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These sources, given in various translations, vary on their account of Bodhidharma being either:

• " monk of the Western Region named Bodhidharma, a Persian Central Asian" c.q. "from Persia" (Buddhist monasteries, 547);
• " South Indian of the Western Region. He was the third son of a great Indian king." (Tanlin, 6th century CE);
• "ho came from South India in the Western Regions, the third son of a great Brahman king" c.q. "the third son of a Brahman king of South India" (Lankavatara Masters, 713-716/ca. 715);
• "f South Indian Brahman stock" c.q. "a Brahman monk from South India" (Further Biographies, 645).

Some traditions specifically describe Bodhidharma to be the third son of a Tamil Pallava king from Kanchipuram.

The accounts also differ on the date of his arrival, with one early account claiming that he arrived during the Liú Sòng Dynasty (420–479) and later accounts dating his arrival to the Liáng Dynasty (502–557). Bodhidharma was primarily active in the lands of the Northern Wèi Dynasty (386–534). Modern scholarship dates him to about the early 5th century.

Several stories about Bodhidharma have become popular legends, which are still being used in the Ch'an and Zen-tradition.

Bodhidharma's teachings and practice centered on meditation and the Lankavatara Sutra.

The Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall (952) identifies Bodhidharma as the 28th Patriarch of Buddhism in an uninterrupted line that extends all the way back to the Buddha himself.

Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as a rather ill-tempered, profusely bearded and wide-eyed barbarian. He is referred as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian" (碧眼胡) in Chinese Chan texts.

Biography

Principal sources

There are two known extant accounts written by contemporaries of Bodhidharma.

Yáng Xuànzhī (Yang Hsüan-chih) - The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang

The earliest text mentioned Bodhidharma is The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang (洛陽伽藍記 Luòyáng Qiélánjì) which is compiled in 547 by Yáng Xuànzhī (Yang-Hsuan-chih 楊衒之), a writer and translator of Mahāyāna Buddhist texts into the Chinese language. Yang gave the following account:

At that time there was a monk of the Western Region named Bodhidharma, a Persian Central Asian. He traveled from the wild borderlands to China. Seeing the golden disks reflecting in the sun, the rays of light illuminating the surface of the clouds, the jewel-bells on the stupa blowing in the wind, the echoes reverberating beyond the heavens, he sang its praises. He exclaimed: "Truly this is the work of spirits." He said: "I am 150 years old, and I have passed through numerous countries. There is virtually no country I have not visited. Even the distant Buddha-realms lack this." He chanted homage and placed his palms together in salutation for days on end.

T'an-lín - preface to the Two Entrances and Four Acts

The second account was written by T'an-lín (曇林; 506–574). T'an-lín's brief biography of the "Dharma Master" is found in his preface to the Two Entrances and Four Acts, a text traditionally attributed to Bodhidharma, and the first text to identify Bodhidharma as South Indian:

The Dharma Master was a South Indian of the Western Region. He was the third son of a great Indian king. His ambition lay in the Mahayana path, and so he put aside his white layman's robe for the black robe of a monk Lamenting the decline of the true teaching in the outlands, he subsequently crossed distant mountains and seas, traveling about propagating the teaching in Han and Wei.

T'an-lín's account was the first to mention that Bodhidharma attracted disciples, specifically mentioning Dàoyù (道育) and Huìkě (慧可), the latter of whom would later figure very prominently in the Bodhidharma literature. T'an-lín has traditionally been considered a disciple of Bodhidharma,it is more likely that he was a student of Huìkě.

Ching-chüeh - Chronicle of the Lankavatara Masters

Tanlin's preface has also been preserved in Ching-chüeh's (683-750) Leng-ch'ieh shih-tzu chi (Chronicle of the Lankavatara Masters), which dates from 713-716./ca. 715 He writes:

The teacher of the Dharma, who came from South India in the Western Regions, the third son of a great Brahman king.

Dàoxuān (Tao-hsuan) - Further Biographies of Eminent Monks

In the 7th-century historical work Further Biographies of Eminent Monks (續高僧傳 Xù gāosēng zhuàn), Dàoxuān (道宣; 596-667) possibly drew on Tanlin's preface as a basic source, but made several significant additions:

Firstly, Dàoxuān adds more detail concerning Bodhidharma's origins, writing that he was of "South Indian Brahman stock" (南天竺婆羅門種 nán tiānzhú póluómén zhŏng).

Secondly, more detail is provided concerning Bodhidharma's journeys. Tanlin's original is imprecise about Bodhidharma's travels, saying only that he "crossed distant mountains and seas" before arriving in Wei. Dàoxuān's account, however, implies "a specific itinerary": "He first arrived at Nan-yüeh during the Sung period. From there he turned north and came to the Kingdom of Wei". This implies that Bodhidharma had travelled to China by sea, and that he had crossed over the Yangtze River.

