Yangqi line

Chan

Yangqi line

Branch of Linji

The Yangqi line is the dominant sub-branch of the Linji school, founded by Yangqi Fanghui (992–1049), a student of Shishuang Chuyuan. It emerged alongside the Huanglong branch when the Linji school divided in the Song dynasty, and eventually absorbed and superseded the Huanglong line to become the sole surviving Linji lineage. The Yangqi branch is characterized by an unpredictable, spontaneous teaching style—Yangqi himself was known for playful and surprising responses that kept students off balance. The line produced many of the most important figures in later Chan history: Wuzu Fayan, Yuanwu Keqin (compiler of the Blue Cliff Record), Dahui Zonggao (champion of huatou practice, who famously burned the Blue Cliff Record's printing blocks), and Wumen Huikai (compiler of the Gateless Barrier). Through Xutang Zhiyu's transmission to Nanpo Jomyo, the Yangqi line became the foundation of virtually all Japanese Rinzai Zen. The Song dynasty hermit-poet Shiwu Qinggong (Stonehouse) and the intense practitioner Gaofeng Yuanmiao also belong to this lineage.