In
Chan
Chan may refer to:
Places
*Chan (commune), Cambodia
*Chan Lake, by Chan Lake Territorial Park in Northwest Territories, Canada
People
*Chan (surname), romanization of various Chinese surnames (including 陳, 曾, 詹, 戰, and 田)
*Chan Caldwel ...
and
Zen
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
Buddhism, dharma transmission is a custom in which a person is established as a "successor in an unbroken
lineage
Lineage may refer to:
Science
* Lineage (anthropology), a group that can demonstrate its common descent from an apical ancestor or a direct line of descent from an ancestor
* Lineage (evolution), a temporal sequence of individuals, populati ...
of teachers and disciples, a spiritual 'bloodline' (''
kechimyaku'') theoretically traced back to the
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
himself."
[Haskel, 2] The dharma lineage reflects the importance of family-structures in ancient China, and forms a symbolic and
ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
recreation of this system for the monastical "family".
In
Rinzai-Zen, ''inka shōmei'' is ideally "the formal recognition of Zen's deepest realisation", but practically it is being used for the transmission of the "true lineage" of the masters (''shike'') of the training halls. There are only about fifty
to eighty
of such ''inka shōmei''-bearers in Japan.
In
Sōtō-Zen, dharma transmission is referred to as ''shiho'', and further training is required to become an
oshō
is a Buddhist priest (in charge of a temple);''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Tokyo 1991, honorific title of preceptor or high priest (especially in Zen or Pure Land Buddhism). The same kanji are also pronounced ''kashō'' as a ...
.
History
The notion and practice of Dharma Transmission developed early in the history of Chan, as a means to gain credibility and to foster institutional ties among the members of the Chan community. Charts of dharma-lineages were developed, which represented the continuity of the Buddhist dharma. Originally these lineages only included the Chinese Patriarchs, but they were later extended to twenty-eight Indian Patriarchs and seven Buddhas.
Chan lineage
The Chan tradition developed from the established tradition of "Canonical Buddhism", which "remained normative for all later Chinese Buddhism". It was established by the end of the sixth century, as a result of the Chinese developing understanding of Buddhism in the previous centuries.
One of the inventions of this Canonical Buddhism were transmission lists, a literary device to establish a lineage. Both
Tiantai
Tiantai or T'ien-t'ai () is an East Asian Buddhist school of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed in 6th-century China. The school emphasizes the ''Lotus Sutra's'' doctrine of the "One Vehicle" (''Ekayāna'') as well as Mādhyamaka philosophy, ...
and Chan took over this literary device, to lend authority to those developing traditions, and guarantee its authenticity:
The concept of dharma transmission took shape during the Tang period, when establishing the right teachings became important, to safeguard the authority of specific schools. The emerging Zen-tradition developed the ''Transmission of the Lamp''-genre, in which lineages from Shakyamuni Buddha up to their own times were described.
Another literary device for establishing those traditions was given by the ''Kao-seng-chuan'' (Biographies of Eminent Monks), compiled around 530. The Chan-tradition developed its own corpus in this genre, with works such as ''Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall'' (952) and the ''
Jingde Records of the Transmission of the Lamp'' (published 1004). McRae considers Dumoulin's ''A History of Zen'' to be a modern example of this genre, disguised as scientific history.
Chinese patriarchs
![Bodhidharma](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Bodhidharma.and.Huike-Sesshu.Toyo.jpg)
The Chan lineages picture the semi-legendary monk
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and regarded as its first Chinese patriarch. According to a 17th century apo ...
as the patriarch who brought Chan to China. Only scarce historical information is available about him, but his hagiography developed when the Chan tradition grew stronger and gained prominence in the early 8th century.
Six Chinese patriarchs
By this time a lineage of the six ancestral founders of Chan in China was developed. In the late 8th century, under the influence of Huineng's student
Shenhui
Heze Shenhui (Chinese:菏泽神會/神会; Wade–Giles: Shen-hui; Japanese: Kataku Jinne, 684–758) was a Chinese Buddhist monk of the so-called "Southern School" of Zen, who "claimed to have studied under Huineng."
Shenhui is notable for his s ...
, the traditional form of this lineage had been established:
#
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and regarded as its first Chinese patriarch. According to a 17th century apo ...
() ca. 440 – ca. 528
#
Huike
Dazu Huike (487–593; ) is considered the Second Patriarch of Chan Buddhism and the twenty-ninth since Gautama Buddha. The successor to Bodhidharma.