Thirdly, Dàoxuān suggests a date for Bodhidharma's arrival in China. He writes that Bodhidharma makes landfall in the time of the Song, thus making his arrival no later than the time of the Song's fall to the Southern Qi Dynasty in 479.

Finally, Dàoxuān provides information concerning Bodhidharma's death. Bodhidharma, he writes, died at the banks of the Luo River, where he was interred by his disciple Huike, possibly in a cave. According to Dàoxuān's chronology, Bodhidharma's death must have occurred prior to 534, the date of the Northern Wei Dynasty's fall, because Huike subsequently leaves Luoyang for Ye. Furthermore, citing the shore of the Luo River as the place of death might possibly suggest that Bodhidharma died in the mass executions at Heyin 河陰 in 528. Supporting this possibility is a report in the Taishō shinshū daizōkyō stating that a Buddhist monk was among the victims at Héyīn.

Later accounts

Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall

In the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall (祖堂集 Zǔtángjí) of 952, the elements of the traditional Bodhidharma story are in place. Bodhidharma is said to have been a disciple of Prajñātāra, thus establishing the latter as the 27th patriarch in India. After a three-year journey, Bodhidharma reaches China in 527 during the Liang Dynasty (as opposed to the Song period of the 5th century, as in Dàoxuān). The Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall includes Bodhidharma's encounter with Emperor Wu, which was first recorded around 758 in the appendix to a text by Shen-hui (神會), a disciple of Huineng.

Finally, as opposed to Daoxuan's figure of "over 150 years," the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall states that Bodhidharma died at the age of 150. He was then buried on Mount Xiong'er (熊耳山 Xióngĕr Shān) to the west of Luoyang. However, three years after the burial, in the Pamir Mountains, Sòngyún (宋雲)—an official of one of the later Wei kingdoms—encountered Bodhidharma, who claimed to be returning to India and was carrying a single sandal. Bodhidharma predicted the death of Songyun's ruler, a prediction which was borne out upon the latter's return. Bodhidharma's tomb was then opened, and only a single sandal was found inside.

Insofar as, according to the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall, Bodhidharma left the Liang court in 527 and relocated to Mount Song near Luoyang and the Shaolin Monastery, where he "faced a wall for nine years, not speaking for the entire time", his date of death can have been no earlier than 536. Moreover, his encounter with the Wei official indicates a date of death no later than 554, three years before the fall of the last Wei kingdom.

Dàoyuán - Transmission of the Lamp

Subsequent to the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall, the only dated addition to the biography of Bodhidharma is in the Jingde Records of the Transmission of the Lamp (景德傳燈錄 Jĭngdé chuándēng lù, published 1004 CE), by Dàoyuán (道原), in which it is stated that Bodhidharma's original name had been Bodhitāra but was changed by his master Prajñātāra. The same account is given by the Japanese master Keizan's 13th century work of the same title.

Legends about Bodhidharma

Several stories about Bodhidharma have become popular legends, which are still being used in the Ch'an and Zen-tradition.

Encounter with Emperor Xiāo Yǎn 蕭衍

The Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall tells us that in 527 during the Liang Dynasty, Bodhidharma, the first Patriarch of Chán, visited the Emperor Wu (Emperor Xiāo Yǎn 蕭衍 (posthumous name Wǔdì 武帝) of Liáng 梁 China), a fervent patron of Buddhism:

Emperor Wu: "How much karmic merit have I earned for ordaining Buddhist monks, building monasteries, having sutras copied, and commissioning Buddha images?"
Bodhidharma: "None. Good deeds done with worldly intent bring good karma, but no merit."
Emperor Wu: "So what is the highest meaning of noble truth?"
Bodhidharma: "There is no noble truth, there is only void."
Emperor Wu: "Then, who is standing before me?"

Bodhidharma: "I know not, Your Majesty."

After Bodhidharma left, the Emperor asked the official in charge of the Imperial Annals about the encounter. The Official of the Annals then asked the Emperor if he still denied knowing who Bodhidharma was? When the Emperor said he didn't know, the Official said, "This was the Great-being Guanyin (i.e., the Mahasattva Avalokiteśvara) transmitting the imprint of the Buddha's Heart-Mind."

The Emperor regretted his having let Bodhidharma leave and was going to dispatch a messenger to go and beg Bodhidharma to return. The Official then said, "Your Highness, do not say to send out a messenger to go fetch him. The people of the entire nation could go, and he still would not return."

