Sun Suzhen

Who was Sun Suzhen?

Sun Suzhen was the 18th matriarch of I-Kuan Tao. She was the successor of Zhang Tianran, I-Kuan Tao's contemporary founder as well as Zhang's third wife. Sun was also known as Ming Shan or Hui Ming, her religious name.

Sun was born in Shan County, Shandong province on the 28th day of the eighth lunar month in 1895. She was introduced to I-Kuan Tao in 1908 and became the student of Lu Zhongyi, there she met Zhang Tianran. Zhang took her as his second wife, which was believed to be Heaven's will and lifted her as the incarnation of Bodhisattva Yue Huei, the wife of Ji Gong. Her followers regarded her to hold the seat of the 18th patriarch together with Zhang in 1930.

After the death of Zhang in 1947, she took control of I-Kuan Tao. Many of Zhang's followers followed her leadership. Only a small fraction stayed on with Madame Liu, the second wife of Zhang.

When the communists took over China in 1949, Sun moved to Hong Kong. She then went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a short period then returned to Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong she was said to have left behind a large number of heavenly mandates. Until today there are few elders in Hong Kong who were believed to be the keeper of these heavenly mandates.