Biography
Sources
As with most of the early Chán patriarchs, very little firm data is availabl ...
() 487–593
#
Sengcan
Jianzhi Sengcan (; Pīnyīn: ''Jiànzhì Sēngcàn''; Wade–Giles: ; Romanji: ) is known as the Third Chinese Patriarch of Chán after Bodhidharma and thirtieth Patriarch after Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha.
He is considered to be the Dharma suc ...
() ?–606
#
Daoxin
Dayi Daoxin ( Chinese: 道信; Pinyin: ''Dàoxìn;'' Wade–Giles: ''Tao-hsin;'' Romanji: ''Dōshin''), who lived from 580–651, was the fourth Chán Buddhist Patriarch, following Jianzhi Sengcan ( Chinese: 鑑智僧璨; Pīnyīn: ''Jiànzhì ...
() 580–651
#
Hongren () 601–674
#
Huineng
Dajian Huineng (); (February 27, 638 – August 28, 713), also commonly known as the Sixth Patriarch or Sixth Ancestor of Chan (traditional Chinese: 禪宗六祖), is a semi-legendary but central figure in the early history of Chinese Chan Buddhi ...
() 638–713
![Huineng-tearing-sutras](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Huineng-tearing-sutras.svg)
Shenhui and Huineng
According to tradition, the sixth and last ancestral founder,
Huineng
Dajian Huineng (); (February 27, 638 – August 28, 713), also commonly known as the Sixth Patriarch or Sixth Ancestor of Chan (traditional Chinese: 禪宗六祖), is a semi-legendary but central figure in the early history of Chinese Chan Buddhi ...
(惠能; 638–713), was one of the giants of Chan history, and all surviving schools regard him as their ancestor. The dramatic story of Huineng's life tells that there was a controversy over his claim to the title of patriarch. After being chosen by
Hongren, the fifth ancestral founder, Huineng had to flee by night to
Nanhua Temple
Nanhua Temple () is a Buddhist monastery of the Chan Buddhism, one of Five Great Schools of Buddhism where Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, once lived and taught. It is located in the town of Maba (), Qujiang District, southeast ...
in the south to avoid the wrath of Hongren's jealous senior disciples.
Modern scholarship, however, has questioned this
narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travel literature, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller (ge ...
. Historic research reveals that this story was created around the middle of the 8th century, beginning in 731 by
Shenhui
Heze Shenhui (Chinese:菏泽神會/神会; Wade–Giles: Shen-hui; Japanese: Kataku Jinne, 684–758) was a Chinese Buddhist monk of the so-called "Southern School" of Zen, who "claimed to have studied under Huineng."
Shenhui is notable for his s ...
, a successor to Huineng, to win influence at the Imperial Court. He claimed Huineng to be the successor of Hongren's, instead of the then publicly recognized successor Shenxiu. In 745 Shenhui was invited to take up residence in the Ho-tse temple in
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
. In 753 he fell out of grace, and had to leave the capital to go into exile. The most prominent of the successors of his lineage was
Guifeng Zongmi
Guifeng Zongmi () (780–1 February 841) was a Tang dynasty Buddhist scholar and bhikkhu, installed as fifth patriarch of the Huayan school as well as a patriarch of the Heze school of Southern Chan Buddhism. He wrote a number of works on the ...
According to
Zongmi
Guifeng Zongmi () (780–1 February 841) was a Tang dynasty Buddhist scholar and bhikkhu, installed as fifth patriarch of the Huayan school as well as a patriarch of the Heze school of Southern Chan Buddhism. He wrote a number of works on the ...
, Shenhui's approach was officially sanctioned in 796, when "an imperial commission determined that the Southern line of Chan represented the orthodox transmission and established Shen-hui as the seventh patriarch, placing an inscription to that effect in the Shen-lung temple".
Doctrinally the Southern School is associated with the teaching that
enlightenment is sudden, while the
Northern School
East Mountain Teaching () denotes the teachings of the Fourth Ancestor Dayi Daoxin, his student and heir the Fifth Ancestor Daman Hongren, and their students and lineage of Chan Buddhism.
