Linji Yixuan used to respond to questions about Zen
with a brisk shout: “Ho!” Several of his heirs continued his teaching,
and gradually the Rinzai (Linji) school of Zen evolved. The most important line
of descent was that of Xinghua Cunjiang who warned his followers of the danger
of merely aping the mannerisms of his late master. “All day long I hear monks
shouting ‘Ho!’ in the corridors and in the halls. But you must beware of
shouting for its own sake. Even if you were to shout so loudly that it took my
breath away, when my breath returned I’d tell you, ‘Still not it!’ I haven’t
been passing out gift-wrapped gems to you. What’s all this shouting about?”
Zen Masters of China: 246
The Story of Zen:153
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