Transmission

Vincent Tournier

!


!
Terms
 A web of inter-related terms
cf. Squarcini
!
"Transmission < trans-mittere (send across)

"Tradition < trans-dare (give across)

"Translation: Lat. translatio, transfer
Fr. traduire/It. tradurre < trans-ducere (lead across)

tradere : entrust, hand dow, betray
 The three components of the
reiterative institution of tradition
!
1. Tradens/entes (transmitter)

2. Traditum (object transmitted)

3. Recipiens (receiver)
South Asian concepts relevant to Buddhist
self-perception of transmission
!
" parampar : regular succession, dynamic act of renewed transmission,
agents of this transmission

" sampradya: that which transmit (act of tradere), repeated performance

of giving, religious denomination

" vaa : bamboo stem, hence: lineage (temporal or spiritual), chronicle

Cf. Karve: an enumeration of the patrilineal descent in a line where
collateral branches are ignored

" gama : coming, approach, what is handed down, scripture/scriptural
authority
 Squarcini 2005: 18:
!
[I]t will be useful not only to consider the representations that traditions as
well as those who study them have produced, but also to pay critical
attention to the interests and the positions of the individuals operating within
the traditions themselves. Indeed, as they are interested producers of
symbolic systems, they deserve the utmost attention. It is their strategic
actions that build up the legitimacy of the institution of tradition. A strategy
that leads towards a policy of perception which deals practical and cognitive
aspect. Through this policy, they aim, first and foremost, at fixing the image of
the unity and continuity of their activity and, subsequently, at establishing
the devices by means of which this image is committed to memory and
reproduced.


!
Looking at Lineages

McRaes Rules of Zen Studies

1. Its not true, and therefore its more important.

!
The contents of Zen texts should not be evaluated using a simple-
minded criterion of journalistic accuracy, that is, Did it really happen?
For any event or saying to have occurred would be a trivial reality in-
volving a mere handful of people at one imagined point in time, which
would be overwhelmed by the thousands of people over the centuries
who were involved in the creation of Zen legends. The mythopoeic cre-
ation of Zen literature implies the religious imagination of the Chinese
people, a phenomenon of vast scale and deep significance.
2. Lineage assertions are as wrong as they are strong.
Statements of lineage identity and history were polemical tools of
self-assertion, not critical evaluations of chronological fact according
to some modern concept of historical accuracy. To the extent that any
lineage assertion is significant, it is also a misrepresentation; lineage as-
sertions that can be shown to be historically accurate are also inevitably
inconsequential as statements of religious identity.
3. Precision implies inaccuracy.
Numbers, dates, and other details lend an air of verisimilitude to a story, xx M CR A E S R U L E S O F Z E N S T U D I E S

but the more they accumulate, the more we should recognize them as
literary tropes. Especially in Zen studies, greater detail is an artifact of 4. Romanticism breeds cynicism.
temporal distance, and the vagueness of earlier accounts should be com-
forting in its integrity. While we should avoid joining a misguided quest
for origins, we should also be quick to distinguish between good data
and ornamental flu. Even as we ponder the vectors of medieval
polemics.
xix
Storytellers inevitably create heroes and villains, and the depiction of
Zens early patriarchs and icons cripples our understanding of both
the Tang golden age and the supposedly stagnant formalism of the
Song dynasty. If one side is romanticized, the other must be vilified,
and both subjects pass incognito. The collusion between Zen roman-
ticists and the apologists for Confucian triumphalismwhich has
Song Neo-Confucianism climbing to glory on the back of a defeated
Buddhismis an obstacle to the understanding of both Chan and the
Chinese civil tradition. The corollary is this: Cold realism eliminates
dismissive misapprehension.
Stpa and inscription from Deur Kothar,
ca. 2nd. Century BCE

!
Transcription:
nd
A lineage on a the 2 c. BCE
1. bhagavato"b[dh.s.]"///
2. utaramitro"utaramitrasa"[]"///
3. bhau"bhausa"tevsi"ndi"[n.d.]"///
inscription

4. upasakasa"tevsi"savajayo"sava"///

!
5. dhamadevena"kokuikena"bahsti[ye]"///
6. usapito"thabo"cariyena"kasi"///

Reconstruction:
1. bhagavato"bdh(*a)s(*a"sakamunisa"tevsi)"
2. utaramitro"utaramitrasa"(*tevsi)"
3. bhau"bhausa"tevsi"ndi"n(*)d(*isa"tevsi)""
4. upasakasa"tevsi"savajayo"sava(*jayasa"tevsi4)""
5. dhamadevena"kokuikena"bahstiye(*na)"
6. usapito"thabho5"cariyena"kasi"

Translation:
[1] (*The student) of Lord Buddha (*kyamuni) [was] [2] Utaramitra. The
student of Utaramitra [was] [3] Bhau. The student of Bhau [was] Ndi.
(*The student of) Ndi [was] [4] The student of Upasaka [was] Savajayo.
(*The student of) Savajaya [5] By Dhamadeva, the Kokuika-Bahusutiya
[6] the pillar was erected. By the master Kasi

6
Yet another lineage from the
same site PDF Version: ARIRIAB XVII (2014), 2739

!
4. ///"sa"tevsi"dhamadino"dhamadinasa"[]"///
5. /// [ch.]dakena"thabho"krpito"gijaki[y.]"///
6. ///"[t.r.n."k.]to"thabh."us.p.t."c."

