Born on April 23, 1917 in Tianjin.
In 1923, he entered a private school and was taught by Mr. Yao Shensi. His father, layman Zhou Shujia, was a famous Buddhist scholar and Buddhist educator. Influenced by his family, layman Zhou Shaoliang believed in Buddhism and practiced Buddhist scriptures since he was a child.
In 1935, layman Zhou Shaoliang studied ancient literature and history with Mr. Tang Lan and Mr. Xie Guozhen respectively, and began to engage in research on traditional Chinese culture.
From 1936 to 1937, he was an auditor at Peking University, studying literature and history. In the same year, he became a student of Mr. Chen Yuan, the president of Furen University and a master of Chinese studies, studying and researching ancient literature, history, Buddhism, and the art of calligraphy and painting. .
In March and August 1940, he served in the Yunnan-Burma Highway Bureau in Xiaguan, Yunnan.
From 1940 to 1953, he worked in a variety of social work.
In 1954, he served as editor of People's Literature Publishing House.
In September 1969, he studied through labor at the May 7th Cadre School in Xianning, Hubei Province.
In May 1975, he retired from People's Literature Publishing House.
In December 1980, he was elected as a director of the fourth council of the Buddhist Association of China. In the same year, he was appointed director of the Buddhist Library and Cultural Relics Museum.
In December 1981, he was hired as a consultant to the State Council’s Ancient Books Compilation and Publishing Planning Group.
In March 1986, he was appointed as a member of the National Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee; in April of the same year, he was elected as the vice president of the Beijing Buddhist Association.
In March 1987, he was elected vice president and secretary-general of the Buddhist Association of China. In April of the same year, he was appointed director of the Beijing Buddhist Music Ensemble and director of the Chinese Buddhist Culture Research Institute.
In August 1988, he was elected as the president of the Language and Literature Branch of the Turpan Society of China and the vice president of the Tang History Society of China;
In 2003, he was honored as the honorary president of the Beijing Buddhist Association. ; Also elected as a member of the 7th and 8th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Died of illness in Beijing at 3 pm on August 21, 2005, at the age of 88.