Yin Shun

On 4 June 2005, Master Yin Shun died after fighting pulmonary tuberculosis since 1954. He died in Tzu-Chi hospital in Hualien at the age of 100. In Taiwan, many were stunned to hear of his death, even though his death was expected in the coming months. Tzu-Chi, along with other Buddhist organizations and monasteries influenced by Yin Shun, joined in mourning for eight days, the length of his funeral.

In March 2004, he was awarded the Order of Propitious Clouds Second Class, for his contributions to the revitalization of Buddhism in Taiwan.

In the summer of 1979, Master Yin Shun came to Hualien. Living in this beautiful but undeveloped part of the island, Cheng Yen told Master Yin Shun about her aspiration to build a high-quality hospital for the people living in eastern Taiwan, where there were few medical facilities.

In February 1963, a thirty-two-day novitiate for Buddhist monks and nuns was held in Taipei. Monks and nuns came from all over Taiwan to register. All were accepted except a young female devotee from Hualien, a county in eastern Taiwan.

In 1930, Zhang applied to a Buddhist college in Beijing. For many days he had travelled from his home to Beijing, with high hopes. He arrived too late for acceptance.

The elder monk then referred Zhang and Wang to another place called Fuzhun Monastery (福泉庵), less than a half mile from where they were. The two hurried to Fuzhun Monastery. Later, on October 11, 1930, the abbot, Master Qingnian (清念和尚), shaved Zhang Luqin's head and gave him the Dharma name of Yin Shun (印順).

Master Yin Shun (印順導師, Yìnshùn Dǎoshī; 5 April 1906 – 4 June 2005) was a well-known Buddhist monk and scholar in the tradition of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism. Though he was particularly trained in the Three Treatise school, he was an advocate of the One Vehicle (or Ekayana) as the ultimate and universal perspective of Buddhahood for all, and as such included all schools of Buddha Dharma, including the Five Vehicles and the Three Vehicles, within the meaning of the Mahayana as the One Vehicle. Yin Shun's research helped bring forth the ideal of "Humanistic" (human-realm) Buddhism, a leading mainstream Buddhist philosophy studied and upheld by many practitioners. His work also regenerated the interests in the long-ignored Āgamas among Chinese Buddhist society and his ideas are echoed by Theravadin teacher Bhikkhu Bodhi. As a contemporary master, he was most popularly known as the mentor of Cheng Yen (Pinyin: Zhengyan), the founder of Tzu-Chi Buddhist Foundation, as well as the teacher to several other prominent monastics.

Yin Shun was born on 5 April 1906 (The traditional Chinese calendar: 12 March 丙午) in a village in Zhejiang Province, China. His birth name was Zhang Luqin (Wade–Giles: Chang Luch'in). At the time of Zhang's birth, it was the end of the Qing Dynasty. Eleven days after his birth, Zhang was critically ill and nearly died. He began school at age seven.

By contrast, Yinshun 印順 (1906–2005), Tiaxu's disciple, took a different direction from that of his teacher. He claims that Mahayana Buddhism can be divided into three systems. They are: School of śūnyatā and name only (xingkong 性空唯名系, Madhyamaka), School of illusion and Vijñapti-mātra (weishi 虛妄唯識系, Vijñapti-mātra) and School of genuine and permanent mind (zhenchang 真常唯心系, Tathāgata-garbha).

Master Taixu 太虛 (1890–1947) divided Mahayana Buddhism into three types. They are: School of śūnyatā and prajña (faxing konghui zong 法性空慧宗, Madhyamaka), School of dharmalaksana and vijnaptimatra (faxiang weishi zong 法相唯識宗) and School of dharma-dhatu and perfect enlightenment (fajie yuanjue zong 法界圓覺宗). Furthermore, he states that dharma-dhatu is on the highest level, complete and the final dharma. On the following levels are Madhyamaka and Vijnaptimatra.