紫柏真可

Zǐbǎi Zhēnkě 紫柏真可

Zǐbǎi Zhēnkě 紫柏真可 (1543–1604), zì Dáguān 達觀; lay surname Shěn 沈. Native of Wújiāng 吳江 (Sūzhōu). One of the Four Eminent Monks of the late Míng (WǎnMíng sì dà gāosēng 晚明四大高僧) alongside 袾宏 Yúnqī Zhūhóng, 德清 Hānshān Déqīng, and 智旭 Ǒuyì Zhìxù.

Vigorous promoter of Buddhist textual scholarship and a leading sponsor of the Jiāxīngzàng 嘉興藏 (Jingshan canon) project; itinerant teacher with a strong ascetic and Chán orientation. Implicated in the politically charged 1603 “yāoshū 妖書” affair, he was imprisoned and died under interrogation in 1604. His collected writings circulate as Zǐbǎi zūnzhě quánjí 紫柏尊者全集.