Late-Míng Vinaya master Rúxīn 如馨 (1541–1616), zì Gǔxīn 古心 (“Ancient Mind”), posthumous title Huìyún lǜshī 慧雲律師 (“Vinaya-master Wisdom-Cloud”, conferred by the Wànlì 萬曆 emperor). The single most important figure in the late-Míng zhōngxìng lǜzōng 中興律宗 (“revival of the Vinaya school”) movement, traditionally honoured with the title Zhōngxìng lǜzǔ 中興律祖 (“Patriarch of the Vinaya Revival”). Born Jiājìng xīnchǒu 嘉靖辛丑 6th month 10th day (= 13 July 1541) at Lìyáng 溧陽 (modern Jiāngsū), lay surname Yáng 楊. Dharma-heir of Dàofú Rúhuàn lǜshī 道孚如幻律師.
Rú-xīn was tonsured during the Jiā-jìng reign by Sù-ān Zhēn-jié 素菴真節 of Qī-xiá-shān 棲霞山 (modern Nánjīng) and undertook the long pilgrimage to Wǔ-tái-shān 五台山 to study Vinaya at the Mañjuśrī sacred mountain. Returning to Jiāngnán, he built the Mǎ-ān-shān Gǔ-lín-ān 馬鞍山古林庵 — afterwards expanded as the Gǔ-lín lǜ-sì 古林律寺 in Jīnlíng (Nánjīng) — as the 弘律道場 (“the dharma-platform for the spread of Vinaya”) of his school. From this base he reformed the practice of Vinaya in late-Míng Buddhism, holding successive abbacies at Líng-gǔ-sì 靈谷寺, Qī-xiá-sì 棲霞寺, Gān-lù-sì 甘露寺, Líng-yǐn-sì 靈隱寺, and Tiān-níng-sì 天寧寺.
Rúxīn died on Wànlì yǐmǎo 萬曆乙卯 11th month 14th day (= 2 January 1616), aged 75 (sēnglà 27). His direct dharma-heirs include eleven lǜshī, of whom the most consequential were:
- Sānmèi Jìguāng 三昧寂光 (DILA A001028) — through whom the Bǎohuáshān 寶華山 Lóngchāngsì 隆昌寺 Vinaya school descended, the principal late-Míng / Qīng Vinaya lineage and source of the modern jiètán 戒壇 ordination tradition;
- Liánzōng Xìngxiàng 蓮宗性相 (DILA A042318);
- Dàhuì Yǒnghǎi 大會永海 (cf. KR6k0075);
- Màolín Xìngzhī 茂林性祇 (the 性祇 of KR6k0258 Píní rìyòng lù).
Rú-xīn’s principal recorded composition is the Jīng-lǜ jiè-xiàng bù-sà guǐ-yí 經律戒相布薩軌儀 (KR6k0261, X1136, 1 juàn) — the late-Míng standard short-form combined precept-conferral and poṣadha manual.
Sources: Fànwǎngjīng púsàjiè chūjīn 梵網經菩薩戒初津 j.7; Bǎizhàng qīngguī zhèngyì jì 百丈清規證義記 j.7; Lǜzōng dēngpǔ 律宗燈譜 j.1; Xīnxù gāosēng zhuàn 新續高僧傳 j.28–29; DILA A000352.