Recently, Liu Zhiyu, the "mathematical genius of Peking University", released a new book "Every Step of Life Counts", and he mentioned in a conversation with Yu Minhong that he was married. Liu Zhiyu, the former "genius boy", won the gold medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad and a full scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but chose to become a monk at the age of 24, and formed a team to develop a psychology course after returning to the world.
There are two completely different versions of Yoo Ji-woo's story, some people see that the genius fell astray, first failed mathematics and then betrayed Buddhism, and some people saw a simple and kind person, persistently looking for a way out, trying to save himself and others from the inner suffering. Which version is closer to the real Yoo Ji-woo?
Teenage genius
Many people believe that if Liu Zhiyu had not become a monk, China would have one more outstanding mathematician.
Born in 1988 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, Liu Zhiyu showed a talent for mathematics from an early age, and his parents took him to various competitions since the fourth grade of primary school. When he was in junior high school, he used his vacation time to study high school on his own. His head coach of mathematics once spoke highly of him, "In terms of brain flexibility, I have taught books all my life, and this is the first person I have met." ”
Liu Zhiyu spent his high school years at the First High School Affiliated to Central China Normal University. In 2005, the 31st Mathematical Olympiad round-robin was held in Russia, and Liu Zhiyu won the gold medal.
Source: The official website of the First High School Affiliated to ECNU
In 2006, the International Mathematical Olympiad was held in Slovenia, and the Chinese team won the first place in the overall score, and Liu Zhiyu won a gold medal with a perfect score.
In the same year, Liu Zhiyu was sent to the School of Mathematics of Peking University, and the name of Peking University's "mathematical genius" spread. When he was a freshman, some media interviewed Yoo Ji-woo and asked him about his future dreams. "I made mathematics my life's work and wanted to be a mathematician," he said. This answer seems to be in line with everyone's expectations.
In 2010, at the suggestion of his teacher and family, Liu Zhiyu applied to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received a full scholarship. At the last minute of his trip to the United States, he suddenly changed his mind and sent an email to MIT: "I'm sorry to inform you that I'm not going to be a student at MIT... I decided to dedicate my life to Buddhism and became a monk at Longquan Temple in Beijing. The MIT professor replied in an appreciative tone: "This is the most important moment in a person's life: to recognize one's own path." ”
On the other hand, Yoo Ji-woo's decision caused an uproar in public opinion, and no one understood what happened to this "mathematical genius". Liu Zhiyu's parents immediately rushed from Wuhan to Beijing to dissuade their son, and his mother fell ill as a result.
In 2006, when Yoo Ji-woo participated in the International Mathematical Olympiad, the BBC happened to be filming a documentary, and Yoo Ji-woo, who appeared briefly on the scene, looked depressed.
Liu Zhiyu saw with his own eyes that his former partner was eliminated in the layers of selection and became his "sparring partner", and he also saw the pain of the people around him. Due to his over-dedication to training, Yoo also suffered from a serious eye disease. He had once experienced the beauty of nature, the beauty of the human mind, from mathematics, which had been replaced by the tiredness of mechanical repetition, and he kept asking himself: Is this really the path I have chosen for myself?
Upper and lower mountains
Perhaps it is that Yoo Zhiyu's brilliance in mathematics is too dazzling, which obscures his philosophical thinking about life. Even in kindergarten, Liu Zhiyu thought about life, "An afternoon has passed, what will be left in my life?" Liu Zhiyu has a naïve and fiery feeling of helping the world since he was a child, he often says, "I want to help others."
When he was a teenager, Liu Zhiyu was inspired by "The Biography of Confucius" and established the purpose of his life: to pay for the public, to shoulder the mission of the times and history. When he was in middle school, he once wrote in his essay: "May indifference, loneliness, and hurt be far away from us, and may the brilliance of kindness, kindness, loyalty, and wisdom spread throughout the world." ”
When he was in college, Liu Zhiyu began to get into contact with Buddhism, and once he went to Longquan Temple to volunteer, and a group of monks silently passed in front of them, which gave him the idea of escaping into the empty door. In 2010, Liu Zhiyu put on a monk's robe and became a monk in Longquan Temple, with the legal name "Xianyu".
