Kill the Buddha, Kill the Patriarchs

Text

If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill the Buddha. If you meet a patriarch, kill the patriarch. Only by killing the images that walk in front of you do you free the original face that has been walking with you all along.

tr. Zen Lineage editorial

license: cc_by

Attribution

• Attributed To
  Linji Yixuan

Lineage: Linji

By Linji Yixuan

• When You Meet a Swordsmanproverb
• The True Person of No Ranksermon
• Linji's Four Shoutssermon
• Linji's Three Blows from Huangbodialogue
• If You Meet the Buddha, Kill the Buddhasaying

From Record of Linji

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

Sources

• contentThe Linji Lu and the Creation of Chan Orthodoxy

  Albert Welter