The Origin of the Sudden Awakening at Linji Temple

Among the many attractions in Zhengding, Linji Temple might be the only one that does not charge an admission fee , which alone is worth praising. Right next to the Yanghe Tower, it houses the Chengling Pagoda, also known as the Green Pagoda. Like the other pagodas we visited before, it is not open for climbing and visiting. Among the abbots of Linji Temple, there was a Zen master named Yixuan. The name might sound unfamiliar, right? But it was his actions that coined the idiom 'a sudden awakening'. Master Yixuan took the Zen principle of 'pointing directly to the human heart, seeing one's nature and achieving Buddhahood' to the extreme. As a result, Linji Zen quickly gained recognition from believers in the north. Disciples flocked to learn Buddhism, seek teachings, and pursue the path, leading to the prosperity of the temple and the formation of a major sect of Zen Buddhism. Later generations named the sect after the temple as the 'Linji School', which became one of the most widely spread among the five major schools of Chinese Zen Buddhism. Outside the temple, there is a large open and flat grassland with swings and rocking chairs. It's so relaxing to sit there for a while, basking in the golden light shining on the temple and smelling the fresh grass.