The Linji school is a school of Chan Buddhism named after the ninth-century master Linji Yixuan, who died in 866, and it became the dominant Chan faction in China during the Song dynasty (960-1279) through the support of literati and court officials. The lineage transmitted to Japan as the Rinzai school and significantly shaped Korean Seon Buddhism through the nine mountain schools. The tradition systematized classical Chan elements including transmission narratives, the recorded sayings of masters, koan collections with commentary, and Hua Tou meditation practice, built around the claim of a special transmission outside the scriptures that emphasizes direct experience over textual study. Modern teachers including Xuyun, Sheng-yen and Hsuan Hua carried the Linji tradition into the twentieth century and helped establish Chan practice in the West. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Classification
Kind of orderBuddhist Monastic Orders and Schools 2 ApostolateContemplative or Monastic Prayer 1 Organisation
OrdinationUpasampada Monastic Ordination 1 Status
Status TodayLiving tradition, practised today 2 Belief
Defining Doctrinal PositionMahayana Chan/Zen Teaching 1 Practice
Liturgical Language Connections
Belongs to Tradition
Founded By
Source Linji school (Wikipedia)
Rooted In
Source Linji school (Wikipedia)
Uses Liturgical Language
Sources
1. Islamic Mysticism: A Short History
Alexander Knysh, Brill
2. Linji school (Wikipedia)
lead paragraph
The Linji school (Chinese: 臨濟宗; pinyin: Línjì zōng) is a school of Chan Buddhism named after Linji Yixuan (d. 866). It took prominence in Song China (960-1279), spread to Japan as the Rinzai
- Founded By: Linji Yixuan
Rooted In: Zen, Lead section
The Linji school (Chinese: 臨濟宗; pinyin: Línjì zōng) is a school of Chan Buddhism named after Linji Yixuan (d. 866).
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.