A lay acārya of Eastern Esoteric Buddhism 東密, and author of the important Republican-era esoteric text 密宗要義.
Biography
Chéng was originally from Sìchuān 四川. He studied esoteric Buddhism under Chísōng 持松, under whom he reiceved abhiṣeka 灌頂 in the 1920s. Later he went to Japan, where he became a fully authorized teacher, or acārya in the Toyoyama Branch 豐山派 of Shingon 真言 under Gonda Raifu 權田雷斧.
After he returned, an argument broke out in the mid 1920s between Wáng Hóngyuàn 王弘願, a lay Buddhist teacher who taught and gave ordination to monks, on the one hand, and Tàixū 太虛 and Sù Mànshū 蘇曼殊 on the other. Chéng chose no to take sides. He did, however, write one of the more important esoteric texts of the Republican era, Essential Meaning of the Esoteric School 密宗要義, which came out in 1929.
Chéng's eldest daughter, Chéng Qízhī 程其芝 remained unmarried, lived in Shànghǎi 上海 and often came to practice at Jìng'ān Temple 靜安寺. There she was looked after by Chísōng.
Important Works
Notable Students
Notes
References: