The Record of Linji repeatedly points back to direct experience as the touchstone of spiritual life. Rather than leaning on scriptures, teachers, or inherited doctrines, it urges a turning toward what is immediately present: this thought, this feeling, this situation. Truth is to be verified in one’s own awareness, not borrowed from authority. This emphasis naturally undermines blind dependence on external validation and encourages confidence in one’s own capacity for discernment. In everyday affairs, such a stance supports clear seeing amid confusion and allows decisions to arise from a grounded, experiential understanding rather than from fear or imitation.

Closely related is Linji’s insistence that nothing essential is lacking right now. Seeking some distant Buddha, special state, or perfect moment is portrayed as a subtle way of abandoning the life already in one’s hands. The teaching of the “true person of no rank” points to an inherent dignity or Buddha-nature that is not defined by social roles, successes, or failures. Recognizing this inner freedom allows one to meet praise and blame, gain and loss, with greater composure. Ordinary activities—walking, working, speaking with others—are then understood as the very field in which awakening is expressed, rather than as obstacles to some future enlightenment.

Another strong thread in Linji’s discourse is the critique of rigid concepts and dualistic judgments. Even revered notions such as “Buddha” and “Dharma” are to be seen as provisional tools, not ultimate realities to cling to. This extends to everyday categories of right and wrong, success and failure, better and worse, which are treated as mental constructions rather than absolute measures of reality. When such labels are loosened, there is more room for flexibility, creativity, and genuine responsiveness. Non-attachment in this sense does not mean indifference, but a freedom from being imprisoned by fixed views, identities, or even cherished spiritual experiences.

Finally, Linji’s style illustrates a way of acting that is both present and unhesitating. Shouts, blows, and paradoxical statements are not celebrated for their own sake, but as demonstrations of spontaneous, situation-appropriate response that cuts through overthinking. Applied to daily life, this spirit encourages meeting difficulties directly rather than avoiding them, and taking clear, ethical action without endless internal debate. At the same time, there is a warning against becoming fascinated with dramatic or mystical experiences; such states are to be allowed to arise and pass like anything else. What remains central is a sober, grounded engagement with the ordinary tasks of living, where awareness, compassion, and insight quietly shape each moment.