the Eight Lineage Patriarchs of Shingon Buddhism
A specific term in Shingon Buddhism referring to the eight patriarchs who transmitted the teachings from Vairocana Buddha to Kūkai. The list includes Vairocana Buddha, Vajrasattva, Nāgārjuna, Nāgabodhi, Vajrabodhi, Amoghavajra, Huiguo, and Kūkai. Compare with 伝持の八祖.
See also: 伝持の八祖
In Shingon Buddhism, the Eight Lineage Patriarchs occupy an important position.
伝持の八祖 is a related but distinct list of eight patriarchs in Shingon, focusing on those who physically transmitted the dharma, whereas 付法の八祖 emphasizes the spiritual lineage of the teachings.
From 付法 (fuhō, 'transmission of the Dharma') + の (no, possessive particle) + 八祖 (hasso, 'eight patriarchs'). A technical term in Shingon Buddhism.