The Record of Linji

by Línjì Yìxuán, Thomas Yuho Kirchner, Ruth Fuller Sasaki

Among the most important texts of Zen literature, the "Lin-Chi lu" details the insights and exploits of the great ninth century Chinese Zen master Lin-chi, one of the most highly regarded of the T'ang period masters. PEN Translation Prize-winner Burton Watson presents here an eloquent translation -- the first in the English language -- of this seminal classic, "The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-chi." The work is an exacting depiction of Lin-chi's words and actions, describing the Zen master's life and teaching, and includes a number of his sermons. Because Lin-chi's school outlasted other forms of early Chinese Zen to become dominant throughout China to this day, this translation bears unique significance within the literature of this great Asian nation. With Watson's lucid introduction to the work, a glossary of terms, and notes to the text, "The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-chi "is a generously constructed and accessible model of translation that will stand as the definitive primary material on Lin-chi for many years to come.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Philosophy, Religion, Nonfiction, China, Eastern Philosophy

520 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1120

About the author

Línjì Yìxuán (simplified Chinese: 临济义玄; traditional Chinese: 臨濟義玄; Wade–Giles: Lin-chi I-hsüan, Japanese: Rinzai Gigen) was the founder of the Linji school of Chán Buddhism during Tang Dynasty China.

Linji was trained by the Chan master Huángbò Xīyùn (黃蘗希運) but, according to the Record of Linji, enlightened while discussing Huángbò's teaching during a conversation with the reclusive monk Dàyú (大愚). Linji then returned to Huángbò to continue his training after awakening. In 851 CE, Linji moved to the Linji temple in Hebei, where he took his name, which also became the name for the lineage of his form of Chán Buddhism.

Linji is reputed for being iconoclastic, leading students to awakening by hitting and shouting. Yet Linji's teaching-style, as recorded in the Linji yü lü, was exemplary of the development Chán took in the Hongzhou school (洪州宗) of Mazu and his successors, such as Huangbo, Linji's teacher.

Reviews

[Steve]

Imaginary portrait of Lin-chi by the Japanese Zen master, Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769)

You don't drive a nail into the empty sky!


In Buddhism, as in every other serious endeavor to deal with the riddles of our brief existence on this little planet in the midst of an enormity one can hardly fathom (even as a trained physicist), there are serious disagreements concerning the means of attaining the desired goals. For some elitists (shall we say) what is required is a detailed study/memorization of the canonical texts and the attainment of a polished command of the techniques of dialectics and logic in order to arrive at the Truth; for others, more folksy (shall we say), what is required is regular attendance of church and performance of rites, regular payment of tithes, and regular recital of a few magical formulae prayers; for yet others, all the eggs are placed in the basket of attaining sudden enlightenment through the dedicated exercise of various meditation techniques supplemented by shocks to the mental and physical system (through koans and sudden smacks with a wooden rod, respectively) in order to disturb the complacent habits to which all human beings are prey.(*)

In Buddhism, the latter school of thought is referred to as Ch'an in China and as Zen in Japan, and its texts are thus primarily concerned with technique and not with dogma(**), though its masters have produced some rather recondite texts.

In The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-Chi (1993/1999) Burton Watson translates one of the most important texts in the Ch'an tradition, the Lin-chi ch'an-shih yü-lu (The Recorded Saying of the Ch'an Master Lin-Chi) and includes a useful introduction providing historical and cultural context, as well as explanatory notes to the text itself. Lin-chi I-hsüan (Línjì Yìxuán, d. 866) founded the only branch of Ch'an Buddhism that still survives, and, in Watson's words,

[] his is the oldest and most authentic voice that has come down to us from the early tradition of Chinese Ch'an or Zen, the fullest exposition of its teachings, particularly as they are associated with the line of transmission that honors his name, the Lin-chi or Rinzai school of Zen. The early figures in the Zen lineage in China who precede him are veiled in legend, their sayings fragmentary and often difficult to interpret.

But how can one briefly summarize this very unique text to an audience with little foreknowledge of Zen?

KHAT !

Watson tells us that it is with such a shout that Lin-chi answered disciples' questions about the nature of Buddhism. I'd like to leave it at that, but as it probably won't have the desired effect I guess I'll have to say a few things.

Lin-chi (and recall that essentially all of Ch'an and Zen Buddhism since his death has been commentary on and use of his approach) distrusted humans' ability to express the Truth with words (as did the Taoists), and so, though it is evident from this text that he was familiar with the main texts of Mahayana Buddhism, his primary purpose was to exhort his disciples to ignore all the external trappings of religion, disregard the words of the "Masters" (including his own) and realize that the Buddha nature is already within them; they need but go within themselves and make the connection in order to find nirvana - direct and total communion with Everything. But habit and many other things complicate this apparently simple matter, so Lin-chi suggests (one cannot write "explains") in his homilies and illustrates in his reported interactions techniques students can use to overcome the many obstacles within and without us to the simple realization that Everything Is One and all the rest is transitory illusion, i.e. of no real concern to us. Once that is done one experiences the peace and mindfulness of the enlightened, a state that is indistinguishable to me from the ataraxia of Pytho, Epicurus and Epictetus.

