Liǎo 了 (Yuèchuáng Chèliǎo 月幢徹了)
Early-Qīng LínjìYángqí chánshī, principal Pòshān / Zhàngxuě sub-line dharma-heir of Zhàngxuě Tōngzuì 通醉 丈雪通醉 (1610–1695), and — by imperial grace — dharma-name-bearer of the name Zhēnfó 真佛 bestowed on him by the Southern-Ming Yǒnglì 永曆 emperor during his Yúnnán / Guìzhōu ministry. DILA-standardized dharma-name Chèliǎo 徹了 (sometimes just Liǎo 了 as in the Jiāxīng Canon colophon of KR6q0447), hào Yuèchuáng 月幢 (“Moon-Banner”). Lay name Máo Yìngsēng 毛應僧, of Jiāngjīn 江津 (Chóngqìng, Sìchuān). Born Wànlì 甲寅 7/20 未時 = 1614-08-24 (Gregorian); died Kāngxī 丙午 季冬 12/22 = 1667-01-16 (Gregorian); shìshòu 53, sēnglà 37.
Formation. Mother Táo 陶 dreamed of a monk presenting a peach before conception; tonsured in youth after contemplating the Jīngāng jīng on life-death mastery. At 16 suì (壬申 = 1632) visited Bǎodǐng 寶頂 with his mother; a young monk prompted him to take up niànfó. Awakened initial yíqíng on reading the Léngyán jīng; physically ill with a cold-fever, he vowed to leave the world and was tonsured at Jìmíngshī 寄名師’s monastery. Early training at Chóngqìng Pòxuě 破雪和尚 on “niànfó yě rù dìyù, bù niànfó yě rù dìyù”; three years under Guīyuán dàshī 歸源大師 on “wànfǎ guīyī, yī guī héchù”, with decisive xǐng 省 at the fourth watch. Subsequent study with Língfá héshàng 靈筏和尚 (甲申 = 1644 at Tóngliáng Báishuǐsì 銅梁白水寺); with Xiàngyái héshàng 象崖和尚 from 丙戌 9 (= 1646/9) at Wùchuān 婺川, and on the Péngshuǐ tour of 丁亥 (1647); three-year novice-instructor (戊子 = 1648 onwards).
Transmission and abbacies. Met Zhàngxuě Tōngzuì at Yǔmén 禹門 in 己丑 臘 = 1650 early (post-jiǎ-shēn catastrophe refugee-abbacy phase of Tōngzuì in Shǎnxī); served as wéinuó and concurrent fāngzhàng li; 庚寅 (1650) appointed xītáng 西堂; formal transmission 辛卯 夏 (1651/summer) with yuánliú fúzǐ xìnjīn 源流拂子信金. Refused the first formal abbacy appointment (Suíyáng 綏陽 letter of 1650/8); formally took up his own seat only after leaving Yǔmén in 甲午 春 (1654) at Ānlóng Húshān 安龍湖山. Subsequent seats: 癸巳 冬 (1653) first opening at Diānnán Shíbǎo Chányuàn 滇南石寶禪院 (Yúnnánfǔ, during the Yǒnglì court’s residence there); 庚子 3/14 (1660) formally re-invited by hùfǎ Yǔhóng Wáng and Míngyǔ Yáng to reside at Yúnnánfǔ Shíbǎo Chányuàn; subsequent migration to Guìzhōu seats Jìngyǐn 靜隱, Nánmíng 南明, Lóngquán 龍泉, and Yùquán 玉泉.
Imperial patronage. The Southern-Míng Yǒnglì emperor (reigned in Yúnnán / Guìzhōu 1647–61) xiàng qí dàofēng, qǐng kāishì qiú jì, fǎmíng Zhēnfó; shàng xī chěnfú, ēn wò shèn hòu — requested dharma-instruction and bestowed the name 真佛 and the chěnfú 椹服 robe, with generous treasury donations for state zhùxī 祝釐 and two submitted memorials. The imperial connection makes Yuèchuáng one of the few Chán masters formally patronized by the exiled Southern Míng court.
Heirs. Principal dharma-heirs Jiànduān Dázǔ 劒端達祖, Zǔbí Dázuì 達最 祖鼻達最 (compiler of KR6q0447), Shànquán Dáwèi 善權達位, Jíshèng Dàozhēn 道真 極乘道真, and Xiǎnjīn Dágǔ 達古 顯今達古. The dá-generation constitutes the early-Qīng Qiánnán 黔南 (Guìzhōu) Chán establishment.
Work. KR6q0447 《月幢了禪師語錄》 4 juan, Jiāxīng Canon J29 B237, compiled by Dázuì 達最 with front-preface by Xú Shìwěi 徐士煒 of Hánshān 寒山 (Gūsū).
Sources: KR6q0447 juan 2 xíngshí (narrated 1654 at Ānlóng to disciple Gūdēng); 《錦江禪燈》 j. 12; 《黔南會燈錄》 j. 1, 6; Yínián lù 441; Fóguāng.