Linji Yixuan (810–866) was a Chinese Zen Buddhist monk and the founder of the Linji school of Chan Buddhism, known for his unconventional teaching methods. His discourses, compiled in "The Record of Linji," emphasize direct Experience and the rejection of dualistic thinking. Linji's iconoclastic approach and use of shouting and striking became hallmarks of his teaching, profoundly impacting the Development of Zen Practice. His legacy endures in the emphasis on Spontaneity and direct insight within Chan and Zen traditions.
Anecdotes
- Once shouted "Kill The Buddha" to shake students out of their habitual ways of thinking.
- Once declared that the true path to enlightenment could be found through everyday, mundane activities, challenging traditional Zen practices.
- Famously shouted or struck students to jolt them into sudden insight, a method that became a defining feature of his teaching Style.
Magnitudes
- Question ; find Truth within yourself.
- Embrace uncertainty; it sharpens your Perception.
- Embrace uncertainty as your greatest teacher.
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