Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma, also called Dámó in China and Daruma in Japan, was a Buddhist monk and martial arts master that lived during the 5th and/or 6th centuries CE and is widely considered to have been the founder of Zen Buddhism. The 28th in a direct line of Mahayana Buddhist masters, the lineage of which is said to originate with the Buddha himself, Bodhidharma traveled across the Himalaya mountains to teach the practice of meditation throughout China and is said to have strongly influenced the development of Shaolin martial arts. Like the Buddha before him, Bodhidharma’s life has been heavily mythologized in the intervening centuries since his death to the point where he has largely become a semi-legendary figure, credited with having performed numerous extraordinary (often supernatural) feats.

Bodhidharma’s philosophy, later called Zen Buddhism, was substantially different from any other denomination of Buddhism of his time. At its core Buddhism teaches that all life is trapped in an endless cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth (called Samsara) and that the only way to escape the cycle of suffering is to attain enlightenment, though each denomination disagrees on how enlightenment can best be reached. Bodhidharma taught that all which was required to attain enlightenment was the acceptance of Sunyata (the notion that all things, even existence itself, is ultimately devoid of meaning) through meditation and self-discipline. While Mahayana and Theravada (the primary denominations of Buddhism) are heavy with dogma, ritual, and tradition, Bodhidharma taught that those things were only distractions from the true goal of all Buddhists; to attain enlightenment by accepting the empty nature of existence and letting go of it. Bodhidharma, moreover, believed that other denominations of Buddhism needlessly discriminated between monastics and lay persons and instead taught that all people are both worthy and capable of achieving enlightenment: a sentiment echoed by the Buddha himself shortly before his death. Bodhidharma’s teachings emphasized the importance of meditation for its own sake, reasoning that consciously seeking enlightenment would ensure one never achieves it. Contrary to other denominations of Buddhism, which stated that becoming enlightened was a slow and gradual process that may require many lifetimes, Bodhidharma’s philosophy of Zen Buddhism asserted that enlightenment was a sudden event which could neither be predicted nor anticipated and did not require complex rituals to achieve. In essence, Bodhidharma advocated for completely discarding the worldly trappings of Buddhism, particularly its elaborate rituals and dogmatic doctrines, and instead focusing on deconstructing one’s ego and accepting the concept of sunyata through meditation. Though it is unknown how many students Bodhidharma taught during his travels through China, the simplicity and accessibility of Zen Buddhism almost certainly contributed to its rapid growth. Spreading to Korea in the 7th century and Japan in the 12th century, Zen Buddhism became extremely popular with non-elites and remained one of the dominant religions in both regions for centuries.

Much of Bodhidharma’s life has been lost to history or was never recorded, though enough has been preserved that it is possible to construct a partial timeline of his life, travels, and death. Born in the mid to late 5th century CE, likely in the city of Kanchipuram, Bodhidharma is said to have been the third son of a powerful brahman king. Himself a patron of the Mahayana denomination of Buddhism, Bodhidharma’s father arranged for him to be apprenticed to the sage Prajnotara; the 27th master-student descendant of the Buddha. Though it is not known how long Bodhidharma studied under Prajnotara, the elderly sage is known to have instructed his apprentice in both Buddhism and martial arts before ultimately passing his title to Bodhidharma, thus naming him the 28th Mahayana Patriarch. Though sources differ as to why he set out on his journey across the Himalaya mountains, Bodhidharma arrived in China in the early 6th century and immediately began teaching his philosophy of Zen Buddhism. According to an account written by Tanlin (likely a student of Bodhidharma’s apprentice Dazu Huike), the sage traveled extensively “propagating the teaching [of Zen Buddhism and meditation] in Han and Wei”. At some point during his travels, Bodhidharma is known to have visited the Shaolin Monastery near Wuru Peak in China’s Henan Province. Though later accounts falsely credit him with having been the creator Kung Fu, Bodhidharma is known to have taught the Shaolin Monks an exercise called the “18 Hands of Lohan” which form the basis of what would ultimately evolve into Shaolin Kung Fu. Like his birth the exact date and cause of Bodhidharma’s death are unknown, though it is generally agreed that it must have taken place prior to the fall of the Western Wei dynasty in 554 CE.

