bodhidharma shaolin temple
History & Origins
Key Takeaway: Bodhidharma (菩提达摩, c.
Bodhidharma (菩提达摩, c. 5th–6th century CE) was a Buddhist monk traditionally credited as the founder of Chan (Zen) Buddhism in China. According to tradition, he was a South Indian prince who traveled to China and taught a direct, mind-to-mind transmission of Buddhism outside the scriptures. He is associated with the Shaolin Temple, wall-gazing meditation (biguān, 壁观), and the key Zen insight that awakening is seeing one's own nature.
In the tradition of Zen Buddhism, as transmitted through the teachings of masters from Bodhidharma to Dogen, Bodhidharma (菩提达摩, c.
— Oriens
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Frequently Asked Questions
bodhidharma shaolin temple
Bodhidharma (菩提达摩, c..
菩提达摩 history
5th–6th century CE) was a Buddhist monk traditionally credited as the founder of Chan (Zen) Buddhism in China..
Bodhidharma legacy
According to tradition, he was a South Indian prince who traveled to China and taught a direct, mind-to-mind transmission of Buddhism outside the scriptures..