The Linji Lu and the Creation of Chan Orthodoxy

The Linji lu, or Record of Linji, ranks among the most famous and influential texts of the Chan and Zen traditions. Ostensibly containing the teachings of the Tang dynasty figure Linji Yixuan, the text has generally been accepted at face value, as reliable records of the teachings of this historical figure.

In this book, Albert Welter offers the first systematic study of the Linji lu in a western language. Welter places the Linji lu in its historical context, showing how the text was manipulated over time by the Linji faction. Rather than recording the teachings of the illustrious patriarch of legend, the text reflects the motivations of Linji-faction descendants in the Song dynasty (9601279). The story of the Linji lu is not simply the story of one heroic figure, Linji Yixuan, but the story of an entire movement that sought validation through retrospective image making. The success of this effort is seen in Chan's rise to prominence.

Drawing on the findings of Japanese scholars, Welter moves beyond the minutiae of textual analysis to place the development of Linji lu within the broader forces shaping the development of the Chinese Records of Sayings literary genre as a whole.


Author: Albert Welter
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 02/28/2008
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.69d
ISBN: 9780195329575

About the Author

Albert Welter is a Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Winnipeg. He is the author of Monks, Rulers, and Literati: The Political Ascendancy of Chan Buddhism

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