According to Zen scholars, their history is considered to have started from the time when Buddha showed a nosegay of some beautiful golden-colored flowers to a congregation of his disciples on Mount Vulture. The incident is related in a sutra entitled Dialogue of the Buddha and Mahapitaka Brahmaraja as follows:
"The Brahmaraja came to a congregation of Buddhists on Mount Vulture, and offering a golden-colored lotus-flower to Buddha, prostrated himself on the ground and reverently asked the Master to preach the Dharma for the benefit of sentient beings. Buddha ascended the seat and brought forth the flowers before the congregation of gods and men. But none of them could comprehend the meaning of this act on the part of Buddha, except the venerable Mahakashyapa, who softly smiled and nodded. Then exclaimed Buddha: "I am Nirvana, the Mind, and the mystery of reality and non-reality, and the gate of transcendental truth. I now hand it over to Mahakashyapa."
D.T. Suzuki, Studies in Zen, 1955, p.12
Suzuki notes in the footnotes that this passage is a false sutra, likely manufactured by an early Zen Master in response to challenges to Zen's historical authority.
Nevertheless, a wordless teaching. Nevertheless, The Gate of Transcendental Truth. Not bad for a false sutra. There was no doubt a toothless old man laughing in his chambers the day this was written.
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