Linji Temple

Linji Temple

Linji Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Linji Temple is situated in Zhengding County, Hebei Province. Its original location was in the village of Linji in the southeastern part of the city. It was renamed “Linji” because it was near the ferry crossing of the Hutuo River. In 1983, the State Council designated it as a nationally key Buddhist temple in Han Chinese regions. According to the *Zhending County Annals*: “Linji Temple was constructed in the second year of the Xinghe era of the Eastern Wei Dynasty (540 AD), before the founding of the Linji school.” In the eighth year of the Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty (854 AD), the monk Yixuan took charge of Linji Temple and promoted the Linji school of Zen here. He introduced Zen principles and doctrines such as the “Three Ranks,” “Three Essentials,” “Four Selections,” and “Four Illuminations.” Through dialogues between master and disciple, he assessed the depth of each student’s enlightenment and then provided targeted teachings accordingly. His Zen style was known for being “direct and incisive,” forming a unique school of its own. When instructing students, he rarely answered questions directly but instead used a stick and shouts to provoke sudden realization — the Chinese idiom “a direct blow with the stick” (当头棒喝) originates from this practice. Yixuan’s Zen teachings quickly gained acceptance among followers in the north, attracting a continuous stream of seekers, and eventually became a major branch of Zen Buddhism. Later generations named it the “Linji school” after the temple, and it grew to become the most widespread of the five major schools of Zen.

In the eighth year of the Xiantong era of the Tang Dynasty (867 AD), Master Yixuan passed away. After his remains were cremated, his disciples divided his relics and enshrined them in two stupas — one was built in Daming, Hebei, which no longer exists, and the other was erected within Linji Temple in Zhengding. Emperor Yizong of Tang posthumously honored Yixuan as the “Zen Master Huizhao” and named the stupa the “Chengling Pagoda.” Linji Temple was destroyed during the Song-Jin wars, with only the pagoda surviving. In the 23rd year of the Dading era (1183 AD), Emperor Shizong of Jin ordered its restoration, though it retained its Tang Dynasty architectural style.

During the Yuan Dynasty, Linji Temple flourished once again. The monk Haiyun oversaw its reconstruction and expansion, constructing majestic new halls. The *Records of Ancient Sites in the North* by the Yuan scholar Ge Luolu Xian noted: “Linji Temple is located in the city of Zhending Prefecture, east of the Feiyun Tower on Dingyuanmen Street. Beneath its main gate are stone carvings including a portrait of the Cloth-Bag Monk painted by Wu Daozi of the Tang Dynasty, the ‘True Praise of the Bell-Ringing Puhua,’ ink bamboo paintings by Su Dongpo, and poems from the Green Bamboo Pavilion, all exquisitely detailed.” In the second year of the Yuán era (1309 AD), Zhao Mengfu was commissioned to compose and erect the *Linji Orthodox Stele* within the temple.

In the sixth year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1521 AD), Linji Temple underwent another round of renovation. The main structures at the time included the mountain gate, Mahavira Hall, Chengling Pagoda, Ancestral Hall, and monks’ quarters. A newly erected stele was inscribed by Wang Bing with text written by Guo Xiyu. By the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the temple had fallen into disrepair. Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty bestowed the posthumous title “True Constant and Secluded Zen Master” upon Yixuan, the monk of Linji Temple in Tang’s Zhenzhou, and allocated funds for the temple’s restoration. In the tenth year of the Daoguang era (1830 AD), General Shu Tong’a funded another renovation and relocated the Ancestral Hall to the sides of the Mahavira Hall, altering the layout of the buildings. During the war against Japan, aside from the Chengling Pagoda, the temple retained only three rooms of the Ancestral Hall and three side rooms of the East Annex. By the end of 1947, these structures were demolished, leaving only the solitary Chengling Pagoda standing. In 1984, the temple was handed over to the Buddhist community for management and reopened as a place of Buddhist activity, bringing new vitality to this thousand-year-old monastery.

The Linji school spread not only within China but also overseas. In 1168, the Japanese monk Eisai from Mount Hiei in Shiga Prefecture came to China to study Buddhism. He visited Mount Tiantai, Mount Lu, and Ashoka Temple, and introduced the Huanglong branch of the Linji school to Japan, gaining wide reverence among both monastics and laypeople. Later, the Japanese monk Shunjo traveled to the Song Dynasty and brought the Yangqi branch of the Linji school to Japan. In the early Qing Dynasty, the Chinese monk Yin Yuan of Wanfu Temple on Mount Huangbo in Fuqing, Fujian, went to Japan and founded “Uji Wanfu Temple,” establishing the Obaku school. Thus, the Japanese Obaku school is actually a branch of the Chinese Linji school. To this day, the Linji and Obaku schools remain important sects in Japan, with over three million followers and more than six thousand temples. In May 1979, the two schools jointly established the Japan-China Friendship Linhuang Association. Starting in 1980, they have sent delegations to China every year to pay homage to Master Linji’s pagoda, donate for its maintenance, and write a new chapter in the friendly exchanges between Chinese and Japanese Buddhism.

