Liu Zhiyu (柳智宇) - The Mathematics Genius Who Refused MIT and Became a Buddhist Monk!
Original Chinese-Language Text by Zi Chen Qi Mo (缁尘绮陌)
(Translated by Adrian Chan-Wyles PhD)
Translator’s Note: This is an English-language translation of the original Chinese-language text entitled ‘北大数学天才柳智宇：拒麻省理工坚持出家，遁入空门8年今又还俗 - or ‘Mathematical Genius of Peking University - Liu Zhiyu – Who Refused MIT and Insisted on Becoming a Monk – And Escaped Through the Empty-Door Eight-Years Ago!’ Liu Zhiyu was born on June 12th, 1988, to an academic family living in Wuhan, Hubei province, Mainland China. His father is named ‘Liu Chaomei’ (柳超美), whilst his mother is only described as being an ‘Engineer’. His parents attempted to have their son ‘converted’ to Christianity – as he could remain in society whilst practicing that religion and still pursue the life of a mathematician! This did not work, and Liu Zhiyu instead entered the Longquan Temple on July 25th, 2010. His was given the Ordination name of ‘Xian Yu’ (贤宇) - which translates as ‘Sage Universe’ or ‘Sagely Universe’ - and alludes to the fully expanded and all-embracing enlightened mind, (or the cultivated ‘empty’ consciousness which is fully integrated throughout the ‘form’ of the material universe). It is thought Liu Zhiyu spent around four years training (probably as a ‘lay-person’ and then a ‘novice’ monk), before he took the full Vinaya and Bodhisattva Vows around 2014! Between 2010-2018, Liu Zhiyu spent his time withdrawn from the world studying sutras and practicing Ch’an meditation. During 2018, he broke this habit of isolation and re-engaged the world as a Bodhisattva-monk assisting humanity with an integration of Buddhist philosophy and secular psychological theory – which Liu Zhiyu believes allows ordinary modern people to more easily access the beneficial teachings of Buddhism which are often obscured by layers of repetition, ritual and outdated customs, etc. The original title of this 2022 article refers to Liu Zhiyu studying for ‘eight-years’ - but this only counts the time he has spent as a fully Ordained Buddhist monk between 2014-2022 – and oddly ignores the first four-years (2010-2014)! Consequently, as I am writing in 2022, I have altered the text and replaced ‘eight-years’ with ‘twelve-years’ to maintain logical and chronological clarity! Of course, there is much controversy surrounding Liu Zhiyu which I have kept to a minimum. Needless to say, Liu Zhiyu has done nothing wrong himself, and does engage with humanity through social media in China (WeChat and Weibo) and is not afraid to express his mind. In many ways, Liu Zhiyu is a typical manifestation of modern China where religious freedom is guaranteed to the point where a world-class mathematician can turn his back upon the secular world and put all his energy into the study of the Dharma! ACW (7.6.2022)
Standing in a walled corner of Beijing's ‘Longquan’ (龙泉) or ‘Dragon Spring’ Temple, the man formerly known as ‘Liu Zhiyu’ turned his back on an enquiring Reporter – remaining ‘silent’ as he confirmed that he had left the world.
In 2010, news that shocked the entire country occupied the headlines of all major Chinese newspapers: Liu Zhiyu, a top student from Peking University - who had an amazing mathematical talent, who had won the International Mathematics Competition - and who held an Admission Letter for MIT – had decided to dedicate his life to the study of the Dharma – and leave the world! He had entered the ‘Empty Gate’ (空门 - Kong Men) and become an ordinary monk in Beijing’s Longquan Temple!
This was surprising as Liu Zhiyu had defeated German maths genius ‘Schultz’ who now stood on the podium of the Nobel Prize... The genius Liu Zhiyu was born in 1988 into a family specialising in science and engineering in Wuhan, Hubei. His father was a physics teacher in a famous school and his mother was an excellent engineer. As Liu Zhiyu was born into such a family, he grew-up within a strong academic atmosphere – which developed his good and advanced dialectical thinking as a child. Liu Zhiyu, when in nursery was introverted and did not like to talk. When other children were chasing and making trouble, Liu Zhiyu always thought they were ill-disciplined and walked away silently. He recalled that at that time he often felt a sense of ‘emptiness’ inside and had no friends, so he could only use reading and studying as his only companions.
