Lin Chi Quotes

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on earth.

When you meet a master swordsman, show him your sword. When you meet a man who is not a poet, do not show him your poem. Robert Greene rephrase: When you meet a swordsman, draw your sword. Do not recite poetry to one who is not a poet.

If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.

Si-Chi's hairline was straight as a highway. If you drove along it, it would lead to the most sinister truth in the world.

She couldn’t understand how someone in her world dared to cry before she did.

Suppose two astronauts go to the moon. When they arrive, they have an accident and find out that they have only enough oxygen for two days. There is no hope of someone coming from Earth in time to rescue them. They have only two days to live. If you asked them at that moment, "What is your deepest wish?" they would answer, "To be back home walking on the beautiful planet Earth." That would be enough for them; they would not want anything else. They would not want to be the head of a large corporation, a big celebrity or president of the United States. They would not want anything except to be back on Earth - to be walking on Earth, enjoying every step, listening to the sounds of nature and holding the hand of their beloved while contemplating the moon. We should live every day like people who have just been rescued from the moon. We are on Earth now, and we need to enjoy walking on this precious beautiful planet. The Zen master Lin Chi said, "The miracle is not to walk on water but to walk on the Earth." I cherish that teaching. I enjoy just walking, even in busy places like airports and railway stations. In walking like that, with each step caressing our Mother Earth, we can inspire other people to do the same. We can enjoy every minute of our lives.

Zen Master Lin Chi once said: "If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet the Patriarch, kill the Patriarch." For the one who only has devotion, this declaration is terrible; it confuses him completely. But its effect depends on the mentality and capacity of the one who hears. If the man is strong, he truly will have the capacity to liberate himself from all authority, whatever it might be, and to accomplish in himself ultimate truth.

The mainstream of Chinese Ch'an provided the background tradition for Buddhism in Vietnam, particularly Vietnamese Zen Buddhism. An Indian monk and student of the third patriarch of Chinese Ch'an, Sêng-ts'an, a Chinese monk and disciple of the prominent master Pai-chang, and a second Chinese monk and follower of the famous Hsüeh-t'ou founded the first three schools of Zen Buddhism in Vietnam. Other schools of Buddhist philosophy and practice were also introduced to the country, and various indigenous sects grew up around celebrated Vietnamese masters. In the later development of Vietnamese Zen, the Lâm-Tế (C. Lin-chi, J. Rinzai) branch of practice came to the country and found firm basis for its growth through the innovations of a talented Vietnamese master, so that today most Buddhist monks, nuns, and laymen in Vietnam belong to the Lâm-Tế Zen tradition.

Little Fang Si-Chi's writing was like the smile of a chubby kid; grown Fang Si-Chi's writing was like the face of a famous political commentator.

La angustia por el futuro   Al igual que hay personas que viven ancladas en el pasado y dedican muchos años ―y buena parte de sus ingresos― a revivir con ayuda de un psicoanalista antiguos traumas, para muchos el futuro es un territorio inquietante que llega a resultar paralizante. En este sentido, Lin-chi decía: «Dejar de preocuparse de lo que sucedió en el pasado y de lo que nos depara el futuro es mejor que una peregrinación de diez años.» Para liberarnos del pasado debemos dejar de contemplar nuestras propias huellas. Un empeño excesivo en evaluar lo que hemos sido puede frenar lo que somos y lo que seremos.

Chi-Lin couldn’t speak or nod but his eyes conveyed a mulish agreement. “Good. It is not wise to shoot the messenger. Especially when the messenger is a daughter of the Fae, yes?” The tableau froze. Sevana, deeming it safe enough to resume her seat, did so and studied their faintly horrified expressions that were mixed with disbelief and a sort of trepidation, as if they had stuck their hands into a hole expecting treasure only to encounter a den of vipers instead.

You who don't have enough confidence in yourself, you go around seeking these things outside.