Ouyi Zhixu

Grand Master (大師)
Ouyi Zhixu
A portrait of Ouyi Zhixu
Personal life
Born1599 (1599)
South Zhili, Ming
Died1655 (aged 55–56)
Religious life
ReligionBuddhism
LineageChinese Pure Land; Tiantai; Chan
TeachersXueling

Ouyi Zhixu (Chinese: 蕅益智旭; pinyin: Ǒuyì Zhìxù 1599–1655) was a Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar in 17th century China. He is considered the Ninth Patriarch of the Chinese Pure Land tradition, the Thirty-First Patriarch of the Tiantai tradition as well as a Chan master, . He was also one of the Four Eminent Monks of the Wanli Era, after Yunqi Zhuhong (1535–1615), Hanshan Deqing (1546–1623), and Zibo Zhenke (1543–1604).

Zhixu is well known for his non-sectarian and syncretic writings, which draw on various traditions like Tiantai, Pure Land, Yogacara, and Chan, and also engage with Confucian, Daoist and Jesuit sources.