Master Xuyun Reviews His Life

CHINA

This poem is a self-commentary by Master Xuyun that serves as an overview of his life. His strokes are straight and leveled, and they start and end in a clear, thorough manner. Characters are squarely framed and appear upright with no peculiarity in their form, giving the script a straightforward and organized appearance. The lines are bold and monumental. Written with a steady pace, there is minimal articulation using the brush tip, resulting in characters reminiscent of those seen on stele inscriptions. This grand outlook could be a reflection of the writer’s personal attitude towards life, an aspect that reflects an interesting perspective onto the work.
Master Xuyun was born Xiao Guyan and was also known as Deqing. When he went into reclusion at age 61 in the Zhongnanshan, he changed his name to Xuyun and took on the sobriquet Huanyou. He became an eminent monk of the modern era and bore five Buddhist lineages. As a disciplined and hardworking monk, he persevered in his practice and vowed to promote and revive the monastery tradition of abbotship being open to anyone. Over 80 monasteries and nunneries of various sizes were rebuilt through his efforts.