Dharma transmission (Chinese: 傳法, Chuánfǎ or 印可, Inkě, Korean and Japanese: Inka) is the formal confirmation by a master of Zen or Chan Buddhism of a student's awakening. This one-to-one transmission is said to trace back over 2,500 years to Gautama Buddha when he gave dharma transmission to his disciple Mahakasyapa, who is regarded as the first patriarch of Zen in India. Zen is a form of Mahāyāna Buddhism notable for its emphasis on praxis and experiential wisdom, particularly as realized in the form of meditation known as zazen, in the attainment of enlightenment as experienced by the Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama. ... Chán is the Chinese name for the school of Mahāyāna Buddhism known in Japanese as Zen. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Standing Buddha sculpture, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ... This article is about Maha Kashyapa, a disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha. ...

It is described by Reginald Ray as the recognition that a student has achieved awakening, realizing his or her true Buddha Nature. Since an awakened Buddha realizes the connectedness inherent in all things, it is not "giving" something from the teacher to the student. Instead, it is a recognition that the student has cast off delusion. Reginald Reggie Ray is a leading Buddhist academic. ... Buddha-nature (originally in Sanskrit, Buddha-dhatu - Buddha Element, Buddha-Principle) is a doctrine important for many schools of Mahayana Buddhism. ... Media:Example. ...

In addition to acknowledgment of realization, which also occurs in other contexts (for instance the Harada-Yasutani school for many years had a ceremony acknowledging one's first kensho, which was an acknowledgment of realization but not Dharma transmission) Dharma transmission also includes permission or acknowledgment by the teacher that her or his student has now become a teacher, as well. Kenshō (見性), literally seeing the nature in Japanese, is the experience of enlightenment described in the context of Zen Buddhism. ...

According to James Ford in his "Zen Master Who?" in Japanese Soto Dharma transmission is connected to ordination. But Japanese Rinzai and the Harada-Yasutani line, as well as Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean Zen do not connect Dharma transmission to the ordination rituals. For the vegetable, see Celosia. ... Ordination is the process in which clergy become authorized by their religious denomination and/or seminary to perform religious rituals and ceremonies. ... There is a disputed proposal that this article should be merged with Rinzai and Linji. ...

See also

• Dharma
• Lineage (Buddhism)

  (Sanskrit) (Devnagari: धर्म) or Dhamma (Pali) is the underlying order in nature and human life and behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. ... Chan and Zen Buddhism maintain records of their historical teachers who have passed the Dharma from generation to generation in an unbroken line since the time of the Buddha. ...

External links

• Roshi and His Teachers, Dharma Transmission,and the Rochester Zen Center Lineage Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede discusses lineage and Dharma transmission.
• Coming Down from the Zen Clouds:A Critique of the Current State of American Zen Stuart Lachs criticizes Dharma transmission in Zen