Chan, Linji

(also: Lin-chi Ch'an; Rinzai Zen; Rinzai) The Linji school of Zen Buddhism first developed in 9th century China, when the monk Yixuan devised a meditational technique in which the only guidance was to come from the subtle hint of a raised eyebrow, the sudden jolt of an unexpected slap, or the teacher’s direct questioning on the meaning of a gongan (koan). In the late 12th century the monk Eisai brought the tradition to Japan, where it soon became a major school known as Rinzai Zen.