China maths genius monk who returned to secular life gets married, says he is better suited to ‘down-to-earth’ life
- Gold medalist mathematician refuses scholarship, opts for religious life
- Returns to society, becomes psychologist, learns to love, marries
A former maths genius who grabbed public attention in China last year for returning to secular life after years as a practising monk is in the spotlight again after becoming married.
Liu Zhiyu won a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2006 and was declared a genius by China’s prestigious Peking University, before even taking an entrance exam, according to Jiupai News.
On graduating from the university in 2010, Liu made the surprise decision to decline a full scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), instead devoting himself to Buddhism and becoming a monk in Longquan Temple near Beijing.
Liu, 35, said he chose Buddhism and gave up mathematics because researching the subject was “a path to loneliness” and he wanted to “explore his own heart”.
In September last year, when Liu announced he was returning to secular life, he explained that he had realised his heart was “closer to the wider public”.
“I’d like to be a part of society. I think I am more suitable for the down-to-earth life,” he said.