Ji Gong, the Living Buddha
A spirit-writing revelation from Ji Gong (濟公活佛), the Living Buddha — Yiguandao's most beloved folk saint, the ragged, laughing monk who became the tradition's celestial teacher. This text was transmitted through the planchette in July 1978 (民國六十七年七月) and is one of Ji Gong's most passionate and personal addresses to his disciples.
Where most Yiguandao spirit-writings are doctrinal or instructional, this text is almost entirely emotional. Ji Gong does not teach — he pleads. He recalls the original glory of his children in the Palace of the Infinite, their fall into the mortal world, the difficulty of finding them and leading them back to the Dao, and the dual responsibility they carry: to deliver all beings back to their origin, and to bring the Great Harmony to the world. The text builds to Ji Gong's own testimony — the carefree joy of his life as a wandering monk — and closes with a vow that reads like a hymn.
The text was published on taolibrary.com (善書圖書館), a free digital library of morality books whose copyright notice reads: "Welcome to reprint, upload, reproduce, and circulate." This is the first English translation.
My children!
How many years ago all of you fell from heaven — and once you went, you vanished without a trace, born again into every corner of the world, until today, at last, you could meet again in this Great Deliverance. In the Heaven of Principle you all came bearing vows — but when you arrived in this gaudy world, you lost your way in a foreign land. And today, meeting once more, your Teacher sees you and it is like a dream. Is it a dream? It is no dream! It is only that you have truly forgotten those days.
Your Buddha-nature — how bright it was! How it shone! Shining in the Palace of the Infinite, shining in every mansion and grotto! In idle hours, you immortal brothers and sisters would play chess, ride dragons, straddle phoenixes, roaming all through the grottoes of the Pure Void. But now you have lost your way, and all of it has become emptiness.
Think of it — you left heaven and fell into the red dust of the world, and how hard it was to find you. Your Introducer brought you to the Buddha Hall, and already you were covered in karmic debts, your murky qi rising to the sky. When you walked through the door, the Four Diamond Kings and Eight Heavenly Guards would not let you pass. Many could not arrive at all. Many came in only to turn back, denied the chance to seek the Dao. And when you were about to seek the Dao, your Teacher was so anxious — afraid you would not pass this gate.
I received the command of the Eternal Mother to deliver all Three Realms, and of course I would give every last drop of my strength and never rest until it was done. Your Teacher came into this world and lived as a man, lived as a monk — I know the suffering of human life. Your Teacher dwells in heaven — I know the freedom of heaven. Your Teacher has gone down to the underworld — I know the wretchedness of hell. I could not bear to watch all beings drift through the bitter sea of the red dust and sink into hell, and so I vowed to deliver them all! I only hope my children will all return to heaven and enjoy its freedom.
Sometimes, when you lose your way, your Teacher must wake you — but fears you cannot understand his heart. Sometimes your Teacher must test you — but fears you cannot bear the hardship and will fall. Sometimes your Teacher wants to scold you — but fears you cannot endure the scolding, and will become half-hearted toward the Dao and lose your faith. So every time we meet, all I can do is comfort and encourage you, give you joy, give you strength.
When your Buddha-heart awakens and you seek to deliver others and yourselves — how glad your Teacher's heart! When heavenly principle and human desire do battle inside you, and I see you struggling — how grieved your Teacher's heart! When you strive to overcome yourselves and see your own true nature — through how many hardships you have passed! To deliver others, you have poured out your lifeblood, spent your money, endured injustice, borne slander and abuse — and only now do you have these results.
Do you all know who you are? Do you understand your responsibility? In the spiritual realm, your duty is to deliver all beings to their origin and return them to the Heaven of Principle, so they may transcend birth and death. In the worldly realm, your duty is to bring about the Great Harmony. This double burden — how heavy it is! How can you take it so lightly every day!
