Kongxiang Zen Temple
Located in Henan Province, China, this
is the almost unknown Zen temple
where the ta (pagoda) of
Bodhidharma stands. In the
background is Bear Ear Mountain
(Xionger Shan).
Located in Henan Province, China, this
is the almost unknown Zen temple
where the ta (pagoda) of
Bodhidharma stands. In the
background is Bear Ear Mountain
(Xionger Shan).
Bodhidharma: The Greatest Zen Master
book by Osho, speaking on the writings and
stories of this very unusual man.
book by Osho, speaking on the writings and
stories of this very unusual man.
mperor Wu of Liang asked Bodhidharma, “What is the first principle of the holy teachings?” Bodhidharma said, “Emptiness, no holiness.” “Who is this standing before me?” The emperor did not grasp his meaning.
The emperor later spoke of this to Master Zhi who said, “Do you in fact know who this person is?” The emperor said, “I don't know.” Master Zhi said, “This is the Mahasattva Avalokitesvara, the bearer of the Buddha’s Heart Seal.” The emperor was full of regret and wanted to send for Bodhidharma, but Master Zhi said, “It is no good sending a messenger to fetch him back. Even if all the people went, he would not turn back.” |
| Bodhidharma--a painting from China, breaking the mold of the bulging-eyes, scowling image usually found in Japanese renditions. |
| Emperor Wu--a Chinese painting of the emperor of the dynasty called Liang, when Bodhidharma encountered him in the famous story cited above, in what's now the modern city of Nanjing, then the capital of the Liang Dynasty of Emperor Liang Wudi. |
Bodhidharma's cave
This is a photo of the cave entrance at
Shaolin Temple in Henan Province
where the first Chinese Zen Partriarch,
Puti Damo sat for 9 years facing the
wall. In 2005 when I visited Shaolin,
this site was inaccesable, but the
portion of the cave wall that
Bodhidharma sat in silent meditation
before, was actually cut out and placed
in the Huike hut, the one-armed man
disciple, a short distance away, with
the supposed shadow of Bodhidharma
burned into the wall face.
Shaolin Temple is about 100 miles
east of Kongxiang Temple, the place
where Bodhidharma supposedly died
and was buried while enroute to the
Himalayas and India. You might be
suprised to know that he was just 30
miles short of the Hangu Pass, the
same place that Laozi (Lao Tzu)
reached and was forced to write the
Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching)
This is a photo of the cave entrance at
Shaolin Temple in Henan Province
where the first Chinese Zen Partriarch,
Puti Damo sat for 9 years facing the
wall. In 2005 when I visited Shaolin,
this site was inaccesable, but the
portion of the cave wall that
Bodhidharma sat in silent meditation
before, was actually cut out and placed
in the Huike hut, the one-armed man
disciple, a short distance away, with
the supposed shadow of Bodhidharma
burned into the wall face.
Shaolin Temple is about 100 miles
east of Kongxiang Temple, the place
where Bodhidharma supposedly died
and was buried while enroute to the
Himalayas and India. You might be
suprised to know that he was just 30
miles short of the Hangu Pass, the
same place that Laozi (Lao Tzu)
reached and was forced to write the
Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching)
Kongxiang Si
Maps of Kongxiang
Zen Temple
location.
Zen Temple
location.
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