Bodhidharma is widely considered as the father of Zen / Chan Buddhism. The word ‘Zen’ is Japan origin. For many years and still in many parts of the world it is popular as Chan Buddhism.
* Bodhidharma was born 4th or 5th century as a son of a king of the empire of Pallavas in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, South of India. Later he gave up the kingdom and moved in search of self being. His real name is said to be Bodhitāra but was changed to Bodhidharma by his Dhyana teacher Prajñātāra. (According to the book ‘Jingde Records of the Transmission of the Lamp’ written by Dàoyuán and published in 1004 CE). In Tibetan he is called as Bodhidharmottāra, meaning ‘The highest dharma of enlightenment. In few books it’s mentioned that Bodhidharma is a Tamil-Brahmin by birth but his followers believes he is a Kshatriya vamsam/caste. Most believable records states that he was born in Pallava kingdom.
* Various scriptures point that he was inspired and taught by an enlightened woman, named Pragyatara. It’s said that she insisted him to go to China. Bodhidharma took Zen to China. He introduced a form of meditation that involved ‘gazing at cave walls’. He started Zen in China. Zen is one of the strangest religions and way far from logic, (And yes a religion doesn’t need logic, Zen is beyond normal). Bodhidharma is said to be the first enlightened man to reach China. Bodhidharma chose a woman for a convinced reason ((Gautam Buddha never tried to include women into his community) Bodhidharma showed that not only man but a woman can be also enlightened. Bodhidharma’s practice created a lot of amusement and ribaldry. He was more willing to dress in woman cloths.
* Many Chinese books states that Bodhidharma was disturbed by seeing the poor state of health of Chinese monks, and hence he started to teach monks various forms of martial arts in order keep body and mind under our own control, the exercises he insisted to practice included ‘the Eighteen Arhat Hands and the Sinew Metamorphosis Classic’.
* Bodhidharma sat for nine years facing a wall in Shaolin Temple, gazing at it. When people asked ‘Why you are not looking at us and why you are always looking at wall?’ his used to say ‘... you all are like wall’.
* It is said that some follower poisoned Bodhidharma as a revenge because he was not been selected as the descendant. And the followers buried him but after few years a government official reported that he saw Bodhidharma walking towards Himalayas.
Bodhidharma is said to be an unafraid man of what he is saying, what he is doing. He knows no fear. Osho says about Bodhidharma that ‘He speaks to himself, that’s why I never thought how other people will think’. According to Osho, after poisoning Bodhidharma was made into a different kind of substance.
Bodhidharma: ‘Pain has to be thankfully accepted, because it is the very seed of Buddha. If there was no suffering, you would by no means hunt for the reality. It is the pain that goes on pushing you to go further than everything.’
* Bodhidharma is said to be very bold towards everybody and is said to be the very reason why he is painted like a bold- vicious man. There are a lot of rumors and controversies in the way all the painting presented Bodhidharma. And there are various forms of him in painting, such as in early paintings showed him as a violent monk, and later as a very soft, tired monk. The second version is currently worshipped around Japan.
Bodhidharma: ‘It is only when we stop seeking outside that we can find the treasures of our mind and life. When we get attached to phenomena then our mind is buffeted by bad and good fortune’.
* In the new age Japan Bodhidharma (Daruma in Japan) is a living symbol, not a lifeless one.
7am Arivu / 7th Sense (Tamil Language movie, 2011) directed by A R Murugadoss, Starring: Suriya
- One of the character of Suriya is said to be of Bodhidharma.
New Delhi Time
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