Lin Zhaoen (1517-1598), courtesy name Maoxun, alias Longjiang, Taoist name Ziguzi, Xinyinzi, and later name Hunxushi and Wushishi, was a magistrate of Stanley, Xinghua Prefecture, Fujian Province (now Fujian Province). He was born in Putian City and was a religious figure and thinker in the Ming Dynasty. He founded the Trinity Church, so he was known as Mr. Sanjiao, Lin Sanjiao, the Master of Sanyi, and Xia Wuni.

Biography
Early life :
Lin Zhaoen was born in the 12th year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty. He was considered talented when he was young, but between the ages of 18 and 28, he failed three provincial examinations and felt frustrated. He began to dislike the imperial examination system and for a time he hid in the mountains and refused to take the exam.

Middle-aged experience:
At the age of 30, he began to explore the thoughts of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. He visited Taoist figures everywhere, visited temples, and read the classics of various schools. Among them, he met the Taoist Zhuo Wanchun, and became a close friend. They talked about the truth with each other. At that time, Putian People called him “Zhuo Kuang Lin Dian”. Later, Zhuo Wanchun also became a figure worshipped along with Lin Zhaoen in the Trinity Church. Lin Zhaoen was influenced by the three religions, but was disappointed with them for a time. It was not until he was guided by his so-called “master” (whose true identity is uncertain) that he was able to break free and move towards the three religions he founded. One teaching.

He did not claim to be the leader of the religion at the beginning, but regarded his integration of the three religions as his learning. In the 30th year of Jiajing (1551), he accepted his first disciple Huangzhou. In the following years, many people from Fujian came to him for advice, reaching several hundred. There were ten people, who formed a similar academic group at the time, discussing the three teachings with each other. In the 37th year of Jiajing’s reign, he established the Three Religious Churches, divided the community into three associations: Heaven, Earth, and Man, and formulated relevant rituals, attracting more people to become his disciples. In the 45th year of the Jiajing reign, he called himself “Mr. Sangang”. Around the age of 60 (1577), his theories had matured and were well-known in Fujian. Many people came to him for advice, including the famous general Qi Jiguang.
In addition to his exploration of ideas themselves, during this period he also used the Genbei method (a kind of qigong therapy) to cure diseases, attracting people from the lower classes. When the Japanese pirates invaded, they organized their members to participate in social relief, including collecting corpses, providing relief, and praying for the souls of the dead, and they gained the support of the general public.

Later life:
In his middle age, he was only the leader of an academic thought group and a social activist, but in his later years, his community gradually became religious, and he transformed from a thinker into a religious figure.

This development was firstly the establishment of Trinity churches in various places, and then the formulation of initiation ceremonies, which transformed Confucian ethics and morality into religious precepts. The Buddhist and Taoist elements in Lin Zhaoen’s writings increased, and he himself gradually became a popular figure under the encouragement of his followers. He became a religious idol, the “Trinity Leader”, and through some “miracles” and Taoist alchemy, he increased his mystery and appeal to the lower classes, thus attracting a large number of believers.

Even in his later years, he still hoped to focus on Confucianism and absorb Buddhist and Taoist beliefs, but there were some contradictions in this, because Buddhism and Taoism were more religious in nature, and the introduction of these two religions often weakened the influence of Confucianism. This was what he always wanted to do. Problems that cannot be fully resolved.

After death :
When Lin Zhaoen died, the Trinity Church had hundreds of thousands of followers. After his death, his disciples split into five branches and spread the religion. It was most popular in the southern provinces and later spread to Southeast Asia. In 2011, the Trinity Association of Putian City, Fujian Province was officially established, worshipping Lin Zhaoen as its leader. Trinity Church became the second regional religious group (outside the five major religions) recognized by the Chinese government after the Orthodox Church of China.

Family :
Born into a scholarly family in Fujian. Lin Zhaoen’s grandfather Lin Fu was a Jinshi during the Hongzhi period. He served as a judge in Dali, a councilor in Guangxi, and a vice minister of the Ministry of War. He had a close relationship with Wang Shouren. His father, Lin Wanren, was a student of the Imperial College under the grace of Lin Fuyin. His uncle, Lin Wanchao, and his brother, Lin Zhaojin, were also Jinshi and officials.