What does inheritance mean?

1. The significance of inheritance Inheritance is a traditional form of transmitting teachings.

Chuan means to teach and pass on, and inheritance means to inherit and receive.

Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and great patriarchs impart the pure Dharma to their predestined disciples, and the disciples accept and inherit it and gain the blessing power of the inheritance.

It is this kind of inheritance passed down from generation to generation that makes the Buddhist lanterns continue and have a long history.

Although the inheritance of each Dharma lineage in Buddhism is different, all Dharma lines can be included in the two major Dharma lines of Tantra and Sutra. Let’s look at the inheritance in Buddhism from these two major Dharma lines.

Classification.

2. Classification of inheritance (1) Tantric inheritance Tantra is generally divided into four parts, namely, the action department, the action department, the yoga department, and the supreme yoga department. Each department has its own inheritance system. Within each department, different

The Dharma lineage has inherited different inheritances.

For example, take the Dharma lineage transmitted by the Nyingmapa in the Supreme Yoga Department as an example, which includes the three major lineages of the inner three tantras.

1. Transmission of the Tathagata's secret message: This is the most extraordinary method of transmission, which is divided into two types: continuous transmission to oneself and continuous transmission to others.

The Tathagata, in the light of his own self-image without diligence, destiny, great compassion, conscious wisdom, and the vast and inconceivable sea of ??Buddha's retinue, imparts the Dharma without words or expressions, so that these retinues can manifest their present reality.

Secret meaning; the continuous transmission to him is the Tathagata's intention transmission to the tenth level Bodhisattva who has entered the vajra concentration, so that he can achieve Buddhahood in the second moment.

For the sentient beings who cannot directly understand, the Tathagata incarnates in the endless world to save them.

For example, Shakyamuni Buddha should be incarnated in Nanzhanbuzhou and preach the supreme miraculous Dharma for all living beings such as sutras, laws, treatises, affairs, conduct, and yoga.

2. The legend of Vidajādhisattva: Originally, Vidajādhisattva refers to a great practitioner who protects the light that is indistinguishable from emptiness, which is equivalent to the Bodhisattva who has ascended to the earth and above.

The vidyadhara in the "Translation of the Expressions of Vidyadhara" here refers to the Buddha or at least a Bodhisattva who has ascended to the eighth level. Disciples must at least be mature in their own continuum and be able to accept the expressions of the guru.

By merely expressing it, the Vidyadhara can enable his disciples to realize the nature of the Dharma and obtain the fruition of ascending to the earth.

After the Buddha passed away, Vajrasattva and Vajrayana, the secret master, taught the king the three most profound dharma of Mahayoga (generation stage), Anayoga (perfection stage) and Atiyoga (great perfection).

Za, the Five Sages of the Holy Seed, the Son of Shengxin Tianzi, Kala Dorje and other Vidyadharas were taught by these Vidyadharas in front of predestined and qualified disciples.

(For example, at the Lingshan meeting, the Buddha held a flower and smiled, and passed on the extraordinary Zen method to Maha Kassapa, which was transmitted by vidyadhara.) 3. The Biography of Putegara: refers to Master Padmasambhava,

The Tantric Dharma transmitted by the great Pandita Boumamoza and other Putekaras through oral hearing is called the Potekara Ear Tradition.

Putegara is a Sanskrit word meaning all living beings. The Putegara here refers to practitioners who have achieved considerable attainment in the Tantric Dharma, and who have at least obtained the equivalent of the Sutra Mahayana path. For

Disciples, on the other hand, have no requirement for enlightenment other than having faith and Dharma.

The previous translation of Nyingmapa also subdivided into six lineages and nine lineages.

The six types of transmission are the Tathagata's secret message transmission, Vidyadhara's expression transmission, Pote Jialuo Er transmission, yellow paper words and sentences transmission, Dakini instructions transmission, and vow initiation transmission.

The nine types of inheritance are the Tathagata's Secret Intentions, Vidyādhisattva's Expression, Potegara Er's, Dakini's Instructions, Vows and Initiations, Teachings and Instructions, Practices and Blessings, Hearings and Practical Practices, and Actions and Deeds.

The above is a brief description of the Tantric inheritance based on the previous translation of Nyingmapa's Supreme Yoga. Next, let's look at the Sutra inheritance system.

(2) Sutra inheritance 1. From the perspective of Sutra tradition, it can be divided into two types of inheritance: the unique Sound and Condition Vehicle and the different Mahayana inheritance.

(1) The same lineage of sutras: The Buddha entrusted the teachings to Kassapa, and Kassapa entrusted them to Ananda, and they passed them on successively.

The Hinayana sravakas made three collections of the Buddha's teachings and compiled them into the Tripitaka of Sutras and Vinayas. After that, the 18 sravakas were passed down from generation to generation in various places.

(2) Sutra-unrequited inheritance: After the Buddha’s death, Maitreya Bodhisattva assembled the Vinaya Collection, Manjushri Bodhisattva assembled the Sutra Collection, and Vajrapani Bodhisattva assembled the Commentary Collection.

Manjushri Bodhisattva mainly promotes the classics that explain profound views, and Maitreya Bodhisattva mainly promotes classics that explain vast practices. These two great Bodhisattvas taught these profound and profound dharma to Nagarjuna Bodhisattva and Asanga Bodhisattva respectively.

These two Bodhisattvas spread widely throughout the world. Later generations called the profound Dharma inherited and promoted by Nagarjuna Bodhisattva the Deep View Sect, and the vast Dharma inherited and promoted by Asanga Bodhisattva called the Vast Practice Sect.

2. In terms of the specific method of transmission, it can be divided into four types of transmission: (1) Oral transmission: the master reads and recites the sutras and texts of sutras and secrets taught by the Buddhas and ancestors to the disciples, and the disciples only need to listen with their ears.

If you hear the sound, you will gain inheritance.

This method of inheritance does not have very high requirements for masters and disciples. As long as the master has an uninterrupted pure inheritance and a pure motivation that has been passed down from generation to generation starting from the Buddha or the Patriarch, and the disciples have a respectful heart and a desire to seek the Dharma, it is enough.

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