Yuèxiá 月霞 (1858-1917)
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Yuèxiá 月霞 (1858-1917) was an important teacher and Chán master of the late Qing and early Republican periods. He was associated with several early Buddhist seminaries, including Huáyán University 華嚴大學.
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In his early teens, Yuèxiá decided to ordain, but his parents would not allow it, so at the age of 17 suì 歲, he married. Within two years his wife bore both a son and a daughter, and Yuèxiá again asked to be allowed to ordain, this time with success. In 1876 (Guāngxù 光緒 2) he took tonsure under Chándìng 禪定 at Dàzhōng Temple 大鐘寺 in Nánjīng 南京. The following year he took full ordination at Jiǔhuá shān 九華山. He studied Chán 禪 at all the major monasteries of the day, including Jīnshān 金山, Tiānníng Temple 天寧寺, and at Gāomín Temple 高旻寺.
In 1882 (Guāngxù 光緒 8) he began living as a hermit on Zhōngnán shān 終南山. He lived there for roughly six years. His hut and the lands to support him were provided by a local military commander. While on the mountain, he and the other hermits followed Báizhàng's Pure Rules 白丈清規.
In 1888 (Guāngxù 光緒 14) he began studying Chán under Liǎochén 了塵 at Tóngbó shān 桐柏山 in Zhōngzhōu 中州. There he had an enlightenment experience while listening to Liǎochén lecture on the Non-dual Dharma Gate 不二法門 chapter of the Vimalakīrti Sūtra 維摩詰經. Liǎochén recognized his enlightenment and gave him Yìnkě 印可. Yuèxiá stayed on for several years, then went to Chì shān 赤山 in Nánjīng to study with Fǎrěn 法忍, one of the preeminent Chán masters of the late Qing. In 1894, he began lecturing in the Jiāngnán 江南 and Jiāngběi 江北 regions, and his fame grew. In 1899 he accepted the offer to become abbot of Yíngjiāng Temple 迎江寺 in Ānhuī 安徽.
In 1902, he and others, including Dàojiē 道階 traveled through South and Southeast Asia to see Buddhists countries, including Burma, Sri Lanka, and India. When they returned, Yuèxiá went to practice Chán under Zhìkāi 治開 at Tiānníng Temple in Chángzhōu 常州. On August 1, 1906 Yuèxiá, along with Yīngcí 應慈, Míngjìng 明鏡, and Wéikuān 惟寬 received dharma transmission from Zhìkāi, making them 42nd generation lineage-holders in the Línjì 臨濟 line. Rather than become abbots, Yuèxiá and Yīngcí went to Yíngjiāng Temple in 1906 to lecture.
In 1909, Yuèxiá accepted the invitation of Zhāng Tàiyán 章太炎 to come to Tokyo to lecture. His lectures on the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra 楞伽經, the Vimalakīrti Sūtra 維摩經, and the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment 圓覺經 were attended by many notable Chinese students, and he influenced many of them to take an interest in Buddhism. He stayed in Japan for eight months. When he returned in 1910 he was recommended by Yáng Wénhuì 楊文會 to serve as president of the nascent Jiāngsū Sangha Education Association 江蘇僧教育會, and run the Jiāngsū Sangha Normal Study Hall 江蘇僧師範學堂. In 1911, he took an invitation to lecture at Bǎotōng Temple 寶通寺 in Húběi 湖北, and Dìxián 諦閑 took charge of the School.
With the outbreak of the revolution, Yuèxiá and Yīngcí went to Shànghǎi where they began living at Hardoon Gardens with the support of the Gardens' owner, Liza Roos (aka Mrs. Silas Hardoon) 羅迦陵. In 1912, she helped them set up Huáyán University 華嚴大學 there. The school moved to Hǎicháo Temple 海潮寺 in Hángzhōu 杭州 in 1916, or thereabouts.[1]
In 1917, Yuèxiá followed Zhìkāi's orders and became abbot of Xīngfú Temple 興福寺 on Yú shān 虞山 in Chángrè 常熱, but he became ill and traveled to Yùquán Temple 玉泉寺 in Hángzhōu, where he died.