Punyamitra
Punyamitra
5th c. – Unknown
Puṇyamitra ("Friend of Merit"), twenty-sixth patriarch in the Chan list, is named in the *Jǐngdé Chuándēng Lù* as the disciple of Vasiṣṭha and the teacher of Prajñātāra, the master of Bodhidharma[1]. Like the other late-Indian figures, he belongs to the legendary stratum of the lineage and is not independently attested.
Dumoulin notes that Puṇyamitra's sole narrative function in the *Jǐngdé Chuándēng Lù* and the *Bǎolín Zhuàn* is the recognition and ordination of Prajñātāra; the placement positions him as the immediate predecessor of the figure who will release the transmission eastward[2].
Names
Disciples of Punyamitra
Teachers and lineage of Punyamitra
Teacher / root master:
Teachings
- proverbWalk, Do Not Talk
I walked a long way for this dharma; I do not propose to talk it back into a cage. Whoever wants to know what I know should walk too.
- proverbOld Age Teaches by Itself
Old age teaches by itself if you let it. Do not race against your wrinkles; let them be the third teacher in the room, after your master and your hut.
- proverbDo Not Pity Yourself
Self-pity is the sickness that disguises itself as the cure. Cut it cleanly; you will be surprised how light the body becomes when you are no longer carrying yourself.
Other masters in Indian Patriarchs
Master Record Sources
- datesZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation
trad. 5th c. CE
- nameZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation
Punyamitra
- schoolZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation
Indian Patriarchs
- teachersZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation
Vasasita