The True Person of No Rank

Text

Linji ascended the hall and said: "On this lump of red flesh there sits a True Person of No Rank, constantly going in and out through the gates of your face. Those who have not yet recognized this—look, look!" A monk came forward and asked, "What is the True Person of No Rank?" Linji came down from his seat, grabbed the monk, and said, "Speak! Speak!" The monk hesitated. Linji pushed him away and said, "The True Person of No Rank—what a piece of dry excrement!" Then he returned to his quarters.

license: public_domain

Attribution

• Speaker
  Linji Yixuan

Lineage: Linji

By Linji Yixuan

• When You Meet a Swordsmanproverb
• Linji's Four Shoutssermon
• Linji's Three Blows from Huangbodialogue
• If You Meet the Buddha, Kill the Buddhasaying
• Be the Master Wherever You Aresaying

From Record of Linji

• When You Meet a Swordsman
• Linji's Four Shouts
• Linji's Three Blows from Huangbo
• If You Meet the Buddha, Kill the Buddha
• The True Person of No Rank
• Kill the Buddha, Kill the Patriarchs
• Followers of the Way

Sources

• contentWikisource — English-language free library

  Record of Linji, Dharma Hall Discourse 1

  Record of Linji: The True Person of No Rank