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Text: Zhong Haoqi
Editor: Zhong Haoqi
Preamble:
What makes an obscure poor boy a household name martial arts idol?
What made this film and television superstar at his peak resolutely become a monk?
When he went through the vicissitudes of life and came back again, what kind of life insights did he have?
Let's walk into Huang Yuanshen's legendary life together.
The ups and downs of my boyhood
In 1948, Huang Yuanshen was born in a scholarly family in Shanghai.
However, the gears of fate quietly turned, and in 1949, he moved to Hong Kong with his family, and since then he has been on his bumpy and legendary life journey.
At that time, although Hong Kong was full of lights and luxury, for Huang Yuanshen's family, they could only live in the corners of the city and live a poor life.
In order to alleviate the burden on his family, Huang Yuanshen, who was only 12 years old, began a life of part-time work and study, burying his head in books during the day and running around at night as a "working boy".
It was during this period that martial arts shone into Huang Yuanshen's life like a light.
Under the recommendation of a friend, he joined the martial arts master Ip Man and became the brother of the legendary superstar Bruce Lee.
Since then, Huang Yuanshen has studied hard and worked hard, and although his life is difficult, he still strives to chase his dreams.
By chance, Huang Yuanshen was admitted to universities in Canada and the United States, but the constraints of his family made him have to give up the opportunity to further his studies.
In order to make a living, he began to get involved in all walks of life, once as an apprentice in a dim sum shop, as well as a construction worker, and even sweated on the assembly line of a factory.
As he himself sighed: "Seventy-two lines, I have achieved seventy-three."
The ups and downs of his teenage years created Huang Yuanshen's indomitable will and never-say-die character, and also laid the groundwork for his future acting career.
The ups and downs of acting careers
In 1971, the opportunity finally came.
With his excellent martial arts skills, Huang Yuanshen stood out from more than 6,000 applicants and was successfully admitted to the actor training class of Shaw Brothers, and since then he has officially entered the film and television industry.
Initially, he could only appear in some supporting roles, but his unique temperament and superb acting skills soon attracted the attention of many directors.
Gradually, Huang Yuanshen began to appear frequently on the big screen, creating one classic martial arts role after another.
In 1983, a TV series called "Hero Huo Yuanjia" brought Huang Yuanshen's career to its peak.
Huo Yuanjia, who he played in the play, has become an irreplaceable classic image in the minds of thousands of audiences.
With the popularity of the series, Huang Yuanshen also became a well-known martial arts idol overnight, his name resounded all over the country, and his image was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
Just when his career was in full swing, in 1984, Huang Yuanshen ushered in another important moment in his life.
He and the actress Shi Qianyu, who had been in love for many years, entered the marriage hall, and the following year, the crystallization of love came, and their son fell to the ground.
However, just like the character he played in "Huo Yuanjia", the road of life is never smooth.
Waves brought about by emotional entanglements
In the 80s of the last century, Huang Yuanshen cooperated with actress Zhao Yazhi to shoot a film and television drama.
The frequent interaction between the two in and out of the play has triggered all kinds of speculation about their relationship from the outside world.
For a time, the scandal was rampant, and entertainment tabloids rushed to report it, depicting the relationship between the two as ambiguous.
In the face of overwhelming rumors, Huang Yuanshen and Zhao Yazhi came forward to clarify many times, but the storm of public opinion became more and more intense.
A love letter signed "Zhi" was exposed by Huang Yuanshen's wife Shi Qianyu, which completely pushed the turmoil to a climax.
Although Huang Yuanshen explained that it was just a misunderstanding, the outside world seemed more willing to believe the sensational speculation.
The further deterioration of the situation stemmed from a revelation by Zhao Yazhi's ex-husband Huang Hanwei.
He revealed Huang Yuanshen and Zhao Yazhi's past to a friend after he was drunk, and these words happened to be heard by an entertainment reporter.
For a time, various versions of the story circulated in the newspapers and on the streets, and it was difficult to distinguish the true from the false.
Under the heavy pressure of public opinion, the careers and reputations of Huang Yuanshen and Zhao Yazhi have been hit hard.
