Linji Yixuan, also known as Rinzai, was a prominent Chinese Zen Buddhist master who lived during the Tang dynasty (circa 9th century). He is best known for founding the Linji school of Zen, which emphasizes direct experience and the use of koans—paradoxical anecdotes or riddles used in meditation to provoke enlightenment. His teachings focus on the importance of spontaneity and the immediate experience of reality, often conveyed through striking and sometimes abrupt methods. Linji's approach encourages practitioners to break free from conventional thinking and to realize their true nature through direct, unmediated experience.