In the early period of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the third prince of South India accidentally fell while sleeping on a tree, and the fog in front of him was heavy.

The third prince asked, "Where is this?" ”

The old man replied, "This is a strange place for you, and even if you tell you, you don't know it." ”

The third prince was very disdainful: "This is my land, and I will inherit the throne here in the future." ”

The old man said, "You can't grasp your situation at present, can you be sure of the future?" I think you'd better go with the flow. ”

The three kings only felt that he was playing tricks, and asked casually, "I wonder when the fog will dissipate?" ”

The old man replied, "What you have seen is all illusory, and it seems to me that there is nothing." ”

The old man was specially waiting for the third prince here, and he knew the past and future of the third prince: "Today you will encounter danger, nine deaths, and then sit for nine years like me." The third prince was very surprised.

The old man said, "I am you." As soon as the words fell, the clouds cleared and the fog dispersed, and a guard came to report that the king had a strange illness and was in danger. The third prince immediately rode back to the palace, who knew that he met a killer on the road, but fortunately he was strong in martial arts and escaped by luck.

Thinking of the old man's words, the third prince was shocked, the king was possessed by an unjust spirit, suddenly fell ill, and his life was short. He issued an edict to pass on the throne to the third prince. The eldest prince intended to seize the throne, and the killer was sent by him to fight, but who knew that the third prince came back alive.

At this time, the king was trapped by the unjust soul and fell into madness, but fortunately, the successor of the Kaye branch, Master Prajnatara rushed to the rescue, and the whole family of the unjust soul was killed by the king, and the dynasty was also taken by the king.

The second prince presented a jewel, and the master intended to teach the three princes, so he asked, "What is more precious in this world than this jewel?" ”

The eldest prince said, "The jewel can illuminate all things in the world, and there is no other treasure like it." ”

The third prince replied; "The light of the orb can only shine on others, but it cannot be created by itself. I think the most precious thing in the world is the wisdom light, which is the light of wisdom, which can not only illuminate people's hearts, but also distinguish between right and wrong. ”

The master and the third prince quickly asked and answered: "Among all things, what is there that has no appearance?" "There is no phase in all things." "What is the highest of all things?" "The character is the highest." "What's the biggest?" "The most lawful?" The master nodded with satisfaction, this son has a lot of Buddha fate and wisdom roots, so he deliberately nodded.

Seeing him meditating outside the window, the master asked, "Do you have a lot of things on your mind?" It is important to know that the past is a fact, and there is nothing to think about in the future. The wisdom of the three princes flickered brightly and dimly, and if they could put aside their distracting thoughts and concentrate on their cultivation, they would be able to promote Buddhism and benefit all sentient beings in the future. ”

But now it is difficult for him to let go of his status. The master left a sentence: "Who is me before I was born?" Who was I when I was born? This sentence implies the root of the emptiness of Buddhism.

The third prince thought hard to no avail, and decided to give up everything and become a monk. He came to the temple where Master Prajnatara was and wanted to worship him as a teacher. When the master asked him why he wanted to become a monk, the third prince remained silent, because no answer could show his desire to seek Buddhahood.

The master said, "Since you have the determination to seek Buddhahood, then go and build a stable self-study temple to show your heart." "The third prince began to build the self-study temple, he used to be a pampered prince, but now he has to chop wood and mud, eat and sleep in the open, but he is determined, and seeing that the self-study temple is about to be built, two people suddenly appeared, and his house was in ruins.

At that moment, the pain of loss hit his heart, and the third prince could only rebuild, but this time he was blown down by a storm. The third prince did not give up, and once again rebuilt the self-cultivation temple, and after it was built, he destroyed it with his own hands, because he realized that once people have the obsession to ask, they are doomed to lose, and the practice of Buddhism is not elsewhere, but in the heart.

The master was very satisfied, he really shaved the third prince to become a monk, the first sword cut off all troubles, the second sword four cultivated all good laws, and the third sword was willing to save all sentient beings. The master gave him the Dharma name Dharma and reminded him that 67 years after my death, you can go to Aurora to teach the Dharma.

More than 60 years later, Bodhidharma Buddhism has become a great master in this life, and he decided to go to China to select a disciple to make Zen Buddhism flourish in China.

In 520 A.D., Bodhidharma Patriarch crossed to the east, when China was in the era of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, wars were frequent, and the people were struggling to make a living, so Buddhism flourished.

