Yu Chunxi (1553–1621) was a Ming official. His courtesy name was Changru, with Danran as an alternative courtesy name, and his sobriquet was Deyuan; he was from Qiantang in Zhejiang, while Hangzhou Right Guard is also given as his native-place designation. He is also found under the forms 虞職方, 虞銓部, and 六夢居士, and his generation order is given as Yi.
Life
An alternative death span is given as 22 January 1621 to 9 February 1622.
He was a licentiate and placed fourth in the Zhejiang provincial examination. In the eleventh year of the Wanli reign (1583), the Guiwei year, he passed the jinshi examination, ranking twenty-seventh in the metropolitan examination and sixty-fifth in the second class; the title “榜眼” is also associated with him.
He was appointed zhushi in the Ministry of War's Bureau of Military Operations, later served as yuanwailang in the Ministry of Personnel's Office of Merit Examination, and reached langzhong in that office; the highest office is also given as 「銓部」. He left office because of illness.
Family
His great-grandfather was Yu Kui (虞奎), his grandfather Yu Yi (虞翊), his father Yu Shunqing (虞舜卿), and his mother was Huang (黃氏).
He had eight younger brothers—虞淳真, 虞淳粹, 虞淳潔, 虞淳全, 虞淳完, 虞淳至, 虞淳簡, and 虞淳化.
He married Yang and later Li; his daughter was 虞淨芳, and his second son was 虞宗瑤.
Associations and religion
He was a friend of 陸振奇 and had poetry-society ties with 馮夢禎; he wrote sacrificial texts for 屠隆 and 潘季馴.
He corresponded with 袁宏道 and 湯顯祖; at parting, he received farewell writing from 袁宏道, including a farewell poem and preface.
From childhood he was devoted to Buddhism. He wrote to 利瑪竇, urging him to read Buddhist works and naming 《宗鏡錄》, 《戒律發隱》, 《西域記》, 《高僧傳》, and 《法苑珠林》.
Works
His works include the twenty-five-volume 《虞德園先生文集》; 《德園集》 is also listed among his writings. Other works include 《從今文孝經說》 (one volume), 《孝經集靈》 (two volumes, with a one-volume supplement), and 《勝蓮社約》 (one volume).
References
- CBDB Yu Chunxi (118893)
- 搜韵 虞淳熙 (120903)
- Wikidata Chunxi Yu (Q16259922)
- 法鼓佛教人名规范数据库 虞淳熙 (A011239)