom has not yet fallen. And when it falls, is it to be, or is it not to be? Will they succeed, or will they not succeed? One may be as a bird that soars among the clouds but falls among thorny brambles. One may be as the greedy fish that swallows the fisherman’s hook. Yet near as that fish is to the wide waters, it will never again reach the place where the three rivers join. How can it ever shed its skin and be transformed into a dragon? Young master, if you will explain clearly the eight characters for the astrological signs at the time of your birth, I will carefully prepare a horoscope for you.”

  Liang Shiyuan explained the eight characters for the signs at the time of his birth. The evil Daoist memorized them, and then secretly twisted his fingers together and muttered a spell. Suddenly, without warning, he struck the boy with his open hand. Before the boy had time to recover from the shock, out of the three divisions of the boy’s soul the Daoist summoned forth one of them. Out of the seven divisions of the boy’s soul the Daoist also summoned two. The frightened Liang Shiyuan turned and fell senseless to the ground.

  The Daoist himself returned to the shrine and told his acolyte to take some dry straw and make a figure of a man. Then the Daoist took a vermilion brush and wrote upon the completed figure the characters for the boy’s eight signs. Using seven new needles, he thrust each into the heart of the straw man.

  Liu Miaotong, the acolyte, was a guileless person, and when he saw this kind of behavior, he asked who was going to be killed. Chang Maioyu said, “You had better not talk nonsense! I am not doing this to kill anyone. I am going to get much silver from Liang Wanzang.”

  From this day forward, he went daily through the Yunlan market town and past the old yuanwai’s gate.

  Now, after the Daoist had left the Liang family gate, one of the household people came out, saw the young master lying outside the gate, and quickly called a fellow servant. Together they carried the boy to the main house in the inner courtyard. When Liang Yuanwai heard what had happened, he was frightened almost out of his mind. He was sixty years old and had only this one child. If something fatal were to happen to him, there would be no second chance! Liang Yuanwai immediately sent people to invite the most famous doctors to come to cure his child. But when the gentlemen who had been invited came, they all said that some part of the boy’s soul had been lost and that taking medicine would not help.

  In his distress, the old yuanwai prayed to the spirits in heaven, asking them to allow this supernatural illness to pass. However, two days went by with no change. On the morning of the third day, the charitable-hearted Liang was standing at his gateway watching the people coming to get the rice porridge. There were not a few. It was a dismal sight to see so many in need, and he himself was troubled and sad. Then he saw coming from the south a woman with three little ones running before her. They seemed to be about ten, eleven, and twelve years old. Two more little ones about seven and eight followed behind her. She also carried on her back a boy of three or four years, and in her arms another not more than a year or two old. When Liang Yuanwai saw her, he said, “Ai ya! This woman had brought all her children with her. Someone ask her to come here.”

  A household person went to her and said, “Madame, the yuanwai of our household invites you to speak with him.”

  The woman approached and slowly put down the two small children. She bowed her head in greeting and said, “May I offer the yuanwai three times nine great good fortune, great long life, and many children, boys and girls, and good fortune and long life extending on and on.”

  Liang Yuanwai asked, “These boys, are they all yours?”

  The woman answered, “My name is Jou. My husband has been away on his business for a long time. With so many mouths to feed and a year of near famine, I come here to receive some of the rice porridge. It makes it possible for my family to live.”

  Liang Yuanwai instructed one of his household to take ten strings of cash and give them to the children. The woman prostrated herself before the yuanwai, thanking him again. Then, taking the money, she and the children departed.

  The old yuanwai thought to himself, “That woman I saw just now, although she is poor, has seven boys. If they all grow up, it will be great good fortune for her. While I have great wealth, my only child now is so sick with this strange illness. Perhaps it is the fate that heaven ordains for me, that I should become childless. Although I have begged the spirits in heaven in my distress, it is all in vain.”

  Just as he was searching back and forth in his mind for something that might help, he saw a Daoist priest coming from the west wearing a dark robe. He had a face the color of rusty iron and a beard covering the lower part of his face. The beard hung down over his chest in flowing strands and mixed with the long locks of hair that escaped from the coil partially hidden by his hat. On his back he had a precious sword.

  He was speaking as he approached. “May the blessings of the Limitless Being be upon you. This poor Daoist has wandered over the three hidden hills and wearily climbed the five sacred mountains, but never have I seen a household so troubled by such a baleful influence. This home has been invaded by five noxious flying demons, with their dreadful powers. They have searched out your little one and bound his body with their evil cords.”

  As soon as Liang Yuanwai heard the Daoist’s words, he quickly went up to him and said, “Please, saintly master, enter. Five flying poisonous evil spirits have indeed invaded my family’s home. I beg the saintly master to break their evil spell.”

