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Yuanyin Elder (1905.11.23—2000.02.05), secular name Li Zhongding, a native of Hefei, Anhui, was the third lineage-holding Dharma patriarch of the Signless Esoteric Heart-Center Dharma (Wuxiang Mi Xīnzhōngxīn Fǎ). In his youth he studied at Shanghai’s Hujiang University; after his father’s death he worked while pursuing his studies, and in later years practiced in seclusion by the Shanghai waterfront [1] [3]. As a child he studied the Diamond Sutra with his father; after encountering Buddhism as a young man, he was awakened by an eminent monk at a Chan monastery in Zhenjiang and gradually entered the Buddha-Dharma [3]. He studied Yogācāra and Huayan under the Tiantai master Xingci, layman Fan Gunong, and the abbot Yingci, and ultimately, relying on the Second Patriarch of the Heart-Center Dharma, Acarya Wang Xianglu, he fully awakened to the essential point of mind. In 1958 he assumed the position of Third Patriarch of the Heart-Center Dharma, harmonizing Chan, Pure Land, and Esoteric methods, lectured on the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Heart Sutra, and other classics, and traveled widely to transmit the Dharma [1] [3–4].
During his cultivation he repeatedly experienced states of body-mind dissolution; during the Cultural Revolution he was investigated for transmitting the Dharma, which led to his mother’s death from shock. In old age he knew his time had come; on the first day of the first lunar month in 2000 he “cast off the body while seated” and passed away; when his remains were cremated, relics and signs of light appeared [1] [3]. He authored Essential Points for the Cultivation and Verification of the Buddha-Dharma, The Hidden Decisions of the Heart Sutra, and other works; some manuscripts were lost, while Direct Explanation of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra and An Elementary Exposition of the Ganges Mahāmudrā were collated and published [1–2] [4]. His contributions to spreading the Dharma won him inscriptions from Zhao Puchu and praise from Elders Ben Huan and Jing Hui [2] [4].
Chinese name: Li Zhongding
Foreign name: Li Zhongding
Also known as: Elder Yuanyin
Nationality: China
Ethnicity: Han
Date of birth: November 23, 1905
Date of passing: February 5, 2000
Alma mater: Hujiang University, Shanghai
Major achievement: Third Patriarch of the Signless Esoteric Heart-Center Dharma (Wuxiang Mi Xīnzhōngxīn Fǎ)
Place of birth: Hefei, Anhui
Faith: Buddhism
Representative works: “Brief Discussion of Clarifying Mind and Seeing One’s Nature,” “A Plain Exposition of the Inscription on Awakening the Mind,” “Lectures on the Blue Cliff Record,” etc.
Contents
1 Elder’s Biography
2 Buddhist Learning and Practice
3 Casting Off the Body While Seated
4 Published Books
5 A Great Accomplished One
6 Authored Books
7 Appraisals by Noted Figures
Elder’s Biography
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02:15
Elder Yuanyin entered parinirvāṇa on Mount Putuo; at cremation, strange phenomena appeared in the sky—authentic footage from 2000.
Li Zhongding (1905.11.23—2000.02.05), Dharma name Yuanyin, was born in Hefei City, Anhui, a Great Acarya and the third patriarch of the Signless Esoteric Heart-Center Dharma (Wuxiang Mi Xīnzhōngxīn Fǎ).
As a child he studied the teachings of Confucius and Mencius with a local tutor. He often pondered: From where do people come in life, and where do they go at death? He could not resolve it. In extreme perplexity he would lose any sense of place, and, frightened, dared not continue thinking on it. Growing older, he transferred to a municipal higher primary school and read the Diamond Sutra with his father. It seemed familiar, yet he did not understand, and he asked his father. His father said: “These are the words of sages—not something a child can yet grasp. Apply yourself to study; later, when you carefully research this precious text, you will naturally obtain inexhaustible, genuine benefit.”
In 1917 his father took a post as assistant manager at the China Merchants Steamship Company in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, and he followed to study at Zhenjiang Middle School. Zhenjiang, a stronghold of Buddhism, had many monasteries and eminent monks; among them, Jiangtian Monastery on Jinshan together with Gaomin Monastery in Yangzhou were renowned centers of Chan learning. In his spare time he often accompanied classmates to monasteries to make offerings. On the way there, youthful vigor surged—running, jumping, laughing, boisterous, brash and self-assured—but upon hearing a single strike of the temple bell, the agitated mind came to rest, tranquil as still water, cool and joyous without knowing why.
