Is there anyone in Lu Xun’s family who fasts and chants Buddha’s name?

Yes, many of the female elders in Mr. Lu Xun’s family believe in Buddhism (but they are not devout Buddhists).

This actually requires an analysis of Mr. Lu Xun’s family culture, which is the cultural form of the Zhou family in Shaoxing. It is a mixed structure of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and folk culture.

From the perspective of the male heads of the Zhou family from generation to generation, from grandfather Zhou Fuqing to father Zhou Fengyi, as well as great-uncles, great-uncles, uncles, and uncles, almost all of them are familiar with scriptures and should be followers of Confucianism. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, all scholars who wanted to take the imperial examination were almost certain to have a Neo-Confucian spirit.

But on the other hand: the women of the Zhou family, from Lu Xun’s great-grandmother, grandmother to mother, including nannies and maids, carry a folk culture that is a mixture of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and shamanism. Several generations of old ladies in the Zhou family believe in Buddhism, but they are not Buddhists and may not have a deep understanding of the teachings of Buddhism. This makes this belief not exclusive and can easily be confused with Taoist culture and various folk rituals and etiquette. Taboos, fairies, ghosts, etc. are combined together, and they exist side by side without conflict. Moreover, all the women in the Zhou family are highly qualified and have strong personalities, and none of them is mediocre.

For example, step-grandmother Jiang, who was very close to Lu Xun, "believed deeply in gods and Buddhas." Whenever it was the birthday of the Bodhisattva, she would light a pair of candles and burn three sticks of incense in the incense burner. Kneel down on the square stool and bow to heaven. She usually doesn't chant sutras or go to temples, but when something happens, she can't help but say "Amitabha". Her belief is completely popularized.

Lu Xun was the eldest grandson of the Zhou family and was highly regarded. The family was worried that he would not be well-raised, so he was led by his father to worship his first master before he reached the age of 10. The temple they went to was Changqing Temple, known as the Eight Great Temples in Shaoxing, and the master they worshiped was Master Longzu, the abbot (head monk) of Changqing Temple. Master Long Zu gave Lu Xun the Dharma name "Chang Geng". The master gave him a piece of silver bagua, engraved with "The Dharma name of the disciple of the Three Treasures Chang Geng". Lu Xun also had a Baijia robe, the "Na Yi", which he would not wear unless it was a festive occasion. , a thing called a "cow rope", used to ward off evil spirits. When Lu Xun was young, he would go to the temple with his family to watch the fun when he came across the temple being a land and water monastery.

Until the year before his death, that is, in April 1936, Lu Xun wrote the article "My First Master" (included in the "Final Collection of Qiejieting Essays"), recalling Master Longzu has died 40 years ago; Lu Xun also speculated that most of Master Longzu’s apprentices, that is, his senior brothers, became abbots of a temple. The article wrote: "Our friendship (referring to his senior brothers) is still They exist, but they have not heard from each other for a long time. "It is rich in writing, sincere and cordial, showing Lu Xun's emotional side, which is deeply touching.