This encounter was included as the first kōan of the koan-collection The Blue Cliff Record.

Nine years of wall-gazing

Failing to make a favorable impression in Southern China, Bodhidharma is said to have travelled to the northern Chinese kingdom of Wei to the Shaolin Monastery. After either being refused entry to the shaolin temple or being ejected after a short time, he lived in a nearby cave, where he "faced a wall for nine years, not speaking for the entire time".

The biographical tradition is littered with apocryphal tales about Bodhidharma's life and circumstances. In one version of the story, he is said to have fallen asleep seven years into his nine years of wall-gazing. Becoming angry with himself, he cut off his eyelids to prevent it from happening again. According to the legend, as his eyelids hit the floor the first tea plants sprang up; and thereafter tea would provide a stimulant to help keep students of Chán awake during meditation.

The most popular account relates that Bodhidharma was admitted into the Shaolin temple after nine years in the cave and taught there for some time. However, other versions report that he "passed away, seated upright"; or that he disappeared, leaving behind the Yi Jin Jing; or that his legs atrophied after nine years of sitting, which is why Japanese Bodhidharma dolls have no legs.

Huike cuts off his arm

In one legend, Bodhidharma refused to resume teaching until his would-be student, Dazu Huike, who had kept vigil for weeks in the deep snow outside of the monastery, cut off his own left arm to demonstrate sincerity.

Transmission

Skin, flesh, bone, marrow

Legend has it that Bodhidharma wished to return to India and called together his disciples and the following exchange took place:

Bodhidharma asked, “Can each of you say something to demonstrate your understanding?”

Dao Fu stepped forward and said, “It is not bound by words and phrases, nor is it separate from words and phrases. This is the function of the Tao.”
Bodhidharma: “You have attained my skin.”
The nun Zong Chi stepped up and said, “It is like a glorious glimpse of the realm of Akshobhya Buddha. Seen once, it need not be seen again.”
Bodhidharma; “You have attained my flesh.”
Dao Yu said, “The four elements are all empty. The five skandhas are without actual existence. Not a single dharma can be grasped." Bodhidharma: “You have attained my bones.”
Finally, Huike came forth, bowed deeply in silence and stood up straight.

Bodhidharma said, “You have attained my marrow.”

Bodhidharma passed on the symbolic robe and bowl of dharma succession to Huike and, some texts claim, a copy of the Lankavatara Sutra. Bodhidharma then either returned to India or died.

Interpretation

According to GrandMaster Wong Kiew Kit of the Shaolin Wahnam Institute this legend is rich in symbolism:

In chi kung philosophy, chi flows at five levels: the levels of skin, flesh, meridians, internal organs and bone marrow. In the traditional Chinese medical paradigm, "bone marrow" is not just bone marrow. It includes the nervous system.

When Bodhidharma said that Hui Ke had received his marrow, he meant that Hui Ke had received his deepest teaching
Saying that Bodhidharma's teaching was not bound by words showed only an intellectual understanding but not direct experience. He had just entered the path
Saying that Bodhidharma's teaching was like a majestic glimpse of the realm of Akshobhya Buddha showed a Hinayana view, which Mahayana Buddhists regarded as only the preliminary teaching
Saying that the four aggregates or dharmas that made up the phenomenal world are all empty, and the five sense organs are without existence showed a deeper Mahayana attainment that both self and phenomena are illusions. Yet this was not the deepest attainment because the student still used verbalizations, which would start the process of continuous thoughts resulting in the phenomenal world

By saying nothing, Hui Ke showed his attainment of Bodhidharma's deepest teaching, where even verbalization was eliminated, indicating that Cosmic Reality is all "empty".

Bodhidharma at Shaolin

Some Chinese accounts describe Bodhidharma as being disturbed by the poor physical shape of the Shaolin monks, after which he instructed them in techniques to maintain their physical condition as well as teaching meditation. He is said to have taught a series of external exercises called the Eighteen Arhat Hands (Shi-ba Lohan Shou), and an internal practice called the Sinew Metamorphosis Classic. In addition, after his departure from the temple, two manuscripts by Bodhidharma were said to be discovered inside the temple: the Yijin Jing (易筋經 or "Muscle/Tendon Change Classic") and the Xi Sui Jing. Copies and translations of the Yi Jin Jing survive to the modern day. The Xi Sui Jing has been lost.

Travels of Bodhidharma

According to Southeast Asian folklore, Bodhidharma travelled from south India by sea to Sumatra, Indonesia for the purpose of spreading the Mahayana doctrine. From Palembang, he went north into what are now Malaysia and Thailand. He travelled the region transmitting his knowledge of Buddhism and martial arts before eventually entering China through Vietnam. Malay legend holds that Bodhidharma introduced preset forms to silat.

