Q0681
“There is a true person of no rank who is always coming…” — Linji Yixuan (Record of Linji)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Record of Linji. Theme: self.
English
There is a true person of no rank who is always coming and going through the gates of your face.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Record of Linji and files it under Zen Buddhism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Linji Yixuan
Linji Yixuan appears in this archive through verified English quotations associated with the Zen Buddhism tradition. Biographical certainty varies by figure and text; where the “author” is a scripture or school anthology, read the name as a traditional attribution rather than a modern individual biography.
How to read this passage
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, autonomy, existence.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
- Autonomy
- Autonomy appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat autonomy as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Existence
- Existence appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat existence as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Linji Yixuan. (n.d.). There is a true person of no rank who is always coming and going through the gates of your face. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0681
MLA: Linji Yixuan. “There is a true person of no rank….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0681.
Chicago: Linji Yixuan. “There is a true person of no rank….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0681.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “There is a true person of no rank…”?
The passage is attributed to Linji Yixuan, Record of Linji. The archive attributes this English wording to Record of Linji and files it under Zen Buddhism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Linji Yixuan mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, autonomy, existence.