A Hàn 漢 monk who was famous for teaching Japanese Esoteric Buddhism 東密, as well as leading a group to Tibet to study Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism 西密.
Biography
In his early years, he graduated from the Sìchuān Legal and Political Academy 四川法政專科學校, and made a name for himself in the civil and military worlds of Sìchuān.
In 1918, he went with his two friends Huáng Bǎocāng 黃葆蒼, Dǒng Mùshū 董慕舒, and Sūn Dàoxiū 孫道修 to hear Fóyuán 佛源 lecture in Chóngqìng 重慶, which led them all to have faith in Buddhism. Lǐ was the youngest of the three. Three of them tonsured under Yùhuáng 玉皇 at Tiānwáng Temple 天王寺 in Níngbō 寧波. Lǐ became Dàyǒng, Huáng became Dàcí 大慈, and Dǒng became Dàjué 大覺.
Dàyǒng was ordained in 1920 at Jīnshān 金山, then went to Mt. Wǔtái 五台山 on pilgrimage. He returned to Běijīng in 1921 to hear Tàixū 太虛 lecture on the Lotus Sūtra.
He studied Esoteric Buddhism at Koyasan 高野山 in Japan, returning to China in October of 1923. After his return he began transmitting the Esoteric dharma in Shànghǎi 上海, and then in January of 1924, he went to Wǔhàn 武漢 to do the same. In Wǔhàn, he was based at the Wuchang Buddhist Seminary 武昌佛學院, and he gave abhiṣeka 灌頂 to hundreds of people.
In 1924, he returned to Běijīng 北京 again, and studied Tibetan Buddhism with 白普仁喇嘛 at Yǒnghé Gōng 雍和宮. This experience inspired him to set up the Buddhist Tibetan Language College 藏文學院 (possibly with the help of Tàixū) in October of 1924, where he was primary teacher.
Beginning the following year, he led the residing-in-Tibet Dharma Studies Group 留藏學法團 from 1925 until his death. They attempted to reach Tibet, but were not successful during his lifetime.
Important Works
Notable Students
References:
Yú Língbō 于凌波, ed. Xiàndài fójiào rénwù cídiǎn 現代佛教人物辭典 (A Dictionary of Modern Buddhist Persons), 2 vols. (Taipei: Foguang, 2004), 1:44c-48c.