Tōngqí 通奇 (Línyě Tōngqí 林野通奇)
Late-Míng / early-Qīng LínjìYángqí Chán master, 31st-generation Línjì descendant. Zì Línyě 林野 (“Forest-Wild”); community-sobriquet Lín Gǔfó 林古佛 (“Old-Buddha Lín”), given during his years as wéinà 維那 in Mìyún Yuánwù’s assembly. Lay surname Cài 蔡, mother’s surname Yú 余. Native of Sìchuān Chóngqìngfǔ Hézhōu 四川重慶府合州 (modern Héchuān 合川, Chóngqìng) — one of the few major Mìyún-line third-generation masters of Sichuan origin, a datum exploited throughout the 塔銘 by Mùchén Dàomǐn 木陳道忞 (the Sichuan Chán-genealogy opening). Lifedates Wànlì 23.12.26 – Shùnzhì 9.3.29 (early 1596 Western – 6 May 1652), age 58 suì / 41 sēnglà per the 塔銘 in KR6q0408 juan 8.
Became tóngxíng 童行 at age 10 under his paternal uncle Dàorán 道然 at Jīnzhōngsì 金鐘寺 (Hézhōu); tonsured at 17. At 19 (1614) left Sichuan and wandered south among jiǎngsì 講肆 (scripture-lecture halls) for fourteen years, declining multiple lecture-seat offers. Dīngmǎo 丁卯 (1627) settled at Dānghú Décáng 當湖德藏 (Pínghú, Jiāxīng) for three-year bìguān; during retreat, illness and Mìyún’s yǔlù aroused the yīniàn wèishēng qián 一念未生前 gōngàn. Gēngwǔ 庚午 (1630) spring, after a fall from an upper floor and the awakening-verse “yīniàn wèishēng qián, liùhù jué xiāoxī 一念未生前六戶絕消息,” broke his retreat and traveled to Gūsū Qīngliángān 姑蘇清涼菴 to meet Mìyún. Xīnwèi 辛未 (1631) spring followed Mìyún to Yùwángsì 育王寺; then Jīnsù 金粟 as close attendant and wéinà. Yǐhài 乙亥 (1635–36) winter declined the yuánzuò 元座 seat on health grounds. Final Chán-sealing and fùfǎ 付法 from Mìyún Yuánwù 密雲圓悟 (1566/7–1642) at Huáng Lǚsù 黃履素 (hào Ànzhāi guānchá 闇齋觀察)‘s Jiāhé Sùyuán 素園 garden in jǐmǎo qiū jiǔyuè 己卯秋九月 (autumn 1639) — on the same day as Fúshí Tōngxián 通賢, the famous dual-transmission whose preserving omens (Mrs. Huáng’s dream of two cinnamon-trees; Huáng Lǚsù’s dream of five-color lotus-pair) are described at KR6q0407 and KR6q0408. Gēngchén 庚辰 6th month (1640) retired to Yúháng Guǎnghuàsì 餘杭廣化寺.
Five abbacies: (1) Tāizhōu Tiāntāishān Tōngxuán Chánsì 台州天台山通玄禪寺 (Chóngzhēn 16 guǐwèi 4.4 = 22 May 1643 – 1647 winter), succeeding Mìyún at Mìyún’s final seat, five-year tenure; (2) Jiāxīng Dōngtǎsì 嘉興東塔寺 (1647 winter); (3) Xiùzhōu Qīzhēnsì 秀州棲真寺 (1648 spring, petitioned by 錢謙益 under the hào Sāiān 塞菴); (4) Húzhōu Dùshēng Chányuàn 湖州度生禪院 (1649 winter, precept-ceremony); (5) Míngzhōu Tiāntóng Jǐngdé Chánsì 明州天童景德禪寺 (entered 1650.5.3, died at the seat 1652.3.29). Over fifty named dharma-heirs across the five abbacies, most prominently Èryǐn Xíngmì 二隱行謐 (hào Lóngyuān 龍淵, compiler of the yǔlù), Zìxián Xíngjué 自閑行覺, Fógǔ Xíngwén 佛古行聞, Rǔfēng Xínglì 乳峰行溧, and Chūyě Xíngguǒ 出冶行果 (who received at the deathbed the master’s re-naming to “xíngguǒ yuánchéng 行果圓成” — the last act of the tǎmíng narrative).
Distinctive doctrinal contributions: (a) non-sectarian ancestor-hall restoration at Tiāntóng (“bù fēn DòngJǐ 不分洞濟” — renewing both Línjì and Cáodòng yǐngtáng without sectarian discrimination); (b) a principled austerity — “winter and summer cotton-robe and straw-sandals” (dōngxià bùyī cǎolǚ 冬夏布衣草履) against the mid-Qīng abbot-luxury drift; (c) a pre-death re-assertion of the Mìyún-line’s shíxíng 實行 (practice-beyond-words) position.
Work: KR6q0408 《林野奇禪師語錄》 (8 juan, Jiāxīng J26 B186, compiled by 行謐 at Huátíng Chuánzǐ Fǎrěnsì, front-prefaces by 曹勳 1648, 譚貞默 1658-Buddha-birthday, 汪挺 1648; xíngzhuàng by 曹勳; tǎmíng by 木陳道忞; hòubá by 行謐 1658-Ullambana-day).
Sources: KR6q0408 juan 1 prefaces and juan 8 xíngzhuàng / tǎmíng / hòubá; Wǔdēng quánshū 五燈全書 juan 66; Tiāntóngsì zhì 天童寺志 juan 3.