Appearance after his death

Three years after Bodhidharma's death, Ambassador Song Yun of northern Wei is said to have seen him walking while holding a shoe at the Pamir Heights. Song Yun asked Bodhidharma where he was going, to which Bodhidharma replied "I am going home". When asked why he was holding his shoe, Bodhidharma answered "You will know when you reach Shaolin monastery. Don't mention that you saw me or you will meet with disaster". After arriving at the palace, Song Yun told the emperor that he met Bodhidharma on the way. The emperor said Bodhidharma was already dead and buried, and had Song Yun arrested for lying. At the Shaolin Temple, the monks informed them that Bodhidharma was dead and had been buried in a hill behind the temple. The grave was exhumed and was found to contain a single shoe. The monks then said "Master has gone back home" and prostrated three times:

For nine years he had remained and nobody knew him;
Carrying a shoe in hand he went home quietly, without ceremony.

Practice and teaching

Bodhidharma is traditionally seen as introducing dhyana-practice in China.

Pointing directly to one's mind

One of the fundamental Chán texts attributed to Bodhidharma is a four-line stanza whose first two verses echo the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra's disdain for words and whose second two verses stress the importance of the insight into reality achieved through "self-realization":

"A special transmission outside the scriptures,

Not founded upon words and letters;
By pointing directly to mind

It lets one see into nature and attain Buddhahood."

The stanza, in fact, is not Bodhidharma's, but rather dates to the year 1108.

Wall-gazing

Tanlin, in the preface to Two Entrances and Four Acts, and Daoxuan, in the Further Biographies of Eminent Monks, mention a practice of Bodhidharma's termed "wall-gazing" (壁觀 bìguān). Both Tanlin and Daoxuan associate this "wall-gazing" with "quieting mind" (安心 ān xīn).

In the Two Entrances and Four Acts, traditionally attributed to Bodhidharma, the term "wall-gazing" is given as follows:

Those who turn from delusion back to reality, who meditate on walls, the absence of self and other, the oneness of mortal and sage, and who remain unmoved even by scriptures are in complete and unspoken agreement with reason".

Daoxuan states: "The merits of Mahāyāna wall-gazing are the highest".

These are the first mentions in the historical record of what may be a type of meditation being ascribed to Bodhidharma.

Exactly what sort of practice Bodhidharma's "wall-gazing" was remains uncertain. Nearly all accounts have treated it either as an undefined variety of meditation, as Daoxuan and Dumoulin, or as a variety of seated meditation akin to the zazen (坐禪; Chinese: zuòchán) that later became a defining characteristic of Chán. The latter interpretation is particularly common among those working from a Ch'an standpoint.

There have also, however, been interpretations of "wall-gazing" as a non-meditative phenomenon.

The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra

There are early texts which explicitly associate Bodhidharma with the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. Daoxuan, for example, in a late recension of his biography of Bodhidharma's successor Huike, has the sūtra as a basic and important element of the teachings passed down by Bodhidharma:

In the beginning Dhyana Master Bodhidharma took the four-roll Laṅkā Sūtra, handed it over to Huike, and said: "When I examine the land of China, it is clear that there is only this sutra. If you rely on it to practice, you will be able to cross over the world."

Another early text, the Record of the Masters and Disciples of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra (楞伽師資記 Léngqié shīzī jì) of Jìngjué (淨覺; 683–750), also mentions Bodhidharma in relation to this text. Jingjue's account also makes explicit mention of "sitting meditation", or zazen:

For all those who sat in meditation, Master Bodhi also offered expositions of the main portions of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, which are collected in a volume of twelve or thirteen pages, bearing the title of Teaching of Dharma".

In other early texts, the school that would later become known as C'an is sometimes referred to as the "Laṅkāvatāra school" (楞伽宗 Léngqié zōng).

The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, one of the Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtras, is a highly "difficult and obscure" text whose basic thrust is to emphasize "the inner enlightenment that does away with all duality and is raised above all distinctions". It is among the first and most important texts in the Yogācāra, or "Consciousness-only", school of Mahāyāna Buddhism.

One of the recurrent emphases in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra is a lack of reliance on words to effectively express reality:

If, Mahamati, you say that because of the reality of words the objects are, this talk lacks in sense. Words are not known in all the Buddha-lands; words, Mahamati, are an artificial creation. In some Buddha-lands ideas are indicated by looking steadily, in others by gestures, in still others by a frown, by the movement of the eyes, by laughing, by yawning, or by the clearing of the throat, or by recollection, or by trembling.

