Legendary or Proto-Chan (c. 500–600) Chan Buddhism

1 legendary or proto-chan (c. 500–600)

1.1 mahākāśyapa , flower sermon
1.2 first 6 patriarchs (c. 500 – 8th century)
1.3 lankavatara sutra
1.4 bodhidharma
1.5 huike

legendary or proto-chan (c. 500–600)

mahākāśyapa , flower sermon

the chan tradition ascribes origins of chan in india flower sermon, earliest source comes 14th century. said gautama buddha gathered disciples 1 day dharma talk. when gathered together, buddha silent , speculated perhaps buddha tired or ill. buddha silently held , twirled flower , eyes twinkled; several of disciples tried interpret meant, though none of them correct. 1 of buddha s disciples, mahākāśyapa, silently gazed @ flower , broke broad smile. buddha acknowledged mahākāśyapa s insight saying following:

i possess true dharma eye, marvelous mind of nirvāṇa, true form of formless, subtle dharma gate not rest on words or letters special transmission outside of scriptures. entrust mahākāśyapa.

first 6 patriarchs (c. 500 – 8th century)

traditionally origin of chan in china credited indian monk bodhidharma. scarce historical information available him, hagiography developed when chan tradition grew stronger , gained prominence in 8th century. time lineage of 6 ancestral founders of chan in china developed. in late 8th century, under influence of huineng s student shenhui, traditional form of lineage had been established:

in later writings lineage extended include 28 indian patriarchs. in song of enlightenment (證道歌 zhèngdào gē) of yongjia xuanjue (永嘉玄覺, 665–713), 1 of chief disciples of huìnéng, written bodhidharma 28th patriarch in line of descent mahākāśyapa, disciple of Śākyamuni buddha, , first patriarch of chan buddhism.

lankavatara sutra

in beginnings in china, chan referred mahāyāna sūtras , laṅkāvatāra sūtra. result, masters of chan tradition referred laṅkāvatāra masters . laṅkāvatāra sūtra teaches doctrine of ekayāna 1 vehicle , chan school referred 1 vehicle school . in other texts, school later become known chan referred laṅkāvatāra school (ch. 楞伽宗, léngqié zōng). accounts recording history of period found in records of laṅkāvatāra masters (chinese: 楞伽師資記).

bodhidharma


bodhidharma dazu huike. painting sesshū tōyō, 15th century.

the establishment of chan in china traditionally credited buddhist monk bodhidharma, recorded having come china during time of southern , northern dynasties teach special transmission outside scriptures did not stand upon words .

little contemporary biographical information on bodhidharma extant, , subsequent accounts became layered legend. there 3 principal sources bodhidharma s biography: record of buddhist monasteries of luoyang yáng xuànzhī s (楊衒之, 547), tan lin s preface long scroll of treatise on 2 entrances , 4 practices (6th century ce), , dayi daoxin s further biographies of eminent monks (7th century ce).

these sources vary in account of bodhidharma being either persia (547 ce), brahman monk south india (645 ce), third son of brahman king of south india (c. 715 ce). traditions describe bodhidharma third son of pallava king kanchipuram.

the long scroll of treatise on 2 entrances , 4 practices written tan lin (曇林; 506–574), contains teachings attributed bodhidharma. text known dunhuang manuscripts. 2 entrances enlightenment entrance of principle , entrance of practice:

the entrance of principle become enlightened truth on basis of teaching. 1 must have profound faith in fact 1 , same true nature possessed sentient beings, both ordinary , enlightened, , true nature covered , made imperceptible [in case of ordinary people] false sense impressions .

the entrance of practice includes following 4 increments:

this text used , studied huike , students. true nature refers buddha-nature.

huike

bodhidharma settled in northern wei china. shortly before death, bodhidharma appointed disciple dazu huike succeed him, making huike first chinese-born ancestral founder , second ancestral founder of chan in china. bodhidharma said have passed 3 items huike sign of transmission of dharma: robe, bowl, , copy of laṅkāvatāra sūtra. transmission passed second ancestral founder dazu huike, third sengcan, fourth ancestral founder dayi daoxin, , fifth ancestral founder daman hongren.

cite error: there <ref group=web> tags on page, references not show without {{reflist|group=web}} template (see page).