Lay surname Liu, of Changshu (Yushan) in Suzhou; styled Tianshu. Born 14/12 of 1632; the night before his birth his mother dreamt of the sun rising in the east. At one year old his left arm withered; an old monk passing by stroked his head and said 'this is a man of the patriarchs' place - the illness is not worth worrying about', so his father named him Liu Zu ('Liu the patriarch'), and he recovered. At fifteen he told his mother he was leaving and went to Maian De at Poshan; he was tonsured at nineteen. In 1651 he paid respects to Muyun Tongmen, and in 1656 took the full precepts under Feiyin Tongrong. Grinding wheat one day he went utterly still, and when a fellow monk pushed his hand and said 'why not put your back into it?', he shoved the millstone forward and broke through completely. When Muyun was about to die in the winter of 1671 he handed him the dharma robe, and Xingzhi succeeded to the seat at Helin. He died in the 10th month of 1680, aged 49; his stupa is in the eastern grove by the Cuckoo Tower at Helin.
View interactive profile →