Aside from the blows and the shouting, the primary tool for breaking up the icepack of mental habit is the use of pregnant paradox, of apparent or real non sequitur. There is much of this here, but the unsuspecting reader should be forewarned that though some of these apparent riddles have "solutions," many are expressed just to startle, to perplex, to intrigue, in short to get one to jump over one's own spiritual shadow. The incidents of pedagogical exchange are in the same spirit.

The master ascended the hall. A monk asked, "What is the basic meaning of Buddhism?"
The Master held his fly whisk straight up.
The monk gave a shout.
The Master struck him.

Another monk asked, "What is the basic meaning of Buddhism?"
Again the Master held his fly whisk straight up.
And the monk gave a shout.
The Master also gave a shout.
The monk was about to say something, whereupon the Master hit him.

In other words,

KHAT !


(*) Some well-timed shouting at the top of the master's voice can also be observed. But not all is shock and awe: during a long session of za-zen (sitting in lotus position and meditating), one's body develops some remarkable pains and cramps; when the session master observes that they are impeding the meditation, he steps behind the person meditating, slaps his hands together sharply and places them roughly on a suitable portion of the meditator's body, whereupon a startling sensation of great warmth will ease the latter's suffering beyond my limited means of expression.

(**) Just like those of the Roman Stoics such as Musonius Rufus and Epictetus; indeed, there are many parallels between Ch'an Buddhism and Stoicism.

[Chant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master Lin Chi really liked to shout and beat the shit out of his students. My type of guy.

[David]

I was interested in reading this book after I heard Leonard Cohen mention in an interview that he became very interested in Rinzai which is the school of Buddhism started by Lin-Chi Lu.

As I was reading I was struck by the irony of my attempt at seeking and understanding each little chapter. A primary message was to not seek, just be, and eliminate the dualistic notion of the individual and our surroundings. Seeking leads to constant reincarnation and being trapped in the cycle of birth and death- a desperate search for meaning in life. Lin-Chi Lu teaches: "Fellow believers, just act ordinary, don't affect some special manner." Don't try so hard to reach enlightenment, don't venerate the master, the Buddha, or the patriarchs just find them inside ourselves and in our own contexts. And the path to that is not through active seeking.

Many of the passages were like riddles that only made the irony more delightful and challenging. Answers were not clear or tidy, they led my mind to a great expanse of questions. Such as this following story that simply ends with the Master bluntly refusing to answer and rejecting the question, which he did often:

"When the Master arrived at Ming-hua's place, Ming-hua said, 'Coming and going, coming and going- what is it all about?'
'Just tramping around wearing out my straw sandals,' said the Master.
Ming-hua said, 'In the end, what is it for?'
'This old man doesn't even know how to talk!' said the Master."

This particular translation had very helpful footnotes and gave very helpful background to Hindu and Buddhist terms out of which Lin-Chi Lu's teaching grew.

[John Xavier · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Let the lion give one roar and the brains of the little foxes will split open.”

In the English speaking world, Zen has been elevated to a position of ambiguous eminence. Meanwhile, as a result of decades of misleading populist literature, the word “Zen” today suggests, for most people, a kind of ineffable tranquility achieved through exceptional self-discipline. Zen is also associated with a general mastery that can supposedly manifest itself in specific forms of activity; as such, people will often speak of a “Zen” of this or that, implying something like a mystical insight into some hidden essence which finds expression in extraordinary, if not supernatural, skills. But this is just a distillation of accumulated falsehoods. Like any other form of falsity however, its roots are still grounded in reality.

Less grounded, and in fact more untruthful, are the various corrupt and dogmatic interpretations of Zen that saddle it with superfluous doctrines and rituals. These are overwhelmingly perpetuated by individuals who are professionally invested in specific explanations of Zen, either as marginal freelance commentators or as members of organizations that claim uniquely authoritative Zen teachings. Since there are many competing versions of the truth here though, the question of what Zen is exactly and how to distinguish authentic Zen teachings from charlatan ones remains. Like with any other historical phenomenon, the proper means to obtain a correct understanding of Zen will, of course, have to begin with the literature that documents its earliest period of existence; only in this way can honest inquiry hope to establish a reasonable basis for making inferences in the matter.