On May 19, 1986, a delegation of one hundred members from the Japan-China Friendship Linhuang Association, led by honorary head Matsuyama Manmi and head leader Shiotsuzawa Daito, gathered at Linji Temple with Chinese Buddhists to hold a grand ceremony celebrating the completion and unveiling of the restored ancestral pagoda, along with a sutra chanting service. Zhao Puchu, president of the Buddhist Association of China, and Elder Shiotsuzawa Daito cut the ribbon for the refurbished Linji Pagoda. President Zhao Puchu also composed and gifted a poem to the visiting delegation of elders from the Japan-China Friendship Linji-Obaku Association: “A solitary, radiant wisdom / Illuminates the farthest reaches. / A towering stupa / Upholds heaven and earth. / The Obaku melody resounds / As the Linji spirit lives on. / Together we uphold the Dharma banner / As brothers of two lands.”

The Chengling Pagoda is an octagonal, nine-tiered, dense-eave solid brick pagoda, standing 30.47 meters tall on an octagonal brick base. The base is topped with a stone foundation, followed by a brick-built Sumeru pedestal. The waist of the pedestal features an inscription of an imperial edict from the 12th year of the Yongzheng era (1734 AD). Above the Sumeru pedestal is a flat terrace formed by balustrades and bracket sets, with carved patterns of the character 回 and floral designs. The terrace supports the pagoda body via three tiers of upward-facing lotus petals. The first tier of the pagoda is relatively tall, with four arched false doors made of brick carvings on the front and square false windows on the sides. Corner columns feature rolled rings. The front bears a stone plaque inscribed with “Tang Dynasty Linji Huizhao Chengling Pagoda.” From the second tier upward, the height of each level decreases, with closely spaced eaves and narrowing bay widths, creating a harmonious silhouette. Each eave is adorned with imitation wooden bracket sets, with those below the terrace and first tier featuring five tiers of double arms. The eave beams are wooden, while the roof tiles, ridge ornaments, and animal decorations are made of green glazed ceramic. Wind chimes hang from the corners of each tier, producing a pleasant tinkle in the breeze. The pagoda is crowned with green-glazed tiles, and its finial comprises an upward-facing lotus, a precious vase, spoked wheels, a radiant halo, a canopy, a crescent moon, and a precious jewel. The entire structure appears delicate yet dignified, stable and upright.

Since 1984, with government support and assistance from the Japanese Linji and Obaku schools, Linji Temple has held Buddhist consecration ceremonies. These ceremonies were presided over by Venerable Benhuan, the 44th lineage holder of the Linji school, abbot of Guangxiao Temple, vice president of the Guangdong Buddhist Association, and executive director of the Buddhist Association of China, along with Elder ?Harada Daino of Japan’s Linji school Yongyuan Temple. Buddhist disciples from both China and Japan chanted sutras, praying for world peace and lasting friendship between the peoples of the two nations. Currently, Linji Temple has restored the Mountain Gate Hall, Mahavira Hall, Fahru Hall, Chuandeng Hall, and monks’ quarters, giving the temple an initial degree of completeness.

The Mountain Gate Hall features a hip-and-gable roof covered with gray tubular tiles. Its facade is designed as “five open and seven hidden” bays. At the center of the hall stands a large stone stele engraved with a portrait of Master Yixuan. The stele is made of Qingtian stone and consists of the stele body and a Sumeru pedestal, standing 2.90 meters tall. The front of the stele bears a line drawing portrait of Master Yixuan, created using white-line engraving techniques. Above and to the left of the portrait is an inscription titled *Eulogy on the Portrait of Master Linji Yixuan*, written by Zhao Puchu, president of the Buddhist Association of China: “Manifesting form without form, setting an example for later generations. On Mount Huangbo, above the Hutuo River. The stick and shout — incisive methods that forge great beings. The Dharma flows across the land, with a thousand blossoms competing in bloom.” The reverse side of the stele is inscribed with a biographical sketch of Master Linji Yixuan, approximately 800 characters long, authored by Venerable Benzong.

The Mahavira Hall was completed in 1987. Facing south and situated behind the Chengling Pagoda, it is 11 meters tall and 20 meters wide, with a five-bay width and a flush-gable roof covered with gray tubular tiles. The beams are painted with swirling floral patterns. The hall enshrines statues of Shakyamuni Buddha, the disciples Kashyapa and Ananda, as well as Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Guanyin. The sides feature camphor wood carvings of the Eighteen Arhats. The Fahru Hall is located to the east of the Mahavira Hall and houses statues of the three patriarchs: Bodhidharma, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, and Master Yixuan. The Chuandeng Hall is on the west side of the Mahavira Hall and enshrines statues of three Japanese patriarchs: Eisai of the Linji school, Nanpo Jomyo, and Ingen, the founder of the Japanese Obaku school.

Currently, Linji Temple has plans to gradually construct bell and drum towers on either side of the Mountain Gate Hall, and annexes on both sides of the Mahavira Hall — the east side for a guest hall and dining hall, and the west side for a lecture hall and meditation room. Behind the main hall, a scripture depository and abbot’s quarters will be built. All halls will be connected by corridors, allowing visitors to access any part of the temple through the passageways upon entering the Mountain Gate. With the strong support of relevant parties, Linji Temple hopes to “see the splendid monastic complex restored along the banks of Zhengding, and the traditions of the Linji school revived along the shores of the Hutuo River.”