In this era, the pace of people's lives is accelerating day by day, and in the context of information, we often ignore the wisdom and valuable lessons hidden in the long river of history. Recently, a TV series called "Flowers" has made the audience once again turn their attention to a long-standing historical figure - Jigong played by You Benchang.
This old monk who appeared on the screen not only awakened our nostalgia for childhood memories, but also made us deeply interested in this character who seems to exist only in legends. Jigong, a TV series with a unique appearance, is known for his crazy behavior and unabastinous penchant for dog meat. Many people may think that he is just a fictional character, but the truth of history is that Jigong not only existed in real life, but was also a high-ranking monk who was deeply loved by the people.
His life is full of legends, and the Zen poems he left behind before his death have made future generations full of respect for his wisdom and insights. Jigong, formerly known as Li Xiuyuan, was a unique figure from a prominent background in the Southern Song Dynasty who chose to become a monk. He came from a prominent family and lived a worry-free life, but after the death of his parents, he chose to become a monk to seek spiritual liberation and spiritual sublimation. After receiving the Dharma name of "Daoji" in Guoqing Temple, Jigong began his unusual monastic life, not sticking to the form, not being confined to tradition, living in the present with a detached attitude, and was deeply loved and respected by the people.
The story of Jigong is a transformation from a wealthy nobleman to a mad monk on the street, and behind this transformation is the exploration of the meaning of life and the pursuit of wisdom. Although his behavior was not understood and even rejected by some conservative Buddhists, a sentence from his ** Huiyuan Zen Master said the true meaning of Buddhism: "Buddhism is vast.