''East Mountain Teaching'' gets its name from the East ...
is associated with the teaching that enlightenment is gradual. This was a polemical exaggeration, since both schools were derived from the same tradition, and the so-called Southern School incorporated many teachings of the more influential Northern School. Eventually both schools died out, but the influence of Shenhui was so immense that all later Chan schools traced their origin to Huineng, and "sudden enlightenment" became a standard doctrine of Chan.
Indian Patriarchs
In later writings this lineage was extended to include twenty-eight Indian patriarchs. In the ''
Song of Enlightenment
The ''Song of Enlightenment'' (), also translated as ''Song of Awakening'' and ''Song of Freedom'', is a Chan discourse written some time in the first half of the 8th century C.E. and usually attributed to Yongjia Xuanjue. The true authorship of t ...
'' (證道歌 ''Zhèngdào gē'') of
Yongjia Xuanjue Yongjia Xuanjue (; ), also known as Yongjia Zhenjue (), was a Zen and Tiantai Buddhist monk who lived during the Tang dynasty. The name Yongjia is derived from the city of his birth, which is now called Wenzhou. He is also known by his nickname "The ...
(永嘉玄覺, 665–713), one of the chief disciples of
Huìnéng, it is written that Bodhidharma was the 28th patriarch in a line of descent from Mahākāśyapa, a disciple of
Śākyamuni Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
, and the first patriarch of Chán Buddhism.
Twenty-eight Indian Patriarchs
Keizan
Keizan Jōkin (, 1268–1325), also known as Taiso Jōsai Daishi, is considered to be the second great founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan. While Dōgen, as founder of Japanese Sōtō, is known as , Keizan is often referred to as .
Keiza ...
's ''Transmission of the Light'' gives twenty-eight patriarchs up to and including Bodhidharma in this transmission:
Mahākāśyapa
According to the traditional Chan accounts, the first Dharma transmission occurred as described in the
Flower Sermon
The Flower Sermon is a story of the origin of Zen Buddhism in which Gautama Buddha transmits direct '' prajñā'' (wisdom) to the disciple Mahākāśyapa. In the original Chinese, the story is ''Niān huā wēi xiào'' (拈花微笑, literally " ...
. The Buddha held up a golden
lotus flower before an assembly of "gods and men". None who were in attendance showed any sign of understanding except his disciple
Mahākāśyapa
Mahākāśyapa ( pi, Mahākassapa) was one of the principal disciples of Gautama Buddha. He is regarded in Buddhism as an enlightened disciple, being foremost in ascetic practice. Mahākāśyapa assumed leadership of the monastic community fol ...
, who offered only a smile. The Buddha then said,
Function
Though dharma transmission implies the acknowledgement of insight into the teachings of Buddhism as understood by the Zen tradition, especially
seeing into one's true nature, dharma transmission is also a means to establish a person into the Zen tradition:
The dharma lineage reflects the importance of family-structures in ancient China, and forms a symbolic and ritual recreation of this system for the monastical "family".
Esoteric and exoteric transmission
According to Borup the emphasis on 'mind to mind transmission' is a form of esoteric transmission, in which "the tradition and the enlightened mind is transmitted face to face". Metaphorically this can be described as the transmission of a flame from one candle to another candle, or the transmission from one vein to another. In exoteric transmission the requirement is "direct access to the teaching through a personal discovery of one's self. This type of transmission and identification is symbolized by the discovery of a shining lantern, or a mirror."
This polarity is recognizable in the emphasis that the Zen-tradition puts on maintaining the correct Dharma transmission, while simultaneously stressing seeing into one's nature:
Nevertheless, while the Zen tradition has always stressed the importance of formal Dharma transmission, there are well known examples of
Mushi dokugo, such as
Nōnin
( fl. 1190s) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who started the first Zen school in Japan.
Biography
While a monk with the Tendai school, he came across texts about Zen which had been brought from China. In 1189, he dispatched two of his disciples t ...
,
Jinul
Jinul Puril Bojo Daesa (, "Bojo Jinul"; 1158–1210), often called Jinul or Chinul for short, was a Korean monk of the Goryeo period, who is considered to be the most influential figure in the formation of Korean Seon (Zen) Buddhism. He is credi ...
and
Suzuki Shōsan who attained awakening on their own, though all of them were familiair with the Zen-teachings.
Family structure
According to Bodiford, "Zen is the predominant form of Buddhism because of dharma transmission":
Bodiford distinguishes seven dimensions which are discernible in both family relationships and in dharma lineages:
# Ancestral dimension: "Ancestors (''so'') constitute a fundamental source of power". Performing rituals in honour of the ancestors keeps them in high regard "among the living".
