This idea of an unbroken lineage of enlightened teachers is a well-constructed myth. ² The teacher in the Zen tradition is certified as enlightened by his or her enlightened teacher, in an unbroken lineage reaching back to the historical Buddha. In Zen Buddhism, the “enlightened teacher” has enormous control over the student. Importantly, it is the institutions-that is, the leading authorities representing these traditions-who present these leaders as enlightened beings, and this is also how they have presented themselves to a believing public. Recently both Zen and Tibetan Buddhist groups in the West have been rocked by scandals involving prominent, well established teachers with titles such as Zen master, Roshi, Rinpoche, Lama, Sakyong, and so on-who are understood by their followers and even by non-followers, to be enlightened beings. This is true for the surviving branches of Buddhism: Theravada, Zen or Chan, and Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism. B uddhism in the 21st century is fairly well established, both in the United States of America and in Europe.
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