Rinzai

Rinzai Zen traces to the Chinese Linji line and was established in Japan by figures such as Eisai and later revitalized by Hakuin Ekaku. Practice typically combines zazen with systematic kōan curricula and intense dokusan (private interview).

Rinzai monasteries historically trained samurai elites as well as monastics. In the West, teachers in the Hakuin line and related temples (including some Midwestern and West Coast monasteries) continue kōan practice for lay and ordained students.