At that time there was an enlightened high monk on Jinshan whom all revered as a living buddha. Regrettably, being young and ignorant, he did not know to request an audience properly; he saw people crowding around, vying to ask questions, and forced his way through to kneel before the monk. The monk, without inquiry, picked up the large mallet used to strike the wooden fish in the Mahāvīra Hall and tapped his head, saying: “Apply yourself diligently to study; later blessings will be boundless.” All were startled; he too blushed and withdrew.
In 1923 his father was transferred to the Shanghai office of China Merchants; he moved with him to Shanghai and entered Hujiang University. In 1925, due to overwork, his father unfortunately contracted severe typhoid and, despite treatment, passed away. In deep grief, besides redoubling his studies, he had to find work to support his mother. Being introverted, not adept at socializing, and unwilling to ask favors, he saw a newspaper notice for examinations to hire postal clerks, applied, and was fortunately admitted. Thus he worked while attending university. Though busy, he did not feel it bitter. Post office shifts were only six hours, and the university used a credit system: one need not live on campus the whole day; by selecting several courses and fulfilling the credits, one could graduate.
Amid work and study he traversed a segment of life’s journey and tasted something of life’s flavors. He felt deeply that people’s turmoil and conflict arise from the contradictions of money and love; that life, like morning dew, vanishes in an instant, and lifespan is impermanent. Even if one exhausts heart and mind and toils a lifetime, one gains nothing; in the end one only falls into empty suffering, grief, and a lingering sorrow, departing with regrets. It is truly too pitiable, not worth it. At the same time, struck by the pain of his father’s death and reading the Buddhist sutras and Chan records his father left behind, he roughly grasped some wondrous principles of the Buddha’s teaching and the incisive, subtle words of the great patriarchs. He felt keenly that in order to satisfy their selfish cravings for material gain, people pursue and grasp without satiation, create karma and receive retribution, and—wronging and being wronged—endure the sufferings of samsaric rebirth within the six destinies. This is truly foolish and tragic. One should turn back early, relinquish all empty illusions of acquisition, concentrate one’s energies, choose a method suited to one’s own disposition, and practice earnestly to restore the original luminous Buddha-nature and be freed from the sea of birth and death. By thus awakening people from the dream of delusion so that all may leave the wheel of suffering together, one fulfills the true meaning and value of human life.
Having aroused the aspiration to learn the Buddha-Dharma, he vowed not to marry. For the sake of supporting his mother, although he intended to go forth as a monk, his inescapable duty would not allow him to leave her side. When the calamity of the Cultural Revolution struck, because he transmitted the Dharma on behalf of his teacher, he was branded a “leader of the Four Olds and superstition” and a harmful element “poisoning youth,” and was isolated and investigated for two and a half years. After review found no illegal acts, he was released.
During the Cultural Revolution, owing to repeated searches and confiscations, his elderly mother died of fright. At that time the Fourfold Assembly were persecuted; though he wished to be ordained, it was impossible, and thus he remained solitary to the end of his life.
In 1958, after receiving acarya empowerment, Elder Yuanyin was honored among the masters. Responding to invitations from many quarters, he went to monasteries, hermitages, and associations across the country to lecture on the Śūraṅgama, Lotus, Laṅkāvatāra, Avataṃsaka, Diamond, Perfect Enlightenment, Heart Sutra, Amitābha teachings, and the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, and he conducted Chan seminars and discussed Chan records with fellow practitioners.
In only a little over a decade, those who received the Dharma from the Acarya numbered in the tens of thousands, spread throughout China and in the United States, Germany, France, Canada, Japan, and other countries. Among them there were indeed some with accomplishment in practice; those who clarified mind and saw their nature were extremely numerous; those reborn in the Pure Land, or already fully qualified for rebirth, were beyond counting. Hence many Han Chinese who went to Tibet to seek teachings from great lamas were told by those lamas that Elder Yuanyin in Han China was a truly accomplished great spiritual friend; thus many who returned from Tibet drew close to the Acarya. In this degenerate latter age, when human faculties are especially poor, to still enable so many beings to gain the real benefit of the Buddha-Dharma—how difficult this is! The Acarya was like a bar of red-hot steel in a land of ice and snow, melting the clinging of beings; and like a ship driving across desert sands, ferrying people with difficulty to the other shore—truly an inconceivable great work. We believe that in the years to come, outstanding Buddhist sons and daughters under the Acarya’s gate—well-learned, well-practiced, and realized—will surely raise vast bodhi vows to rescue beings from water and fire and come forth to spread the true Dharma. This is precisely the fine thing that those aspiring to the integration of genuine study and practice eagerly look forward to.
