The Story of Bi Gan - Can A Man Without His Heart Live?

According to the story, Bi Gan (pronounced as bee-gun, 比干) was an honourable and righteous prime minister who served the Emperor Zou of Shang Dynasty (some 3000 years ago from now).

Emperor Zou 纣王 was a bad emperor. Thus the Queen of Heaven allowed two evil deities to disguise as beautiful concubines to corrupt him and to bring his kingdom down.

Despite Emperor Zou absurdity, his kingdom remained well governed because of Bi Gan's administration. The two evil deities (who now became the evil concubines) conspired to get rid of Bi Gan so that their plan will work well.

One of the evil concubines feigned illness, and said that only the heart of the honorable and righteous man can cure her of her illness.

There is no one in the country as honorable and righteous as Bi Gan. In desperation to cure the beautiful concubine, the Emperor Zou summoned Bi Gan to see him in the palace.

Bi Gan was informed of what was to befall him when he was summoned. But as an honorable prime minister, he cannot disobey the king.

He went to ask for help from the most powerful white wizard at that time - Jiang Zi Ya.

Bi Gan begged with Jiang Zi Ya. His dream of building a powerful nation is still burning with passion. He is not ready to leave this world without his dream fulfilled. 

Jiang Zi Ya was indeed the most powerful wizard at that time, and no one was able to undo the magic he performed. He gave Bi Gan a talisman.

So Bi Gan went to see the Emperor Zou. Emperor Zou pleaded for his heart to save his concubine, for without her he found no meaning to live anymore.

How can a minister refuse the request of the emperor ? You are suppose to lay your life down for him when he ask for it.

Bi Gan asked for a knife. With this knife, he cut his own chest open and dug out his heart to offer it to the emperor. Quickly, he took out the talisman and pressed it onto the wound on his chest. The blood stopped.

Miracle happened. Bi Gan could walk, though he had to walk slowly because of the pain in his chest.

The two concubines were shocked to see what had happened to Bi Gan. But their black magic cannot undo the white magic of Jiang Zi Ya. So they had to see Bi Gan leave the palace alive.

As usual, the evil ones are very smart and look very innocent. One of the concubines disguised herself as an old woman.

She carried a basket of vegetable and went up to the street where Bi Gan was passing by. She raised her voice: "Empty hearted vegetable! Empty hearted vegetable! Who would like to buy my empty hearted vegetable?"

Bi Gan was distracted by her voice and his curiosity was intrigued by the irony of her words. Probably 3000 years ago, people from that part of the world had never seen Kang Kong (a kind of vegetable which is empty in its stem, and it is called Morning Glory in many other countries).

So he went up to ask the old women. "What are you selling? How can a vegetable without heart grows?"

The woman smiled at him and looked him into the eyes. "Yes! You are right! How can vegetable with an empty heart grow? And how can a man without a heart live?"

At that instance, the old women disappeared. But her voice rang in the air, louder and louder, repeating the question: "How can vegetable with an empty heart grow? And how can a man without a heart live?"

Bi Gan could not quieten the voices in the air. Through his ears, it went digging into his soul. His hands went shivering, he raised his hand that was pressing onto the talisman.

The talisman of faith dropped. Blood oozed. He went weak. An honorable man fell. He died. And so died with him his passionate dream as well.

Scientifically, can vegetable with an empty heart grow? Yes Kang Kong (or Morning Glory) is one of them. Scientifically, can a man without a heart live? Yes. A man is dead only when his brain is dead.

Jiang Zi Ya magic was powerful. The devil cannot undo it. But the devil can raise questions for Bi Gan to doubt the power. She poisoned the brain with questions and reasoning of fear -- to rob the faith and dreams away. And thus a magical life is cheated off.

Ironically, Bi Gan is made a Wealth God in his next life. As the Chinese seldom gives reason for decision made and action done, many people try to guess why is he made a Wealth God?

Another Literati God of Wealth is Fan Li 范蠡. This is Lotus on Water's jadeite Literati Wealth God.

Some say without a heart, he can distribute wealth without prejudice. But I doubt so. For this is not the purpose of incarnation. And looking at how wealth is distributed in this world, it can never be distributed without prejudice.

One of the purposes of incarnation is to give a second chance to pursue dreams which one has not fulfilled in this life. Bi Gan is made a wealth god as wealth is the primary foundation of a strong nation. Bi Gan's dream was to build a strong nation but he did not fulfill it.

Another reason of incarnation is to allow one to learn lessons in the next life what one has missed in this life.

Lotus on Water's jadeite Money Magnet Grand Wealth God, released since 2012. This is the Grandest of the wealth Gods.

Bi Gan has not learned his lesson of faith and possibilities. He is made a wealth god to give to those who have faith enough to ask for it.

Bi Gan failed in the past life because he had given in to the reasoning of impossibilities. In this life he shall learn possibilities by becoming the messenger of sending wealth. You see, a wealth god is like a bank cashier who gives you the cash when you send your request to the bank.

So be nice to the bank cashier and say thank you to your wealth god. Do not treat them like you would to an ATM. You should not yell and kick them just because you have pressed the wrong PIN number.

One client asked me in the past. Does the magic of feng shui need faith to work?

I told him: "Everything needs faith to work."

You need faith to wait for spring to come when you see nothing but the frost of winter. You need faith to welcome the sun when the darkest rain seem forever. You need faith that the water is innocent before you allow it to quench your thirst. You need faith to know that the food is motherly before you let it ease your hunger. You need faith to breath before you can see that another day can either be as good or better.

You cannot erase faith from Lotus on Water for magic to enter your life.

You need faith to put that jade pendant over your neck and let it sit onto your chest.

Do not let the voices of doubt, the sneering of the cunning, the reasoning of impossibilities to steal the magical life from you.

This is the Eighth anniversary of Lotus on Water. If I tell you that because of our powerful feng shui, life is peaceful and melodies of bliss ring every second, I am lying to you.

Greatness is usually attained in the absence of peace. Victory is gained when there is war.

 

Yes. We have attained more than many others. But we have gained them mostly on battlefields of courage and sometimes with a pain in our chest.

Many times, we need courage to the point of outrage.

At times we hear the siren of fear and reasoning of doubt ringing fiercely in the air.

But even when our hands may shiver and quiver, we never let off the talisman of faith pressing against our chest. That is the heart of Lotus. And that is why the galleries of Lotus on Water is still standing, in a row of four, along Upper Thomson Road. 

We applaud you for holding on to the talisman of faith, the heart of Lotus, onto your chest all these while till today.

We appreciate you for putting on the talisman of faith, that you have left on shelves, onto your chest again.

We cheer you, who have left the talisman of faith on the shelves, and you are deciding to put it on now.

Bend never is our knee, to the majority of mediocrity.

You shall walk. We shall walk. Walking on the path of faith, of strength, of wealth, of elegance, of passion, of dreams coming true......

For a long long while.

-- Master Yun Long Zi, 27 June 2014. Eve of 8th Anniversary Celebrations.