Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma is traditionally considered the founder of Chan Buddhism, which later evolved into Zen Buddhism in Japan. Here are key details about his life and teachings:
- Origins: Bodhidharma is believed to have been born in the late 5th century in Southern India, possibly in the Pallava Empire. He was a prince of the Pallava Dynasty and a practitioner of Dhyana Buddhism, a form of meditation.
- Travel to China: According to legend, Bodhidharma traveled to China by sea and arrived during the Liu Song Dynasty or the Southern Wei Dynasty around the early 6th century. His journey is often linked with the spread of Buddhist teachings to the East.
- Meeting with Emperor Wu: One of the most famous stories about Bodhidharma involves his meeting with Emperor Wu of Liang, where he rebuffed the emperor's questions about merit, famously stating that "vast emptiness has nothing to offer."
- Shaolin Temple: Bodhidharma is often associated with the Shaolin Temple, where he is said to have taught martial arts and meditation to the monks. However, historical evidence for his involvement with Shaolin is scant and possibly apocryphal.
- Wall-Gazing Meditation: He is credited with introducing the practice of Wall-Gazing or "wall meditation," where one faces a wall in deep meditation, focusing inward to achieve enlightenment.
- Teachings: Bodhidharma emphasized direct experience of reality through meditation rather than reliance on scriptures. His teachings included the direct transmission of Dharma, not dependent on words or letters, which points to the mind-essence itself.
- Legacy: His teachings laid the foundation for Chan Buddhism in China, which later influenced the development of Zen in Japan. He is also revered as the first Patriarch of Zen in the Rinzai School of Zen.
- Death: There are various legends about Bodhidharma's death, including one where he was poisoned by a jealous monk, and another where he died while meditating in the mountains. His tomb is said to be located near the Bao'en Temple in Dengfeng, Henan Province.
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