Reconstruction:
1. "tevsi"anrudho"anrudhasa"tevsi"savando"sav(*andasa" tevsi)"
2. "(*tev)si"disagiri"disagirisa"tevsi"bharao"bhar(*aasa"tevsi)"
3. "tevsi"takadhamaguto"takadhamag(*utasa"tevsi)"
4. "sa"tevsi"dhamadino"dhamadinasa"(*tevsi)"
5. "ch.dakena"thabho"krpito"gijakiy."
6. t(*o)r(*a)n(*o)"k(*a)to"thab(*o)"us(*a)p(*i)t(*o)"c(*a)"

Translation:
[1] The student of [was] Anuruddha. The student of Anuruddha [was]
Savanda. (*The student of) Savanda [was] [2] The student of [was]
Disagiri. The student of Disagiri [was] Bharaa. (*The student of) Bharaa [was]
[3] The student of [was] takadhamaguta. (*The student of)
takadhamaguta [was] [4] The student of was Dhamadina. The student of
Dhamadina [was] [5] The pillar was caused to be made by chadaka at (?) the
brick [6] the gateway was made and the pillar was erected

Fragment 37
The genesis of the eighteen schools, according to Bareau

Mahsghika : those of the great assembly (or: from the

original assembly)
Sthvirya, Sthvira, P. Theriya : those descending from
the most venerable ones
 List of Masters in the Mahvihra
tradition
!
Chiefs of the Vinaya (vinayapmokha) in the Parivra:
Upli Dsaka Soaka Siggava Moggaliputtatissa
Mahinda

Abhidhamma masters in Buddhaghosas Atthaslin:
Sriputta Bhaddaji Sobhita Piyajli Piyapla
Piyadassin Kosiyaputta Siggava Sandeha
Moggaliputtatissa Visudatta Dhammiya Dsaka
Soaka Revata Mahinda
Lists of patriarchs transmitted in the
(Mla-)Sarvstivdin traditions
(Ayuwang zhuan et jing)
!
Lineages of Chan patriarchs, according to McRae

Seven Buddhas of the Past

Ukyamuni

Indian Patriarchs:

! Ksyapa

Ananda
(1st Indian Patriarch)

Chinese Patriarchs: Bodhidharma (= 28th Indian and

1st Chinese Patriarch)
Huike

Sengcan

Daoxin
(to Oxhead school)
Hongren

Huineng Shenxiu
(Southern school) (Northern school)

Nanyue Huairang Qingyuan Xingshi

Mazu Daoyi Shitou Xiqian

Linji Yixuan Caoshan and Dongshan

[Five Houses: Linji, Caodong, Guiyang, Yunmen, and Fayan]

Dahui Zonggao Hongzhi Zhengjue

(Linji [Rinzai] school) (Caodong [St] school)
 The formation of Chans Indian lineage (cf. Bangwei 1995)

! Dharmatrtas
meditation stra
Damoduoluo chanjing
5th c.

Record of the Causes and Conditions of

the Dharma-Treasury Transmission Fu
fazang yinyuan zhuan ,
Dunhuang Ms. of the Platform stra,
5th-6th c. (Very influential scheme, for both
ca 8th century Sanlun and Tiantai milieux)
 Material Buddhism and the Dharma Kings 103

zhuan containing the same patriarchal names and origins (with minor
Indian Patriarch stela
variations) as the present text. Inside the cave on the south wall there
at Linquan/Baoshan
is a magnificent floor-to-ceiling carving of the Fu fazang zhuan figures,
represented as twenty-four patriarchs facing one another in pairs with
monastery, Anyang,
their names and origins inscribed beneath them. Dated 589, the year of
the Sui unification of China, the dedicatory inscription for the cave
Henan (dated 589),
identifies the images in Dazhusheng cave and thus provides us with an
example of the kind of devotional program in which the Fu fazang zhuan

