The Oldest Traditional Buddhist Lineage? In Hinduism the traditional master-disciple relationship in the transmission is very important, which means that a student can go and learn from a teacher whose initiatory lineage goes back directly to Adi Shankara for example.

I would have liked to know if there was such a thing in Buddhism, and if so, what were the oldest lineages still in place? With the master-disciple initiation chain unbroken. 

Is there one that can be traced back to the Buddha himself? I hear a lot about the Forest Tradition, but it only dates back to the 20th century.
Every "official" Chan/Zen master (that is, a master recognized and authorized by an older master) keeps a list of his ancestral teachers going back all the way to the Buddha Shakyamuni. I have such list for my Zen Master for example. 

Every Tibetan lineage keeps a list of teachers that goes to a Buddha (not necessarily Shakyamuni). Many Tibetan texts begin by listing the lineage of the author. 

The question is moot, because every school will say its teaching is best and the most traditional.