The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-Chi: A Translation of the Lin-Chi Lu

by Myokyo-Ni, Sun-chi I-hsüan, Irmgard Schloegl, et al.

Book Overview

The Linji lu (Record of Linji) has been an essential text of Chinese and Japanese Zen Buddhism for nearly a thousand years. A compilation of sermons, statements, and acts attributed to the great... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0231114850
• ISBN13: 9780231114851
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Sometimes a Shout is Like a Golden-Haired Lion

This is one of the earliest and greatest Zen classics devoted to the teaching of an individual Master, a genre invented within Zen. In earlier Buddhism what was taught was what the Buddha had taught, what the Sutras recorded. Zen emphasised the uniqueness of the moment and the need for newly improvised teachings, because of the way the mind forms a "skin" over what it has learnt. So Masters taught directly from their own realisation and not from the Sutras. Devoted disciples would then note down and record their words. But there's a paradox here - a permanent record of a unique moment - and some Masters disapproved and actively tried to destroy such records of their teachings. Lin-chi was a formidable character even by the standards of Zen Masters. He was famous for the ferocious, unnerving shout which he would unleash when least expected, in the same way other Masters used blows: to stop the busy minds of his followers for a moment. But all of his teachings ultimately had no other purpose: and he can be scary, crude, confrontational. He uses all means to teach one simple but elusive lesson: what is to be sought is what does the seeking: Mind itself, and not any limited image, concept or insight that Mind can come up with. Thus he also uses those double-edged words that have caused so much trouble and confusion ever since: "There is nothing to be done, nothing to achieve, nothing to be attained". At times, surprisingly, he could also come out with passages of mysterious poetic imagery, in which he codifies some of the basic thought-structures of Zen, which have been argued over and commented upon ever since. He also coined the phrase "the real person with no position". Burton Watson's translation aims at capturing the original's raw colloquial vigour, and as usual when academics do colloquial the results are sometimes awkward ("If you want to be a first rate fellow...") But this is a tiny flaw in a fluent translation of an essential and inexhaustible Zen classic.

An essential text for all Zen students and practitioners

A wonderful translation of an essential text for all Zen students and practitioners. The Zen teachings of Lin-chi (Rinzai) pack the force of a nuclear blast. The record of Lin-chi foregoes any pretense to gradual guidance and delivers its Zen message in raw, heavy bucket-fulls. Burton Watson's translation of The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-Chi (Sung edition), like his other translations, is exceptional. Without sacrificing either the letter or the spirit, Mr. Watson makes the Record of the seminal Zen master Lin-chi (Rinzai) accessible to English readers with all the clarity and force of the original. With his usual high standard in regard to scholarship, Burton Watson provides extensive notes to each section. He also includes translations of the two alternate versions of two sections of the Lin-chi lu in Ming editions of the Ku-tsun-su yu-lu, and a decent glossary.

The master speaks

This is probally one of the best Zen books I've ever read!!! Lin-chi (Rinzai) speaks in a clear manner easy to understand. Like a true master he knows how to get straight to the "heart" of Zen. It's no wonder a school of Zen is named after him.

This is a correction of your information

The translator of this should be Burton Watson; it looks to be a new editions of the Shambala Dragon edition of 1994. check with publisher so you will provide your readers with accurate information