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Xūyún 虛雲 (1840-1959)
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Xūyún 虛雲 (1840-1959) was a renowned Chán master whose long life spanned the Qing, Republican, and People's Republic periods of modern Chinese history.
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Xūyún's family was originally from Xiāngxiāng 湘鄉 in Húnán 湖南, but his father moved to Quánzhōu 泉州 to take up an official position. His mother is said to have died in childbirth, and his grandmother died when he was 13. In 1858 he became a novice at Yǒngquán Temple 湧泉寺 on Drum Mountain 鼓山 in Fúzhōu 福州, and the following year he took the full monastic precepts.
Over the next few decades, Xūyún traveled widely, visiting different temples in China, India, Thailand and Malaysia.
In 1949 Xūyún traveled to Běijīng 北京 to help organize the creation of the Chinese Buddhist Association 中國佛教協會. When the association was established in 1953, he was chosen as its honorary chairperson. He spent his final years at Yúnmén Temple 雲門寺, where he passed away in 1959.