In contrast to the ineffectiveness of words, the sūtra instead stresses the importance of the "self-realization" that is "attained by noble wisdom" and occurs "when one has an insight into reality as it is": "The truth is the state of self-realization and is beyond categories of discrimination". The sūtra goes on to outline the ultimate effects of an experience of self-realization:

will become thoroughly conversant with the noble truth of self-realization, will become a perfect master of his own mind, will conduct himself without effort, will be like a gem reflecting a variety of colours, will be able to assume the body of transformation, will be able to enter into the subtle minds of all beings, and, because of his firm belief in the truth of Mind-only, will, by gradually ascending the stages, become established in Buddhahood.

Lineage

Construction of lineages

The idea of a patriarchal lineage in Ch'an dates back to the epitaph for Fărú (法如 638–689), a disciple of the 5th patriarch Hóngrĕn (弘忍 601–674). In the Two Entrances and Four Acts and the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks, Daoyu and Huike are the only explicitly identified disciples of Bodhidharma. The epitaph gives a line of descent identifying Bodhidharma as the first patriarch.

In the 6th century biographies of famous monks were collected. From this genre the typical Ch'an-lineage was developed:

These famous biographies were non-sectarian. The Ch'an biographical works, however, aimed to establish Ch'an as a legitimate school of Buddhism traceable to its Indian origins, and at the same time championed a particular form of Ch'an. Historical accuracy was of little concern to the compilers; old legends were repeated, new stories were invented and reiterated until they too became legends.

D.T. Suzuki contends that Ch'an's growth in popularity during the 7th and 8th centuries attracted criticism that it had "no authorized records of its direct transmission from the founder of Buddhism" and that Ch'an historians made Bodhidharma the 28th patriarch of Buddhism in response to such attacks.

Six patriarchs

The earliest lineages described the lineage from Bodhidharma into the 5th to 7th generation of patriarchs. Various records of different authors are known, which give a variation of transmission lines:

Continuous lineage from Shakyamuni Buddha

Eventually these descriptions of the lineage evolved into a continuous lineage from Śākyamuni Buddha to Bodhidharma. The idea of a line of descent from Śākyamuni Buddha is the basis for the distinctive lineage tradition of the Chán school.

According to the Song of Enlightenment (證道歌 Zhèngdào gē) by Yǒngjiā Xuánjué (665-713), one of the chief disciples of Huìnéng, was Bodhidharma the 28th Patriarch of Buddhism in a line of descent from Śākyamuni Buddha via his disciple Mahākāśyapa:

Mahakashyapa was the first, leading the line of transmission;

Twenty-eight Fathers followed him in the West;
The Lamp was then brought over the sea to this country;
And Bodhidharma became the First Father here
His mantle, as we all know, passed over six Fathers,

And by them many minds came to see the Light.

The Transmission of the Light gives 28 patriarchs in this transmission:

Modern scholarship

Bodhidharma has been the subject of critical scientific research, which has shed new light on the traditional stories about Bodhidharma.

Biography as a hagiographic process

According to John McRae, Bodhidharma has been the subject of a hagiographic process which served the needs of the Chinese Ch'an movement. According to him it is not possible to write an accurate biography of Bodhidharma:

"It is ultimately impossible to reconstruct any original or accurate biography of the man whose life serves as the original trace of his hagiography - where "trace" is a term from Jacques Derrida meaning the beginningless beginning of a phenomenon, the imagined but always intellectually unattainable origin. Hence any such attempt by modern biographers to reconstruct a definitive account of Bodhidharma's life is both doomed to failure and potentially no different in intent from the hagiographical efforts of premodern writers"

McRae's standpoint accords with Yanagida's standpoint:

"Yanagida ascribes great historical value to the witness of the disciple T'an-lin, but at the same time acknowledges the presence of "many puzzles in the biography of Bodhidharma". Given the present state of the sources, he considers it impossible to compile a reliable account of Bodhidharma's life".

Several scholars have suggested that the composed image of Bodhidharma depended on the combination of supposed historical information on various historical figures over several centuries. Bodhidharma as a historical person may even never have actually existed.

Origins and place of birth

See also Extensive overview of possible bithplaces

Dumoulin comments on the three principal sources. The Persian heritage is doubtful, according to Dumoulin:

"In the description of the Lo-yang temple, bodhidharma is called a Persian. Given the ambiguity of geographical references in writings of this period, such a statement should not be taken too seriously".