  The Daoist priest listened and then said, “The yuanwai must take me inside his household to examine the true state of affairs carefully.”

  Liang Wanzang took the Daoist inside. When they arrived at the inner courtyard, the Daoist looked around everywhere. Afterward he followed the yuanwai into the library, where he said, “Tomorrow, the yuanwai must have a ceremonial platform thirty-six feet high constructed inside the great gate. On it must be prepared an eight immortals table and a high-backed chair. Also, prepare some long-life incense, the five offerings, a sheet of yellow paper, an inkstone, a writing brush, a piece of white orchid root, a packet of vermilion, a piece of coriander root, a bowl
of clear water, and a dish filled with the five grains. On the front of the platform prepare hangings with the five colors—blue, yellow, red, white, and black, to represent metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Prepare five hundred ounces of silver. I will spend some of your wealth, but this invasion of your household will be over. I will first drive out those five demons and afterward I will cure your son.”

  When the yuanwai heard the Daoist’s final words, his heart was filled with joy. He quickly directed his household people to serve tea, saying, “I have not previously been instructed by the honorable Daoist master. May I ask: what is your honorable age? What you are called? And on which famous mountain in what sacred grotto may I seek you?”

  The Daoist priest replied, “Perhaps the yuanwai has forgotten, but I have often come here to the yuanwai. My surname is Chang and my personal name is Miaoyu. I am only five li north from this village. I am the resident Daoist at the Fortunate Cloud Shrine on Five Spirits Hill.”

  Hearing the Daoist’s answer the yuanwai said, “Ah, we have been neighbors all along. I truly have been neglectful. I will quickly direct that you be properly served.”

  The Daoist waved his hand several times in a modestly protesting manner, saying, “The yuanwai must not feel distress. I will trouble you again another day. Now I must go back to the shrine to prepare the necessary things. Tomorrow I will gladly come to get rid of those evil influences.” Having said this, the Daoist stood and took his leave. The yuanwai himself accompanied him outside and said farewell with folded hands respectfully raised.

  After the Daoist priest had gone, the yuanwai immediately directed his household people to erect the high platform inside the great gate and to prepare all the things that would be needed. All of the household people were running about in busy confusion half the day, and by the end of the day all things had been prepared. Everyone then went silently to his rest and that night all was quiet.

  The next day they all rose early. With their hearts filled with simple piety they waited respectfully for the Daoist to come. At noon the Daoist priest had not yet arrived, but a Buddhist monk appeared. Of course, it was Ji Gong leading Gao Guoqin, Su Lu, and Feng Xun on their return to the capital from Yuhang prefecture. As they were passing through, the monk had stared in wide-eyed surprise at the ceremonial platform inside the great gate and rising high above it.

  The lohan quickly understood what was happening and said to himself, “What evil thing has been brought into being here! How dare anyone let loose those uncanny spells to do monstrous things!”

  He then instructed the three men, Gao Guoqin, Su Lu, and Feng Xun, to wait for him. Then with long strides Ji Gong hurried up to the great gate. There he saw several of the Liang household people standing in the gateway. He greeted them, saying, “Good day, gentlemen. This monk is just passing through and since early this morning has had nothing to eat. I came to this worthy place to beg for a meal.”

  The people said to him, “You came too late, monk. You see us standing here at the gate. We are not a group of scholars talking together. Originally our yuanwai, who is a good man, loved to give alms to Buddhists monks and Daoist priests. But now, whether Buddhist or Daoist, our yuanwai gives nothing. If you had come early to ask, you could have had some of the rice porridge, but you came late. Come tomorrow.”

  The monk said, “I have not eaten since morning. Have mercy upon me.”

  An old manager of the household sitting off at one side particularly liked to do good works, and it seemed to him that the monk’s speech was both strange and piteous. He stood and came to the monk, saying, “Monk, I have not felt well this morning and I still have a bowl of rice from which I have not eaten anything. I will go and get it for you.”

  So saying, he went inside, brought the bowl out and was about to give it to the monk. However, as the old man loosened his hold on the bowl, the monk suddenly pulled back his hand. The bowl and its contents fell to the ground. The bowl smashed and the contents scattered.

  The old manager said, “You monk! I brought this to you out of the goodness of my heart. Why did you break my bowl?”

  The monk gave a loud laugh and said, “You asked me, a monk, to eat this leftover rice!”

  The old manager said, “If you will not eat leftover rice, what will you eat?”

  The monk replied, “I wish to eat all the things that go with wine, such as fresh fruit, cold cooked meats, and sliced dried fruit, and plenty of hot chicken, fish, duck, and pork dishes. Then invite me to sit at the head of the table alone and have your yuanwai wait upon me. Then I will eat.”