In a temple in the Northern Wei Dynasty, there was a monk named Shenguang, although he had entered the Buddhist gate, he couldn't let go of his obsession. Before he became a monk, he was a military general, and he was very murderous, and often dreamed of fighting people in the middle of the night, and he would go to the well to wash his hands whenever he woke up from a nightmare.

In the country of the Southern Dynasties, Bodhidharma came barefoot, and Donglin Temple was received by edict. The monks wondered, how could Master Bodhidharma preach the Dharma when he came from afar, had few followers, and did not bring scriptures?

In the lecture hall, Bodhidharma did not leave a word, and began to meditate lonely, and then got up to leave.

The monks were even more puzzled. A monk casually asked, "When clean lotus flowers grow in the mud, why do people only pick the lotus flowers for cleanness, but not mention the mud for purity?" ”

Bodhidharma smiled and said: "Unchanged, with the fate, with the fate of the same, sludge can give birth to lotus, but also good soil, everything is not good or bad, but it varies from person to person." ”

A small monk nodded in approval, and the other monk raised his fist to hit the little monk. Bodhidharma asked, "Do you now make a fist or a fist?" Another monk said, "This is tantamount to asking, first the chicken or the egg?" ”

Everyone argued, and Bodhidharma began: "No, no, no, both." ”

Another monk said excitedly: "The master's words, everything is fate. Don't be persistent, ordinary people follow fate, even if those who have attained the Tao do not change with fate, practice first cultivate the mind, do not seek truth, do not want to remain unchanged. ”

But the fat monk still didn't understand. Bodhidharma said, "Then you go find someone who can make you understand, and that person is not me, but yourself." ”

The fat monk made it difficult for the master: "You are considered an enlightened person." I wonder where you will go when you die? ”

Bodhidharma said, "I don't know, because I'm not dead." ”

The fat monk had boundless hatred in his heart. In order to calm his anger, he led his disciples to the monastery to meditate. But these meditating monks are not at ease. Some people swallow saliva when they think of food, some people speak at the slightest breeze, some people echo, some people teach lessons, and some people are proud. Soon, everyone was out of the air.

Bodhidharma couldn't help but shake his head: "How can you become a Buddha in zazen?" Someone asked, "How can I become a Buddha?" ”

Bodhidharma said: "You know, the Buddha does not have a certain form, and Zen is not sitting and lying, you only know how to meditate, but you don't know why to meditate, so you will never see the Great Way, if you want to see the Great Road, you need to practice fundamentally, the heart is the foundation, the most born from the heart, but also from the heart, all good and evil start from the heart." ”

The next day, Emperor Wu of Liang summoned Bodhidharma, and the two hit it off at first sight. Emperor Wu of Liang asked: "Since Zheng ascended the throne, he has built Buddhist temples, built Buddha statues, copied scriptures, and made countless offerings to monks. ”

Bodhidharma said: "There is no merit and no virtue." This thing is like a shadow of things, which says that there is, but in fact it does not. ”

Emperor Wu of Liang asked, "Then what do you do to be considered meritorious?" ”

Bodhidharma said, "Only those who are pure and perfect are those who have attained enlightenment." This kind of merit is not sought-after. ”

Emperor Wu of Liang asked again: "Is there a Buddha in this world?" ”

Bodhidharma said, "No. ”

Emperor Wu Liang's face changed, and he asked, "As a monk, do you know who you are?" Bodhidharma was indifferent: "I don't know." Emperor Wu of Liang was furious and drove Bodhidharma away.

Bodhidharma felt that Emperor Wu of Liang was still sinking in attachment, he, like those monks, only sought on the surface, and those who were obsessed with becoming Buddhas could not become Buddhas, and did not find those who were destined.

Bodhidharma decided to go north to Shaolin. Again, the Divine Light Monk woke up from a nightmare, he dreamed that someone had come to seek revenge, and he went to the well to wash his hands, but he could not wash away the dark red birthmarks on his hands. He could only ask the master for advice.

The master said, "Didn't I say that? Yesterday and yesterday died, you recite more scriptures, today you are born today, your future cultivation will be above me, and you can become a Buddha with a good thought. ”

Shenguang was puzzled, this is a Confucian saying. The master explained: "Confucianism is the Tao, this is a family, how can there be a difference?" The most important thing is peace of mind, no attachment. ”

Bodhidharma was ready to cross the river and go north, but the boatman would not let him get on the boat. Bodhidharma was not annoyed, meditated on the spot, and suddenly a little girl fell into the water, he turned over and got up, crossed the river with a reed, and saved the child.

