Unveiling the Late Years of Wei Yuan: Did He Take up Religious Life in the End?
2024-05-15 16:19:05 中文版

Wei Yuan, a renowned politician, reformer, and educator in the late Qing Dynasty, was also an important figure in modern Chinese history. With profound knowledge and noble personal charm, he won widespread respect from people. However, his late life, especially whether he really entered a monastery, has always been an unsolved mystery. Today, let's reveal the truth about Wei Yuan's late life and see if he really entered a monastery.

Firstly, it should be clarified that Wei Yuan did not officially become a monk. Although he did spend some time in temples in his later years, his identity was still a layman, not a monk. His life was not completely detached from the secular world, but rather, he continued to pay attention to the development of the country and the progress of society in a more detached manner.

So, why is there a saying that Wei Yuan entered a monastery? This is mainly because he did have deep exchanges and contacts with some monks in his later years. He often lectured in temples, discussed Buddhist teachings and worldly affairs with monks, and sometimes even lived in temples. This lifestyle led some people to mistakenly believe that he had become a monk.

However, Wei Yuan himself had a clear attitude towards this. He once said in an interview, "Although I enjoy communicating with monks, I have no intention of leaving the secular world. I am still a layman, and I still care about the development of the country and the progress of society." This statement clearly indicates that Wei Yuan did not enter a monastery and he still maintained a heart full of love for the country and its people.

Overall, Wei Yuan's late life was not as some people imagined, living a life of isolation from the world. He still cared about the development of the country and the lives of the people. His lifestyle, perhaps, could be described as a "layman's" lifestyle, but definitely not a "monk's" lifestyle. Therefore, we can confidently say that Wei Yuan did not enter a monastery.

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