Yongming Yanshou

904 (age 71)

Yongming Yanshou is first mentioned in biographical form by Zanning (贊寧) in a work called the Song Biographies of Eminent Monks (Chinese: 宋高僧傳. Pinyin: song gaoseng zhuan), which was produced in 988, 12 years after Yanshou"s death. Yanshou lived largely during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, in the independent Wuyue kingdom. This age was characterized by nearly continuous warfare and political disorder. However, most of this activity took place in the north of China, while Yanshou resided in the independent Wuyue kingdom of the south, which was relatively stable during this time. He was born in either the capital city of Wuyue, modern-day Hangzhou, or a suburb of it, Yuhang, in the year 904. He would have served as an official before becoming a monk, although the exact nature of the position is disagreed upon in biographical sources. He is said to have practiced seated chanting and silent meditation. In 960, the King of Wuyue, Qian Chu, assigned Yanshou to be the abbot of Lingyin Temple, which the king had recently re-established. Only a year later in 961, the king relocated Yanshou to the newly constructed Yongming Temple, from which he would take his name. Here Yanshou is said to have become very prominent. He received gifts from the King of of Korea, Gwangjong of Goryeo, and in return he ordained 36 Korean monks, who then returned home to teach. As a result of this, he was largely ignored by Western scholars of Chan in the 20th century, most of whom worked from a Japanese perspective.

Yongming Yanshou Edit Profile

永明延壽, 永明延寿

teacher Buddhist monk students

Career

Yongming Yanshou is first mentioned in biographical form by Zanning (贊寧) in a work called the Song Biographies of Eminent Monks (Chinese: 宋高僧傳. Pinyin: song gaoseng zhuan), which was produced in 988, 12 years after Yanshou"s death. Yanshou lived largely during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, in the independent Wuyue kingdom.

This age was characterized by nearly continuous warfare and political disorder.

However, most of this activity took place in the north of China, while Yanshou resided in the independent Wuyue kingdom of the south, which was relatively stable during this time. He was born in either the capital city of Wuyue, modern-day Hangzhou, or a suburb of it, Yuhang, in the year 904.

He would have served as an official before becoming a monk, although the exact nature of the position is disagreed upon in biographical sources. He is said to have practiced seated chanting and silent meditation.

In 960, the King of Wuyue, Qian Chu, assigned Yanshou to be the abbot of Lingyin Temple, which the king had recently re-established.

Only a year later in 961, the king relocated Yanshou to the newly constructed Yongming Temple, from which he would take his name. Here Yanshou is said to have become very prominent. He received gifts from the King of of Korea, Gwangjong of Goryeo, and in return he ordained 36 Korean monks, who then returned home to teach.

As a result of this, he was largely ignored by Western scholars of Chan in the 20th century, most of whom worked from a Japanese perspective.

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