Adventures of the Mad Monk Ji Gong: The Drunken Wisdom of China's Famous Chan Buddhist Monk

by Guo Xiaoting, John Robert Shaw (Translator), Victoria Cass (Introduction)

Follow the brilliant and hilarious adventures of a mad Zen Buddhist monk who rose from humble beginnings to become one of China's greatest folk heroes!

Ji Gong studied at the great Ling Yin monastery, an immense temple that still ranges up the steep hills above Hangzhou, near Shanghai. The Chan (Zen) Buddhist masters of the temple tried to instruct Ji Gong in the spartan practices of their sect, but the young monk, following in the footsteps of other great ne'er-do-wells, distinguished himself mainly by getting expelled. He left the monastery, became a wanderer with hardly a proper piece of clothing to wear, and achieved great renown—in seedy wine shops and drinking establishments!

This could have been where Ji Gong's story ended. But his unorthodox style of Buddhism soon made him a hero for popular storytellers of the Song dynasty era. Audiences delighted in tales where the mad old monk ignored—or even mocked—authority, defied common sense, never neglected the wine, yet still managed to save the day. Ji Gong remains popular in China even today, where he regularly appears as the wise old drunken fool in movies and TV shows. In Adventures of the Mad Monk Ji Gong , you'll read how he has a rogue's knack for exposing the corrupt and criminal while still pursuing the twin delights of enlightenment and intoxication. This literary classic of a traveling martial arts master, fighting evil and righting wrongs, will entertain Western readers of all ages!

Genres: Fiction, China, Humor, Classics, Buddhism, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction

544 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2014

Reviews

[Sarah Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining read but not about Buddhism

Ji Gong the mad monk is fairly super natural in nature, he goes around doing good deeds and capturing criminals but he’s not past a little mischief and definitely tricks anyone he can find out of a good meal and wine. Don’t cross him though, you may find yourself on the wrong end of a beating.
This is an adventure book; Ji Gong and his followers track evil doers and have wild adventures doing it.
The names and pronunciation are a bit tricky to follow but use google translator for pronunciation if you’re used to American/English names. The story is quite fun and you learn something new.

[Kevin Staley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a change from the novels I usually read. I did really enjoy the way the story was told. You would be following the movement of the story and key characters, and then the story would shift to give you a look at the side plot/developments that led up to the current point in the story. This was a frequent method used in the unfolding of the story about the "mad" monk.

I also appreciated the depiction of the main character, Ji Gong, the mad monk. He was a healer, trickster, somewhat of a leach when it came to getting sustenance for free, but he used his powers to thwart the plans and actions of those with evil intent. He also was long suffering with one of the main bad guy characters, Cloud Dragon Hua, and allowed him to allude capture for a long time hoping he might reform his ways.

I really enjoyed the story! I would highly recommend it to all who enjoy a well-told tall tale!

[Lassu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tief op met deze

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Ji Gong supposedly was a real person this is not the story of his life but a series of stories using him as a symbol of strength & defiance & as a trickster character to help people win against evil, both human & supernatural. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but it had amusing moments. Definitely repetitive but that is just the way these things are written I think. An enjoyable book if you just go with the flow

[Magpie6493 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of my favorite pieces of chinese literature that I have read thus far. The characters are incredibly memorable and entertaining and the wonderful writing style allows different sections of the story to flow into and mesh with one another.

What I will say that if people are expecting this to be a book heavy in information of Buddissim or be a summary of the Chan school speficalky they will be disappointed because that is absolutely not what this book is. I would if anything make the comparison that this book is much closer to something like journey to the west or the condor heroes series more than anything centered on religion.

I would definitely recommend this esspecially if you enjoy another of material arts and wuxia media there are traces of where the inspiration where certain monk characters could have come from so for that alone this os well worth reading. Not to mention that's its an incredibly well written and entertaining story on its own.

[Stephen Simpson · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 2-star rating has a lot more to do with unfulfilled expectations, as this definitely doesn't live up to the cover blurb of "the brilliant and hilarious adventures of a mad Zen Buddhist monk ".

I'd go with "repetitive and occasionally mildly amusing". There is a certain style common to many older Chinese works, and I'm coming to the conclusion that it's a "you like it ... or you don't" sort of thing, and it's becoming clear to me that I'm not a big fan of it. Like many works, this is just a series of small stories, most of which are pretty vapid, though a few are amusing.

[Phenylart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully entertaining account of an unkempt, wild monk and his exploits across various counties, friendships, and near-death experiences. There are multiple twists in even the simplest of scenarios, all of which maintain engagement once the novel really takes off around the 4th/5th chapte. Each chapter reads like an episode of a bizarre sitcom with recurring characters and one-offs colliding into each other to produce astounding, tragic, hysterical, and gratifying results at equal turns. Ultimately an incredible lesson to always question authority!

[Larry Littany Litt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miraculous adventures with China's Mad Monk. He has super powers and knows all. He's a dirty old man with a mind that can't be beat. He helps the poor and persecuted while corrected assaults from the rich and privileged. He's the basis of all contemporary Chinese movies and TV series. A fun read for historical reasons as well as advancing an understanding of Chinese culture. I want a Ji Gong Mad Monk watching over me. After reading this book you will too.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

1.5 Hoots. Ji Gong is everything you could want in a character, and the inviting, conspiring tone of the author Guo Xiaoting makes this some great reading rich with supernatural events and hilarity.

I had such a fun time reading this book that I felt the absence of footnotes (or other ancillary texts) more deeply. I hankered for the recommendations and academic citations those usually provide. Suppose I’ll have to make my own!

[Joe Tristram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating and sometimes entertaining. Ji Gong is perhaps a sort of Robin Hood character, a wrong-righting part of the (Chinese) culture, who has shaggy dog type improbable adventures that sort of lead into one another. But there's no overall narrative arc, so I found it a bit frustrating to read. Fascinating for its glimpse into Chinese culture though.

[Wyktor Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, but rather long-winded tale of the mad monk Ji Gong. The adventures all centre around an outlaw who is wanted for various crimes. Ji Gong is one of the ones tasked with his capture. So, in effect, it's actually a thriller with an unlikely detective on the track of the killer.
Rather humorous, and quite entertaining.

[Kimhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories of the adventures of Ji Gong

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

read up to page 50,
interesting material, but the wrighting is poor.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well written translation of a Chinese Classic, however some aspects of the novel lose their humor in the translation.

[Mary Witztum · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun light and funny read.