From Jiaxing 嘉興 in Zhejiang. Dān started going to private school at age 7. At 17 (1934), he studied Chinese medicine with Chén Zhòngnán 陳仲南, at which point he changed his name to [Francis] “Bacon (Péigēn 培根).” He then began practicing medicine in his hometown and writing a thesis on medicine. In 1943 he studied Consciousness-Only thought with Fàn Gǔnóng 范古農. He took refuge under Désēn 德森 at Língyán 靈岩 Temple in Suzhou, and his dharma name was Huìběn 慧本. He served as representative for his hometown in the National Chinese Medicine Organization, and also worked with the local branch of the Chinese Buddhist Association. After the reforms of 1979, he returned to Buddhist Studies and did a lot of research on Buddhist sutras after 1980. He also gave lectures (primarily on Consciousness-Only 唯識 thought and Buddhist logic 因明) at Minnan Buddhist Seminary 閩南佛學院 in the 80s.
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), 1:1123b.