The Record of the Transmission of the Lamp (), often referred to as The Transmission of the Lamp, is a 30 volume work consisting of putative biographies of the Chan Buddhist and Zen Buddhist patriarchs and other prominent Buddhist monks. It was produced in the Song dynasty by Shi Daoyuan (). Other than the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall, it represents the first appearance of "encounter dialogues" in the Chan tradition, which in turn are the antecedents of the famous kōan stories.
The word Jingde (), the first two characters of the title, refers to the reign name of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, which dates the work to between 1004 and 1007 CE. It is a primary source of information for the history of Chan Buddhism in China, although most scholars interpret the biographies as largely hagiography. The lives of the Zen masters and disciples are systematically listed, beginning with the first seven buddhas (Gautama Buddha is seventh in this list). The "Lamp" in the title refers to the "Dharma", the teachings of the Buddhism. A total of 1701 biographies are listed in the book. Volumes 1 to 3 are devoted to the history of Indian Buddhism, and the history of Buddhism in China starts in chapter 4 with Bodhidharma. Volume 29 is a collection of gathas, and volume 30 is a collection of songs and other devotional material.
The List of the Patriarchs The Seven Buddhas Vipashin Shikhin Vishvabhu Kakusandha Kanakamuni Kāśyāpa Shakyamuni
The Twenty-Eight Indian Patriarchs Mahakāśyapa Ānanda Sanakavāsa Upagupta Dhritaka Michaka Vasumitra Buddhanandi Buddhamitra Parsva Punyayasas Aśvaghoṣa Kapimala Nāgārjuna Kanadeva Rahulata Sanghanandi Gayasata Kumorata Jāyatā Vasubandhu Manorhita Haklena Āryasimha Bashyashita Punyamitra Prajñātara Bodhidharma
The Six Chinese Patriarchs Bodhidharma Huike Sengcan Daoxin Hongren Huineng
Further reading
The Records of the Transmission of the Lamp (Volumes 1-8), Daoyi, Yang Yi & Randolph S. Whitfield