Indians don’t have time to think about China, except for some politicians, who wake up from a deep slumber and mutter “Our city will become the next Shanghai”, but only the digits in their bank balance increase like the skyscrapers in Shanghai. China on the other hand discourages democracy sighting India as an example of result of poor democratic governance. Chinese people are trained to accept what the government says, which is just the opposite here in India. Everybody will have something to say, for example about 2G, except for Manmohan singh (PM).
The reason for this intro is that, despite both cultures and governance being chalk and cheese, there lies at the core of China, something for which they owe us big time and THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS BETTER THAN US.
A couple of months back I read a book called “The Smoke and Mirror” dealing with the current life style in China, in which I got to know about Bodhidharma. Recently the Tamil film “7aam Arivu” has created a lot of interest about Bodhidharma. So I thought of sharing this interesting piece of history of two great nations united by a simple monk, a monk who gifted Zen Buddhism and the world famous Shaolin Kung Fu to China.
Indian Culture’s Introduction to China
It was 1st Century of the Common Era, a momentous time in Human history. Jesus was believed to be crucified 30 years back in Middle East and Buddhism has just reached the shores of China.
Then India was culturally a far larger country, spreading from Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Afghanistan in the west. The Silk Route and Spice Route were flourishing, of which India was the nerve centre. Not only was it about a barter system of material, but also the unidirectional dissemination of Culture and religion from India to other lands. Unlike the modern day Religious conversions for material and social benefits, it was for concepts and intensity of thought buried in the literature and philosophy of India, between two different races of equal economic status. It was a time in history, when Buddhism, which is an offshoot of Hinduism, was growing in India.
The Cradle of Chinese Buddhism
Emperor Ming of Han dynasty dreamt of a Golden God flying in the sky with a halo behind his head. He told his ministers about his dream the next day. Following that a delegation was sent out in search of the deity to the west. After 3 years of search, the emissaries met two Buddhist monks in Afghanistan. On the request of the emissaries, the monks agreed to come go to China with their Sanskrit manuscripts and sculptures of Buddha, on the back of white horses. Thus Buddhism reached China.
As an act of reverence, the emperor built a temple at Luoyang, Henan Province, and named it “White Horse Temple”, as a token of gratitude to the white horses that carried the scriptures. This is the first Buddhist temple built on the Chinese soil in 68 AD and is called “The cradle of Chinese Buddhism” or “Grandfather of Temples”. This journey of two monks went a long way in shaping the culture and tradition of China. To this day Chinese cherish this temple as an integral part of their belief.
Bodhidharma – The Monk who sold his Ferrari
Bodhidharma in India
Bodhidharma was born as a prince in the royal family of Pallavas. Pallavas are known for their great devotion to religion, culture and language. During their reign, they had encouraged and supported creation of scriptures in Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit. Pallava king Mahendravaraman I himself was a Sanskrit scholar, who wrote Maththavilasa Prakasanam and Bagavatha Ajikkiyam in Sanskrit. Dhandin, a great Sanskrit scholar, was a citizen of Pallava kingdom. Tamil poets like Thiru Nyana Sambandar and Thirunavukuarasar were also from this empire. Mahabalipuram temple is a standing example of Pallavas contribution to the culture and tradition. So Bodhidharma had earlier introduction to scriptures and self-realization.
Bodhidharma was the third son, but was the favourite of the king among the three princes. It is told that the crown prince tried assassinating Bodhidharma, but he survived. He abjured the royal life and became a Buddhist monk. The prince was named by his guru Prajnatara, the 27th Patriarch of Buddhism, as Bodhidharma. Prajnatara ordered Bodhidharma to go to China after the former’s death. So began one of the most popular schools of Chinese & Japanese Buddhism, Zen, in the shores of Chennai, India.
The 28th Patriarch and Mind Transmission
By the time Bodhidharma reached China in 527 AD, Buddhism was already established in China. Bodhidharma’s unique contribution was in the form of Zen Buddhism, of which he was the founder. Zen is a school of Buddhism that emphasizes on practical methods of self-realization, compared to theoretical means. Zen is a Japanese word which is the translation of Tamil word Dhyanam, meaning meditation.
The roots of Zen school goes to the Flower sermon by Buddha himself. Buddha one day gathered his disciples. Buddha was silence personified and did not utter a word. Most of his disciples thought that he was ill. Then Buddha swirled a flower and his eyes sparkled. None of the disciples could understand the meaning except Mahakashyapa. And then Buddha told thus: “I possess the true Dharma eye, the marvellous mind of Nirvana, the true form of the formless, the subtle Dharma Gate that does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside of the scriptures. This I entrust to Mahākāśyapa.” And Bodhidharma was the 28th Patriarch of this revered lineage, which includes the power of Mind Transmission.
