Born in southern India in the fifth century, Bodhidharma is
credited with bringing Zen Buddhism to China. The story of his life is
veiled in myth and legend, but there is no doubt that this monk made a
mark in religious history.
It is generally agreed that Bodhidharma was born the son of a king in the southern region of India. Some say his lineage traced back to the Buddha himself. The prince became a Buddhist monk and studied under a Buddhist master, who instructed him to take the practice of Zen to China. It was in the northern provinces of China, that Bodhidharma became famous for meditating in front of a cave wall, some say for seven years and some say for nine. Legend has it that he became so frustrated with dozing off during meditation that he cut off his eyelids, and works of art often portray him with bulging eyes.
Bodhidharma is also often presented as gruff and ill-tempered. Some Chinese texts refer to him as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian." It is said that he had only a handful of disciples, but the truth of his teachings and his legend live on to this day.
Bodhidharma taught the practice of Zen in everyday life and presented it as a path to Buddhahood, whereas it had traditionally been viewed more as a purification process. Bodhidharma instructed students to observe the movements of tigers and cranes, or to watch a hollow reed in the river, repeating to them that everything is Zen.
His teachings include three famous principles. The first is accepting suffering and unhappiness in your life because you understand it is your own karma returning. The second is maintaining harmony and equanimity in all circumstances, whether they are positive or negative. The third principle is realizing the essence of your Buddha nature, which also is defined as equanimity. Sermons attributed to Bodhidharma were finally discovered in Chinese text and translated and published in English in the 1980s (The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma, translated by Red Pine, published by North Point Press).
The legend of Bodhidharma's death is also mysterious and is represented in Chinese art. A number of years after his passing, he was seen traveling a mountain path barefoot, carrying a staff with one sandal dangling from the end of it. When his tomb was re-opened by curious monks, the only thing that was found was the other sandal.
It is generally agreed that Bodhidharma was born the son of a king in the southern region of India. Some say his lineage traced back to the Buddha himself. The prince became a Buddhist monk and studied under a Buddhist master, who instructed him to take the practice of Zen to China. It was in the northern provinces of China, that Bodhidharma became famous for meditating in front of a cave wall, some say for seven years and some say for nine. Legend has it that he became so frustrated with dozing off during meditation that he cut off his eyelids, and works of art often portray him with bulging eyes.
Bodhidharma is also often presented as gruff and ill-tempered. Some Chinese texts refer to him as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian." It is said that he had only a handful of disciples, but the truth of his teachings and his legend live on to this day.
Bodhidharma taught the practice of Zen in everyday life and presented it as a path to Buddhahood, whereas it had traditionally been viewed more as a purification process. Bodhidharma instructed students to observe the movements of tigers and cranes, or to watch a hollow reed in the river, repeating to them that everything is Zen.
His teachings include three famous principles. The first is accepting suffering and unhappiness in your life because you understand it is your own karma returning. The second is maintaining harmony and equanimity in all circumstances, whether they are positive or negative. The third principle is realizing the essence of your Buddha nature, which also is defined as equanimity. Sermons attributed to Bodhidharma were finally discovered in Chinese text and translated and published in English in the 1980s (The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma, translated by Red Pine, published by North Point Press).
The legend of Bodhidharma's death is also mysterious and is represented in Chinese art. A number of years after his passing, he was seen traveling a mountain path barefoot, carrying a staff with one sandal dangling from the end of it. When his tomb was re-opened by curious monks, the only thing that was found was the other sandal.
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