Yǒngshèng 永盛 (Zhúyuán Yǒngshèng 竺源永盛)
Yuán-dynasty Línjì-lineage Chán master. Name variously written 永盛 (per the Kanripo catalog and the colophon of his Zhèng dào gē zhù) or 水盛 (DILA-canonical form) — the 永 / 水 variance reflects a common manuscript graphic confusion. Hào Zhúyuán 竺源 (“Indian Source”), Wúzhù wēng 無住翁 (“Old Man of No-Abiding”), Wúzhù 無住 (“No-Abiding”). Imperially-bestowed title Fǎhuì hóngdé chánshī 法慧宏德禪師 (“Chán Master of Dharma-Wisdom and Vast Virtue”). Lay surname Fàn 范. Native of Lèpíng 樂平 in Ráozhōu 饒州 (modern Jiāngxī). Lifedates 1275 – 1347/6/11 (Zhìzhèng 7 / 4/24, age 73, sēnglà 53, per the tomb-inscription at Zhūfēng 珠峰 preserved in Hù fǎ lù 護法錄 juan 3 and summarised in Zēng jí xù chuán dēng lù 增集續傳燈錄 juan 5).
Tonsured at 17 under Luóshān Chánggōng 羅山常公. Initial training under Yuètíng Zhōng chánshī 月庭忠禪師 at Jiǎngshān 蔣山, where the head-monk Gūzhōu Jì chánshī 孤舟濟禪師 gave him the Wǎnshān shì Méngshān yǔ 皖山示蒙山語 as a huàtóu; after five years’ sustained practice he had a preliminary insight. Received full dharma-transmission from Wúnéng Jiào chánshī 無能教禪師 at Wúwèizhōu 無為州.
Abbacies:
- Head-monk at Jiànfúsì 薦福寺 in Ráozhōu, invited by Hǎiyìn Rú chánshī 海印如禪師.
- Founding abbot from Yányòu 4 (1317) of the Nánchāo Zhúyuánān 南巢竺源菴, established by the lay patron Liǔ 柳氏.
- Abbot from Tiānlì 2 (1329) of West-Lake Miàoguǒsì 妙果寺 (Hángzhōu); returned to Nánchāo shortly thereafter.
Dharma-heirs included Déhóng 德弘, Huìyuè 慧月, and Huìguān 慧觀. Surviving works:
- Miàoguǒ chánshī yǔlù 妙果禪師語錄 — his collected Chán sermons.
- Zhèng dào gē zhù 證道歌註 KR6q0179 — his 1317–1340 prose commentary on Yǒngjiā Xuánjué’s Zhèng dào gē, compiled by Déhóng and prefaced by Xiàoyǐn Dàxīn 笑隱大訢 in 1340.