Subschools: Yōgi and Ōryō
Rinzai school (Chin., Lin-chi-tsung; Jap., Rinzai-shū); one of the most important schools of Ch’an (Zen). It originated with the great Chinese Ch’an master Lin-chi I-hsüan (Jap., Rinzai Gigen) and was one of the goke-shichishū. At the beginning of the 11th century the Rinzai school split into two lineages, the Rinzai Yōgi lineage (Yōgi school) and the Rinzai Ōryō lineage (Ōryō school).
The Rinzai school is one of the two schools of Zen still active in Japan. At the end of the 12th century Eisai Zenji brought Rinzai Ōryō Zen to Japan. It was the first school of Zen to reach Japan; however, it soon died out. The Rinzai Zen that was to flourish anew in Japan was that deriving from the Chinese and Japanese masters of the strict Rinzai Yōgi lineage. This lineage produced great Japanese masters like Ben’en (also Shōichi Kokushi, 1202-80), Shōmyō (also Daiō Kokushi, 1235-1309), Myōchō Shūhō (also Daitō Kokushi, 1282-1338), and Musō Soseki (also Musō Kokushi, 1275-1351), who in the early period of Zen in Japan made essential contributions to the spread of this way of spiritual training. Also later great masters like Bassui Zenji, Ikkyū Sōjun, and the reformer of Rinzai Zen in Japan, Hakuin Zenji, belonged to this lineage of Rinzai Zen.
In the Rinzai school, primarily kanna Zen and thus kōan practice are stressed as an especially fast way to the realization of enlightenment (also kenshō, satori). The Sōtō school, the other school of Zen still active today in Japan, more heavily stresses mokushō Zen and thus also the practice of shikantaza.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Books on Rinzai school
External links: Lin-chi I-hsüan (Rinzai Gigen) / goke-shichishū / Yōgi school / Ōryō school / Ben’en (Shōichi Kokushi) / Shōmyō (Daiō Kokushi) / Myōchō Shūhō (Daitō Kokushi) / Musō Soseki (Musō Kokushi) / Bassui Zenji / Ikkyū Sōjun / Hakuin Zenji / kanna Zen / kōan / kenshō / satori / Sōtō school / mokushō Zen / shikantaza