A lineage is a stream of spiritual transmission, flowing across generations, geography, and cultures from teacher to student, tracing back to the historical Buddha 2,400 years ago. Lineage is important in Buddhism because it shows that a particular community follows an authentic line of teachers and dharma (teachings); thereby certifying that its teachings and practices are genuine. In Zen, this transmission is a direct, oral exchange from teacher to student, fostering immediate insight, while Pure Land traditions allow teachings to transcend time and place through the universal call of Great Compassion.
Our founding teacher, Rev. G.R. Lewis, M.A. (Nguyện Trí), has identified the following 15 great masters and teachers as our spiritual ancestors, shaping the Buddhist Faith Fellowship’s journey since its inception in 2001. Their diverse contributions weave a rich tapestry of insight, integrating Zen’s focus on mental clarity. Tathagatagarbha’s (Buddha nature) affirmation of innate and unborn Buddha-mind in all beings, and Pure Land Buddhism’s cultivation of deep trust, gratitude, and devotion to the dynamic liberating activity of the Great Compassion.
This collective wisdom treasury, embraced as Ekayana, the One Vehicle, unifies these seemingly diverse paths, and guides the direction of our community. We offer a sincere and deep appreciation to our spiritual ancestors’ profound insights that help us better engage the teachings and assist all seekers in our contemporary world.
Dr. (Rev.) Taitetsu Unno (1929-2014 C.E.)
A distinguished Buddhist scholar and Shin Buddhist minister, Rev. Taitetsu Unno earned his PhD in Buddhist Studies from the University of Tokyo in 1968 and later had a long teaching career at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. His modern classics, River of Fire, River of Water (1998) and Bits of Rubble Turned into Gold (2002), and numerous magazine articles successfully introduced Shin Buddhism to contemporary audiences throughout the world soldifying his position as the foremost Shin teacher in the Americas. In the early 2000s, Dr. Unno mentored Rev. Lewis, a long-time sangha member of his Northampton Shin Sangha and student of his Noho Lay Teacher Training Program. He personally guided the creation of the early Buddhist Faith Fellowship and is revered as the “grandfather” of our organization. Unno’s legacy inspires us to accept ourselves as we are within the embrace of the Great Compassion (Amida), deeply hear and voice of the Buddha Name (namu-amida-butsu). He offers a practical and sane spiritual path for those entangled in 21st century’s chaotic world.
Venerable Thich Tri Hoang (20th–21st century)
A 43rd-generation Thièn Lâm Tế master and root teacher of our Dharma teacher Rev. Lewis, Thich Tri Hoang founded the Dharma Teacher Order in 2000 to share the scope and breadth of Buddhist teachings in North America. Ordained in 1973 at the Hai Duc Temple in Vietnam, he inherited the 9th-generation Lieu Quán lineage, which integrates Thièn Vietnamese Zen) meditation with Pure Land’s Niệm Phật (nembutsu). His teachings acentuates tolerance, encouraging diverse interpretations of the Dharma, honoring Theravada, Mahayana, Zen and Pure Land wisdom. His legacy directly shapes our Meditation & Talk Sundays, where his emphasis on sitting meditation, open discussions, minimal rituals, and chanting have become the core of our programs.
Lieu Quán (1670 – 1740 C.E.)
A Vietnamese Zen master, Lieu Quán founded the Lieu Quán Thièn lineage, blending meditation with Pure Land devotion. His teachings emphasized compassion, mindfulness, and action. He made the Buddha’s Way accessible to the masses through clear meditative practices and the voicing of the Buddha-name (niệm Phật). As part of his legacy, he established a number of monasteries and revitalized Vietnamese Zen, by mentoring disciples who shared across the country. Lieu Quán’s influence on contemporary Vietnamese Zen and Pure Land teachings has guided many 21st century practitioners like Thich Nhat Hanh and Thich Tri Hong to awaken to and then share the dharma to all seekers, offering a relatable and direct path to enlightenment..
Shinran (1173-1263 C.E.)