Buddhist Learning and Practice
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When young, the Acarya studied Tiantai under the great master Xingci. One day, after a lecture, suddenly the sense of the physical body vanished; light was vivid; coolness penetrated the whole body; freedom was incomparable. He reported it to his teacher. The teacher said: “Though not without some sign, it is still only a passer-by, not the host. Pay it no mind; strive forward until the great earth levels and empty space shatters—then there will be a slight accord.” Therefore he applied himself even more to sitting meditation. In the twelfth lunar month he joined a Chan retreat of “sevens,” but due to work he could not see it through; even when the three sevens were completed, no further sign appeared. He then studied Yogācāra with layman Fan Gunong; afterward he studied Huayan and the Dharma-realm contemplation with Abbot Yingci; finally he relied on Acarya Wang Xianglu, Second Patriarch of the Signless Esoteric Heart-Center Dharma (Wuxiang Mi Xīnzhōngxīn Fǎ), to cultivate the Heart-Center Dharma, fully awakened to the essential point of mind, attained great accomplishment, and in 1958 assumed the position of Third Patriarch.
After receiving empowerment and returning home to practice, in his very first session in the First Mudrā, at the first sitting, his whole body lifted like a helicopter straight into the sky; frightened, he emerged from samādhi. Realizing that this method differed from others in its fruit, he concentrated on step-by-step cultivation and no longer chased novelty by switching methods. Following the master’s instructions, he sat at fixed times daily, each session a full two hours, earnestly applying the essential instructions—“mind recites and ears listen”—without interruption. After completing one hundred sittings, he intensified practice, gradually increasing from four hours per day to six, eight, and even eighteen hours. On Sundays and holidays he stayed home to sit all day, not going out for entertainment. The master often exhorted him to speak for others and commended his fellow practitioners.
While practicing the Fourth Mudrā, one night in a dream he suddenly heard his elderly mother cough once; at that instant body-mind and world wholly disappeared, while luminous knowing remained utterly clear without dullness. In the morning he asked the master’s guidance. The master said: “Though a gladdening sign, the fire is still insufficient; you must apply yourself with even greater vigor; do not relax in the slightest.”
One day, after finishing practice, he walked to the post office for the early shift. Passing along Sichuan North Road, there was a sudden explosion: body-mind, road, vehicles, and pedestrians all vanished at once; luminous knowing was pellucid and no thought arose; he was not even aware of walking. When he reached the post office gate, a single thought arose—“Arrived.” Then the gate appeared before his eyes. Without moving his steps, he was there already; the body was light, the mind unburdened, as if a thousand-jin weight had been removed—exultant and joyful. “Is the wonder of the Buddha-Dharma like this indeed?” Such a scene cannot be put into words.
One day while sitting, he saw the Buddha come and offer him a sun-disk. As he reached to receive it, the disk suddenly exploded; Buddha, self, sun, world, and empty space all disappeared together; the truly bright mind shone forth. The Buddha’s grace is vast—his blessings and guidance to beings leave out nothing. Moved by gratitude, he wept loudly. “We younger ones—truly even if we were to be crushed to dust, it would not repay one ten-thousandth of such profound kindness.”
Another day while sitting he saw an old lady seated composedly on a coiled-dragon chair, with a boy standing beside her. She beckoned: “Come, come, I have a copy of the Heart Sutra to transmit to you.” He replied: “This wordless Heart Sutra is profoundly subtle and inconceivable—how could you transmit it?” The old lady then descended from the seat; he bowed and withdrew.
Occasionally, while cultivating the Sixth Mudrā, spirit suddenly left the body; as he was strolling about the room, a fellow practitioner came to call, knocking at the door; then spirit rejoined the body. All was like a dream or phantom.
The Acarya later lived in seclusion by the Shanghai waterfront for decades, abandoning fame and profit, integrating Pure Land and Esoteric, teaching according to conditions, quietly cultivating, unmoved by praise and blame. During the decade of upheaval he was slandered for transmitting the Dharma and, for two and a half years, was isolated and investigated. After religious freedom was restored, though already seventy-six, the Acarya, moved by beings’ suffering—ignorant of the truth of the cosmos and human life, taking illusory existence as real, clinging and unwilling to let go, thereby revolving endlessly in rebirth—saw that many Buddhist learners also remained trapped amid names and terms, grasping the finger for the moon; this does not subdue afflictions. Those intent on genuine practice and liberation, not understanding the truth, practice blindly, squandering time, and even fall into deviant states. In view of this, the Acarya raised a great cry for the importance of “clarifying mind and seeing nature,” which is the key to ending birth and death. Only by recognizing one’s own original mind, seeing one’s own original nature, and returning to what is so of itself can one leave the sea of suffering of birth and death. Regardless of school or lineage, none can surpass this. Even in the universally accessible Pure Land school, after reaching the West, one must still “when the flower opens, see the Buddha,” in order to “realize the unborn.” “When the flower opens, seeing the Buddha” means the mind-flower opens and one sees the Buddha of one’s own nature—is this not another name for clarifying mind and seeing nature?