You understand everything, but when it comes to action, you are not strong enough. In your Teacher's experience, of those who can endure the trials, scarcely one or two in a hundred pass. For your country and for all beings under heaven, you should choose to sacrifice the small self and complete the greater self! There is no other way to become a sage — none but the word "sacrifice." Think about it: since you sought the Dao, what have you sacrificed?
The world has fallen into this chaos! The weapons of science are terrifying! Can the mission of peace still be achieved? The inventions that scientists have poured their hearts into — sooner or later they will be used, and where will you be then? Will you consent to perish together with the world? Why not seek a way to save it: speak of virtue, speak of benevolence, let each person give their whole heart and strength to turn the world around, and let the great calamity be dissolved. If the world is not at peace, humanity is no better than beasts — how can Heaven not be furious! How can Heaven not send down calamity! Everything has its cause; rise and fall have their fruit.
Do you have the will to carry the Dao's truth and culture to distant places? Do you want to see the world after the calamity? Individual matters are small — the lives of all beings are great! Do not cling to the vanities before your eyes, do not cling to your own comfort, do not anesthetize yourselves. If you serve the Dao well and deliver beings on behalf of Heaven, what you receive will surpass all you imagined.
You are none other than the heroic women at Guanyin's side, the brilliant disciples of Confucius, the ten great disciples and five hundred arhats of Shakyamuni — all descended into the world. You came bearing vows, and you must fulfill those vows and return. Do you know how many holy spirits in heaven are waiting for you? How many lords of the teachings are thinking of your future, anxious for your original nature? This one accomplishment will last forever — why would you not seize such a gift? Sixty thousand years of karmic debts are settled today. Do you know this?
Since you were once disciples of the ancient sages, you should fulfill this purpose without delay! No more vagueness — no more drifting with the crowd. Do you want your words to be remembered? Do you want your body enshrined in gold? Do you want your spirit to live forever? Then do the work well — do it truly — so that all your hopes, your many hopes, become the most perfect reality. This is your Teacher's greatest wish!
The joys of human life are many, but the one infinite joy — what is it? "Giving yourself for others!" This alone brings infinite joy.
Just as I, Ji Gong — in my day I wore torn clothes and broken shoes, sat on boulders, slept beneath the trees. The joy in this — who could understand it? I may have acted the fool, but in my own heart I felt an incomparable freedom! Clear wind, bright moon, singing aloud, laughing at lords and princes, indifferent to fame and profit — my one thought was for all beings, the object of all my work and all my thought. To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for all living things, to make the five lakes and four seas my home, to make the clear wind and bright moon my companions. As free as free can be — what do you say?
Men of the Dao, have backbone. Women of the Dao, do not be proud. Since ancient times, goodness has been the greatest strength — the benevolent have no enemy. The benevolent are the most good. Do you understand? "Strengthen yourself, temper yourself." What does the world lack most today? Love. If you have enough love, there is nothing you cannot accomplish. If you have enough love, there is no heart you cannot move. I hope all my children will together cultivate a heart full of strength, full of light — a heart of love to bless humankind and to illuminate this dark final age.
Everyone knows and laments that the world is dark, but no one is willing to light a lamp to brighten it. So they only sigh over the world — but sighing is not as good as saving it. To save the world, you must find a way to light a lamp — to illuminate yourself and to illuminate others. This is what it means to save the world! Sighing is not as good as saving. Saving is not as good as lighting a lamp. Remember: when you meet difficulty, do not sit and sigh. Stand up quickly and resolve it. Be swift and effective. Do not waste your time — sighing only adds to suffering.
My children! In cultivating the Dao, have faith in yourself, have faith in the immortals and Buddhas, have faith in your country, have faith in your people, have sincerity toward the world. A single word — "faith" — can carry you past countless difficulties. We have come to fulfill our mission, to carry out our duty — not to enjoy ourselves. Do you understand? Know your mission and do it well, so you may return to heaven and render your account, receiving all and returning all. With a finite life, establish an eternal name — not for yourself, but to bring glory to your ancestors.
