Bodhidharma

Nothing is known about Bodhidharma’s year of birth. But scholars believe that he was born sometime in fifth century CE; the two most commonly cited dates being 440 CE and 470 CE. His birthday is celebrated on the fifth day of the tenth lunar month.

As to his place of origin, there are two schools of thought. Scholars like Yáng Xuànzh believe that he came from ‘Western Region’, a historical name referring to the areas west of Yumen Pass, more specifically Central Asia. However, some authors used the term also to mean Indian Subcontinent.

Some modern day scholars hold that he was born in Kanchipuram, located in the present day Tamil Nadu, India. According to these scholars, he was the third son of a Brahmin king of Pallava dynasty. However, his royal lineage could also mean that he came from the warrior caste, Kshatriya.

According to local tradition, Bodhidharma, then known as Jayavarman, showed great wisdom early in his life, becoming interested in the teachings of Lord Buddha from the age of seven. He was his father’s favorite son, a fact that made his elder brothers jealous.

Fearing that their father would bequeath the kingdom to Jayavarman, his elder brothers not only belittled him before the king, but also tried to kill him. Although Jayavarman survived these assassination attempts he soon became wary of court politics.

After his master’s death, Bodhidharma set out for China. There is some confusion about the exact route he took. According to one tradition, he traveled by sea to China, and reached the present day Guangzhou, then known as Panyu. From there, he went on foot to Nanjing.

Some scholars believe that he took a land rout. After crossing the Pamir Plateau on foot he must have followed the course of Huang He, ultimately reaching Luoyang, then an active center for Buddhism, taking three years to complete the journey. However, there is also confusion about his arrival date.

According to Daoxuan, author of ‘Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks’, Bodhidharma reached China sometime before 479 CE during the reign of Liú Sòng Dynasty. But in ‘Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall’, compiled in 952 CE, we find that he reached China in 527 CE during the reign of Liáng Dynasty.

In China, Bodhidharma became known as Ta Mo and started preaching the core of the Buddhist religion, putting more emphasis on meditation and enlightenment than on reading of scriptures. This angered many established masters, who emphasized more on reading. They therefore rejected his teachings. Left alone, he began to wander.

According to ‘Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall’, he was granted an audience with Emperor Wudi of the Nan (Southern) Liang in 527 CE, the very year he set foot in China. Here too, he spoke the truth, failing to please the Emperor.

Bodhidharma is best remembered for transmitting Chan Buddhism to China. Until his time, Buddhism in China was based mainly on studying of scriptures. It was Bodhidharma, who brought the concept of nirvana through meditation to China.

Bodhidharma is also explicitly associated with the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, a prominent Mahayana Buddhist sutra first translated into Chinese by Dharmarakṣa. Bodhidharma based a great part of his teaching on this text, making it an important element of Chan and Zen Buddhism.