Bodhidharma is one of the most influential Indian Buddhist monk which have a great impact on China.The teachings of Bodhidharma changed china forever. The time period of Bodhidharma was traced from 450 A.D to 600 A.D.
The earliest historical reference of Bodhidharma is the "Luoyang jia lan ji " written by Yang Xuanzhi in 547 A.D.
Bodhidharma is believed to have born in kanchipuram , Madras (disputed !),in the kingdom of Pallava king .
The meaning of Bodhidharma in India is ---Bodhi (enlightening ) + Dharma (Religion ).
Bodhidharma left his monastery in India to follow his master's last wish that he go to China and spread the teaching. Bodhidharma started his journey from South India to Indonesia...Malaysia and than China .
Some say he traveled by sea, “risking his life over the towering waves,” from Madras in southern India to Guangzhou and then by land to Nanjing. Other scholars believe that he walked a well-beaten trail over the Pamir Plateau, across the desert and along the Yellow River to Luoyang, the provincial capital and center of Chinese Buddhist culture. In any case, the journey from India is agreed to have been long and dangerous.But he surpassed every difficulty and danger because of strength of his enlightened soul .
He reached china in 478 A.D ( disputed !)
He is said to be resided in the court of Emperor Wu Dai ( 445-550 A.D) Liang
dynasty.
dynasty.
Their meeting is as simple as the Truth -----
" The emperor came to see him. He touched Bodhidharma’s feet and the first thing he uttered was this: “I have made so many temples, so many Buddhist ashrams. And millions of bhikkhus, Buddhist sannyasins, are fed by me, supported by me. I have changed the whole country into a Buddhist world. All these virtues – what do you think, sir, I am going to gain through them? What will be the benefit? What will be the award?”
Bodhidharma looked at this Emperor and said, “You will fall into the seventh hell.”
The emperor could not believe it, because all other monks, saints – so-called – were saying, “You are earning such virtue, punya, that you are going to be received into the ultimate nirvana,” and this man says “seventh hell”!
Emperor Wu said, “Have you gone mad? What are you saying? Are you aware?”
Bodhidharma said, “I am aware of what I am saying and you can rely on me: you will go to the seventh hell.”
“But why?” the emperor cried. “I have not done anything wrong.”
Bodhidharma said, “It is not a question of doing wrong or right. The question is the very ego, that you have done something. Thank God, thank the Buddha, blessed be his name – it is through his grace something has happened. You don’t be the doer, you please don’t come in, because the ego has to go to hell, and if you are egoistic you will have to follow it. You are not going to hell but the ego has to go to hell, and if you are identified with it you will have to go. Nothing can be done about it, no virtue can save you..."
Bodhidharma looked at this Emperor and said, “You will fall into the seventh hell.”
The emperor could not believe it, because all other monks, saints – so-called – were saying, “You are earning such virtue, punya, that you are going to be received into the ultimate nirvana,” and this man says “seventh hell”!
Emperor Wu said, “Have you gone mad? What are you saying? Are you aware?”
Bodhidharma said, “I am aware of what I am saying and you can rely on me: you will go to the seventh hell.”
“But why?” the emperor cried. “I have not done anything wrong.”
Bodhidharma said, “It is not a question of doing wrong or right. The question is the very ego, that you have done something. Thank God, thank the Buddha, blessed be his name – it is through his grace something has happened. You don’t be the doer, you please don’t come in, because the ego has to go to hell, and if you are egoistic you will have to follow it. You are not going to hell but the ego has to go to hell, and if you are identified with it you will have to go. Nothing can be done about it, no virtue can save you..."
After some time ,he traveled to Mount Song and established First Shaolin Temple in Henan Province . Legend says that Bodhidharma meditated there for 9 years. During this time he was accepted by many Chinese monks , which was convinced by his teachings .
It was said that Bodhidharma started teaching people in meditation, but people were very weak in physically and mentally...they lack the necessary stamina and discipline which is needed for mediation .Therefore is instituted some breathing exercises , physical exercises.This was the origin of Martial Arts. Disciplines and martial art exercise were transmitted orally for centuries until Yi Jin Jing , Xi Sui Jing and Shi Ba Luo Han Shou were composed .
Later on Chinese martial arts take many form and became very advanced .Today World remembers the Great Master ,Great Spiritual Soul...Bodhidharma ...Who changed Everything ....the world never be same after Bodhidharma .
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