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ORIGIN OF CHAN | |
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What is Chan? Chan practice in daily life The Origins of ChanThe origins of the Chan tradition are obscure. Indian history is imprecise and few records remain. Bodhidharma's journey to China occurred more than a thousand years after Sakyamuni's death, and there are many gaps in our knowledge of the interim period. There are, however, stories and legends that describe the origins of Chan. Most famous is the account of the transmission of the Dharma to Mahakashyapa, one of the Buddha's chief disciples, who became the first patriarch in the Chan lineage.The story is this: one day during a sermon at Vulture Peak, Sakyamuni Buddha held a flower in his hand in front of the assembly and did not speak. No one seemed to know what this gesture meant, but Mahakashyapa smiled. The Buddha said, "Now the teaching of ultimate truth is passed on to Mahakashyapa." This event marks the beginning of the Chan lineage and the master to disciple transmission that continues to this day. The Transmission of ChanIt is said that there were twenty-eight generations of transmissions from Mahakashyapa to Bodhidharma, and that in each case only the patriarch was involved. However, it is unlikely that the patriarchs alone received transmission. In China it is also believed that from Bodhidharma to the sixth patriarch Hui-neng, only the patriarchs received transmission. We know, however, that Bodhidharma had two or three disciples, and so did the third and fourth patriarchs. The sixth patriarch Hui-neng had many disciples who established many branches and generations. Some branches ceased to exist due to a lack of disciples, but some may still survive today. Therefore, it's unlikely, from India to China, that there was only single transmission for twenty-eight generations.
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