Da Mo
Bodhidharma was known by the name Da Mo in China reverentially. When Da Mo arrived in Guangdong, a Chinese coastal Province, people were eager to see and listen to Da Mo. Rather than speaking, Da Mo meditated for many hours and left. Although he didn’t speak it had a profound impact on the audience and the respect for the Indian monk increased among the people.
Knowing his arrival, the emperor of southern province, Wu, invited Da Mo to his palace. First, the emperor asked Da Mo if the emperor’s actions of building Buddhist temple will be accounted as his good deeds, for which Da Mo replied in negative. Second, he asked if there was Buddha in this world, for which also Da Mo replied in negative. Irritated, Wu asked him to leave the palace and never to return again. Da Mo also left without uttering a word.
There was a Military general turned Buddhist speaker Shen Guang, who was speaking to a large gathering. Da Mo happened to pass by the gathering. He decided to stand there and listen to it. He agreed to some of the points of Shen Guang and disagreed to some. Seeing this Shen Guang was agitated. He threw the beads in his hands on Da Mo. It hurt Da Mo and he was bleeding. But he just walked away. This had a huge impact on Shen Guang and he started following Da Mo. On his way to Shaolin monastery in Henan province, the legend has it that, he crossed the Yangze River on a reed.
“Wall Gazing Brahman”
Getting wind of his arrival, monks in the Shaolin were ready to greet and welcome him. Instead of going to the monastery, Da Mo went to a cave behind the monastery and meditated for nine long years.
During this severe penance, Shen Guang was protecting the entrance to the cave, preventing any one from disturbing Da Mo’s meditation. Legend has it that, during the meditation, Da Mo fell asleep. Infuriated with himself, Da Mo cut of his eyelids. The place where the eyelids fell grew the first Chinese Tea plants. For his act of Nine years of facing the wall and meditating, he is called “Wall Gazing Brahman” by the famous Chinese traveller Hsuan Tsang. (Being a Warrior prince, he being called a Brahman seems contradictory. But based on the research, Pallavas were from the lineage of Parasurama, who were Brahmin by birth, warriors by profession and are called Brahma Kshatriyas.)
After the meditation, Shen Guang requested Da Mo, to teach Zen techniques and Mind Transmission. Da Mo told him that, only there is red snow he will teach Shen the techniques. Shen immediately cut off one of his hands making the snow red. Thus he became the first disciple of Da Mo. Da Mo taught him the Lankavatara Sutra, mind-to-mind and heart-to-heart techniques laying the foundation stones of Zen Buddhism in Shaolin.
Shaolin Kung Fu
Da Mo found that the physical condition of the monks in the monastery was below his levels of expectation required for his tough sessions of meditation. So he devised new techniques for improving the physical and fighting capabilities of the monks, which developed into Shaolin Kung Fu.
Da Mo had written two books. First one was “Marrow Cleansing Classic”, which disappeared and the second one was “Muscle Tendon Change Classic”, which had the foundation of today’s Kung Fu. Hence most believe that he is the founder of Shaolin Kung Fu. Today, Shaolin Kung Fu is world renowned. A large number of Hollywood films have been made based on this school of Kung Fu. (Kung Fu Panda is one among them.)
Death of Da Mo
Bodhidharma attained Nirvana in the year 536 AD, he was buried and a stupa was built for him. Posthumously Bodhidharma was named Yuen Che (Great Zen Master) by the Tang Dynasty emperor. Legend has it that, after three years of his death, a monk saw Bodhidharma walking away with a single shoe. The monk asked him where he was heading. Bodhidharma replied that he was returning to his homeland. The monk went back and narrated this incident to the monks. When they exhumed the grave, to their shock they saw that there was only one shoe.
Conclusion
Realizing that we taught China the founding techniques of Kung fu and gifted them Zen Buddhism exclusively, which has now become an integral part of their culture and identity, gives me goose bumps. Proud to be an Indian and a Tamilan!!!
But where do we stand today? After tirelessly gifting science and philosophy to the world, we have conveniently forgotten them all. Thanks to divisive politics and caste system, we ridicule our own scriptures and culture now. Let us throw away all the differences and excavate the wisdom buried in our literature. Don’t forget that America was an accidental discovery on the way to India. Let us reawaken the Da Mo in us!!!
