The Lü Xuyi 吕虚夷

Lü Xuyi, whose courtesy name was Yuzhi, was a native of Fenghua (now part of Zhejiang Province) during the Yuan Dynasty.

He entered Tongbai Chongdao Temple on Mount Tiantai, where he composed Taoist books and engaged in the study of Confucian classics and historical records.

During the Huangqing reign period (1312–1313), he went to Bao’en Temple in Qingyuan (an ancient administrative region, roughly covering parts of present-day Ningbo, Zhejiang Province) and studied under Revered Master Wu. He learned the methods of praying for wind and rain, and commanding ghosts and spirits—skills that proved highly effective. Later, he resided at Dayinghai Taoist Courtyard.

In the first year of the Zhizheng reign (1341), a severe drought struck Qingyuan. Lü Xuyi successfully prayed for rain to alleviate the drought. Zhao Yousong, who held the position of Tongzhi (Assistant Administrator) of Linjiang Circuit’s Governor’s Office, invited him to serve as the leader of Fushun Temple. There, Lü Xuyi built a grand pavilion to enshrine the deities of Siming Dongtian (Siming Grotto-Heaven, one of the "Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens" in Taoist cosmology, a sacred realm believed to be inhabited by immortals).

Lü Xuyi was righteous and upright by nature. He had a thorough understanding of Chan (Zen) meditation philosophy and collaborated with Buddhist monks (Sramana masters) on poetic exchanges.

In his later years, he retired to seclusion on Wu Mountain in Hangzhou, where he regarded ancient plum trees and twisting vines as his kindred friends. He fell seriously ill and passed away in the fourth year of the Zhizheng reign (1344).

His works include Lectures on Laozi and Collected Essays of Sezhi Studio. Additionally, renowned scholars of his time compiled seventeen volumes of his teachings and words into a book titled Jinghai Jiyan (Records of Words from the Oceanic Realm).