( Lin-chi, Lin-chi I-hsuan,
Rinzai, Rinzai Gigen )

( died 867 )

Lin-Chi (Rinzai in Japanese) was the founder of the school of Ch'an Buddhism (Zen in Japanese). He was known for his strength of character in dealing with disciples, a trait shared with his master, Huang-Po (Obaku in Japanese). Lin-Chi said it just does not work to pamper them. He was a very successful Teacher and had many students, but he felt that his Teaching would not be effective unless he dealt with people very strongly. In a famous discourse, typical of his speeches, he spoke these words:

Among all the students from every quarter of the world who are followers of the Way, none have yet come before me without being dependent on something. Here I hit them right from the start. If they come forth using their hands, I hit them on the hands; if they come forth using their mouths, I hit them on the mouth; if they come forth using their eyes, I hit them on the eyes. Not one has yet come before me in solitary freedom. All are clamoring after the worthless contrivances of the men of old. As for myself, I haven't a single dharma to give to men. You followers of the Way from every quarter, try coming to me without being dependent upon things. Then I would confer with you. 1

links

Rinzai Gigen

Venerable Master Lin Chi

The Folly of Wisdom

Review of Burton Watson's
The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-chi

Another from Zen Unbound

Lin-chi Ch'an and the Use of Kung-an and Hua-t'ou
Professor Dan Stevenson
Part 2

Osho: Rinzai: Master of The Irrational, Chapter 2

Revealing the family shame
The tradition of Zen transmission
Zen Master Wu Kwang (Richard Shrobe)
Opening talk at the transmission ceremony.
This talk was first printed in Primary Point,
volume 10, number 1 (Winter/Spring 1993)
from Primary Point
The Kwan Um School of Zen
 

bibliography

The Record of Rinzai
I-hsèuan
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The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-Chi:
A Translation of the Lin-Chi Lu
(Shambhala Dragon Editions)

The Zen teaching of Rinzai:
the Record of Rinzai
Lin-chi
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The Zen Teaching of Rinzai:
The Record of Rinzai
Irmgard Schloegl / Published 1976
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Points of Departure:
Zen Buddhism With a Rinzai View
Eido T. Shimano
Paperback / Published 1992
information and order from:
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The Original Face:
An Anthology of Rinzai Zen
New York : / Published 1978
information and order from:
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The Golden Age of Zen
Ching-Hsiung Wu, et al.
Paperback / Published 1996
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Golden Age of Zen

(1)
The Record of Lin-Chi
trans. Ruth Sasaki
Kyoto: The Institute for Zen Studies, 1975

Essays in Zen Buddhism, First Series

Essays in Zen Buddhism, Third Series
D. T. Suzuki
York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1985.
Original Teachings of Ch'an Buddhism.
Chung-Yuan, Chang, trans.
New York: Random House, 1969.
 

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