Dumoulin considers Tan-lin's account of Bodhidharma being "the third son of a great Brahman king" to be a later addition, and finds the exact meaning of "South Indian Brahman stock" unclear:

"And when Tao-hsuan speaks of origins from South Indian Brahman stock, it is not clear whether he is referring to roots in nobility or to India in general as the land of the Brahmans"

These Chinese sources lend themselves to make inferences about Bodhidharma's origins. "The third son of a Brahman king" has been speculated to mean "the third son of a Pallavine king". Based on a specific pronunciation of the Chinese characters 香至 as Kang-zhi, "meaning fragrance extreme", Tsutomu Kambe identifies 香至 to be Kanchipuram, an old capital town in the state Tamil-Nadu. According to Tstuomu Kambe:

"Kanchi means 'a radiant jewel' or 'a luxury belt with jewels', and puram means a town or a state in the sense of earlier times. Thus, it is understood that the '香至-Kingdom' corresponds to the old capital 'Kanchipuram'."

Indian caste system

In the context of the Indian caste system the mention of "Brahman king" acquires a nuance. Broughton notes that "king" implies that Bodhidharma was of a member of the Kshatriya caste of warriors and rulers. Brahman is, in western contexts, easily understood as Brahmana or Brahmin, which means priest.

Bodhidharma's name

According to tradition Bodhidharma was given this name by his teacher known variously as Panyatara, Prajnatara, or Prajñādhara.

Bodhidharma is associated with several other names, and is also known by the name Bodhitara. Faure notes that:

Bodhidharma’s name appears sometimes truncated as Bodhi, or more often as Dharma (Ta-mo). In the first case, it may be confused with another of his rivals, Bodhiruci.

Tibetan sources give his name as "Bodhidharmottāra" or "Dharmottara", that is, "Highest teaching (dharma) of enlightenment".

Bodhidharma's abode in China

Buswell dates Bodhidharma abode in China approximately at the early 5th century. Broughton dates Bodhidharma's presence in Luoyang to between 516 and 526, when the temple referred to—Yǒngníngsì (永寧寺), was at the height of its glory. Starting in 526, Yǒngníngsì suffered damage from a series of events, ultimately leading to its destruction in 534.

Martial arts

Traditionally Bodhidharma is being credited to be the founder of the martial arts at the Shaolin Temple. However, martial arts historians have shown this legend stems from a 17th century qigong manual known as the Yijin Jing.

The authenticity of the Yi Jin Jing has been discredited by some historians including Tang Hao, Xu Zhen and Matsuda Ryuchi. This argument is summarized by modern historian Lin Boyuan in his Zhongguo wushu shi:

As for the "Yi Jin Jing" (Muscle Change Classic), a spurious text attributed to Bodhidharma and included in the legend of his transmitting martial arts at the temple, it was written in the Ming dynasty, in 1624, by the Daoist priest Zining of Mt. Tiantai, and falsely attributed to Bodhidharma. Forged prefaces, attributed to the Tang general Li Jing and the Southern Song general Niu Gao were written. They say that, after Bodhidharma faced the wall for nine years at Shaolin temple, he left behind an iron chest; when the monks opened this chest they found the two books "Xi Sui Jing" (Marrow Washing Classic) and "Yi Jin Jing" within. The first book was taken by his disciple Huike, and disappeared; as for the second, "the monks selfishly coveted it, practicing the skills therein, falling into heterodox ways, and losing the correct purpose of cultivating the Real. The Shaolin monks have made some fame for themselves through their fighting skill; this is all due to having obtained this manuscript." Based on this, Bodhidharma was claimed to be the ancestor of Shaolin martial arts. This manuscript is full of errors, absurdities and fantastic claims; it cannot be taken as a legitimate source.

The oldest available copy was published in 1827. The composition of the text itself has been dated to 1624. Even then, the association of Bodhidharma with martial arts only became widespread as a result of the 1904–1907 serialization of the novel The Travels of Lao Ts'an in Illustrated Fiction Magazine:

One of the most recently invented and familiar of the Shaolin historical narratives is a story that claims that the Indian monk Bodhidharma, the supposed founder of Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism, introduced boxing into the monastery as a form of exercise around a.d. 525. This story first appeared in a popular novel, The Travels of Lao T’san, published as a series in a literary magazine in 1907. This story was quickly picked up by others and spread rapidly through publication in a popular contemporary boxing manual, Secrets of Shaolin Boxing Methods, and the first Chinese physical culture history published in 1919. As a result, it has enjoyed vast oral circulation and is one of the most “sacred” of the narratives shared within Chinese and Chinese-derived martial arts. That this story is clearly a twentieth-century invention is confirmed by writings going back at least 250 years earlier, which mention both Bodhidharma and martial arts but make no connection between the two.

