The Six Patriarchs of Chán
According to Chan's own stories of its beginnings, there is an unbroken succession of Chan patriarchs beginning, in some accounts, with the Buddha's own disciple, Mahakasyapa. The succession is, however, more typically traced back to the first Chan patriarch through the sixth. But, still to the present day, the succession of Chan's lineage continues in China and has spread throughout the world. The first six patriarchs of Chán (ca. 500 – early 8th century)
Bodhidharma (達摩) ca. 440 – ca. 528 Huike (慧可) 487–593 Sengcan (僧燦) ?–606 Daoxin (道信) 580–651 Hongren (弘忍) 601–674 Huineng (慧能) 638–713
The first patriarch, Bodhidharmaca (440 – ca. 528), Very few facts are known about him, but numerous legends surround him.
The second patriarch, Huike (487-593), a historical figure of some importance. He was an ascetic who lived in the forests, following the tradition established by the Buddha. When urban monks were driven out of the cities by an anti-Buddhist movement, some of them turned to him as a teacher. His movement called for a return to fundamentals, such as asceticism and meditation. Legend has it that Huike proved his eagerness for Bodhidharma's teachings by cutting off his own arm.
The third patriarch, Sengsan (d. 606), is virtually unknown except as a student of Huike. A famous Chan text, Verses on the Faith Mind, is (probably erroneously) attributed to him.
The fourth patriarch, Daoxin (580-651), rejected Huike's extreme asceticism and reconnected his followers with the everyday world. He was a meditation instructor who gathered a large following; he had a wealthy patron and resided at a monastic complex on East Mountain in Hubei province.
The five patriarch, Hongren (601-674), also a meditation teacher, was the student of Daoxin, and his apparent successor was Shenxiu (c. 606-706).
The sixth patriarch, Huineng (638-713), and only legitimate successor to Hongren. Hui Neng became the most famous Chan (Zen) master in Chinese history. After his death, his works were collected and classified as the only Chinese Buddhist sutra, called The Sixth Patriarch's Platform Sutra.