!
cf. Adamek 2007;
was placed.
The cave was founded by Lingyu (518605), a disciple of Dao-
Young 2008
ping , who was the disciple of the Northern Wei master Huiguang
, one of the masters of Dilun exegesis. Lingyu may have been a
teacher of Xinxing (540594), the founder of the Sanjie (Three
Levels) movement. Dilun/Sanjie elements in the inscription and the sur-
viving carvings include the reference to the thirty-five Buddhas and the
seven Buddhas of the past; Xinxing used both these sets of Buddhas in
his eschatological teaching that the present age was the final age of the
Dharma. The dedicatory inscription is as follows:
Dedicatory inscription by Lingyu (518-605)
In the ninth year of the Kaihuang era of the Great Sui, a jiyou year
(589), [we] reverently constructed [this] cave, accomplished one thousand
six hundred and twenty-four images, world-honored, [and] accomplished
nine hundred [days of work. (?) The images are as follows:] Vairocana, world-
honored, one niche; Amitbha, world-honored, one niche; Maitreya, world-
honored, one niche; the thirty-five Buddhas, world-honored, thirty-five
niches; the seven Buddhas, world-honored, seven niches; and the Dharma-
transmitting Holy Great Dharma Masters, twenty-four men. The Praise
Fig. 2: Cave of Great Perduring Saints, exterior (photograph by author).
of the Three Jewels gth says: The samdhi and praj of the Tathgata
is limitless, his supramundane powers are great and subtle and dicult to
conceive. His major and minor marks brightly illumine the world-net, thus
he bids the Three Worlds all take refuge in the Dharma-Jewel, pure as the Brief excerpts from a number of famous scriptures were also inscribed on the exterior
void. The good home is profound and inexhaustible; not born and not
extinguished, not departing and not coming home [yet] extinguishing walland
of the Cave of Great Perduring Saints, including the rml Stra (Shengman jing ),
separating from defilements, it is dicult to conceive. The sea of merit of
the (character illegibleimages?) of the group of Holy Ones extirpates
LotusallStra (Miaofa lianhua jing , Saddharmapu:;arka), and Great Collection
defilements, [so that] la and samdhi are pure and flawless.
Stra (Daji jing , Mahsamnipata stra). Because of these inscribed texts, some scholars
The Dharma-transmitting Holy Great Dharma Masters are thus in-
haveAtcompared
cluded in the eternal and incorruptible nature of the Three Jewels. the the cave to the massive stone stra project at Yunju monastery in the
Fig 1: The Indian patriarch stele at Lingquan monastery, Anyang (from Chen 1989, 181).
 !

Record of the Causes and Conditions of the

Dunhuang Ms. of the Platform stra" Dharma-Treasury Transmission Fu fazang yinyuan
ca 8th century! zhuan , 5th-6th c.
 Inscription of
Mahnman,
Bodhgay, dated 587

! (cf. Tournier 2014)

Edition of the
Mahnman
Edition of the Mah
Mahaan
n
aaman
man inscription
Inscription inscription
Part I : Mah
an
amans pedigree

!
Part I : Mah
an
amans pedigree
[] vy apto yen aprameyah. sakalasasiruc a sarvvatah. satvadh atuh.
ks.un
[] . n.apto
vy h. p ayen
s.an.ad.prameyah
ayodh as.sugatipatharudhas
sakalasasiruc tarkka
a sarvvatah . ssatvadh
astr abhiyukt
atuh.ah.
kssamp
. un.n.a uh.rn.p n.a os.an
(2). d.dharmmako[
ayodh sa]h. prakr.tiripuhr.tarkka
as sugatipatharudhas tah. s asdhito
astr lokabh
abhiyukt utyai
a h. |
sa
samp stuh u. rns.an.kyaikabandhor
o (2) dharmmako[ jjayati
sa]h.cirataram
prakr.tiripuhr tad ya
tah
. . s
saa[s]s
dhito a ratantram*
lokabh u ||
tyai | [ 1]
sa stuh. sa kyaikabandhor jjayati cirataram tad yasa[s]s aratantram* || [ 1]
nairodhm . subhabh avan a(3)m anusr.tah. sam . s
arasam . klesajit
maitreyasya
nairodh m . subhabh kare vimuktiva
avan a(3)m sita anusr
yasy .atah dbhut
. sam .asvy
a akr.t
rasam a. kle
| sajit
nirvv
maitreyasya an.a vasare kareca yena caran
vimuktiva sit au [dr
a .yasy .]s.t.auamuneh
adbhut vyakr.t (4)| p
a avanau |
nirvv
p ay ad n.a vahvasare . sa ca
mun yena
ndra caran
sa au
sanadharah
. [dr ]s
. ...t au muneh
stutyo mah. (4)
a p
k
a
a
s vanau
yapah . ||
| [ 2]
p ay ad vah. sa munndrasa sanadharah. stutyo mah ak asyapah. || [ 2]
sam . yukt agamino visuddharajasah. satv anukampodyat ah.
sam . ayukt
sis.y (5)ayasya gamino sakr vi
suddharajasah
.d vicerur a[ma]l . satv
am . alanukampodyat
acalopatyak
nk aha. m*
stebhyah
is.y
a (5) .yasya slagun sakr
.a d vicerur
.nvitas ca sa[ma]l
atasah a.m lank acalopatyak
s.is.yapra sis.y
ah. kram am*j
tebhyah
jat slagun.a
as tu.nganarendra(6)vam nvit as ca s.ata sah.asis
satilak h. yapra
protsr.sjya
is.y
ar
h.jya
a kram aj
sriyam* || [ 3]
jat
as tunganarendra(6)vam . satilak ah. protsr.jya r ajyasriyam* || [ 3]
[...]
mradvp
a adhiv
[...]
as pr.thukulajaladhis tasya sis.yo mahy
an*
(10)
a mradv p
lank aadv
dhiv
as pr.thukulajaladhis
papras tasya. ssanmah
utah. parahitaniratah is.yo mah
ay
n n* am
aman a|
advpapras
(10) lank utah. parahitaniratah. sanmah anaman am
a|

