In ancient India, there was a noble boy from a royal family, and his name was Bodhidharma. As the third son of the king of South India, Bodhidharma has lived in fine clothes and food since he was a child, enjoying all this earthly glory. Deep down, however, he was not satisfied with this life. He longs to find the true meaning of life and to discover the destination of the soul. This desire eventually led him to Buddhism, and the trajectory of his life changed dramatically.
After deciding to become a monk, Bodhidharma became the ** of Master Prajnatara. Under the guidance of **, he practiced diligently and soon understood the essence of Buddhism. With the deepening of his understanding of Buddhism, Bodhidharma had a great desire to go to Aurora (i.e., China) to promote Buddhism and benefit all sentient beings. However, when he reveals an idea to **, ** tells him that he must wait sixty-seven years after his death before the best time to travel to China. It is also predicted that there will be a catastrophe in China at that time, and the arrival of Bodhidharma will be a turning point.
* After his death, Bodhidharma followed his teachings and took a boat to Guangzhou at the right time. When he arrived, China was in turmoil between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and Emperor Wu of Liang was a religious ruler. It stands to reason that the encounter between Bodhidharma and Emperor Wu of Liang should be a beautiful combination of Buddhism and power, but this is not the case.
Bodhidharma's meeting with Emperor Wu of Liang did not go well. When Emperor Wu of Liang asked about the religious merits he had made, Bodhidharma confessed to him that there was no real merit for them. Bodhidharma's answer touched Emperor Wu of Liang's self-esteem, but also made him confused and dissatisfied. Because he did not get the understanding and support of Emperor Wu of Liang, Bodhidharma realized that the south was not the place where he preached the Dharma, so he went north and finally came to the Shaolin Temple in Songshan.
At the Shaolin Temple, Bodhidharma chose an extreme way of cultivation - facing the wall for nine years. This way of cultivating beyond ordinary people has made Bodhidharma a legendary figure. His persistence attracted many followers, the most famous of whom was the Divine Light Mage. Master Shenguang, later Hui Ke, through his own persistence and sacrifice, finally obtained the true transmission of Bodhidharma.
List of high-quality authors However, Bodhidharma's life was not all smooth sailing. He made great contributions to the promotion of Buddhism in the Shaolin Temple, but eventually died of being poisoned. Regarding the cause of his death, "Old Tang Shu Fang Ling" recorded that he "died of poison". Although Bodhidharma's life ended, his spirit and teachings live on. His death is also legendary, with some saying that he "only returned to the West", leaving behind an unsolved mystery full of mysteries.