The escape of the "Peking University Mathematics Genius" into the empty door aroused great public interest, and reporters from all walks of life also chased and intercepted him, but Liu Zhiyu retreated and practiced, and he was nowhere to be seen. Many netizens thought that he was evading responsibility and betraying his talent and talent, but some netizens expressed their understanding and called for "respecting Yoo Ji-woo's choice".
Yoo Ji-woo regards the act of "leaving home without authorization" as a rite of passage for personal independence. He no longer wants to be a "genius" in the eyes of others, nor does he want to be the mathematician that others expect. However, after actually entering the temple, he realized that this place was by no means a paradise, and troubles were also everywhere.
Some things are very trivial, such as Yoo Ji-woo always forgetting to turn off the light after going to the toilet, which caused dissatisfaction among his roommates. Some things are very helpless, Liu Zhiyu participated in the proofreading of the Vinaya classics, his eye disease recurred, and his health deteriorated, but when the book was published, it was signed by his master, Master Xuecheng, and his name was not available.
Soon, Longquan Temple, which Yoo Zhiyu thought was a pure place, was subject to great controversy. In 2018, Venerable Xuecheng was caught up in a scandal involving sexual harassment of female disciples and corruption, and on August 23 of that year, the State Administration for Religious Affairs issued a notice on this.
Source: Official website of the State Administration for Religious Affairs
Yoo Ji-woo chose to stand in opposition to the master, who was the first mage to publicly criticize Longquan Temple internally. In 2018, Liu Zhiyu left Longquan Temple, and he admitted afterwards: "The interpersonal relationship in the temple is also quite complicated, and Master Xuecheng is no longer the master in my mind." ”
Return to the red dust
Many people expect this former "mathematical genius" to become an "enlightened monk", "as if it were a sin not to be enlightened". However, Yoo Ji-woo once again went against public expectations.
After descending the mountain, Liu Zhiyu founded the "Buddhist Psychological Counseling" and recruited a group of volunteers to receive free external counseling. But he found that this monk's appearance became an obstacle for him. After careful consideration, Liu Zhiyu decided to return to the vulgar at the beginning of 2022, and when he took off his monk's robe and returned to his home in Wuhan for the New Year, he felt "relaxed and free, light and light". Subsequently, as a partner, he led the team to join Huaxia Psychology for commercial operation.
In December 2022, Liu Zhiyu announced the news of his love on his account. Liu Zhiyu introduced that his girlfriend is also a cultivator, and he already knew each other when he was "monk", but they didn't say anything to each other. After returning to the vulgar, as the mutual understanding deepened, he felt that the two had similar personalities and matched their three views, so he confessed to each other.
Recently, in a conversation with Yu Minhong, Liu Zhiyu mentioned that he was married, and also shared the details of falling in love with his wife, and the two would meditate and practice together in the temple and learn Buddhism, and he also said: Love is also a kind of practice. Liu Zhiyu said: "Since you are still vulgar, you must live a good life of returning to vulgarity." ”
Liu Zhiyu admitted, "I chose Buddhism because I wanted to explore my heart more and let myself grow in practice. Later, I found that my heart wanted to be close to the public, so I studied psychology and hoped to help others through psychology. He said, "Where the green mountains are not dojos, the key lies in our hearts." ”
The rolling red dust is the cultivation place and experience ground of every mortal. Today, when "ordinary shame" is prevalent, Liu Zhiyu said that he just wants to be an "ordinary person who explores the journey of life". "As long as we have the attitude of growing and thinking about life, we will not be in vain. In Liu Zhiyu's view, whether it is a genius or an ordinary person, recognizing the path is the most important topic in life. Even if you don't achieve anything in this life, as long as you work hard, it's still very worthwhile.
The content of the article is synthesized from China News Network, Guangming Network, The Paper, Jiupai News, Beijing News, Nanfeng Window, Phoenix Weekly, etc