Part II : Record of the pious foundation

Part II : Record of the pious foundation
tenoccair bbodhiman.d.e sasikaradhavalah. sarvvato man.d.apena |
tenoccair bbodhiman . d.es
ea smarabalajayinah
(11) k a[nta]h . pras
ada . sasikaradhavalah. sarvvato. karito loka man.sd . apena
a stuh. |||[ 7]
(11) k a[nta]h. pr as
ada es.a smarabalajayinah. karito lokasa stuh. || [ 7]
vyapagatavis.ayasneho hatatimiradasah. pradpavad asangah .
vyapagatavis
(12) kusalen a. ayasneho
nena janohatatimirada
bodhisukham sah. pradpavad
anuttaram asangah am*. || [ 8]
. bha[ja]t
(12) kusalen anena jano bodhisukham anuttaram . bha[ja]t am* || [ 8]
y avad dhv ant apah ar pravitatakiran.ah. sarvvato bh ati bh asvan
yyaavad dhv
vat purn ant apah ar pravitatakiran
asih. phan ..ah. sarvvato bh armmicakrais
ti bh asv an samant
. n.o <>mbu(13)r iphan . akut.ilair u at*
yyaavat
vacpurn. n.o <>mbu(13)r
cendradhiv asih. phan.isiphan
aso vividhaman akut
a.rusr sumeruh
. ilair. u rmmicakrais samant at*
. il ac .ngah .
y avac cendradhiv aso vividhaman.isil ac
arusr.ngah . sumeruh.
sobh ad.hyam* (14) t avad etad bhavanam urumuneh. sa svatatvam pray atu | || [ 9]
sobh ad.hyam* (14) t avad etad bhavanam urumuneh. sa svatatvam pray atu | || [ 9]

samvat* 200 60 8 caittra su di 7 || >

samvat* 200 60 8 caittra su di 7 || >
Vincent Tournier akyamunis feet to Maitreyas hand
From S
[v. 1] That army, whose essence is glory, of the unique relative of the
kyas, the Teacher, which, resplendent as the full moon, has pervaded

!
an immeasurable mass of beings, [which] crushed the heretic fighters
obstructing the path of welfare, skilled [as they were] with the sword of
discursive reasoning, [and which] retrieved, for the good fortune of
people, the complete treasure of the Dharma that had been stolen by
its natural enemies, may [it] endure for a very long time.

[v. 2] He who entered a fair meditation of extinction, victorious over
the impurities [characterising] sasra, Whose marvellous power of
determination [is to be] manifested on the hand of Maitreya, who saw
the purifying feet of the Muni at the occasion of the [latters
pari]nirva, may Mahkyapa, this praiseworthy holder of the
Instruction of the lord among munis, protect you.



[v. 3] His [i.e. Mahkyapas] disciples transmitting the Sayukta-gama,
purified of impurities, moved by compassion for beings, once roamed over
the immaculate lower slopes of the mountain Lak. From those were born
!
[i.e. were ordained], a hundred times successively, disciples and disciples
disciples possessed of the qualities of moral conduct, who were the
ornaments of a dynasty of prominent kings, in spite of having renounced the
splendour of royalty.

v. 4-6: Bhava Rhula Upasena [I] Mahnman [I] Upasena [II]

[v. 7] His [i.e. Upasenas] foremost disciple, who resides in mradvpa, the
ocean of whose family was vast, who was born on the island of Lak, who
delights in the well-being of others, is the well-named Mahnman [II]. He
caused to be erected on the exalted terrace of Awakening a templetogether
with a pavilionof the conqueror of Smaras army, the teacher of the world,
which was white like a moonbeam and pleasing from all sides.

Summing up Mahnmans lineage
!


Mahkyapa N N N N N N N N N N
Bhava Rhula Upasena [I] Mahnman [I] Upasena [II]