Hong Yi

Hong Yi was born into a wealthy family of scholar officials in Tianjin. He developed an interest in poetry, painting, and seal-carving in his early youth, and collected old seals and inkstones. He went to Japan to study at Tokyo School of Fine Art, where he specialized in Western painting and music. He returned to China in 1910 and became a teacher of painting and music in various schools. He was the first Chinese educator to use nude models in his painting classes, and the first teacher of Western music in China. He also composed and wrote lyrics for many songs, some of which are still popular today. In 1916, he took refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddhism and became a disciple of Master Yinguang. He spent a year in Mount Putuo, where he studied Buddhist scriptures and practiced meditation. He then decided to become a monk and was ordained in 1918. He changed his name to Hong Yi and devoted his life to propagating Buddhism and its code of conduct. He travelled to many places in China and Southeast Asia, giving lectures, writing books, and making friends with eminent monks and laypeople. He also continued to practice calligraphy, developing a simple and elegant style that was admired by many. He was a free-spirited and unconventional character, who was interested in various fields of knowledge and art. He was also known for his strict adherence to the monastic rules and his compassion for all sentient beings. He died peacefully in 1942 at the age of 61 in Quanzhou, Fujian province. He was widely regarded as a great master of Buddhism and a cultural icon of modern China.