The many legendary feats attributed to Bodhidharma (be they true or not) are all useful vehicles for his teachings. According to one tale, the powerful Emperor Wu of Liang, a fervent Buddhist, summoned Bodhidharma to his palace one day to ask for his advice. “I have built many monasteries, copied many sutras, and spread the teachings of the Buddha across my lands” the emperor said. “Tell me how much good karma I have earned”. “None” said Bodhidharma “for by seeking a reward you have poisoned your good deeds with selfishness”. The emperor thought for a moment before asking his second question. “If that is the case, then what is the meaning of the noble truths?”. Bodhidharma immediately replied “There is no truth, only emptiness”. Frustrated, Emperor Wu asked his last question. “If there is only emptiness and truth is an illusion, who are you?”. Bodhidharma said only three words: “I do not know”. Though no official record of such an audience exists, this story effectively teaches the concept of sunyata and the importance of surrendering the notion of self. Another tale describes Bodhidharma’s arrival at the Shaolin Monastery and describes the importance of focus and unflinching dedication to overcome Samsara. Rather than enter when the monks opened the gates for the sage, Bodhidharma walked down a path into a nearby cave, wordlessly sat down, and began staring at the cave wall. The monks marveled at the sage’s concentration, so intense that he is said to have cut his own eyelids off to prevent himself from falling asleep. Nine years passed before Bodhidharma broke his stare. According to some versions his arms and legs atrophied and fell off while others say he did not leave the cave but merely vanished into thin air never to be seen again. Finally, the two accounts of his death offer starkly different ends to the sage’s life. According to one, Bodhidharma’s students grew jealous of their master and plotted to poison him and take his position. Together they schemed and resolved to poison the master’s food but twice Bodhidharma ate the poison and twice did he survive unscathed. Unbeknownst to them, however, the wise old sage had been aware of their scheme. The third time Bodhidharma ate the poisoned food he smiled and said “Authority does not bring enlightenment. It comes from within”. Knowing his time had come, Bodhidharma surrendered to the poison and died. According to the second account, Bodhidharma’s death was mundane and undignified. One day while traveling Bodhidharma passed a troupe of soldiers who mistook him for someone else. Siezing the old sage the Soldiers led him down to a nearby riverbank alongside hundreds of others, each bound and gagged. At the call of their commander the soldiers drew their blades and executed everyone gathered at the riverbank, Bodhidharma included. Undoubtedly a reference to the Heyin Mass Executions in 528 CE, the identities of those who died in the massacre are largely unknown, but it is said that at least one Buddhist monk was among the victims.

Bodhidharma is also the inspiration for the Daruma doll, a popular Japanese good luck charm that bears his Japanese moniker. Hollow, round, often painted red with the face of a gruff bearded man, Daruma dolls are saturated with symbolism evocative of popular tales regarding Bodhidharma. Its shape, for one, at once recalls the story of Bodhidharma’s nine years of wall gazing and how his limbs atrophied and fell off while also symbolizing the virtue of perseverance. The red colouration is likely inspired by the bright red robes traditionally worn by high-ranking priests, which Bodhidharma is believed to have been as the founder of Zen Buddhism. Red is also thought to help ward off sickness, hardship, and misfortune. The Daruma doll’s thick facial hair is thought to represent Bodhidharma’s alleged supernatural longevity, some sources stating the monk was between 150 and 180 years old at the time of his death. Most importantly, however, a Daruma doll is sold with large eyes that lack pupils. This, again, relates to the story of Bodhidharma’s nine years of wall gazing wherein he is believed to have cut his own eyelids off. They also serve a more practical function, however, as a Daruma doll is a common gift to motivate people who are struggling with life. When the owner sets a goal, they paint in one eye, only painting in the other when they accomplish it such that they always remember their goal when they see the unfinished doll. In this way the eyes of a Daruma doll are also representative of Bodhidharma’s wisdom insofar as he was only able to truly see the world for what it is after completing his goal of achieving enlightenment. Though originally a talisman used to bring good fortune and ward off smallpox, the Daruma doll has grown so popular in recent decades that it is one of the most common souvenirs among tourists to Japan.