Such "isolating" days continued until the fourth grade in Primary School. Under the ardent expectations of his parents, he successfully joined the mathematics training class. Since then, life become fulfilling and interesting, whilst his talent in mathematics gave him a strong sense of presence and self-confidence. In 2003, Liu Zhiyu was admitted to the No. 1 High School Attached to China Normal University, which ranked first in the country. This is an extremely demanding school, especially for the students participating in the maths competition, as they are screened for academic impurities like products on a conveyor belt! Geniuses are scary when they work hard. Liu Zhiyu, who refused to admit defeat, knew his weaknesses well, so he spent double the time in studying the competition books repeatedly. He felt that the questions could be conquered by being answered one by one (like capturing enemy strongholds during warfare) - so that the battle could be completely won overtime! The ability of a ‘genius’ is to work with endless strength and determination! The diligent and rigorous quality of his study urged him to complete more than 20 papers on the subject of multiple solutions, generalization, induction, and application of mathematical problems in his first year of high school!
During a study exchange with Nankai University - Chen Shengshen (陈省身) - a world-class mathematician, accepted Liu Zhiyu's question and communicated with him for half an hour. This interaction was recorded by CCTV and broadcast nationwide!
In fact, Liu Zhiyu's talent is not only reflected in mathematics. At the age of 14, he won awards in various disciplines. Liu Zhiyu is especially fond of philosophy and classical literature.
He once wrote in his diary: "A conclusion alone has no meaning, if it can solve a certain kind of problem, it is meaningful. The expert use of mathematics has a philosophical beauty and can bring an aesthetic pleasure."
It can be seen that Liu Zhiyu, who is young, has a higher understanding than his peers in all aspects. He believes that learning is a process of pursuing beauty. At this time, he was keen to explore the mystery of mathematics from the foundation of his heart and mind.
Road to Olympia
What really made Liu Zhiyu stand out was his game-plan and intense sense of mission!
In 2005, Liu Zhiyu, as a second-year student attending high school, was already a celebrity in the mathematics competition circle, and was naturally selected for the National Team. The National Team participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad is composed of six students selected from millions of middle school students across the country throughout the various layers of selection!
They represent the top level of Chinese middle school students. Everyone had high hopes for Liu Zhiyu, who possessed a competitive record of almost no defeats!
The match came as promised. After more than 100 days of closed training, Liu Zhiyu and the team travelled to Slovenia, where the competition took place!
That evening, Liu Zhiyu was walking alone in the small town, and the sunset was very bright. He remembered what the head teacher had said to him: "You will need a platform to prove yourself in this world in the future." He made up his mind secretly, only to feel that everything in the world is just right (as it is), and any descriptive language is merely superfluous and lacking in colour and depth.
In the face of the enemy, he was as relaxed and comfortable as he was dealing with every quiz he usually had. Staying calm and keeping the rhythm is Liu Zhiyu’s winning formula.
On the field of competition, there were the elites of every middle school from all over the world, and they only appeared here - after overcoming all obstacles. Everyone was under pressure to outdo their peers. At this time, Liu Zhiyu deeply felt that only fighting bravely was the only form of respect suitable to acknowledge everyone’s elite status.
When faced with the most difficult question and having no ideas, he closed his eyes and thought quietly, looking for different ideas throughout the maze that comprised his inner mind. Suddenly, an idea flashed by, and yes, this was the correct method!
Liu Zhiyu immediately picked up the pen to answer the questions, and finally completed all the test. Liu Zhiyu was the first to get up and hand in the exam. He looked around at the nervous contestants, and gestured to the examiner with a polite smile, "It's only five minutes before the end of the exam, you should remind the other candidates." He then walked out of the examination room calmly and confidently. Regarding the results of the competition - Liu Zhiyu was very confident.
The talented young Liu Zhiyu lived up to expectations and led the Chinese team to the gold medal with a perfect score! So exciting! He is the pride of China and the first ever International Olympiad Champion in the First Affiliated High School of China Normal University. Peking University immediately granted him a place without the need to apply, and the doors were open to grant him a splendid future all round!
At the end of the competition that year, the news of "German genius Peter Schultz defeated by the Chinese genius Liu Zhiyu" was published in newspapers around the world!
Only then did Liu Zhiyu know that among the opponents he had defeated - there was such a German mathematician. But no one would have imagined that in the near future, they would take two diametrically opposed paths.
Former rival Schultz stands on the Nobel Prize podium
Schultz, who was under 17 years old, was born in Germany, where there are many mathematicians, and still shines with remarkable mathematical talent. He, who also shoulders the responsibility of winning glory for his country, lost the first time he stood on the international stage.
Schultz failed to finish all the questions and only secured second place, which was a fatal blow to him. He gritted his teeth and remembered a Chinese boy named "Liu Zhiyu", and was ready to make a comeback the next year.