# Biological dimension: the dharma lineage creates (spiritual) offspring, just as the family creates new life.
# Linguistic dimension: dharma heirs receive new names, which reflect their tie to the dharma 'family'.
# Ritual dimension: rituals confirm the family relationships. One's teacher is honored in rituals, as are deceased teachers.
# Legal dimension: teachers have the obligation to discipline their students, just as students have the obligation to obey their teachers.
# Institutional and financial dimension: dharma heirs have an obligation to support their home temple, both financially and ritually.
# Temporal dimension: long-term relationships foster the previous dimensions.
The family-model is easier recognized when East Asian languages are being used, because the same terminology is used to describe both earthly and spiritual family relations.
Dharma transmission is both concrete and abstract:
This feature gives dharma transmission a great flexibility:
Contemporary use in the Chan and Zen traditions
Within the various Chan and Zen traditions, dharma transmission got various meanings. A difference is made in most schools between
Chinese Chan
Traditional Chinese Chan still exists in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, though it is less known in the west than Japanese Zen.
In the Chinese Buddhist tradition, there are 3 systems of transmission:
# Tonsure system: a person becomes tonsured as a novice monastic under the Master's school. He or she is given a Dharma name () at the time of tonsure based on the Master's lineage. This name is also called "the outer name ()" because it is used by all people to address the novice. This name is used for life. At the same time, the Master will give the novice sramanera (or sramanerika) ten precepts.
# Ordination system: a novice will become fully ordained as a Bhikṣu monk or Bhikṣuni nun with the Triple Platform Ordination (Observing the Śrāmanera, Bhikṣu and Bodhisattva precepts). This ordination must be presided by ten senior monks with at least ten years of seniority with a pure practice in upholding the monastic precepts. In this ceremony, the ten witnessing masters represent the Triple Gem accepting the novice into the Sangha. At this time, another Dharma name () is given. This name is called "precept name () or inner name ()" because it is used only by one's Master. This name represents the novice's precept lineage transmission.
# Dharma transmission system: This system upholds the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye through the generations of transmission. This is the Mind-to-Mind seal of the Dharma that is beyond the scriptures. At this time, another Dharma name is given. This is also called "the inner name" and used only by one's Master. This name represents the novice's Dharma lineage transmission. After receiving this name, one will use this name instead of the name received during precept ordination to write one's Dharma name (Inner Name)(Outer Name).
It is customary to refer to one's own tonsure Master as "Gracious Master", precept Master as "Root Master" and Dharma transmission Master as "Venerable Master". In
Chinese Buddhism
Chinese Buddhism or Han Buddhism ( zh, s=汉传佛教, t=漢傳佛教, p=Hànchuán Fójiào) is a Chinese form of Mahayana Buddhism which has shaped Chinese culture in a wide variety of areas including art, politics, literature, philosophy, ...
, these 3 systems are separate and are not performed by the same Masters. Moreover, due to the strong emphasis on the Dharma, when a person receives Dharma transmission, he or she is recognized as that Chán Master's Dharma son or daughter. Lay Buddhists may also receive this Dharma transmission, but this is very rare and with very few incidences. Most of the monks and nuns who received transmission have already been tonsured and ordained by other Masters.
Rinzai
All Rinzai lineages pass through
Hakuin Ekaku
was one of the most influential figures in Japanese Zen Buddhism. He is regarded as the reviver of the Rinzai school from a moribund period of stagnation, focusing on rigorous training methods integrating meditation and koan practice.
Biog ...
, the 18th century revivalist, who considered himself to be an heir of Shoju Rojin (Shoju Ronin, Dokyu Etan, 1642–1721), though Hakuin never received formal dharma transmission from Shoju Rojin, nor from any other teacher.
[James Ford (2009), ''Teaching Credentials in Zen'']
/ref> When he was installed as head priest of Shōin-ji in 1718, he had the title of ''Dai-ichiza'', "First Monk":
All contemporary Rinzai-lineages stem from Inzan Ien (1751–1814) and Takuju Kosen (1760–1833), both students of Gasan Jito (1727–1797). Gasan is considered to be a dharma heir of Hakuin, though "he did not belong to the close circle of disciples and was probably not even one of Hakuin's dharma heirs".