Shinran was a religious reformer, prolific writer, and religious genius whose rich legacy has traversed the centuries within Japan and around the world. As a faithful disciple of the Buddhist reformer Honen, he furthered developed, innovated, and propagated his teacher’s ideas to the masses. His viewpoints questioned many long-standing Buddhist traditions that no longer spoke to ordinary people and challenged the power of the elites. As a religious revolutionary, he was the first to officially break the monastic celibate tradition by entering into marriage. His spiritual insights brought to Buddhism the idea that even the most lost, unskillful, and wicked were the main concern of the Great Compassion. No longer was emancipation tied to doing solely some religious practice like meditation, Buddha Name (nembutsu) recitation, prayer or chanting to appease a deity or some religious ideal but spiritual liberation was the exclusive domain of universal grace via the awakening of the entrusting mind (shinjin) of the Great Compassion – The Buddha of Inconceivable of Light and Life. After his death, his followers created a new Pure Land School called Jodo Shinshu, The Essence of the Pure Land Way, which would later become Japan’s most prominent Buddhist school.
Shan-Tao (613-681 C.E.)
Of the many masters in our lineage, this well-known Chinese master’s teachings and practices still resonate with hundreds of millions in the 21st century. Among his many contributions to the evolution of Buddhism, he popularized the notion that the Great Compassion (Amida Buddha) as the most important Buddha among the many Buddhas. Importantly, he taught that the Buddha Name (nembutsu) is sufficient enough for spiritual liberation as other practices like visualization and meditation. Importantly, he formulated the Five Practices, expounded the significance of repentance and faith, and created an extensive liturgy that is still used to this day around the world.
Linji Yixuan (810-866 C.E.)
A master of the Tang Dynasty, Linji Yixuan transformed Chan Buddhism with bold methods to awaken sudden enlightenment. Born in Shandong, China, he trained under Huangbo Xiyun, and later developed a bold teaching style recorded in the Linji Lu. His methods, challenging delusions through paradoxical questions (koans), cultivated clarity and spiritual liberation, shaping what would become what we consider as today’s Zen’s dynamic style. His innovations still influence 21st century Thièn Lâm Tế and Japanese Rinzai practices, inspiring meditation and retreats that awaken practitioners to their true nature through zazen. His legacy guides contemporary Zen teachings, fostering liberation through compassionate inquiry and direct experience, offering a disciplined path to awakening.
Hui-neng (638–713 C.E)
The Sixth Chan Patriarch, Hui-neng, influenced by the Tathagatagarbha (Buddha Nature) teachings, redefined Zen with teachings on sudden enlightenment, inherent Buddha-nature, and universal accessiblity. As an illiterate woodcutter from Guangdong, China, he would become a master under the Fifth Patriarch Hongren, as recorded in the Platform Sutra. As the Sixth Patriach, he emphasized direct insight over ritual that is still a cornerstone of Thièn, Zen and Chan traditions today. Over the centuries, his teachings have guided both Zen and Pure Land practices that stressed mindfulness and compassionate action.
Tan Luan (476-542 C.E.)
This Chinese monastic and scholar wrote extensively on the principal Pure Land scripture, the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life, and clearly explained that the Primal Vow of the Great Compassion (Amida Buddha) would emancipate all beings through the voicing of the Buddha Name (nembutsu). Due to his total reliance on the Great Compassion, he was the first to advocate the practice of voicing the Buddha Name, Namo Amitoufo in Chinese, also known as Namu Amida Butsu in Japanese (I entrust myself to awakening of Inconceivable Light and Life) as the best means to spiritual liberation. Importantly, he was the first to teach the concepts of Self Power (Jiriki) and Other Power (Tariki).
Bodhidharma (4th century C.E.)
Born in South India or Persia, this fiercely blue-eyed monk brought Dhyana (Meditation) Buddhism to China, and is considered the founder of Chan Buddhism. He was a 28th generation Buddhist master, tracing his lineage directly to the historical Buddha. Known for his bold spirit, commitment to meditation, and masterful and witty teachings, he has been revered for over the millenia. His path of self-discipline and wisdom would eventually spark new traditions in the future like Thien, Son, and Zen traditions, lighting the way for awakening to a multitude of seekers far into the future.
