The Zhu Yangyuan 朱阳元

Zhu Yangyuan (?–1808) was a native of Renhe, Zhejiang Province, during the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns of the Qing Dynasty, and his literary name was Xunfeng.

He was born into a wealthy family. In his youth, he was handsome in appearance, but he relied on his family's wealth to live a luxurious and dissolute life. One day, he accidentally read Illustrated Annotations on the Text of Hidden Virtue (a classic text advocating moral cultivation) and thus felt a deep remorse for his past behavior. Later, he traveled to Helin Taoist Abbey, then went to Dengyun Temple on Tianzhen Mountain, and took temporary shelter at Sanmao Temple on Wuyi Mountain and Jishen Temple in Gusu (an ancient name for Suzhou). After that, he retreated to seclusion on Maoshan Mountain for several years.

In the first year of the Jiaqing reign (1796), Taoist Master Lanyun (the "Precept Master") took him back to Zhejiang Province. Zhu Yangyuan resided on Mount Jingai, where he practiced closed-door meditation for three years and recited The Supreme Jade Emperor Scripture (a major Taoist scripture) every day.

In the 13th year of the Jiaqing reign (1808), Zhu Yangyuan left Mount Jingai and went to Shimen. Before long, he passed away due to illness at Shiyiwen Shrine.

(From Jingai Xindeng / The Golden Cover and the Lamp of the Heart)