Baoning Renyong

Baoning Renyong was a Linji school master of the Song dynasty who taught at Baoning Temple. He is recorded in the transmission literature as a dharma heir who maintained the characteristic methods of the Linji tradition—the use of shouts, blows, and paradoxical exchanges to precipitate awakening in students. His dialogues reflect the mature form of Song dynasty Linji practice.

Renyong's contribution, like that of many Song dynasty Linji masters, lay in sustaining the high standard of the tradition during its period of greatest institutional influence. The Linji school during the Song dynasty was the dominant form of Chinese Chan, and masters like Renyong ensured that its practical methods retained their transformative power even as the school grew in size and social prominence.