Through Hakuin, all contemporary Japanese Rinzai-lineages are part of the Ōtōkan
The is a lineage of the Rinzai school of Zen (a form of Japanese Buddhism). It was founded by Nanpo Shōmyō, who received the dharma in China in 1265 and returned to Japan in 1267.
It is centered at the temple complexes of Myōshin-ji (founded ...
lineage, brought to Japan in 1267 by Nanpo Jomyo Nampo or Nanpo may refer to:
;Korea
* Nampo, or Namp'o, a city in North Korea
* Nampo-dong, Chongjin, Songpyong-guyok, Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province, North Korea
* Nampo-dong, Busan, Jung District, Busan in South Korea
** Nampo Station (Busan)
...
, who received dharma transmission in China in 1265.[Rinzai-Obaku Zen - What is Zen? - History]
/ref>
Insight and succession
In the Rinzai school, a difference is made between acknowledgement of insight and succession in the organisation:
According to Mohr,
The most common form of transmission in Rinzai Zen is the acknowledgement that one has stayed in the monastery for a certain amount of time, and may later become a temple priest.
Further practice
After finishing koan-study, further practice is necessary:
Inka shōmei
Common transmission does not include ''inka shōmei''. Ideally ''inka shōmei'' is "the formal recognition of Zen's deepest realisation", but practically it is being used for transmission of the "true lineage" of the masters (''shike'') of the training halls. Training halls are temples which are authorised for further training after being qualified as a temple priest.
There are only about fifty to eighty such ''inka shōmei''-bearers in Japan:
According to roshi Sokun Tsushimoto, the title of ''roshi'' is equivalent to ''Zen master'' and ''shike'':
A qualified Zen master
Zen master is a somewhat vague English term that arose in the first half of the 20th century, sometimes used to refer to an individual who teaches Zen Buddhist meditation and practices, usually implying longtime study and subsequent authorizat ...
bestows inka only upon "those select few" who have successfully completed the entire Rinzai koan curriculum, and "are eligible to serve as ''sōdō'' roshi, that is, master of a training hall, in distinction from a common temple:
According to roshi Sokun Tsushimoto,
(''Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
:'' Inga) literally means "the legitimate seal of clearly furnished proof":
The right-hand portion of the seal was given to an individual who would then work by authority of the emperor, while the emperor himself would retain the left-hand portion. In ancient times inka usually came in the form of an actual document, but this practice is no longer commonplace.
Sōtō
In Sōtō, dharma transmission is the acknowledgement of the ties between teacher and student. It has been subject to changes over the history of the Sōtō-school.
Though Dōgen
Dōgen Zenji (道元禅師; 26 January 1200 – 22 September 1253), also known as Dōgen Kigen (道元希玄), Eihei Dōgen (永平道元), Kōso Jōyō Daishi (高祖承陽大師), or Busshō Dentō Kokushi (仏性伝東国師), was a Ja ...
emphasized the importance of the purity of the teachings, and highly valued lineage and dharma transmission, the Sōtō-school has its origins in various lineages and dharma transmissions. Dogen received dharma transmission from his Chinese teacher Rujing
Tiāntóng Rújìng (天童如淨; Japanese: Tendō Nyojō) (1163-1228) was a Caodong Buddhist monk living in Qìngdé Temple (慶徳寺; Japanese: Keitoku-ji) on Tiāntóng Mountain (天童山; Japanese: Tendouzan) in Yinzhou District, Ningbo. He ...
, with whom he studied two years, but in medieval Sōtō he was also considered to be a dharma heir of Myōzen, a Rinzai-teacher, with whom he studied eight years. And Tettsū Gikai
is the third spiritual leader of the Sōtō Zen school of Buddhism in Japan. He began his Buddhist life as a student of the Darumashū's Ekan, but later both became students of Eihei Dōgen's newly established Sōtō school. Gikai received dh ...
, the dharma-grandson of Dogen, was also lineage-holder of Nōnin
( fl. 1190s) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who started the first Zen school in Japan.
Biography
While a monk with the Tendai school, he came across texts about Zen which had been brought from China. In 1189, he dispatched two of his disciples t ...
, the founder of the Dharuma-shu, also a Rinzai-school. Gikai passed this lineage over to Keizan
Keizan Jōkin (, 1268–1325), also known as Taiso Jōsai Daishi, is considered to be the second great founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan. While Dōgen, as founder of Japanese Sōtō, is known as , Keizan is often referred to as .
