Wu, Emperor
464-549 85 years
464-549 85 years
aka: Xiao Yan (original name), Liang Wudi
Chinese:
梁武帝 Liang Wudi
Chinese emperor of the Liang Dynasty (c. 500 CE)
ardent supporter of Buddhism in China, put major
resources into temples, and translating Pali
Buddhist texts from India into Chinese.
famous in Zen circles for being the Chinese
emperor that Bodhidharma met upon arriving in
China from India. This meeting took place in the
capital of the Liang Dynasty (now present day
Nanjing). After a few short remarks, which
Emperor Wu did not understand, Bodhidharma
left, and went to Shaolin Temple in Henan, which
was part of the northern Wei Dynasty.
said to have died of starvation, according to
legend, because of his bad karma of starving a
monkey in a past life, who had now turned into
one of his military foes in his present life.
Chinese:
梁武帝 Liang Wudi
Chinese emperor of the Liang Dynasty (c. 500 CE)
ardent supporter of Buddhism in China, put major
resources into temples, and translating Pali
Buddhist texts from India into Chinese.
famous in Zen circles for being the Chinese
emperor that Bodhidharma met upon arriving in
China from India. This meeting took place in the
capital of the Liang Dynasty (now present day
Nanjing). After a few short remarks, which
Emperor Wu did not understand, Bodhidharma
left, and went to Shaolin Temple in Henan, which
was part of the northern Wei Dynasty.
said to have died of starvation, according to
legend, because of his bad karma of starving a
monkey in a past life, who had now turned into
one of his military foes in his present life.
| oshobob The Living Workshop |
| People in Osho's Talks |
| Bodhidharma went to China from India. Many other Buddhist bhikkhus had already gone to China – thousands and thousands of bhikkhus. Emperor Wu had spent millions to get the Buddhist scriptures translated, he had built hundreds of monasteries. Then the news came that Bodhidharma, the man of ultimate wisdom was coming, so Emperor Wu went to the border of his empire to welcome him. Just after the welcome, Emperor Wu asked Bodhidharma his first question: “I have built so many monasteries, so many guest houses, spending millions and millions; I have had Buddhist scriptures translated and I give food to thousands of bhikkhus daily. What will my reward for all this virtue be?” Bodhidharma replied, “You will go to hell, directly to hell.” Wu asked him, “What are you saying? Hell? Are you joking...?” --Osho The Way Beyond Any Way, ch. 10 |