The Yu Zhike 于志可

Yu Zhike was a native of Ninghai in Shandong (now Muping District, Yantai City, Shandong Province) during the Jin and Yuan dynasties. His courtesy name was Xiandao, and his literary name was Chongxu.

According to Volume 5 of Ganshui Xianyuan Lu (Records of the Immortal Origins by the Sweet Water): Yu Zhike had a refined interest in quiet and simple living from childhood. At the age of 19, he studied under Liu Changsheng and converted to the Quanzhen School of Taoism.

Shortly after, Liu Changsheng passed away, so Yu Zhike then studied under Qiu Changchun (a leading Quanzhen master) for more than ten years. Later, he followed the Taoist Patriarch to respond to the imperial edict and returned to reside in the Grand Changchun Palace in Yanjing (the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, present-day Beijing). When Real Person Qinghe succeeded to the leadership of the Quanzhen School, he appointed Yu Zhike to oversee all affairs of the Grand Changchun Palace.

During Yu Zhike’s six-year tenure in this position, both the internal and external operations of the palace remained peaceful and orderly. Li Ding, in Epitaph of Master Chongxu Yu, wrote: "After entering the Taoist community, Yu Zhike dedicated himself wholeheartedly for over 50 years—he never loosened his robe belt (indicating constant diligence) and never let his side touch the mat (referring to ascetic practice of not lying down to sleep soundly). People both inside and outside the Taoist community praised him."

In the fifth year of the Yuan Xianzong era (1255), Yu Zhike passed away (described in Taoist terms as "achieving immortality and transcending mortal life") at Baiyun Temple, at the age of 71.