Keiza ...
, who thereby was also lineage-holder in at least two lineages.
To make the history of Sōtō even more complicated, the Caodong
Caodong school () is a Chinese Chan Buddhist sect and one of the Five Houses of Chán.
Etymology
The key figure in the Caodong school was founder Dongshan Liangjie (807-869, 洞山良价 or Jpn. Tozan Ryokai). Some attribute the name "Cáodòng" ...
-lineage that Dogen inherited through Rujing was passed on previously from the Caodong-master Dayang Jingxuan
Dayang Jingxuan (; ) was a Zen Buddhist monk during the early Song Dynasty. During his life, he was apparently the only living teacher representing Caodong/Sōtō school, and he was the last monk of that tradition to be mentioned in the influentia ...
to Touzi Yiqing
Touzi Yiqing (; ), sometimes also Touzi Qing Huayan, was a Zen Buddhist monk during the early Song Dynasty.
Biography
Touzi Yiqing was born in a city known at the time as Qingshe, which is near the present-day city of Yanshi in Henan Province. An ...
via the Rinzai-master Fushan Fayuan. Fushan Fayuan had once studied under Dayang Jingxuan. When Jingxuan died Fayuan had received Jingxuan's "portrait, robe, and a verse that expressed his teaching", promising "to pass them on to a suitable successor". Fayuan chose his student Touzi Yiqing to inherit this lineage, a fact that was acknowledged in Keizan's Denkoroku, but " the standard versions of Dogen's writings, however, all direct references to Yiqing's indirect succession have been eliminated".
Criteria
Manzan Dokahu (1636–1714), a Sōtō reformer,
According to Manzan, even an unenlightened student could receive dharma transmission:
In Sōtō-zen, since Manzan Dokahu, two criteria are applied for dharma transmission:
# ''Isshi inshō'' – "Exclusive authentication from no more than one teacher". This criterion "prohibits clerics inheriting more than one lineage"
# ''Menju shihō'' – "Face-to-face bestowal of succession". This criterion "prohibits conferral by proxy, conferral at a distance to strangers, or posthumous conferral".
Status
In contrast to the status that dharma transmission has begotten in the west, in Sōtō it has a relatively low status:
To supervise the training of monks, further qualifications are necessary:
The duties which come with this full qualification were not always appreciated. In the medieval organisation of the Sōtō-shu, when rotation of abbotship was the norm. Dharma transmission at a branch temple obliged one to serve at least one term as abbot at the main temple. Abbotship gave severe duties, and financial burdens, for which reason many tried to avoid the responsibility of abbotship:
Spiritual realization
The Sōtō-shu also confers inka shōmyō (or ''inshō'') " rantingthe seal of approval to a realization of enlightenment", upon students. This is an
Dharma transmission is part of the maintenance of the Sōtō-institutions. Authority and temple-property are handed down, often from father to son. It is not a guarantee for spiritual attainment:
Shiho
Dharma transmission is also called ''shiho''. In the Sōtō
Sōtō Zen or is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (the others being Rinzai and Ōbaku). It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Cáodòng school, which was founded during the Tang dynasty by Dòngshān L ...
school a student receives Dharma transmission during a ''denbō'' ceremony, which is the last ceremony of their shiho ceremony:
Muhō Noelke
(born March 1, 1968, as Jens Olaf Christian Nölke) is a German-born Zen monk who was the abbot of Antai-ji, a Japanese Sōtō Zen temple in Shin'onsen in the Mikata District of Japan's Hyōgo Prefecture from 2002 until 2020. He has tra ...
, the German-born former abbot of the temple Antai-ji
is a Buddhist temple that belongs to the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism. It is located in the town of Shin'onsen, Mikata District, in northern Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, where it sits on about 50 hectares of land in the mountains, close to a ...
, describes his understanding of shiho:
Shiho is done "one-to-one in the abbot's quarters (hojo)". Three handwritten documents certify the dharma transmission;
The procedure has to take place only once in one's life, and binds the student to the teacher forever:
If a students does not have the feeling he wants to be tied to this teacher for the rest of his life, he may refuse to take dharma transmission from this particular teacher. Since the time of Manzan Dokahu (1636–1714), multiple dharma transmissions are impossible in Sōtō Zen.