Schultz subsequently participated in three International Mathematical Olympiads in a row and won the gold medals in all three with great success! It's a pity that he never again met the opponent who bettered him in the past - Liu Zhiyu!
Schultz, who is only a few months older than Liu Zhiyu, started competing seriously only after entering university, whilst also completing his Undergraduate and Master's Degree in only five terms – whilst causing quite a stir in the mathematics community with his ultra-high-level Doctoral Dissertation!
At the age of 24, Schultz set the record for the youngest Professor in Germany, won numerous top honours in mathematics and set the record for the youngest Laureate. At the 2018 International Congress of Mathematicians, Schultz won the Nobel Fields Medal, the highest prize in mathematics, becoming one of the youngest outstanding mathematicians in the world!
Seeing the maths genius Schultz, who is setting records every step of the way, makes people feel regretful. If Liu Zhiyu can maintain his enthusiasm for mathematics as always, will there be one more Chinese young man standing on the Nobel Prize podium? What about the needs of the people? Many consider it a shame that this reality did not come to pass...
Genius on the left, lunatic on the right
The reason why geniuses are extraordinary is that they are often paranoid in their characters, and their almost crazy enthusiasm can temper their genius-like abilities.
Liu Zhiyu, who was once lonely, found the meaning of life in mathematics, and he was willing to give-up everything for it. However, after winning the Olympiad in 2005, his mentality changed.
Liu Zhiyu, who was in the third year of high school, was once caught in a deep contradiction. On the one hand, he enjoyed the sense of achievement that mathematics brought to him, and on the other hand, he was confused whether gaining fame and honour where really compatible with the ‘original mind’?
He reluctantly recalled: "Because I have experienced too many inequalities in my previous life course. I have always been regarded by teachers as a "good student" and a role model for "bad students", and I never tire of it."
Liu Zhiyu has been frail and sick since he was a child, and his sports performance is not satisfactory. Once, in a physical exam, the teacher gave him a perfect score in order to cover up his low fitness score!
The real Liu Zhiyu even wrote an anonymous letter to report cheating in his grades in order to maintain "justice". Being such a headache for parents and teachers stems from the paranoia and purity of his character.
At first, mathematics was the life-saving thread for Liu Zhiyu's confusion. The emptiness that has continued since childhood was filled with mathematics, a profound and complex thing.
In the labyrinth of logic, he appreciates the beauty of philosophy and wisdom that he yearns for. But in more than a year before graduating from high school, this true love was slowly corroded by the utilitarian ideas around him, and this pressure gradually brought him to a narrow point stood between the horns of a dilemma!
When his parents pressured him about his unfinished academic dreams and when the school raised him just to put a picture of a champion on the wall of honour - everything went sour.
Liu Zhiyu, a senior in high school, wrote in his diary, "When I was a child, I often thought about good and evil in the world. Is it good to do everything for the country, society and even the interests of the school? Is successful academic performance good? Thought, I myself am looking for one answer after another."
He gradually lost interest in mathematics and turned to the freedom of the spirit. He increasingly disapproved of an impetuous society that pursues fame and fortune - and the desire to do something for others arose in him spontaneously!
Liu Zhiyu is determined to get in touch with all aspects of thought, especially literary and philosophical works, to improve his personality and find a way out of the material trap for his spirit.
When he was reading history books, he learned that Zhuangzi's thoughts coincided with some of his inner thoughts, and the questions that were entangled in his heart were solved one by one. Since then, he has indulged in Confucianism and Zhuangzi's thought of inaction (无为 - Wu Wei).
In the last period of his senior year of high school, when others were burying their heads and working hard for their future, he composed a large number of literary poems.
He imitated Qu Yuan (屈原) and wrote a long poem "Nine Recollections - A Song of Freedom in Chinese Culture", an 8,000-character ancient text "Distant Permeation of the Wind and Rain" and so on.
When referring to the Peking University alumnus - Jiang Fangzhou (蒋方舟) - a talented female writer, said, "I am his fan, and I went to the school cafeteria to see his honours placed on the wall. ’ Jiang Fangzhou also felt sorry for him later, there is no one purer and more innocent than him, there are many paths of cultivation, but unfortunately, he chose the most decisive one.
Where my heart is at peace is my home
In 2010, former maths genius Liu Zhiyu became a monk at Longquan Temple in Xishan, Beijing. So, at that time, there was a Great Master named ‘Xianyu’ (贤宇 ) in Longquan Temple, a thousand-year-old holy place, and there was one less talented maths genius in the world! Before leaving the world, he only left one sentence:
"Learning Mathematics Cannot Save People's Hearts and Minds."
