Fúdù 福度, zì Méixī 梅溪 (“Plum Stream”); often referred to as Dōngshān Méixī 東山梅溪 from his abbacy. LínjìYángqí dharma-heir of Língyǐn Yìnwén 印文. Born 明崇禎丁丑正月三十寅時 = 1637-02-24 Gregorian; died 康熙四十年正月 = 1701-02-08–1701-03-09 (lunar 1), age 63, sēnglà 47. Native of XīShǔ Yǒngchuān 西蜀永川 (Sìchuān); lay surname Zhāng 張. His mother née Wú 吳 carried him into Guìzhōu as a child.
Formation. At 16 took tonsure under Dōngshān Zhīrú 東山知如和尚. At 20 sought the ten precepts under Kuòlàng dàshī 闊浪大師. At 21 went to Diānchéng 滇城 (Yúnnán) to study under Língyǐn 靈隱禪師. 己亥春 = 1659 spring left his teacher; spent a year at Dōngshān 東山 in Guìzhōu. 庚子 = 1660 winter built a hut with his friend Zhàomiànshān 照面山. 辛丑冬 = 1661 winter Língyǐn arrived at Dòubǎo Guānyīnsì 竇堡觀音寺 in Guìzhōu and convened a jiézhì — Fúdù served as wéinuó and on the Buddha’s enlightenment day (lunar 12/8) received fùfǎ.
Abbacies. Ānshùn Qīngyuán 安順清源, Ānlóng Huáguāng 安籠華光, Guǎngxī Yùhuáng 廣西玉皇, Ménghuà Děngjué 蒙化等覺, Yúnzhōu Yùgé 雲州玉閣, Zōngzhōu Guānyīn 宗州觀音, Pǔān Yuántōng 普安圓通, Pénglái Yǒngxīng 蓬萊永興 — i.e. wide circulation across Yúnnán / Guìzhōu / Guǎngxī.
Disciples (ten or more). Huìyǐng Qìngxù 慧穎慶緒 慶緒 (compiler of his yǔlù), Shílín Dàohuī 石林道輝, Xiázhāng Hǎiwěi 霞章海偉, Shàonán Zhēnjiě 紹南真解, Jìěr Xìngjiān 繼爾性堅, Fǎyǔ Zhàorùn 法雨照潤.
Death. Returned to Tiāntóng to clean Mìzǔ’s stupa; on the way back stopped at Hànyáng 漢陽; fell ill there. “When the moon was at zenith — yī yuè zhèng zhōng tiān — he set down his brush and died.” Disciples Shàonán and Fǎyǔ cremated him; relics were taken back to Dōngshān for stupa-burial.
Works.
- Fù biān (re-compiler) of his teacher’s yǔlù KR6q0560 《靈隱文禪師語錄》 3 juan, J39 B446 (1698).
- Own yǔlù KR6q0561 《東山梅溪度禪師語錄》 10 juan, J39 B447, compiled by fǎsì Huìyǐng Qìngxù 慶緒.
Sources. 《黔南會燈錄》 vol. 3; 《東山梅溪度禪師語錄》 vol. 10 〈行由〉, 〈聯芳〉.