Further study
According to Muho Noelke, dharma transmission marks the beginning of the real learning:
After Dharma transmission one has become a member of the "blood line" of Zen, but is not yet qualified as an Oshō
is a Buddhist priest (in charge of a temple);''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Tokyo 1991, honorific title of preceptor or high priest (especially in Zen or Pure Land Buddhism). The same kanji are also pronounced ''kashō'' as a ...
. After the ten-e and zuise ceremonies, one is qualified as an oshō. There-after one has to practice for some time, at least six months, in an ''sôdô-ango'', an officially recognized Sōtō-shu training centre.[Muho Noelke, ''Part 5: Sessa-takuma - ango as life in a rock grinder'']
/ref>
After that one can start to work in a temple. The newly acquired status is confirmed in the ''kyoshi-honin'' ceremony. There-after follows the first practice-period in one's own temple, with the aid of a ''susho'' (head monk). This is followed by the ''Jushoku-himei'' ceremony, which confirms one's status as ''dai-oshō''.
Sanbo Kyodan
The Sanbo Kyodan
is a lay Zen sect derived from both the Soto (Caodong) and the Rinzai ( Linji) traditions. It was renamed Sanbo-Zen International in 2014. The term ''Sanbo Kyodan'' has often been used to refer to the Harada-Yasutani zen lineage. However, a ...
mixes Sōtō and Rinzai-elements. Students in this school follow the Harada-Yasutani koan curriculum, in which great emphasis is placed on kensho, the initial insight into one's true nature. Having attained kensho is publicly acknowledged in a ''jahai''-ceremony. After working through the Harada-Yasutani koan curriculum, which may take as short as five years, the student receives a calligraphy testifying that he or she "has finished the great matter". This is publicly acknowledged in the ''hasansai''-ceremony, giving the status of ''hasan''.
The Sanbo Kyodan has two levels of teaching authority, namely ''junshike'' ("associate zen master"), and ''shōshike'' ("authentic zen master"). Junshikes can give dokusan, authorize kensho, and supervise part of the koan-study. Shoshikes can supervise the advanced koan-study, and perform religious ceremonies, such as the precept-ceremony and wedding ceremonies.
The process toward gaining these titles has seen some variations within the Sanbo Kyodan. ''Hasansai'' may be preparatory to the ''junshike''-title, but may also be the promotion to this title. And promotion to ''shoshike'' may be preparatory to dharma transmission, but may also be equivalent to it.
In dharma transmission, the student receives the ''sanmotsu'', akin to the Sōtō shiho ceremony. This is coupled with the Rinzai notion on ''inka''. In Rinzai, only students who have completed the complete Rinzai koan curriculum and "are eligible to serve as ''sōdō'' roshi, that is, master of a training hall, in distinction from a common temple, receive inka. In the Sanbo Kyodan, ''inka'' is derived from Harada's Rinzai master Dokutan Sōsan.
White Plum Asanga
In the White Plum Asanga
White Plum Asanga, sometimes termed White Plum Sangha, is a Zen school in the Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi lineage, created by Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi. It consists of Maezumi's Dharma heirs and subsequent successors and students. A diverse organization ...
, Dharma transmission comes first, and qualifies one as a sensei
Sensei, Seonsaeng, Tiên sinh or Xiansheng, corresponding to Chinese characters , is an East Asian honorific term shared in Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese; it is literally translated as "person born before another" or "one who comes ...
. This may be followed by inka, the final acknowledgemment:
Korean Soen
In Korean Soen, Inka (In'ga) typically refers to the private acknowledgement of dharma transmission from a teacher to their student. "Transmission" is used to refer to the public ceremonial version of the same acknowledgement.
Both are considered equal in authority and "realization". A monk with either In'ga or the public "transmission" is qualified to hold the post of Soen Sa (''seonsa''; ; ), or "Zen Master" for a temple, and give transmission to their own students (either, In'ga or public "transmission"). The majority of Zen Masters in Korea have only received, and only give In'ga, with the formal transmission ceremony being far more rare.[Buswell]
In the Western Kwan Um School of Zen
The Kwan Um School of Zen (관음선종회) (KUSZ) is an international school of zen centers and groups founded in 1983 by Zen Master Seung Sahn. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Is ...
created by the Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn
Seungsahn Haengwon (, August 1, 1927November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early ...
