Bodhidharma

Biography

Historical sources on Bodhidharma are scarce and often contradictory. The earliest mention is found in the Luoyang Qielan Ji (洛陽伽藍記, 547), which describes him as a "man from Persia in Central Asia" (西域波斯人), with bearded features, who came to propagate the Dharma. The Xudeng Gaoseng Zhuan (續高僧傳, 645) by Daoxuan describes him as a Brahmin from South India, the third son of a great king.

According to the most widespread tradition, Bodhidharma was the third son of a king from the region of Kāñcī (in present-day Tamil Nadu, South India). He renounced royal life to become a monk and studied under Prajñātāra (般若多羅), who transmitted to him the seal of the Dharma. On his master's instructions, he traveled to China — a journey that, according to sources, took three years.

His arrival in China is variably dated: some sources place it under the Liu Song dynasty (420–479), others under the Liang dynasty (502–557). The most famous legend recounts his meeting with Emperor Wu of Liang:

After this fruitless meeting, Bodhidharma crossed the Yangtze — according to legend, on a single reed — and went to the Northern Wei kingdom, where he settled at Shaolin Monastery. It is there that he is said to have spent nine years meditating facing a wall, earning the nickname "wall-gazing Brahmin" (壁觀婆羅門).

The transmission of the Dharma to his successor, Huike (慧可, 487–593), is one of the most famous stories in Zen: Huike, who had sought Bodhidharma's teaching for years, cut off his own arm to show his determination, then asked: "My mind has not yet found peace. I beg you, master, pacify my mind." Bodhidharma replied: "Bring me this mind, and I will pacify it." Huike said: "I search for my mind, but I cannot grasp it." Bodhidharma concluded: "There, I have pacified your mind."

Teaching

Bodhidharma's teaching, as transmitted to us by the Nidō Shishoshin and ancient chronicles, rests on several pillars:

Wall-gazing (壁觀, biguan)

The central practice that Bodhidharma transmitted at Shaolin is "wall-gazing" — not a visual exercise, but a metaphor for the firm and immovable mind, which does not attach to external objects or internal thoughts. It is the first expression of what would become zazen.

Transmission of the lamp

To Bodhidharma is attributed the famous quatrain that summarizes the spirit of Chan:

The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra

Bodhidharma transmitted the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra (楞伽經) as the foundational text of his lineage, affirming that it contained the essential teaching of buddha-nature and consciousness-only. This sūtra remained the reference text of Chan until the Tang dynasty.

Legends and Legacy

Bodhidharma is surrounded by many legends that have contributed to his iconic stature:

• The journey on a reed: after his meeting with Emperor Wu, he crossed the Yangtze standing on a single reed
• Nine years of meditation: he spent nine years facing a wall at Shaolin, and his legs are said to have atrophied — hence the shape of daruma dolls
• Tea: he is said to have torn off his eyelids to avoid falling asleep in meditation; tea bushes are said to have grown where his eyelids fell
• Shaolin kung-fu: the Yijin Jing (易筋經, XVII^th century) attributes to him the transmission of martial exercises to the Shaolin monks

In Japan, Bodhidharma is known as Daruma (達磨) and has become a figure in popular culture through daruma dolls (達磨), armless and legless good-luck charms that recall his unwavering meditation. In the Sōtō tradition, he is the first patriarch of the lineage, and his transmission to Huike opens Keizan Jōkin's Denkōroku.

Heritage in the Sōtō Tradition

Bodhidharma is the founding patriarch of Chan and, consequently, of the Sōtō school. In the Sōtō lineage, he is the 28^th patriarch since Śākyamuni and the 1^st Chinese patriarch. His place is central in Keizan Jōkin's Denkōroku, where the second case (after that of Śākyamuni) is devoted to Bodhidharma's transmission to Huike.

The Nidō Shishoshin remains a fundamental text for practice. Bodhidharma's "wall-gazing" is understood in the Sōtō tradition as the prefiguration of zazen — not a particular technique, but the fundamental attitude of the mind that, without grasping, stands firm in silent presence.

In Japanese popular culture, Bodhidharma (Daruma) is universally recognizable: daruma dolls, traditionally sold without eyes, are used as good-luck charms — one paints an eye when making a wish and the other eye when it is fulfilled. This figure, which has become a symbol of perseverance and luck, perpetuates in daily life the memory of the founder of Zen.

Sources

• Daoxuan, Xudeng Gaoseng Zhuan (續高僧傳, 645)
• Luoyang Qielan Ji (洛陽伽藍記, 547)
• Keizan Jōkin, Denkōroku (伝光録, 1309) — Case 2: Bodhidharma
• Andy Ferguson, Zen's Chinese Heritage, Wisdom Publications, 2011
• Heinrich Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism: A History — India and China, World Wisdom, 2005
• John R. McRae, Seeing Through Zen: Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism, University of California Press, 2003
• Terebess Online — Bodhidharma Page
• Wikipedia — Bodhidharma