After arriving in the Northern Wei Dynasty, someone asked him for Buddhist teachings: "The mind, the Buddha, and all living beings are empty, without sacredness, without extraordinary, without thinking, without receiving, without good or evil, everything is empty, right?" ”

Bodhidharma punched him, and the people were surprised, and Bodhidharma said, "Since you say that everything is empty, then why is the pain?" Seeing what you can't see, hearing what you can't hear, knowing what you don't know is the truth. ”

The monk had an epiphany, knelt down and bowed, and threw his five bodies to the ground.

Bodhidharma went north to Shaolin Temple, but he did not practice in a quiet room, but chose a cave to meditate on the wall. After being discovered by the Shaolin monks, he still sat silently, such as a rock is a dead wood idiot and asked people to bring him food every day, but he never ate it once, and occasionally ate it, but in fact, he fed the ants.

Bodhidharma sat for half a year, did not enter a drop of water, and the miracle of silence was spread. Two little monks came to the Dharma Cave curiously, in order to test whether the Dharma is really not moving, a naughty little monk actually put a needle into the arm of the Dharma, the Damour is still not moving, this incident soon spread to Emperor Wu of Liang, he was very curious about who the tumbler of the Shaolin Temple was, so he asked the master to solve the puzzle.

Master Zigong said: "This strange holy body is Bodhidharma. ”

Emperor Wu of Liang didn't believe it, because Bodhidharma actually said that he had no merit back then, how could this be? Master Zhigong explained: "What Bodhidharma said is right, the emperor originally had merit, but he often asked people to praise him in his mouth, which is deliberately greedy for merit, and good and evil offset it, and there will be no merit." ”

Emperor Wu of Liang asked again: "Then why did he say that there is no Buddha?" ”

Master Zhigong said: "The emperor must know that the Buddha itself is not a physical object, but only exists in the heart. Since the emperor asked where the Buddha is, then the emperor has no Buddha in his heart, so how can he have the power of the Buddha? ”

Emperor Wu of Liang still had doubts: "Then why doesn't he even know who he is?" Master Zhigong sighed: "It seems that Master Bodhidharma has reached the realm of selflessness. ”

Emperor Wu of Liang ordered General Peng to invite Master Bodhidharma back to the palace, Daruma has been in the country for several years, without eating or drinking, unscathed, he has built the Vajra Divine Palace, whether it is a human horse, he is immovable, as stable as Mount Tai, General Peng can only give up.

When Emperor Wu of Liang learned about it, he sighed: "Is it true that I have no relationship with the Buddha? ”

Master Zhigong said: "It is said that there is no fate, but it is fate, and there is no fate, all in one thought." ”

Emperor Wu of Liang had an epiphany and no longer demanded it. Bodhidharma has been facing the wall for nine years, in fact, he has been traveling from all walks of life, looking for a disciple of the mantle. In the end, he chose the Divine Light Monk, and Bodhidharma incarnated as a rabbit and went to the Buddhahood.

The rabbit speaks in a dream of divine light. When he woke up, he told the Master about it, and the Master thought that his time had come, and asked him to follow the heir of his dream to the south, and he would surely be able to attain enlightenment.

Shenguang said goodbye to his master and went south, halfway, he rescued a girl from a group of officers and soldiers, the girl was the rabbit painted by Bodhidharma, this time it was also ignited, and the two of them walked together.

On the way, the girl fell into a puddle of water, and the divine light dried his clothes. When the girl changed clothes, Shenguang Dao's heart moved slightly, and his desires were churning, but he was still able to stick to his heart and did not surrender to lust.

Under the guidance of the girl, the divine light headed towards the Dharma Cave, and finally arrived on a cold and windy winter day. In order to show his determination to seek the Tao, he knelt down in the heavy snow, and by the time the Shaolin monks found out, Shenguang had already turned into a snowman.

Finally, Bodhidharma woke up, the long needle was forced out by him, he opened his eyes, turned around, and did not say a word for nine years. The first thing he said was to the gods: "You have been kneeling in the snow for three days and three nights, what do you want? ”

Shenguang said: "I ask the master to reassure me." ”

Bodhidharma asked, "What is your heart troubled?" ”

Shenguang said: "Although I strive for my own way, there are always times when I am uneasy. ”

Bodhidharma said, "Then bring your heart, and I will be safe for you." ”

Shenguang said: "How can I not find that restless heart? ”

Bodhidharma said, "I have helped you to be well." When you ask me for the Fa, you must first reflect on yourself and ask for peace and security, and what can make you feel at ease is still in your heart. ”

Bodhidharma slowly got up and chanted slowly under the light and shadow of the cliff: "If you know the cause of the past life, the recipient of this life is, and if you know the effect of the next life, the author of this life is." ”

Shenguang looked at the birthmark on his hand and decided the cause and effect of his previous life. He swung his knife and severed his arm, and blood spilled on the spot.