The Acarya further felt that in the latter age beings’ merit is thin, karma heavy, obstacles deep, and wisdom shallow. To say nothing of accomplishment in this very life—even rebirth in the Western Pure Land is truly not easy. As the ancients often lamented: “Those who recite the Buddha’s name are as numerous as rolling waves; those who are reborn are scarcely one or two.” The reason is that beings cannot put things down; so long as there remains even a single attachment to this Sahā world, rebirth in the Land of Bliss is impossible. To say “let go” with the mouth is not truly to let go; it must be letting go in the heart—how difficult that is! Look at one’s own grasping and delusive thoughts: if these are not subdued, they surely lead to samsaric rebirth. Without reaching the level where practice becomes “one continuous piece,” rebirth is hard to hope for. A method of subduing afflictions that is especially powerful and swift is precisely the Heart-Center Dharma—this great Dharma-treasure is an extremely excellent method for beings of the latter age to accomplish in this life or to be reborn in the West. The Acarya also pointed out that this Dharma is simple and easy to practice, relies on the Buddha’s power of blessing, swiftly and powerfully removes offenses, accumulates merit, realizes essence and brings forth function, and can cut off obstructions from external demons.
Casting Off the Body While Seated
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On February 5, 2000 (the first day of the first lunar month), at 8:15 p.m., the Elder “cast off the body while seated,” at the age of ninety-six.
As early as 1989 the Acarya intended to leave this world, but, moved by the earnest pleas of his disciples, he agreed to remain. Five years before his passing, when a certain layperson casually asked when he would relinquish the body, the Acarya said: “The year 2000.” He then prepared a will. To avoid disturbing his disciples and unnecessary complications, he informed only a few close disciples so they could discuss arrangements. They implored him to remain. The Acarya said: “Whatever is born must perish; even the Buddha was thus. My karmic connection in this life is drawing to a close. But I will not leave all of you: our master’s master and lineage patriarch are constantly blessing those who cultivate.” The day before parinirvāṇa he said to everyone: “I have always urged you to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I will set an example for you: I too will be reborn in the Western Pure Land.” Having said this, he loudly recited the Extensive Rebirth Mantra. In the days just before parinirvāṇa, when receiving disciples who came to ask the Dharma, he hinted that he would soon depart. Yet his health remained excellent, so the disciples did not realize it; afterward, reflecting, they understood. Some sensed it but dared not ask. A certain Dharma master from Mount Putuo came to consult the Acarya. He had planned to return on the first day of the month; the Acarya exceptionally asked him to wait one day and said: “When you return, take some things with you and extend my greetings to Great Abbot Miaoshan.” Later, the Acarya passed away that very day. Because of this master’s efforts and Miaoshan’s consent, the remains could be kept for a period at Mount Putuo, as specified in the will. Otherwise, to keep the remains for some time without alarming disciples nationwide would have been very hard. This was truly the Acarya’s skillful arrangement.
Up to the time of parinirvāṇa the Acarya’s health was consistently good; daily life proceeded as usual. People seeking the Dharma came in an unending stream, and the Acarya always answered every question, freely expounding the Dharma with strong, resonant voice. On the Little New Year’s Eve (February 3), he bathed as usual, showing no sign of imminent passing. On the morning of February 5 he said to those near him: “I am going back home.” They replied: “Master, you cannot go; we all need you.” The master said: “All things are illusory. I have not left you. Remember: ‘Coming yet not coming; going yet not gone. In this coming and going, there is no coming or going.’” That very day he also bestowed empowerment and blessings on those who came to request the Dharma. Supper was as usual, with no appearance of departure. After dinner he sat, as always, in his customary chair and spoke about how to embody the Dharma in daily life for about forty-five minutes. Suddenly he lifted his eyes to the empty sky, as if seeing something, immediately stood up, then slowly sat down. A true spiritual friend revered by humans and devas alike peacefully relinquished the body, displaying the ease and freedom of a practitioner’s rebirth—unhindered in life and death.