  When the household people heard this speech, their anger rose to a fever pitch and they cried out, “You miserable pauper of a monk! Your mouth is full of nonsense! Our yuanwai wait upon you! You are dreaming! You would have to break the world out of its orbit first!”

  The monk said, “We will see whether your words amount to anything or not. If I do not receive a meal of this sort, I will beg your pardon.” Then he threw back his head and shouted, “I came to beg for alms.” After that he called out, “Sou! Sou!” as if he were driving birds away from a planted field. He had lifted his hands and was clawing at his mouth. At the same time he was pushing his way through the gathering at the gate. All of the people were covering their mouths and laughing.

  The monk called out three times at close intervals, one after the other. Then someone inside was heard to ask in a commanding voice, “What is that uproar out there?” Out came an impressive yuanwai. He wore a soft kerchief-like hat of the kind called a philosopher’s cap. Standing out on each side at the back were two small stiff silken leaves that seemed almost to be growing from twigs. He was dressed in a robe of precious blue silk with a short cape of downy crane’s feathers. The soles of his shoes curved up over the toes in the style common among officials. His face was like the autumn moon, serious and calm, with kindly eyebrows and friendly eyes. At his chin was a tuft of white beard.

  CHAPTER 24

  Ji Gong hampers the defrauding of the Liang family; the merciful one amuses himself at Chang Maioyu’s expense

  AS Ji Gong saw Liang Yuanwai coming out and heard him asking about the clamor, the monk went over and greeted him respectfully. Then he said, “Since the yuanwai asks, the one responsible is myself, the monk. I was passing this way and I had long wanted to meet you because of your goodness to others. However, as soon as I saw this mansion I knew that it was plagued by the five flying evil spirits and that someone in this house was certainly ill as a result. I would like to cleanse the house, chase out the demons, and cure the sickness. As soon as I arrived at the door, these several household people first asked me for a gate gift. I said that I had not come to ask a favor from the yuanwai and asked why there should be a reason to bring a gate gift. It was because of this matter that the argument arose.”

  Now, even if Liang Wanzang had heard the phrase Ji Gong had been shouting, the yuanwai might have misunderstood it, since the literal meaning of the words Ji Gong used was “I come to change karma.” These were also the same words that monks used when they came to beg for food.

  As soon as Liang Yuanwai heard Ji Gong’s side of the story he said, “You slaves! I do not know what corrupt practices have been going on at the gate!”

  The house people said, “Yuanwai, it is not true. He came here and said he wanted a meal,” and then they recited all that had happened.

  The yuanwai paid no attention to them, but addressed the monk instead. “Where is the monk’s precious pagoda?”

  The monk replied, “I am at the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat at the West Lake outside the Hangzhou walls. My name is Dao Ji. The name “Mad Monk” is wrongfully applied to me as well.”

  Liang Yuanwai looked closely at him for the first time. Hearing him speak in this way, the yuanwai half believed and half doubted as he said, “Since you are the famous Ji Gong, please be compassionate. Come with me.”

  Ji Gong went with the yuanwai straight into the east section of the main house
. There he saw lying on the brick platform bed the young master, Liang Shiyuan, in a deep sleep from which he could not be wakened. On either side were a number of old women and household people who were taking care of him. Seeing him, Liang Yuanwai quickly cried out, “Oh my son, Liang Shiyuan, awaken!” He continued to call out several times, but it could be seen that Liang Shiyuan was still fast asleep and knew nothing of what was happening. He did not even nod his head.

  Ji Gong said, “The yuanwai need not be alarmed. I will have the boy speak a couple of sentences and eat a little food. In a short time we will quickly see some improvement.”

  The old yuanwai was so overjoyed that he said, “Then, if this be possible, saintly monk, have compassion! Do have compassion!”

  The lohan, master of so many things, raised his head and took off his hat. Then, while he had some people raise Liang Shiyuan up a bit, Ji Gong slowly fitted his monk’s hat on the boy’s head. Under his breath Ji Gong repeated the true, sacred words: “Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum. I command!”

  Everyone watching saw Liang Shiyuan slowly open his eyes. He coughed once and said, “Someone come and bring me a little water to drink.”

  As soon as the old yuanwai saw this change, he was so happy that he kept saying, “Good! Good!” over and over again.

  The monk said, “For this labor of mine I only ask if perhaps you will give me a meal.”

  Liang Yuanwai asked, “Saintly monk, where do such words come from? Do not say a meal! Indeed, I will constantly give alms to you. It could not be otherwise!”

  The monk said, “That is really unnecessary.”

  The yuanwai said, “Saintly monk, what would you like to eat? I will have the servants prepare it.”