Míngzhé 明哲 (Xiàotáng Míngzhé 笑堂明哲)
Mid-seventeenth-century LínjìYángqí Chán master, dharma-heir of Línyě Tōngqí 林野通奇 (1595/6–1652) in the Mìyún Yuánwù line. Fǎhuì 法諱 Míngzhé 明哲 (using 明 as a generation-character alternative to 行 in the Línyě sub-line’s transition-level), hào Xiàotáng 笑堂 (“Laughter-Hall”). One of Línyě’s 50 named dharma-heirs per the Mùchén Dàomǐn tǎmíng at KR6q0408.
Training. Close attendant of Línyě at Tiāntóngsì in the 1650–52 period. Per the Chén Zhīshēn 1665 preface to KR6q0425: “zhēnxiàn wèilèi jiáfǔ jiāogōng, jīnpíng wǎngdài 疑關畏壘夾輔交攻巾瓶罔怠” (“at rocky-passes and windy-fortifications redoubled study; attended towel-and-vase without slack”). Received a Qiūhuái 秋懷 sealing-poem from Línyě as the earliest transmission-marker.
Three abbacies. (1) Yúháng Bēidù 餘杭杯渡. (2) Sānjù 三聚. (3) Yúháng Wòlóngshān Guǎnghuà Chánsì 餘杭臥龍山廣化禪寺 — central abbacy, opened Shùnzhì 13 丙申冬 = 1656 winter. Held Guǎnghuà through the 1665 preface-period and presumably after.
Work: KR6q0425 《笑堂和尚語錄》 (1 juan, Jiāxīng Canon J28 B206). Compiled by shìzhě 超源 Chāoyuán and edited by dharma-heir 超晙 Chāojùn (Xiáqǐ) at Bāoshān Língquánān. Two front-prefaces dated Kāngxī 4 / 1665.
Specific birthdate, lay surname, native place, and death-date unrecovered from the one-juan recension. A fuller biography (if it survives) would be in the Wǔdēng quánshū or regional Hang-zhōu monastic gazetteers.
Sources: KR6q0425 juan 1 prefaces by Chén Zhīshēn (1665-09) and Cáo Línyùn (1665 autumn); KR6q0408 Mùchén Dàomǐn tǎmíng (the 50-heir list).