Wéiyī 惟一
Southern-Sòng / early-Yuán Yángqí-branch Línjì Chán master, hào Huánxī 環溪 (“Ring-Brook”). Native of Zīzhōu 資州 in Shǔ (modern Sìchuān). Per DILA A001060 and the xíngzhuàng appended to his own yǔlù: 1202 – Zhìyuán 18.9.1 (21 October 1281), shì 80.
Dharma-heir of 師範 Wújùn Shīfàn (1178–1249); named as one of the fifteen co-editors of his master’s yǔlù (KR6q0315). Held successive Línjì abbacies in the Húzhōu–Lín’ān orbit and lived into the early Yuán conquest, becoming one of the bridges between the late Southern-Sòng Chán world of Jìngshān and the Yuán-dynasty continuation of the tradition. His own recorded sayings survive as the Huánxī Wéiyī chánshī yǔlù 環溪惟一禪師語錄 (KR6q0332).
name: 惟一 pinyinName: Wéiyī alternateNames: [了堂惟一, Liǎotáng Wéiyī, 了堂, 了堂一, 天童一, 唯一, 芥室, Jièshì] dynasty: 元 birthDate: deathDate: cbdbId: dilaAuthorityId: A019790 created: 2026-04-24 updated: 2026-04-24
Wéiyī 惟一 (了堂)
Yuán Yángqí-branch Línjì Chán master, hào Liǎotáng 了堂 (also written 唯一), 別號 Jièshì 芥室. Native of Nínghǎi 寧海 (Táizhōu); lineal descendant of the Southern-Sòng chéngxiàng Yè Mèngdǐng 葉夢鼎. Trained first under Xuěyá Zhuāng 雪崖莊 at Sìmíng Wànshòu 四明萬壽; subsequently dharma-heir of 妙道 Zhúyuán Miàodào 竺原妙道 (1257–1345), and thus dharma-brother of 無慍 Shùzhōng Wúyùn (1309–1386).
Held four successive abbacies: Qìngyuánlù Yánqìng chánsì 延慶禪寺 (from Zhìshùn 1 / 1330, at his first installation — the content-opening of his yǔlù KR6q0350); Táizhōulù Zǐtuòshān Guǎngdùsì 紫籜山廣度寺 (from Zhìzhèng 2 / 1342); Qìngyuánlù Tiānníngsì 天寧寺 (from Zhìzhèng 23 / 1363); and Tiāntóngsì 天童寺 (subsequent). Died aged 84 (year not recorded with confidence; no DILA birth or death year). His named dharma-heir is 普莊 Dāiān Pǔzhuāng 呆菴普莊 (1347–1403, KR6q0351) — who broke through under Wéiyī at Tiānníng on the tíngqián bǎishùzǐ 庭前柏樹子 huàtóu when Wéiyī struck him across the mouth — and who in time became the 60th abbot of Jìngshān Xīngshèng Wànshòu.
Principal sources: Zēngjí Xùchuándēnglù juan 1 and 6; Wǔdēng huìyuán xùlüè (X80 n1566); Wǔdēng yántǒng juan 2 (X81 n1568); Wǔdēng quánshū juan 51 (X82); Tiāntóngsì zhì juan 3.