Rinzai

Zen

Rinzai

Branch of Linji

The Rinzai school (臨済宗) is the Japanese form of the Chinese Linji tradition, transmitted to Japan through multiple lineages during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). The school's defining figure is Hakuin Ekaku (1686–1769), who single-handedly revived and systematized Rinzai practice after a period of decline. Hakuin developed the structured koan curriculum that remains standard today—beginning with the Mu koan or the sound of one hand clapping, then progressing through increasingly subtle layers of inquiry. His emphasis on 'great doubt, great faith, great determination' as the three pillars of practice became definitive. The modern Rinzai school is organized primarily through the O-To-Kan lineage: Nanpo Jomyo (Daio Kokushi) received transmission from the Chinese master Xutang Zhiyu, transmitted to Shuho Myocho (Daito Kokushi, founder of Daitokuji), who transmitted to Kanzan Egen (founder of Myoshinji). These two temple complexes—Daitokuji and Myoshinji—and their extensive branch networks form the institutional backbone of modern Rinzai Zen. The school profoundly influenced Japanese culture, including the tea ceremony, calligraphy, ink painting, garden design, and the martial arts.