My children! You are the backbone of the Dao community. You are its living spring. You give in silence. You help behind the scenes. When you cannot push the Dharma Boat directly, you push it from behind. You have left your parents to cultivate the Dao far from home, searching for the original children of heaven. Each of you gives your whole heart... Every time I see this, it pierces your Teacher to the core! How can it not bring tears to my robe! I am so sorry that I cannot fully provide for you all. I hope you will be strong, I hope that in the midst of the ordinary world, you will be an example...
"We cultivate the Dao by cultivating the heart. We serve the Dao with all our heart. We do not compare ourselves with others or argue who is greater. We do not compete for victory. We humble ourselves to bring harmony in all directions. We are a bridge between the bitter sea and the Western Paradise — let people trample us, let them slander us. We bow our heads. Our conviction stands firm. We bend and straighten with ease. Our faith in the Dao is unshakable. Our sacrifice is not in vain. Our time on earth is not in vain. Our lives are not in vain. Though one person carries the fate of countless beings on their shoulders, hold yourself in high regard — do not waver, do not let your own doubts obstruct you. Set one true course, and let ten thousand people bathe in the vastness of Heaven's grace. Let ten thousand people escape this ocean of suffering. Let ten thousand people's nine generations of descendants and seven generations of ancestors all share the light!"
How great we are! How radiant!
I hope you will let your heart's voice melt into the Dao community. Heaven welcomes you at all times, and all beings thirst for you at all times! May we all share in the Dao's light, may we all share the warmth of happiness. Whether you or I are a star or the moon, we are all original children of the White Sun Assembly — why distinguish between us? Why set yourself apart? Come — those who share this bond, stretch out your hand. Together let us build the holy work. Together let us row the boat. Together let us make this world beautiful. Together let us beautify the hearts of all.
No need to hesitate, no need to be lost. Let us volunteer with courage. Let us press forward and encourage one another, all the way to the Dragon Flower Assembly.
Colophon
The Teacher's Heart (老師的心聲) is a spirit-writing revelation from Ji Gong (濟公活佛), the Living Buddha, transmitted through the planchette in July 1978. Ji Gong — the historical Chan monk Daoji (道濟, 1130–1209) venerated as a bodhisattva in Chinese folk religion — is Yiguandao's most beloved celestial teacher, known for his warm, direct, and sometimes humorous manner of speaking to his disciples.
This text is one of Ji Gong's most emotionally raw addresses. Where other spirit-writings teach doctrine, this one pleads. The Teacher recalls the original glory of his children in heaven, the pain of watching them struggle on earth, and the urgency of the final age. The closing passage — "We cultivate the Dao by cultivating the heart..." — reads as a congregational vow, a hymn of purpose and endurance.
