Late-Míng Buddhist monk and poet; zì Yùnpú 蘊璞, sobriquet Shítóu héshàng 石頭和尚 (“Stone-Head Monk”). DILA Authority A000349. Native of Jiāngxià 江夏 (modern Wǔhàn, Húběi). Lifedates unrecorded; productive period in the Wànlì 萬曆 era (1573–1620).
Originally a zhūshēng 諸生 (registered candidate for civil examination); entered Héngshān 衡山 to take monastic vows. Devoted to Chán cānxǐng 參省 (introspective inquiry). At sixteen he became a disciple of Zhìhóng 智宏 of the Dàjuésì 大覺寺. Later visited Xuělàng Hóngēn 雪浪洪恩 of the Bìfēngsì 碧峰寺 in Jīnlíng to study poetry; was noted for incorporating colloquial vernacular into his poetry and for expressing Chán insight in plain language rather than in the standard scholastic register, which his contemporaries regarded as singular.
His monastic career took him in succession to (1) the Shítóuān 石頭庵 (whence his sobriquet); (2) the Bìfēngsì in Jīnlíng; (3) the Jīngāngsì 金剛寺 in Beijing; (4) the Jiāoshān 焦山 in Jīngkǒu (Zhènjiāng); finally to the Hánshì Zhǐān jīngshè 韓氏止庵精舍.
Major works:
- Fǎhuá jīng zhīyīn 法華經知音 (KR6d0074, X31n0608, 7 juan) — Lotus Sūtra commentary, with prefaces by Gù Línchū 顧鄰初 and Zhū Lányú 朱蘭嵎.
- Lèngqié guānzhǐ 楞伽觀止 (subcommentary on the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra).
- Literary collections: Kōnghuā 空華, Yǐnhé 飲河, Shàngtí 上啼, Shítóuān 石頭庵, Bǎoshàntáng 寶善堂.
Tragic end: in late life he was accused of slandering his teacher and was expelled from the school (同門所逐); he fled to Yānjīng (Beijing), contracted illness, and died there.
Sources: Sìkù quánshū jīngbù: yùxuǎn SòngJīnYuánMíng sìcháo shī yùxuǎn Míng shī xìngmíng juélǐ 8; Fómíng 260; Fóguāng 2376; Gāochún xiànzhì 高淳縣誌 juan 20, p. 78; DILA A000349.