The Wan Fudun 万福敦

Wan Fudun (1428-1520) was a native of Luotian (now part of Hubei Province) during the Ming Dynasty, with the courtesy name Yushan.

As recorded in Xu Wenxian Tongkao (Continued Comprehensive Examination of Literature and History) and Huguang Tongzhi (Comprehensive Gazetteer of Huguang), he studied Confucian classics in his childhood. When he grew up, he left his family and became a Buddhist monk at Tashan Temple, taking the Dharma name Daoji. Not long after, he grew his hair back and converted to Taoism. He traveled to famous mountains such as Zhongnan, Tiantai, Wangwu, and Emei, visiting renowned Buddhist monks and Taoist companions everywhere. From then on, his attainments in Taoism advanced significantly.

Wan Fudun practiced the "zhongxi technique" (a Taoist breathing method that mimics the breathing rhythm of a fetus) and was capable of "bigu" (a Taoist practice of abstaining from regular food). He also had a secondary mastery of various esoteric arts, including Qimen Dunjia (an ancient Chinese metaphysical system for divination and strategic planning), talismancy and fortune-telling, Fengjiao (a method of predicting events through observing wind patterns), and Kanyu (geomancy).

In addition, he was proficient in medicine, and skilled at painting bamboo and orchids—his works exuded a sense of elegance and refined charm. He was particularly adept at commenting on current affairs, and his predictions about people’s fortunes and misfortunes all proved accurate.

At the age of 60, he married and had children. He passed away at Huoshan Mountain in the 10th year of the Zhengde reign of the Wuzong Emperor (1515) at the age of 93. His famous disciple included Tao Zhongwen. In the 21st year of the Jiajing reign of the Shizong Emperor (1542), he was posthumously conferred the title of "Qingwei Shenxiao Yanfa Zhenren" (True Person of Qingwei and Shenxiao Schools, Spreading Taoist Dharma).