Practically speaking, this means familiarizing oneself with the ancient founder of Zen’s recorded lineage, Bodhidharma. A travelling monk living sometime between the fifth and sixth centuries (CE) he left behind very little in terms of historical material and he’s also been subjected to considerable mythologizing over the subsequent centuries but, fortunately, a small selection of anecdotes and teachings remain. Perhaps the most concise statement of what Bodhidharma taught, and what Zen was in its origination, is the story of him testing his disciples to see which of them had grasped his message:

Bodhidharma asked, "Can each of you say something to demonstrate your understanding?"

Dao Fu stepped forward and said, "It is not bound by words and phrases, nor is it separate from words and phrases. This is the function of the Tao."

Bodhidharma: "You have attained my skin."

The nun Zong Chi stepped up and said, "It is like a glorious glimpse of the realm of Akshobhya Buddha. Seen once, it need not be seen again."

Bodhidharma; "You have attained my flesh."

Dao Yu said, "The four elements are all empty. The five skandhas are without actual existence. Not a single dharma can be grasped."

Bodhidharma: "You have attained my bones."

Finally, Huike came forth, bowed deeply in silence and stood up straight.

Bodhidharma said, "You have attained my marrow.”

Subsequent generations of Zen teachers, carrying on the spirit of the Zen through a pedigree of direct transmission, adapted numerous expedient means and poetic innovations to convey this but, when scrutinized closely, the idiosyncratic elements of their discourses and encounters reveal a profound unity underneath. Naturally the reader will have to make a personal effort here to verify that (If they’re so inclined) but, if interested in suggestions for an appropriate focus of one’s studies, the era in Zen history from the start of the legendary period to the end of the literary period (450 – 1250 CE) is recommended. This encompasses all of the most famous Chinese teachers and canonical texts of Zen and, while eight hundred years is a considerable span of time, there’s a significant consistency across the centuries that sets this era apart from the ideological mutations which arise later. Zen was always about teachers meeting individual seekers where they were, responding to every question in a uniquely appropriate way, and likewise there are different kinds of Zen literature that best appeal to a variety of personal tastes and conditions. Most infamous probably are the much misunderstood koan but there were also many Zen monks who gave straightforward lectures in order to communicate the teachings. Add to this Zen’s rich legacy of poetry and curious individuals have an abundance of riches to choose from. But perhaps they’re too abundant. So, again, the question of where to start remains.

The record of the monk Linji Yixuan (Wade-Giles Romanization: Lin-chi I-hsüan) is as good a text to initiate oneself with as any. And while Watson’s use of an outdated Romanization might leave a potential reader apprehensive, the text itself is presented in a fresh and contemporary manner. Which is not to say that I didn’t gather a few criticisms while going through it but these were mostly limited to issues with some of the footnotes and so of peripheral significance. Balanced against the general high quality overall and the outstanding worth of such an underappreciated work (Zen literature makes most western epistemology look hopelessly crude) I can only give this book the highest recommendation. Perhaps there are better translations available but, even if so, this one is written more than well enough to have a potentially life-changing impact on the reader.

In fact, it should be emphasized that there’s an urgency inherent to Zen, one that’s explicitly stated in the teachings of Linji, for the individual to confront their immediate self. Meaning not the self of reflection or abstraction but the self that’s continuously present even when unattended to. Said self provides the window to our ultimate nature, the glass through which all our prismatic illusions are inevitably filtered. We must first gaze through this, past its surface apparitions, to see beyond the falseness of our confusions. What Linji highlights is that this can only be done by living ordinarily; that is, in a state of total freedom from affectation. Freedom even from aversion. Not that Linji is articulating anything unique here; the exact same admonishment is found in Bodhidharma, Huineng, Yunmen, Zhaozhou, etc. Human consciousness and all its genuine perceptions are present without even the least amount of contrivance. Zen, as such, is a kind of synthesis of climax and anti-climax; all our contrivances are fulfilled and exhausted by the realization that we already possess everything we need. Only our obsession with discovering some non-existent insight which we imagine will bestow lasting satisfaction prevents this. The satisfaction we seek is actually the satisfaction of not seeking.

If this comes across as inscrutably paradoxical, it may help to list some of the things that Zen isn’t and the reasons for each being so:

Zen isn’t knowledge.

(How can the condition of knowing apply to that which remains intimate and enduring regardless of the state of one’s mind?)

Zen isn’t an attainment.

(If it was, it would be neither fundamental nor essential and therefore of no critical importance)

Zen isn’t a solution.

(Where the possibilities of particular problems and appropriate responses remain, the individual is still preoccupied with conditional realities and is striving after things unrelated to actual Zen)

Zen isn’t “ego death.”

(The essence of the mind is independent of specific psychological dispositions; including the personal goal of overcoming these)

Zen isn’t transcendental.

(If Zen depended on our overcoming the world in any manner – intellectually, spiritually, supernaturally, whatever – this would be a limited and contingent form of freedom distinct from ultimate liberation)

Zen isn’t a sense of fulfillment or emptiness.