Works attributed to Bodhidharma

• Two Entrances and Four Practices
• The Bloodstream Sutra
• The Breakthrough Sutra
• The Wake-Up Sutra

See also

• Buddhism in China
• List of Buddhist topics
• Silk Road transmission of Buddhism
• Kanchipuram
• Daruma doll

Notes

1. Dàoxuān records that Huìkě's arm was cut off by bandits.
2. This exchange is recorded in the Jǐngdé Records of the Transmission of the Lamp (Jǐngdé chuándēng lù 景德传灯录) of Dàoyuán 道原, presented to the emperor in 1004
3. Various names are given for this nun. Zōngzhǐ is also known by her title Soji, and by Myoren, her nun name. In the Jǐngdé Records of the Transmission of the Lamp, Dharani repeats the words said by the nun Yuanji in the Two Entrances and Four Acts, possibly identifying the two with each other . Heng-Ching Shih states that according to the Jǐngdé chuándēng lù 景德传灯录 the first `bhikṣuni` mentioned in the Chán literature was a disciple of the First Patriarch of Chinese Chán Bodhidharma, known as Zōngzhǐ 宗旨
4. In the Shōbōgenzō 正法眼蔵 chapter called Katto ("Twining Vines") by Dōgen Zenji 道元禅師 (1200–1253), she is named as one of Bodhidharma's four Dharma heirs. Although the First Patriarch's line continued through another of the four, Dogen emphasizes that each of them had a complete understanding of the teaching.
5. translates 壁觀 as "wall-examining".
6. Broughton (1999:9) offers a more literal rendering of the key phrase 凝住壁觀 (níngzhù bìguān) as " in a coagulated state abides in wall-examining".
7. viz. , where a Tibetan Buddhist interpretation of "wall-gazing" as being akin to Dzogchen is offered.
8. The "volume" referred to is the Two Entrances and Four Acts.

References

Book references

1. ^ Broughton 1999, p. 54–55.
2. ^ McRae 2003, p. 26.
3. ^ Broughton 1999, p. 8.
4. ^ Dumoulin 2005, p. 89.
5. ^ Dumoulin 2005, p. 88.
6. Dumoulin 2005, p. 87.
7. ^ Kambe & (year unknown) harvcolnb error: no target: CITEREFKambe(year_unknown) (help)
8. Zvelebil 1987, p. 125-126.
9. Macmillan (publisher) 2003, p. 57, 130.
10. Soothill 1995. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSoothill1995 (help)
11. ^ Broughton 1999:9
12. Broughton 1999:53
13. ^ Dumoulin 2005:87
14. ^ Broughton 1999:56
15. Broughton 1999:139
16. ^ Broughton 1999:2
17. McRae 2000.
18. Dumoulin 2005:88
19. ^ Lin 1996:182
20. Broughton 1999:119
21. ^ Cook 2003.
22. Broughton 1999:2–3
23. ^ Maguire 2001, p. 58.
24. Watts 1962, p. 106. sfn error: no target: CITEREFWatts1962 (help)
25. ^ Lin 1996, p. 183.
26. Dumoulin 2005:86
27. Broughton 1999, p. 62.
28. Broughton 1999, p. 132.
29. Ferguson, pp 16-17
30. Faure 1986, p. 187-198.
31. ^ Garfinkel 2006, p. 186. sfn error: no target: CITEREFGarfinkel2006 (help)
32. Wong 2001, p. Chapter 3.
33. Haines 1995, p. Chapter 3.
34. ^ Shaikh Awab 2006. sfn error: no target: CITEREFShaikh_Awab2006 (help)
35. Watts 1958, p. 32.
36. Dumoulin 2005:85
37. Dumoulin 2005:102
38. Broughton 1999, pp. 9, 66.
39. Red Pine 1989, p. 3, emphasis added.
40. ^ Dumoulin 2005:96
41. Broughton 1999, p. 67–68.
42. Broughton 1999:62
43. ^ Dumoulin 2005:89
44. Dumoulin 2005, p. 52.
45. Suzuki 1932, Preface
46. Kohn 1991, p. 125.
47. Sutton 1991, p. 1.
48. Suzuki 1932, XLII.
49. Suzuki 1932, XI(a).
50. Suzuki 1932, XVI.
51. Suzuki 1932, IX.
52. Suzuki 1932, VIII.
53. Dumoulin 1993, p. 37.
54. Cole 2009, p. 73–114.
55. Yampolski 2003, p. 5-6.
56. Suzuki 1949, p. 168.
57. Chang 1967.
58. Suzuki 1948, p. 50.
59. Diener 1991, p. 266.
60. McRae 2003, p. 24.
61. Dumoulin 2005:89
62. McRae 2003:25
63. Chaline 2003:26–27
64. Dumoulin 2005:89–90
65. Dumoulin 2005:90
66. Broughton (1999:2)
67. Eitel (1904)
68. Faure 1986.
69. Goodman 1992, p. 65. sfn error: no target: CITEREFGoodman1992 (help)
70. Buswell & unknown:57, 130) harvcoltxt error: no target: CITEREFBuswellunknown (help)
71. Broughton (1999:55)
72. Broughton 1999:138
73. Shahar 2008, pp. 165–173.
74. Ryuchi 1986.
75. Henning 1994.
76. Henning 2001, p. 129. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHenning2001 (help)

