This is a summary of a question I posed as a reply to ewk in another thread. I wanted to repeat it here for more opinions:
Are we really certain that Bodhidharma (or even Buddha) really even existed as individuals and are not just composite characters?
Separate but related question: Who is the oldest known individual zen master who we are collectively certain actually existed in history? What material did they produce?
Third related question: Can it be assumed that the "purest" [insert better word here] form of zen is that which is least removed from the original source (e.g. oldest). Or was there a pinnacle in the evolution of zen before which understanding was still developing but after which it began to be muddied by external factors (i.e. politics, bureaucracy, power)?
All opinion questions to a large extent. But I'd be interested in the various opinions.
Submitted May 23, 2019 at 10:17PM by brahmmyboy http://bit.ly/2Qkqyfc
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