noun
religious tradition; dharma lineage
Buddhist term referring to the unbroken transmission of teachings from master to disciple, or the orthodox tradition of a particular school.
この寺は古い法統を守り続けている。
This temple continues to uphold an ancient religious tradition.
彼はその法統の正当な継承者と認められた。
He was recognized as the legitimate successor of that dharma lineage.
伝統 is a general term for 'tradition' in any context, while 法統 specifically refers to a religious or dharma lineage in Buddhism.
Compound of 法 (ほう, 'dharma, law') and 統 (とう, 'lineage, system'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally used in Buddhist contexts to denote a continuous transmission of teachings.