Lu Zhishen

Lu Zhishen is a hero in a famous book.

He was a very strong man. He had a round face and a big beard. He even had flowers on his skin.

He used a heavy staff to fight. He once pulled up a big tree with his hands. He helped many people in trouble. He was a brave and kind leader.

People still tell his story today.

Lu Zhishen is a hero from a famous Chinese book.

The book is called Water Margin. It is one of the four great novels in China. Lu was a very strong man with a round face. He had a big beard and tattoos of flowers. People called him the "Flowery Monk."

He became a monk at a monastery on Mount Wutai. He was not a quiet monk. He liked to eat and drink. He even used a heavy staff to fight. The staff weighed 62 jin. He was so strong that he pulled up a willow tree.

Lu helped many people in need. He saved a woman and her father from a bad man. He also helped his friend Lin Chong. Later, Lu became a leader of outlaws at Liangshan Marsh. He was one of the 108 Stars of Destiny. This was a group of heroes in the story. Lu died peacefully at a pagoda. He understood the meaning of life at the end.

Lu Zhishen is a famous character from a classic Chinese novel. The book is called Water Margin. It is one of the four great novels in China.

He is a very strong and bold man. Some people call him the "Flowery Monk." This name comes from the flower tattoos on his body. He is a hero who fights for what is right. He is also one of the 108 Stars of Destiny. This is a special group of heroes in the story. He ranks 13th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits.

Lu's life changed many times. He started as a soldier in Weizhou. One day, he helped a singer named Jin Cuilian and her father. He gave them money to stay safe from a mean butcher. After a fight with the butcher, Lu had to run away. He went to the Manjusri Monastery on Mount Wutai. There, he became a Buddhist monk. The abbot gave him the name Zhishen. This name means "sagacious," which is another word for wise.

Even as a monk, Lu was not very quiet. He liked to eat and drink. Once, he bought all the wine from a seller. He even broke into his monastery after being stopped at the gate. He used a huge monk's staff to fight. This heavy staff weighed 62 jin. Lu was so strong that he could pull up a deep-rooted willow tree. People were amazed by his great strength.

Lu made many important friends. He met a man named Lin Chong. Lin was an instructor for the imperial guard. They became sworn brothers after Lu rescued him from danger. Later, Lu joined a group of outlaws at Liangshan Marsh. He became a leader at a place called Mount Twin Dragons in Qingzhou. He also worked with a man named Shi Jin. These heroes worked together to help people in need.

At the end of his journey, Lu went to Hangzhou. He stayed at the Liuhe Pagoda. One night, he heard a loud sound from the Qiantang River. This was a tidal bore, which is a large wave. He realized this was a sign about his life. He understood many deep things about the world. He passed away peacefully while sitting cross-legged. He left behind a poem called an ode.

His story is still told in many ways today.

Lu Zhishen is a central figure in the classical Chinese novel *Water Margin*. This book is recognized as one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature.

Lu is a complex hero known for his immense physical strength and bold spirit. Within the novel's mythology, he is one of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Specifically, he holds the rank of 13th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits. He is often called the "Flowery Monk" due to the flower tattoos covering his body.

Lu's journey begins in Weizhou, where he serves as a garrison major. His life changes when he encounters a singer named Jin Cuilian and her elderly father. They are being exploited by a wealthy butcher named Zheng. Zheng used a fake debt to prevent the pair from leaving the area. Lu provides them with money to ensure their safety. However, a confrontation with Butcher Zheng turns violent. Lu accidentally kills the butcher with three powerful punches. This event forces him to flee Weizhou and change his life.

To hide his identity, Lu seeks refuge at the Manjusri Monastery on Mount Wutai. The monastery's abbot accepts him and gives him the name Zhishen. In this context, Zhishen means "sagacious," or wise.

Despite his new role, Lu struggles with the quiet life of a monk. He often disregards Buddhist prohibitions by drinking wine and eating without restraint. In one instance, he breaks into the monastery by smashing two large jingang statues. These statues flank the monastery gate. The abbot eventually sends him to the imperial capital, Dongjing, to serve at the Great Minister's Temple.

At the temple, Lu's martial skills and brute strength become legendary. He is known to pull up a deep-rooted willow tree using only his strength.

It is here that he meets Lin Chong, an instructor of the imperial guard. The two men become sworn brothers after Lu rescues Lin from an assassination attempt in the Wild Boar Forest. This bond is a significant part of Lu's story. Lu also carries a massive monk's staff. This weapon weighs 62 jin, which is a traditional Chinese unit of weight.

Lu's path eventually leads him to become an outlaw. After fleeing Dongjing, he joins forces with others to take control of Mount Twin Dragons in Qingzhou.

He defeats the previous leader, Deng Long, and is elected chief of the stronghold. Later, the forces from Liangshan Marsh arrive in Qingzhou. Under the leadership of Song Jiang, the bandits of Mount Twin Dragons are absorbed into the larger Liangshan group. Lu Zhishen is then appointed as one of the infantry leaders for Liangshan.

Even after the group receives amnesty from Emperor Huizong, Lu remains a powerful figure. He participates in military campaigns against the Liao invaders and various rebel forces. He achieves great merit by capturing the rebel leader Fang La.

Following these wars, Lu chooses to stay at the Liuhe Pagoda in Hangzhou. He does not return to the capital with the other heroes. He spends his final days there, reflecting on his life and his path.

Lu's death is tied to a prophetic verse and a natural phenomenon. One night, he hears the thunderous sound of a tidal bore in the Qiantang River. This tidal bore is a large wave that arrives predictably every year.

The sound helps him understand the meaning of the verse given to him by the abbot of Mount Wutai. He realizes that his time has come. He dies while sitting cross-legged on a zafu, a meditation cushion. Before he passes, he writes an ode. In this poem, he confesses that he lived a life of killing rather than studying scriptures. Yet, he shows he has reached Buddhist enlightenment by understanding the concept of karma. His death is treated with the respect of a high priest's funeral.