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Winter Retreat - The Recorded Sayings of Linji
The shout of Zen Master Linji was not meant to answer the question, but to “awaken the not-knowing,” compelling the practitioner to look deeply into the vague motivation when stepping onto the Dharma seat. When asked, “What is the essence of the Buddha’s teaching?”, the simple answer “mind your own business” is a reminder: do not waste time on concepts, but return to your breath, mindful walking, and the actual practice.
Many Zen masters such as Huangbo and Dazhu used three blows like “mugwort branches” imbued with deep compassion, helping Linji to recognize the loving-kindness of his teacher. The act of striking was not punishment, but a skillful means to open the mind, to break through disappointment and enter direct insight.
The path of practice does not stop at theory, but is a living transmission “outside of scriptures, a special transmission beyond words,” and the realization of the four pairs of liberating fruits (each fruit consisting of a “path” and a “fruit”):
- Stream-enterer
- Once-returner
- Non-returner
- Arhat
In Plum Village, the four “fruits” are interpreted as:
- Dwelling (abiding, not clinging to selfhood)
- Arriving (coming home, nothing to do)
- Interbeing (dependent co-arising)
- No birth (no coming, no going)
Through direct realization of these four “fruits,” the practitioner sees interbeing, non-self, and the mind is completely liberated from birth and death.