Bodhidharma was very relieved and said, "You already have the determination to break your arm to seek the Dharma, so why is it impossible?" I now give you the Dharma name Huike. ”

At this time, a group of robbers broke into the Shaolin Temple, and the thieves saw that the Shaolin Temple was full of incense, so they had the heart to make money.

The man at the head was arrogant and domineering, and suddenly presided over and led everyone to kneel, they did not bow to the bandit leader, but to meet Master Bodhidharma. At this time, Bodhidharma was already transcendent, floating like a fairy, and defeated the bandits in a single move. The bandit leader shot an arrow, and Bodhidharma snapped his fingers and took it, and the bandit leader shot another fire arrow, and Bodhidharma meditated on the spot, allowing the raging fire to burn his body.

All the monks sat around and chanted the scriptures, for the Dharma transcendence. The bandit was so shocked by the extraordinary scene in front of him that he laid down his weapon and disappeared into the snowstorm.

Suddenly, the sound of the wooden fish sounded, and Bodhidharma appeared in the temple again, and the Mahayana of Buddhism was extinguished, and the Dharma lamp was used to shine forever.

Bodhidharma turned around and said, "Senior brothers, you are weak, and before I leave, I will teach you some methods of exercising your muscles and bones." Martial arts and words are the same, there is a dynamic and static side, the same is true of daily life, if you want to participate in the Zen machine, you need to observe carefully, every move has its Zen meaning. ”

A few years later, when the preaching was completed and Bodhidharma was about to return to Tianzhu, he asked his disciples to tell him what they had learned.

One disciple said: Words are expounding the true meaning of the Dharma, and we should not be attached to words, but we should not be separated from words. ”

Bodhidharma said, "You only get my skin." ”

Another disciple said, "Dripping water, fire, and wind are all empty words, and the nose and tongue are not practical." None of what I have seen exists. ”

Bodhidharma said: "You only get my bones." ”

Hui Ke stepped forward and just bowed, without saying a word.

Bodhidharma said: "You have finally obtained my essence, those who know do not speak, and those who speak do not know." ”

Bodhidharma passed on the mantle to Hui Ke, who was the second ancestor of Zen Buddhism. Bodhidharma instructed: "200 years after my death, a bowl will be passed on to the six ancestors, and there will be no need to pass it on again, because at that time the Zen Dharma has already spread all over the world. But there are many people who know, but few who do, many who reason, but few who understand reason. Therefore, you should not despise people who are obsessed, anyone will abandon evil and follow good in a single thought, remember that there is no original earth, teach the Dharma to save the delusion, and the flowers will bloom and the five leaves will come naturally. ”

Three months after the death of Bodhidharma, someone saw him carrying a shoe and drifting west, the man said this to the monks in the temple, the monk was stunned, about the legend of the Bodhidharma patriarch a shoe westward, the emperor was even more stunned after hearing it, did not seek truth or falsehood, and ordered the coffin to be opened. As a result, there was really only one shoe left in the coffin.

At that time, the Bodhidharma patriarch was 150 years old, and the legend about him "crossed the river with a reed, sought the Dharma with a broken arm, and traveled west with a shoe" was widely spread in China at that time.

Since then, Zen Buddhism has also had a significant and far-reaching impact on the development and evolution of Chinese culture.

I just say that I have a more enlightened point, Bodhidharma asked the six ancestors of Zen Buddhism before his death, so there is no need to pass it on. Because at that time, there were many people who knew but few who did, and there were many people who reasoned but few people who understood reason. When saying this, Bodhidharma is not sad or happy, not complaining or being stupid, a flower blooms and five leaves, and the result is natural. People in the world will eventually forget Zen Buddhism, but there is no need to be attached, because Zen Buddhism has penetrated the natural laws of the world's psychology, and the root of the evolution of all things is nothing. The purpose of cultivating Buddha is to have no Buddha, and the end of preaching is no way.

Finally, to put it in layman's terms, there is a saying that this world is idealistic, and he is born for you and destroyed for you. Open your eyes and the world exists because of you, close your eyes and the world disappears because of you. When you let go, the whole world relaxes, and when you are at peace, the whole world is quiet.