Published Books
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Essential Points for the Cultivation and Verification of the Buddha-Dharma (two-volume set)
Author: Elder Yuanyin
Publication date: 2011-10
Essential Points for the Cultivation and Verification of the Buddha-Dharma (two-volume set) was published in 2011 by the Religious Culture Press; the author is Elder Yuanyin.
Opening Great Wisdom
Authors: Wang Xianglu; Elder Yuanyin
Publication date: 2009-05-01
Opening Great Wisdom was published in May 2009 by the Religious Culture Press; authors are layman Wang Xianglu and Elder Yuanyin.
Brief Discussion of Clarifying Mind and Seeing One’s Nature
Author: Elder Yuanyin
Publication date: 2004-10
Brief Discussion of Clarifying Mind and Seeing One’s Nature was published by the Religious Culture Press in October 2004.
The Hidden Decisions of the Heart Sutra
Author: Elder Yuanyin
Publication date: 2015-6
The Hidden Decisions of the Heart Sutra is a work by the renowned Buddhist layman Elder Yuanyin, comprising a preface and main text.
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A Great Accomplished One
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Several days after the Acarya relinquished the body, an extraordinary fragrance pervaded the room. Later the remains were transported to Mount Putuo and kept there for sixty days. On the day of cremation (April 6), many under the Acarya’s gate in China and abroad—having learned the date by various means despite no official notice—gathered before the cremation kiln on Mount Putuo to bid a final farewell in profound reverence. When the executor finished reading the will, an auspicious sign appeared: above the assembled crowd there arose a green lotus; three shafts of golden light shone down from the sky—one directly onto the center of the crowd, the other two to either side—covering everyone present, and a purple radiance moved back and forth upon the lotus. This strange scene was recorded on video. During cremation, a lotus also appeared over the Acarya’s chest; many present witnessed this wonder amid the flames. After days of continuous rain, the sky was exceptionally clear and cloudless that day. After the cremation, dragon-and-phoenix auspicious clouds appeared above the kiln—sometimes lingering for a long time, sometimes moving back and forth. This marvel appeared several times over the course of hours, and each time for quite a while—a beautiful spectacle in a cloudless sky. The next day, when collecting relics (śarīra), once again in a cloudless sky there appeared a very vast five-colored circular halo from which four golden rays issued; within the circle, purple, red, blue, and magenta lights constantly arose to fill the whole halo; within it the Acarya sat upright upon a lotus. This auspicious sign lasted forty minutes and was likewise recorded, leaving priceless materials that inspire strong faith. If the lotus above the crowd and the three golden rays on the day of cremation were a blessing for those present, then the great halo filled with multicolored lights and the dignified holy image of the Acarya presaged that the lineage’s Dharma would shine ever more brilliantly, illuminating the great thousandfold world. All who collected relics that day, seeing this auspicious sign, felt immeasurable gratitude to the Acarya and unanimously vowed to practice more diligently to repay the master’s kindness. Many onlookers praised and marveled, vowing to study the unsurpassed Buddha-Way. That day, countless relics and relic-flowers were gathered.
Authored Books
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He authored “Brief Discussion of Clarifying Mind and Seeing One’s Nature,” “A Plain Exposition of the Inscription on Awakening the Mind,” “Lectures on the Blue Cliff Record,” “Light Ripples on the Sea of Chan,” “The Hidden Decisions of the Heart Sutra,” “On the Key Issues of Rebirth in the Western Pure Land,” all of which are collected in Essential Points for the Cultivation and Verification of the Buddha-Dharma. In addition, Explanations for Liberation by Hearing in the Bardo has been published. Direct Explanation of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra is regrettably lost. An Elementary Exposition of the Ganges Mahāmudrā and Questions and Answers on Essential Points for the Cultivation and Verification of the Buddha-Dharma have also been prepared. Since 1978, at the invitation of fellow practitioners in various places, he published successively in Buddhist periodicals and magazines [1].
Appraisals by Noted Figures
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Former CPPCC vice-chairman Zhao Puchu inscribed the titles of Essential Points for the Cultivation and Verification of the Buddha-Dharma and The Hidden Decisions of the Heart Sutra. [2]
“Elder Yuanyin, like layman Vimalakīrti, manifested the lay form to spread the Dharma; his merit is inconceivable.” — Elder Ben Huan [2]
“Many of my ideas were shaped thanks to some of Elder Yuanyin’s teachings.” — Elder Jing Hui [2]
“The causes and conditions for my beginning to study the Heart-Center Dharma.” — Lü Xiangguang [2]
“Elder Yuanyin’s Heart-Center Dharma has a historical transmission, a basis in the classics, distinctive features in guiding students, and convenient means in practice.” — Wu Limin [2]
