Original Text
Jin Shicheng was a man from Changshan County, ordinarily dissolute and unrestrained in his conduct. Later, he suddenly became a wandering monk, behaving madly and foolishly, even going so far as to eat filth as if it were a delicacy. Whenever dogs or sheep relieved themselves before him, he would crouch down and consume it. He proclaimed himself a Buddha, and the ignorant men and women, seeing his actions as extraordinary, served him as disciples, numbering in the tens of thousands. Jin Shicheng would command these disciples to eat excrement, and none dared to disobey. He built halls and towers, spending countless sums of money, yet people willingly contributed. The magistrate, Lord Nan, detested Jin Shicheng's bizarre ways, arrested him, beat him with bamboo boards, and ordered him to repair the temple of Confucius. When Jin Shicheng's followers learned of this, they rushed to spread the word, saying, "The Buddha is in trouble!" and vied with one another to raise funds for his rescue. The temple was restored within a month, and the money gathered was so abundant and swift that it surpassed the exactions of the most ruthless officials.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: I have heard of the Daoist Jin, whom people, playing on the sound of his name, called "The Living Buddha of This Age." His character had sunk to the depths of gluttony and filth, so low that beating could not disgrace him, yet punishment, by a happy turn, accomplished a worthy deed. How masterful was the method of Magistrate Nan! However, that the ruined Confucian temple had to rely on a demonic Daoist for its restoration—this, indeed, is a shame for the scholar-officials!
Commentary
Although this tale is brief, it delivers a scathing condemnation of Jin Shicheng: before becoming a mendicant monk, he was "habitually unrestrained"; after becoming a mendicant, he "acted as if mad, devouring filth as if it were a delicacy"; and after proclaiming himself a Buddha, he instructed his disciples to "command them to eat excrement," utterly base and despicable to the extreme. Strangely, Jin Shicheng wielded immense social influence, for when he built halls and pavilions, "people gladly contributed"; and when he repaired the Confucian temple, "the gathering of gold and silver was swifter than the harsh summons of a cruel official." This filled Pu Songling with boundless lament: not only was he utterly baffled by the social phenomenon stirred by this filthy man, but he also felt deep shame that the sacred Confucian temple should be restored by such a vile creature. The story touches upon the bizarre realities of the marketplace in those days, the gradual decline of Confucian social influence, the oppressive summons and tyrannical governance of corrupt officials over the common people, and even the long-standing struggle between Confucianism and Buddhism in Chinese society—thus, through a small incident, it reveals profound implications, rich in meaning.