学数学拯救不了人心。
“Xué shùxué zhěngjiù bùliǎo rénxīn.”
In fact, Liu Zhiyu's choice is not surprising to those who know him. One of his classmates commented about him: "Liu Zhiyu is still the same Liu Zhiyu. He is fulfilling his dream of saving the world...”
After attending Peking University, Liu Zhiyu directed himself even more toward the Dharma. Mathematics had long been unable to satisfy his ideal of pursuing the "Great Way" (大道 - Da Dao). He joined the Peking University Ch’an Society and later became the President of the Farming and Study Society.
By chance, he met an older woman student from the Art Department. This woman taught him how to chant Buddhist mantras and took him to visit Longquan Temple – where he carried-out volunteer work - which made him feel the power of the Dharma.
Liu Zhiyu, who became highly attracted to Buddhism, was like a fish returning to the water and finally found inner peace. In the past, he felt: 'Though the divine-sky and broad earth are immense, there is nothing that can carry me across this vast expanse.' Now, he really found his world.
His female friend once asked Liu Zhiyu jokingly: "Are you going to become a monk in the future?"
Liu Zhiyu, who was cleaning the toilet, trembled for a while, and said hesitantly, "It's possible."
Then, he said decisively: "It's very possible."
No one took it seriously, only Liu Zhiyu. According to him, it was at that time that he secretly made up his mind to convert to Buddhism after graduation.
Three years later, Liu Zhiyu often led club members to visit eminent monks to study in various places during his college days; he made porridge on the streets of Beijing to raise funds; he helped poor students to solve their puzzles and complete their studies.
He did everything he could to help others, and even so, he graduated fourth in his year, received an acceptance letter from MIT, the world's top institution, and a full $70,000 scholarship.
Faced with such a big temptation, his decision had not changed. Liu Zhiyu wrote back to the President of MIT: "I am sorry to inform you that I will not be a student at MIT. I have decided to dedicate my life to Buddhism and become a monk at Longquan Temple in Beijing." It was the most important moment in his life and the first time he had made a decision for himself.
His parents learned from the news that their son had escaped into a Buddhist Temple to pursue the cultivation of ‘emptiness’ over material gain (the so-called ‘empty-door’), and they couldn't believe that their obedient and well-behaved child would do such a deviant thing! They came all the way north to stop them, but they were turned away – as there was no mortal world left for Liu Zhiyu outside of Buddhism!
Lying alone beside the ancient Buddha emanating green light
Life in the temple is extremely controlled, disciplined and predictable. Morning classes start at 4:30 in the morning, and the monks do not return to their rooms until 9:20 pm in the evening. Even if they use a mobile phone - they must immediately report such activity to the Master. Liu Zhiyu lived a steady life like this for eight years.
Over the past twelve years, he practiced the Buddhist teachings diligently, and compiled many Buddhist scriptures and lectures despite his poor eyesight. Although his body lived within a square inch (that is, controlled in every direction by the Vinaya Discipline) - his mind was freed to expand and fully embrace the universe!
He was reluctant to trap his mind in a narrow environment and had an almost fanatical impulse for personal freedom! Liu Zhiyu could not bear the oppression of the material world, and yearned for the freedom of the spirit, and spent his life trying to assist those who had similar experiences such as him.
People criticized him as a mathematical genius cultivated in China - who gave up the opportunity to win honour for his country – a decision viewed as an extreme waste of educational resources and a desecration of his own talent.
When public opinion is one-sided, there are always rational voices that cry out in support. There is not only one way of life in the world, and there is no right or wrong choice.
Liu Zhiyu was born to be a Bodhisattva working in the world, and not to hide away and escape from real life. This is why Liu Zhiyu returned – as a Bodhisattva-monk - to assist people in the secular world (during 2018) and is now a qualified psychological counsellor. He combines the true meaning of Buddhism with psychological theory - which he has practiced for many years - to truly provide psychological assistance to those who need help. He does this as part of his ongoing Bodhisattva activity.
Some people will say that Liu Zhiyu, a former maths genius, is now "destroyed", but I think that those who have been transformed and helped by Liu Zhiyu must be full of gratitude, and that is enough.
In 2021, it has now been three years since he returned to the secular world. Today, Liu Zhiyu combines Buddhism and psychology, and is committed to promoting public welfare through psychological services. At the beginning, he thought that mathematics could not save people's hearts and minds, but after he firmly studied genuine Buddhism, he felt that Buddhism is too broad and vague for most ordinary people to understand. Only by combining Buddhism and psychology can the public truly realize the power of mental health, belief and the rediscovery of the ‘original mind’ (初心 - Chu Xin).