, "Inka" is granted to an individual who has completed their koan training and is granted the title Ji Do Poep Sa Nim (''jido beopsa-nim''; ; ). Dharma transmission in the Kwan Um School of Zen comes after inka, denoting the individual is now a Soen Sa Nim
Zen master is a somewhat vague English term that arose in the first half of the 20th century, sometimes used to refer to an individual who teaches Zen Buddhist meditation and practices, usually implying longtime study and subsequent authorizat ...
.[Ford, 93; 220] Seung Sahn himself is quoted saying in reference to the administration of his Western organization,
Vietnamese Thiền
Thích Nhất Hạnh
Thích Nhất Hạnh ( ; ; born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo; 11 October 1926 – 22 January 2022) was a Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk, peace activist, prolific author, poet and teacher, who founded the Plum Village Tradition, historically recogni ...
has created a ritual known as "Lamp Transmission", making a teacher a ''dharmācārya''—an individual with "limited teaching authority." According to author James Ishmael Ford
James Ishmael Ford (Zeno Myoun, Roshi) is an American Zen Buddhist priest and a retired Unitarian Universalist minister. He was born in Oakland, California on July 17, 1948. He earned a BA in psychology from Sonoma State University, as well as ...
,
Criticism
In the western understanding, dharma transmission stands solely for recognition of authentic insight, whereas in the Japanese monastery system dharma transmission is a formal notification that someone is fully qualified to take a leading role in this system. In the USA and Europe dharma transmission is linked to the unofficial title roshi, older teacher. In the Western understanding roshis are "part of a tradition that imputes to them quasi-divine qualities", someone who "is defined by simplicity, innocence, and lack of self-interest or desire". Nevertheless, the authorisation of teachers through dharma transmission does not mean that teachers are infallible, as is clear from the repeated appearance of scandals:
According to Stuart Lachs, those scandals have also been possible because of the status given to roshis by dharma transmission, and "a desire for the master’s aura, recognition, and approval":
See also
* Mushi dokugo
* Lineage (Buddhism)
A lineage in Buddhism is a line of transmission of the Buddhist teaching that is "theoretically traced back to the Buddha himself." The acknowledgement of the transmission can be oral, or certified in documents. Several branches of Buddhism, in ...
* Zen ranks and hierarchy
Zen institutions have an elaborate system of ranks and hierarchy, which determine one's position in the institution. Within this system, novices train to become a Zen priest, or a trainer of new novices.
Sōtō
From its beginnings, Sōtō Zen ha ...
;In other religions
* Apostolic succession
Apostolic succession is the method whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is held to be derived from the apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been associated with a claim that the succession is through a series of bish ...
* Guru-shishya tradition
* Isnad
Hadith studies ( ar, علم الحديث ''ʻilm al-ḥadīth'' "science of hadith", also science of hadith, or science of hadith criticism or hadith criticism)
consists of several religious scholarly disciplines used by Muslim scholars in th ...
* Parampara
* Silsila
Silsila ( ar, سِلْسِلَة) is an Arabic word meaning ''chain'', ''link'', ''connection'' often used in various senses of lineage. In particular, it may be translated as "spiritual genealogy" where one Sufi Master transfers his ''khil ...
* Semikhah
Semikhah ( he, סמיכה) is the traditional Jewish name for rabbinic ordination.
The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 C ...
Notes
References
Web-references
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
Historiography
*
*
*
Contemporary practice
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Roshi and His Teachers, Dharma Transmission,and the Rochester Zen Center Lineage
Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede discusses lineage and Dharma transmission.
Stuart Lachs criticizes Dharma transmission in Zen
Dharma Transmission & Succession, A Sweeping Zen Roundtable Discussion (Podcast)
Erik Storlie, Myoan Grace Schireson and Eshu Martin discuss Dharma transmission & succession
Sweeping Zen: Inka shomei
Erik Fraser Storlie: Lineage Delusions: Eido Shimano Roshi, Dharma Transmission, and American Zen
* Muho Noelke: What does it take to become a full-fledged Sōtō-shu priest and is it really worth the whole deal? Par
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
The Formation of Soto Zen Priests in the West, A Dialogue
* ttp://www.cuke.com/Cucumber%20Project/interviews/mel.html Interview with Mel Weitsman
Jeffrey S. Brooks, ''On Self-Ordination, taking the title Sotapanna (Stream Winner), beginning a new Vehicle of Buddhism and Using the Buddha's terminology for hierarchy within that new vehicle''
{{Zen
Buddhist philosophical concepts
Zen Buddhist philosophical concepts