Prajñādhara was the twenty-seventh Brahmin patriarch of Indian Buddhism, according to the Chinese Chan lineage. He traveled around India preaching the Buddha's teachings. He was the guru, or teacher, of Bodhidharma.
Prajnatara may have been a woman, per an oral tradition in southern India. [1]. According to Osho, Bodhidharma was initiated by an enlightened woman, named Pragyatara and it was she who asked him to go to China.
The Denkoroku: Record of the Transmission of Light by Keizan Jokin Zenji relates the following legendary exchange between Prajnatara and Bodhidharma. Prajnatara: "What is it that is formless amongst things?" Bodhidharma: "Formlessness is unborn." Prajnatara: "What is the highest amongst things?" Bodhidharma: "The Actual Nature is the highest." [2]
| Buddhist titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Punyamitra |
Mahayana patriarch | Succeeded by Bodhidharma |