Dharma Transmission: The Achilles Heel of Zen

Abstract

The essence of Zen, at least as expressed in words, is often expressed by a four-sentence stanza, traditionally attributed to Bodhidharma but dating back to the 12th century. Zen is: “1) a special transmission outside the scriptures; 2) not founded upon words and letters; 3) pointing directly to [one’s] mind; 4) one sees [one’s true] nature and attains Buddhahood.” The key to this stanza lies in its first line, which refers to the transmission of the enlightened mind of the Zen master to his or her disciple, known as “Dharma transmission.” An alternative formulation of this Zen teaching is “mind-to-mind transmission” (J. ishin denshin). In short, dharma transmission occurs at the time the Zen master recognizes that the disciple has attained “the mind of the Buddha” implying that his or her understanding is equal to that of the master. It is the continuity of this enlightened chain of minds that is claimed to be a unique Zen characteristic, dating back to the historical Buddha. It further serves as the conceptual basis for the present master’s considerable authority. Thus, Dharma transmission becomes a vehicle that not only recognizes the disciple’s spiritual attainment but, equally, a method whereby the master confers his authority on the disciple as well. But what happens in the event Dharma transmission were to become impossible because the Zen master was ‘unenlightened’ and therefore unable to transmit (or recognize) enlightenment in his or her disciples? This is the question the article sets out to explore. The exploration begins with a brief examination of the historical background to the doctrine of Dharma transmission, starting in India, then China and, finally, Japan. In Japan, the possibility is explored as to whether traditional Dharma transmission may have come to an end. And finally, what are the implications, especially for contemporary Zen practitioners, were it true that traditional Dharma transmission actually came to an end, at least in Japan. Keywords: Dharma transmission, Flower Sermon, Bodhidharma, Huike, Huineng, Caodong (J. Sōtō), Linji (J. Rinzai), Manzan Dōhaku, inka shōmei, Shaku Sōen, Sawaki Kōdō, Yasutani Haku’un