Vasumitra

Vasumitra, the seventh patriarch of the Indian Chan lineage, is a name shared by several significant figures in Buddhist history. The Chan tradition identifies this Vasumitra as the direct disciple of Michaka and teacher of Buddhanandi. He is portrayed as an accomplished master who adapted his teaching to the capacities of his students.

The early Indian patriarchs collectively represent the transmission of awakening across the centuries following the Buddha's death, through periods of political upheaval and sectarian diversity. Vasumitra's link in this chain is characterized by the same quality that defines the entire Indian lineage: the capacity to recognize and transmit the self-nature of mind that transcends any particular time, place, or cultural form.