Vasubandhu (4th-5th century C.E.)
An influential philosopher from the Greek influenced Buddhist Kingdom of Gandhara (Pakistan & Afghanistan), and half brother of another famous philosopher of the period, Asanga, he wrote extensively on the Adhidharma (Buddhist commentaries) and was one of the founders of the Yogachara (consciousness only) school. Furthermore, he was a fervent follower of the Pure Land Way, writing such works like the Discourses on the Pure Land, expanding the philosophy of Nagarjuna, creating new practices for adherents, and greatly encouraging others to follow the Pure Land teachings.
Nagarjuna (150-250 C.E.)
As the most consequential Indian Buddhist teacher and philosopher, he established the Madhayamaka (Middle Way) school of Mahayana and is known by many scholars as the second Buddha. Not only did he develop the philosophy behind the Prajnaparamita Sutras (The Wisdom tradition), and clarified the teaching of shunyata (emptiness) he was the first major philosopher to expand and promote the Pure Land teachings. He taught that the Buddhist teachings offered two paths: The Difficult Path and the Easy Path. He proclaimed that the Pure Land teaching constituted the Easy Path and therefore is the most effective way for the masses to realize enlightenment.
Ashvaghosa (80-150 C.E.)
An Indian poet, and philosopher, Ashvaghosa shaped Mahayana through his famous literary works such as the Buddhacarita, a poetic biography of the historical Buddha. However, his Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana popularized the Tathagatagarbha (Buddha Nature) doctrine, affirming that all beings possess inherent Buddha-nature, a foundational concept that would forever influence Mahayana Buddhism. As a former Brahmin (Hindu) scholar, his conversion to Buddhism enriched his works with philosophical depth, that would influence Zen and Pure Land traditions centuries later. Ashvaghosa’s emphasis on the unborn and innate enlightenment shapes modern practices, inspiring meditation and Buddha-name (nembutsu) practices. His legacy fosters non-dual liberation through both meditation and devotion, guiding contemporary teachings toward awakening for all truth-seekers.
Ananda (5th century B.C.E)
He was a cousin, closest attendant, and disciple of the historical Buddha who had a special ability to memorize the Buddha’s discourses over many decades. Although Ananda was not a Pure Land teacher, he, with Maitreya and others, was the first to receive its transmission from the Buddha on Mount Gridhruta and experience a direct insight into the liberating light of the Great Compassion (Amida Buddha), as recorded in the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life. Thus, his personal encounter with this teaching begins the transmission of the Pure Land dharma from generation to generation. Without Ananda’s remarkable memory of what would be recorded as primary scriptural texts, the Larger and Smaller sutras, the Pure Land School might never had existed.
Mahakasyapa (5th Century C.E.)
An adept disciple, Mahakasyapa is most known as receiving Buddha’s wordless flower sermon, initiating Zen’s first direct transmission. After the Buddha’s passing (parinirvana), he famously lead the First Buddhist Council in the attempt of preserving the Buddha’s discourses (sutras) for future generations to come. As the first Zen master, his silent transmission of the Buddha’s insight would shape Rinzai, Thiền, and Soto traditions far into the future and over vast geographical locations, inspiring and guiding contemporary truth-seekers toward enlightenment.
Buddha Shakyamuni (5th century B.C.E.)
Born in present-day Nepal in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Buddha was also known as Gautama or Buddha Shakyamuni (The Sage of the Shakya Clan). The term Buddha means “The Awakened One.” Until the age of 28, he was a prince of the Kingdom of Kapilavastsu. At that age, he would renounce his wealth and royal position to become a wandering seeker of truth, studying under many philosophers and religious teachers. After manyt years of arduous study and practice, he decided to continue on his religious journey without a formal teacher. Finally, at the age of 35, he realized enlightenment under a pipal tree in Bodh Gaya. During his life-time, many would recognized him as the Tathagata, the One Who Comes From The Other Shore, whose sole mission was to benefit and liberate all sentient beings. As well as being considered an awakened being, he is recognized as the originator of all present-day traditional Buddhist schools. We do not consider him as just one of the masters of our lineage but its original discoverer and principal teacher.