(What’s defined by states of perception alters according to a prevailing collection of influences and so has no basis in fundamental reality)

Zen isn’t “the” truth, or even “a” truth.

(For something to be true it must be susceptible to expression in a form of language and circumscribed by conceptual representation; meaning it is still a kind of superficiality and therefore not Zen)

Obviously the preceding remarks indicate a radically different approach to human nature than traditional science and philosophy but the latter continue to grapple with various uncertainties so their own imperfection is proved by their persistent striving. In Zen conversely, those in previous times who exemplified the teachings wanted for nothing and acknowledged no deeper mysteries. And Linji Yixuan was such a man. He embodied Zen with unceasing eloquence and fearlessness. For example, this is how he conducted himself in the presence of Deshan Yuanjian, an immortal sage and a living Buddha:

The Master [Linji] was standing in attendance at Deshan’s side. De-shan said, “I’m tired today!” The Master replied, “What’s this old fellow doing talking in his sleep?” Deshan struck the Master a blow. The Master then grabbed the chair Deshan was sitting in and turned it over. Deshan let the matter end there.

Once you realize what Linji realized, you too will have nothing to fear from anyone or anything; least of all from Buddhas.

[Martin Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel very fortunate to have come across this translation of the direct teachings of Lin-Chi.

The dialogues are particularly oblique in places, but with some reflection and pondering you can feel the energy of the teaching and the deep insight. The shouts, blows and unexpected remarks thrusting practitioners into experiencing the non-dual.

What isn't detailed in this work, and it usually ignored in modern descriptions of Lin-Chi, is that he didn't start off with this eccentric behaviour and methods of teaching, but spent time earnestly learning Sutras and understanding the Vinaya, before he was able to move beyond scripture following Huang Po's blows. Without any such background there is the danger of thinking this eccentricity is the purpose itself, as in the modern era we have become accustomed to knowing the pitfalls of religion, and are generally, as a secular society averse to following religion blindly. But those teachings and practices serve a purpose, and before tearing something down, it's important to understand deeply what they are, and the reasons for them first. Back in Lin-Chi's time I am sure things were different and most were in the pitfall of shallow religious piety rather than following a secular individualistic life.

[agnostic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for the short, brilliant sermons of Rinzai in Part Two of this book. The many anecdotes in the other parts (so-and-so "gave a shout," or slapped someone, or "shook out his sleeves") are silly and tiresome in my opinion. I realize they're considered very "zen" at this point, but it's nice when people at least take a shot at explaining the inexplicable, rather than just acting like a pretentious version of The Three Stooges. Hard to imagine how the mere description of these techniques could have any impact on any reader whatsoever, even if the techniques were effective in the flesh.

[Ross Gouldsbrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was very much reluctant to buy this book because Huang Po would have hit me for doing so, and Lin Chi likely shouted at me including a quick hit. Regardless, I wanted to see what Lin-Chi had to say about Real stuff, and I was repaid for my curiosity.

[mercy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speech misses the mark; a shout lands. The Linji lu is full of incomprehensible-seeming interactions that point directly at the Buddha-mind, in the style of the koans that took over the Linji/Rinzai school. Though not the only text to do so, the spirit of Zen is on full display.

The translation by Watson left me desiring more, as well as his interpretations of exchanges between Zen masters.

[Linus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing, some of the best and most profound Zen instructions I have come across in my nearly three decades of studying Zen. Highly recommended to any serious seeker of the Way, regardless of tradition.

[Karan]

he hit me bad

[Andrew Roxby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The definitive translation of one of the greatest and most dynamic pieces of spiritual literature in the Buddhist tradition.

[Rachel Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zayummmm good shit
Too much hitting at the end 😂

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this again. Fabulous, fabulous, book.

[Paloma · Rating 2 out of 5]

why we beating kids up to reach enlightenment.
so done w school! last book of the quarter 😞😘🌎🥶🌎👄⏰ writing a paper about this books use of violence tomorrowwwww

[Jo:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should've cut those baldheaded rascals some slack

[valixt · Rating 5 out of 5]

“... you take the words that come out of the mouths of a bunch of old teachers to be a description of the true Way. You think, This is a most wonderful teacher and friend ... saying, ‘I would never dare speak ill of such a good friend, I’d be afraid of making mouth karma! ... good friend is someone who dares to speak ill of the Buddha ... pass judgment on anyone in the world ..." [Master Lin-Chi]

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

edit: tr. by Burton Watson.

This is great! Monks shouting at each other and hitting each other with sticks! (and sermonizing too).

They should teach Linji instead of "Plato."

[Shell · Rating 3 out of 5]

KATSU and CRACK!

[Pan_filuta · Rating 4 out of 5]

První čtení, náročné.

[Pan_filuta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Druhé čtení, ještě lepší než první.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm digging the hell out of the medieval chinese zen buddhism scene.