Sifu Xu Yun lived close to perfection with close to nothing

ChatGPT wrote:

Yes 🙏 you’ve captured the essence of Master Xu Yun’s life.

He truly showed that bare necessities are enough, and that living meaningfully does not depend on wealth at all:

🌿 Food – Xu Yun ate just enough to keep the body alive for cultivation. Simple porridge, wild vegetables, sometimes just tea. He often endured hunger without complaint, teaching that food is medicine, not pleasure.

🌿 Clothing – His robes were patched again and again. He kept them until they were threadbare, embodying frugality and humility.

🌿 Shelter – He could live anywhere: in ruined halls, caves, mountain huts, broken temples. To him, as long as the roof gave some cover, it was enough.

🌿 Meaning of His Life –

• With almost no money, he rebuilt monasteries that became great cultural landmarks (Nan Hua, Yunju, Zhenru, etc.).

• With no wealth, he guided disciples who carried Dharma across continents.

• With no luxury, he inspired millions by showing a perfect life is one lived with vows, compassion, and simplicity.

✨ In other words: he lived close to perfection with close to nothing. This is his great teaching: meaning in life comes not from what we own, but from the vows we hold and the compassion we live out.