First English translation. Translated from Chinese by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Gospel register. The translation follows the source faithfully; paragraph breaks have been slightly adjusted for readability in English.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: 老師的心聲
Chinese source text from taolibrary.com (善書圖書館), Category 52 (一貫道經典二), text c52053. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
老師的心聲
活佛老師慈悲
老師的心聲 民國六十七年七月
徒兒們！當多少年前你們大家在天堂淪落下去，結果一去毫無蹤影，投胎降世到各個角落，直到今天終於能夠相逢，在這個普渡當中。你們在理天都是立愿而來，然而來到花花世界上，卻是迷昧了在這異地他鄉。而今天能夠重相逢在一起，老師見你們就好像在夢中一樣，是夢嗎？其實非夢！而是真的你們都已經忘掉了當年的時光。你們的佛性都是何等光明！何等閃爍！閃爍在無極宮中、閃爍在各府各洞！閒來沒事的時候，你們仙兄姐妹，不是下棋，便是乘龍，便是跨鳳，遊遍清虛洞；如今你們都迷昧了，這一切都已成空。
想你們離開天堂淪落紅塵，好不容易把你找到。引保師帶你來佛堂，已是滿身的罪業與沖天的濁氣。當你走進佛堂，四大金剛、八大天王不容許你進入，有許多到不了，有許多進來又回去，不容許求道。當你要求道的時候，老師是多麼的緊張，擔心不能過這一關。我領了老母的命，要普渡三曹，我當然要盡心盡力死不罷休。老師降世做過人，做過和尚，我知道人間做人的苦痛；老師身在天堂，知道天堂的逍遙；老師也下過地府，知道地獄的可憐；不忍眾生流連紅塵苦海、沈淪地獄，才發誓愿普渡眾生！但望徒兒都回到天堂，享受天堂的逍遙。有時當你沈迷的時候，老師要喚醒你！怕你無法體會老師的心意；老師有時要鍛鍊你，又怕你受不了折磨而倒下去；老師有時想責備你，又怕你經不起這份責備，而對道三心兩意、失去信心；每次見面只有慰問鼓勵，給你們高興、給你們打氣。當你們佛心發現，要渡人渡己的時候，老師心中是多麼欣喜！當你們天理與人欲在打鬥，看你們內心在掙扎的時候，老師心裡是多麼難過！當你們要戰勝自己，明心見性的時候，更是經過多少的坎坷！你們渡人，不知花了多少心血、用了多少金錢、受過了多少的委曲、受多少毀言謗語，才有今天的成績。
你們都認識自己的身份嗎？了解自己的責任嗎？論先天、論聖事，你們的責任是渡盡眾生達本還源，使眾生能超生了死、返還理天；論後天、論人事，你們的責任是要完成世界大同；這雙重責任是何等重大！豈容你們每天如此的輕鬆！你們什麼都懂，做起事來不太剛強，以為師過去所看到的，經得起考驗的，百中難取一二。為國家為天下眾生，你應該有志選擇犧牲小我，完成更多大我的決心！成聖成賢無他法，除了「犧牲」二字別無他法。你們想一想，自你們求道以來，你們犧牲了什麼？世界已經亂到這個地步！科學利器多麼恐怖！是否能達到和平的任務？科學家精心的研究，他們精神的結晶所發明的科學利器，早晚要用上，那時你將身歸何處？難道你們情願同歸於盡嗎？何不找個挽救之路：講道德、說仁義，各人盡其心、竭其力、盡力以挽轉天下，使浩劫消滅。如世界不和平，人類已接近於禽獸，這怎麼不叫老天震怒！怎不叫老天降下浩劫！凡事皆有其因，興衰必有其果。你們有否志向，把道理文化遠播他處？你們想不想看浩劫以後的世界？個人事小，眾生性命事大！不要貪戀眼前虛花，貪戀自己的享受，自己麻醉自己。只要你好好的辦道，替老天渡化眾生，你所得到的將是超過你所預料的。你們不是觀音大士身邊烈女，就是孔聖的高材門徒，有的是釋迦最得意的十大弟子、五百羅漢降世，你們乘愿而來，就要了愿而歸。你可知天上有多少的聖神在等候？天上多少教主在惦念你們的前途？掛心你們的本性？這次修成一勞永逸，這種大便宜事何樂而不為？六萬年的冤欠了於今日，知道嗎？
