Linji Yixuan

Linji Yixuan (traditional Chinese: 臨濟義玄; simplified Chinese: 临济义玄; pinyin: Línjì Yìxuán; Wade–Giles: Lin-chi I-hsüan; Japanese: 臨済義玄 Rinzai Gigen; died 866 CE) was a Tang dynasty (618-907) Chinese monk and teacher of the Hongzhou school of Chinese Chan (Zen). He is known as a leading figure of Chan Buddhism and the Recorded Sayings of Linji (Línjì yǔlù), which contains his teachings, is seen as a major Zen text which exemplifies the iconoclastic and antinomian spirit of Tang Zen.^[1] He is also known by the posthumous title Huizhao Chanshi (慧照禪師, “Meditation Master of Illuminating Wisdom”).^[2]

Linji was a student of Huangbo Xiyun and is also considered to be the founder of the influential Linji school of Chan. This school actually developed in the Song dynasty (960-1279) among descendants of Linji, who created various mythic stories about Linji in the process of founding their new school of Zen.^[3] Today he is seen as the founder of the various Linji regional traditions, including the Japanese Rinzai school, the Korean Seon schools and the Lâm Tế school of Vietnamese Zen.