Tradition

Rinzai school

Overview

The Rinzai school (Japanese: 臨済宗, romanized: Rinzai-shū, simplified Chinese: 临济宗; traditional Chinese: 臨濟宗; pinyin: Línjì zōng), named after Linji Yixuan (Romaji: Rinzai Gigen, died 866 CE) is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism, along with Sōtō and Ōbaku. The Chinese Linji school of Chan Buddhism was first transmitted to Japan by Myōan Eisai (1141–1215). Contemporary Japanese Rinzai is derived entirely from the Ōtōkan lineage transmitted through Hakuin Ekaku (1686–1769), who is a major figure in the revival of the Rinzai tradition.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Possible passages

Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.

1. Xenophanes, Parmenides, Melissus and Zeno are to be reckoned as belonging to this school. Xenophanes may be regarded as the founder of it; Parmenides is supposed to have been his pupil, and Melissus, and especially Zeno, are called the pupils of Parmenides. In fact, they are to be taken together as forming the Eleatic school; later on it lost the name, being then called Sophistic, and its locality was transferred to…

   Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Hegel's Lectures on the History of Philosophy

   States what Rinzai school is.

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2. There is a very instructive little pamphlet by Professor B.H. Chamberlain, who was Professor of Japanese and philosophy at Tokyo, and had a knowledge of Japanese which few Europeans had equalled. His pamphlet is called _The Invention of a New Religion_, and is published by the Rationalist Press Association. He points out that, until recent times, the religion of Japan was Buddhism, to the practical exclusion of…

   Bertrand Russell, The Problem of China

   States what Rinzai school is.

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3. Alluding to the matter of the Chief of the Ki family worshipping on T[']ai-shan,[7] the Master said to Yen Yu, "Cannot you save him from this?" He replied, "It is beyond my power." "Alas, alas!" exclaimed the Master, "are we to say that the spirits of T[']ai-shan have not as much discernment as Lin Fang?" Of "the superior man," the Master observed, "In him there is no contentiousness. Say even that he does certainly…

   Confucius, The Wisdom of Confucius with Critical and Biographical Sketches

   Close in meaning to Rinzai school; the term itself is not named.

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Philosophers who discussed Rinzai school

• Bodhidharma
• Mazu Daoyi
• Yunmen Wenyan

Related ideas

• Dahui Zonggao
• Pure Land
• Japan
• Linji school
• Linji Yixuan
• Zazen
• Koan
• Painting
• Literature
• Sōtō
• Mantra
• Architecture
• Qi
• Chinese poetry
• Meiji Restoration
• Mahayana
• Shinto
• Samurai
• Mahayana sutras
• Zen
• Kenshō
• Chan Buddhism
• Hua Tou
• Buddhist texts

Place in the tradition

Part of Japanese philosophy.

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