你們既是往日聖賢之徒，就應該早日完成此志！不容你們再含糊、不容你們再隨俗。你想不想你的語言被傳誦？你想不想肉身被裝金身？你想不想你的精神永遠不死？你要好好去辦、好好去做，使你的想、許多的想，成為一種最圓滿的事實。這是為師我最大的心願！人生的快樂何其多，無窮快樂只一個，是什麼？「捨己為人」！就只有這個才能得到無窮的快樂。
正如我濟公，當時穿破衣、穿破靴，坐的是大石頭，睡的是樹底下，這其中之樂，又有誰能曉得？我雖裝瘋賣傻，可是我倒自個兒覺得無比瀟灑！清風明月、高歌朗誦、傲嘯公侯、淡泊名利，一心以眾生為我思想工作的對象，與天地立心，與蒼生立命，以五湖四海為我家，以清風明月為我良伴。說有多瀟灑，就有多瀟灑，你們以為如何？乾道要有骨氣，坤道不要使驕氣。自古以來為善最強，仁者無敵；仁者最善，聽懂嗎？要多「充實自己，鍛鍊自己」。現在社會最缺欠的是什麼？「愛心」。所以只要你有足夠的愛心，你沒有不能完成的事；只要你有足夠的愛心，絕對沒有感不動的人。希望徒兒共同培養一顆充滿力量，充滿光明的愛心去造福人群，去照耀這黑暗的末日。人人都知道都感嘆社會黑暗，但是沒有人肯去為黑暗的社會，點亮一盞燈來照耀社會。所以他們只知道嘆世，嘆世不如救世。你救世必須要設法點一盞燈，照見你自己，也照亮別人；這叫做救世！嘆世不如救世，救世不如點燈。記住，當你遇到困難，不要坐著感嘆，要趕快站起來解決，敏而有功，不要耽誤時光，感嘆只是徒增痛苦。
徒兒們！修道對自己要有信心、對仙佛要有信心、對國家有信心、對民族有信心、對人世要有誠信；一個「信」字就可以跳過很多的困難。我們是來完成使命，是來盡責的，不是來享受的。知道嗎？要認識自己的使命，好好的去做，好回天交命，全受全歸。以有限的生命，要立永恆的名，不為你自己，要為你祖宗顯耀。
徒兒們！你們都是道場的骨幹，你們都是道場的泉源；你們都默默的付出，你們都背地的幫辨，不能直接也就間接的推動法船；你們都遠離父母在外修道，找尋原胎佛子；你們各盡各心．．．屢屢看到這個，無不叫為師我痛極心肝！怎不叫我淚濕衣衫！我是多麼愧對大家，不能盡心的成全。希望你們要自立自強，希望你們在凡俗裡，做個榜樣．．．。
「我們修道修心，辦道盡心。我們不與人家比短論長，我們不與人家爭強鬥勝，我們委屈自己圓融十方。我們是苦海與西方極樂世界的一座橋樑，任人踐踏與毀謗。我們要低下頭，我們理直氣壯，我們屈伸自如，我們道念堅強。我們不白犧牲，我們不白來人世上，我們不白過時光。雖一人緊繫多少蒼生性命，看重自己不需要徬徨，不需要受自己的礙障。樹立一條正確的目標，讓千萬人沐浴在天恩的浩蕩，讓千萬人了脫這苦海的汪洋，讓千萬人的九玄七祖一齊沾光！」我們是多麼的偉大！多麼的光芒！
希望你們把自己的心聲溶在道場，上天時時都歡迎你，眾生時時都對你有所渴望！希望共同沾到我們的道光，希望共同沾到幸福的溫馨，不管你我是星星或是月亮，同樣是白陽會上的原郎，何需分彼論此？何需把自己置之一旁？來吧，有份有緣共同伸出一手，共同來把聖業開創，共同來把舟兒搖動，共同來把這世界美化，共同來美化人人的心靈；不需猶疑不需迷惘，我們要自告奮勇，我們向前勇往共同勉勵，一直到達龍華會上。
Source Colophon
Chinese source text from taolibrary.com (善書圖書館), Category 52 (一貫道經典二), text c52053.htm. The site's copyright notice reads: 歡迎轉載，上傳，翻印，流通 — "Welcome to reprint, upload, reproduce, and circulate." Original text transmitted via planchette, July 1978 (民國六十七年七月). The text is attributed to Ji Gong (濟公活佛), the Living Buddha, speaking through the spirit-writing altar.
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