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......There is only one main Samatha tradition, but, there are many groups within it. Each group or clan attracts individuals who are kammically associated with the lineage. Devotees are drawn to a specific Master of a particular clan.
......Those who are to be groomed as future lineage holders are not identified at birth or at a young age. Their destiny may not be known to the parents or even themselves. They are born into and grow up in circumstances that are structured in a way that is necessary for their spiritual growth. They move through life by the force of their kamma and vipaka (fruition of kamma), and their particular parami (accrued merits and virtues) which they brought with them from the past. Individuals who are destined to be future Masters are largely invisible in society. They lead a normal life as a lay person or monk, and there is no external pressure on them. They can be men or women, though most of the Masters have been men.
......The main practice for followers of the tradition are the Precepts. There are different Samatha practices -- like Buddhanusati mantras and Metta meditation -- which appeal to the masses. But, for individuals who are especially devoted, there are practices of varying degrees of intensity.
......Masters guide their followers towards spiritual development, according to each individual's ability and parami. They support the devotee's unique nature in ways that are spiritually fulfilling and that lead to success. Followers on the Path are brought back to the lineage time and time again, in successive lives (wherever they are born), so that they may not go astray.
......The lineage, its knowledge, and the way it functions, is revealed only to the lineage holders and faithful. It is a mystical Inner Path. This may be the reason why in Buddhist communities (like those in Burma) the Samatha tradition is widely misunderstood by the mainstream monastics and lay alike.
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