Biography
Yin Shun was born prematurely on March 12, 1906 in a small village in Zhejiang Province, China, near Shanghai. His birth name was Zhang Luqin (Wade-Giles: Chang Luch'in). Eleven days after his birth, Zhang was already ill and was at risk of premature death.
At the time of Zhang's birth, the end of the Qing Dynasty was a turbulent period. Revolutionary movements ended the imperial governments that had lasted for thousands of years. The first day of January 1911 was designated as the birthday of the Republic of China and marked an abrupt cut from the oppressive past. At the age of seven, Zhang's father then took him to a neighboring town to receive his preliminary education.
Four years later, Zhang left home to attend a boarding school for three years. Not knowing how to take care of himself and feeling inferior to other wealthy children, he was very lonely. He isolated himself and shield away from speaking with other boys.
It was his composition class that rebuilt his confidence. In his last year of middle school, the composition teacher gave him full marks plus an extra two points on an essay he wrote. The extraordinary top marks, like sunlight, illuminated his gloomy, depressing life. Through this newly discovered talent, Zhang could comfortably express his thoughts. He later devoted his life to philosophic and religious writings.
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