Zhao Yazhi, who has always been gentle and elegant, suffered a great loss of image, and even lost the opportunity to play the role of "Little Dragon Girl" in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".
And Huang Yuanshen also felt helpless, in the most intense year of turmoil, he turned down invitations to more than ten film and television dramas in one go.
No matter how they argue, the voices of the public are always there.
This uproar became an indelible stroke in Huang Yuanshen's life, and it also became an important turning point in his choice to become a monk in the future.
The journey of taking refuge in Buddhism
In 1989, when his soaring career came to an abrupt end, and when he was tired of complicated interpersonal relationships, Huang Yuanshen made an unexpected decision------ he chose to become a monk and convert to Buddhism.
In the eyes of the world, his decision is undoubtedly a complete abandonment of Hongchen and a resolute escape from Vanity Fair.
However, few people know that Huang Yuanshen has been associated with Buddhism for a long time.
As early as 1984, he was introduced to Buddhism through his friend Lin Guoxiong and began to devote himself to the study of Buddhism.
At that time, Lin Guoxiong's words and deeds made him yearn for Buddhism like never before.
After many years of ups and downs in the earthly world, he felt more and more the illusion of fame and fortune and the impermanence of life.
The troubles of the world are like colorful bubbles, but they will eventually burst.
Only by taking refuge in Buddhism can we attain inner peace and ease.
With the support of his wife and children, Huang Yuanshen was born in Baolin Temple, and his Dharma name Yanshen officially started his ordination career.
In the following 16 years, he stayed away from the hustle and bustle and lived a spiritual life of green lanterns and ancient Buddhas, morning bells and evening drums.
The tranquility of the monastery allowed him to withdraw from the chaos of the red dust, to examine his own heart, to think about the true meaning of life.
He gradually realized that whether it is the glory of his acting career or the sweetness of family life, it is just a scene on the stage of life, and it cannot give people eternal satisfaction.
Only by letting go of obsession can we achieve true freedom.
However, the drama of life is always full of uncertainties.
Just when Huang Yuanshen thought that he could spend the rest of his life in the empty door, a visit from his son touched his soft heart again.
The state of mind of returning from the twilight years
In 2005, Huang Yuanshen, who was 74 years old, finally made the decision to return to the world after 16 years of retreat.
Although he feared that this decision would hurt his family, he was deeply touched by the support and understanding of his wife and children.
After returning to the vulgar, Huang Yuanshen chose to go overseas and lived a reclusive life away from the hustle and bustle of the entertainment industry.
He rarely appears in public, and even on the 25th anniversary of the broadcast of "Huo Yuanjia", the organizers tried their best to invite him, but he did not show up.
It wasn't until 2013 that people learned from a TV show that he had quietly returned to his homeland and lived a low-key and peaceful life with his son.
He has taken a peek at the rights and wrongs of the past, and he has also chosen to let go of the grievances and grievances of the past.
The years have made him more and more calm, and the experience has made him more and more transparent.
Looking back on the past, he was full of emotion: "The world is impermanent, and the pursuit of a career cannot be owned forever, and there are joys and pains."
Because things in general are often good and sad at the beginning.
Man's sadness lies in being too persistent. "
The once high-spirited hero has now seen through the world and retreated to the mountains and forests.
On an ordinary day, when we rubbed shoulders with an ordinary old man, perhaps we didn't realize that he was Huo Yuanjia, a hero who was once a powerful man and admired by thousands of people.
After years of polishing, he has removed all his halo and lived the purest and most authentic self.
This may be the best way to look at life.
Epilogue:
Huang Yuanshen's ups and downs in life are the epitome of the changes of the times, and it is also a portrayal of the evolution of his personal soul.
From obscurity to fame, from being caught in the whirlpool of scandals to going away, to taking refuge in Buddhism and dying in the mountains and forests, his life has gone through ups and downs, joys and sorrows.
However, no matter what the situation is, he always sticks to his heart and always seeks the meaning of life.
In his own way, he explained what it means to "not be happy with things, not to be sad with yourself", and what it means to "go to the poor place of water and sit and watch the clouds rise".
In such a realm, he should be like a hero and a Zen person.