Hanshan Deqing

CHINA, Anhui, Chuzhou; Ming dynasty

Hanshan Deqing, also known as Chengyin, was a Chan master and calligrapher from Quanjiao, Chuzhou. He renounced under Master Xilin at Bao’en Temple in Jiangsu when he was 12 years old. At the age of 19, he became fully ordained and went to Qixia Temple in Jiangsu to further his Chan studies. It is said that after he traveled to Hanshan in Beijing, and observed the beautiful scenery, he decided to name himself after the mountain.
Master Hanshan spent the vast majority of his life advocating the dual practice of Chan and Pure Land Buddhism. In addition, he proposed the integration of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. Hanshan settled at Nanhua Temple in Guangdong in 1600, where he established new monastic regulations and re-introduced the teachings of Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of the Chan lineage. Later, he also built a hermitage at Wurufeng in Lushan. Together with Yunqi Zhuhong, Daguan Zhenke, Ouyi Zhixu, he is regarded as one of the Four Eminent Monks of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). After his passing, Hanshan’s relics were enshrined in Nanhua Temple, alongside the relics of Chan masters Dantian and Huineng.
Hanshan was known for not conforming to any particular school of teachings. He was also known for his interests in poetry and calligraphy. Skilled in running and cursive scripts, his works include Farewell Verse of Master Hanshan, collected by Ho’s Calligraphy Foundation in Taipei, Taiwan.