Web references

2. some information
3. LEGEND OF HUI KE RECEIVING BODHIDHARMA'S BONE MARROW
4. Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō, Vol. 50, No. 2060, p. 551c 06(02)
5. Denkoroku
6. In the Spirit of Chan
7. Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō, Vol. 85, No. 2837, p. 1285b 17(05)

Sources

• Avari, Burjor (2007), India: The Ancient Past, New York: Routledge.
• Broughton, Jeffrey L. (1999), The Bodhidharma Anthology: The Earliest Records of Zen, Berkeley: University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-21972-4
• Buswell, Robert E., ed. (unknown), Encyclopedia of Buddhism, vol. 1, Macmillan, ISBN 0-02-865718-7 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
• Chaline, Eric (2003), The Book of Zen: The Path to Inner Peace, Barron's Educational Series, ISBN 0-7641-5598-9
• Chang, Chung-Yuan (1967), "Ch'an Buddhism: Logical and Illogical", Philosophy East and West, 17 (1/4), Philosophy East and West, Vol. 17, No. 1/4: 37–49, doi:10.2307/1397043, JSTOR 1397043
• Cole, Alan (2009), Fathering Your Father: The Zen of Fabrication in Tang Buddhism, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press, ISBN 978-0-520-25485-5
• Cook, Francis Dojun (2003), Transmitting the Light: Zen Master's Keizan's Denkoroku, Boston: Wisdom Publications
• Diener, Michael S. (1991), The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen, Boston: Shambhala {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |co-author= ignored (help)
• Dumoulin, Heinrich (1988), Zen Buddhism: India and China, Macmillan
• Dumoulin, Heinrich (1993), "Early Chinese Zen Reexamined: A Supplement to Zen Buddhism: A History" (PDF), Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 20 (1): 31–53, ISSN 0304-1042.
• Dumoulin, Heinrich (2005), Zen Buddhism: A History, vol. 1: India and China, Bloomington, IN: World Wisdom, ISBN 0-941532-89-5
• Eitel, Ernest J. (1904), Hand-book of Chinese Buddhism: Being a Sanskrit-Chinese Dictionary with Vocabularies of Buddhist terms (Second ed.), Tokyo, Japan: Sanshusha, p. 33 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Faure, Bernard (1986), "Bodhidharma as Textual and Religious Paradigm", History of Religions, 25 (3): 187–198, doi:10.1086/463039
• Faure, Bernard (1996), Chan Insights and Oversights: An Epistemological Critique of the Chan Tradition, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
• Ferguson, Andrew. Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and their Teachings. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2000. ISBN 0-86171-163-7.
• Buddha or Bust, Harmony Books, 2006, ISBN 978-1-4000-8217-9 {{citation}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Unknown parameter |alst= ignored (help)
• Goodman, Steven D.; Davidson, Ronald M. (1992), Tibetan Buddhism, SUNY Press
• Haines, Bruce (1995), Karate's history and traditions, Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Co., Inc, ISBN 0-8048-1947-5
• Henning, Stanley (1994), "Ignorance, Legend and Taijiquan" (PDF), Journal of the Chenstyle Taijiquan Research Association of Hawaii, 2 (3): 1–7
• Henning, Stan; Green, Tom (2001), Folklore in the Martial Arts. In: Green, Thomas A., "Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia", Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO
• Hu, William; Bleicher, Fred (1965), "The Shadow of Bodhidharma", Black Belt Magazine (May 1965, Vol. III, No. 5), Black Belt Inc.: 36–41.
• Jørgensen, John J. (2005), Inventing Hui-neng, the sixth Patriarch: Hagiography and biography in early, The Netherlands: Brill Academic Publishers.
• Kambe, Tstuomu ((year unknown)), Bodhidharma. A collection of stories from Chinese literature (PDF) {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
• Kohn, Michael H., ed. (1991), The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen, Boston: Shambhala.
• Lin, Boyuan (1996), Zhōngguó wǔshù shǐ 中國武術史, Taipei 臺北: Wǔzhōu chūbǎnshè 五洲出版社
• Macmillan (publisher) (2003), Encyclopedia of Buddhism (Volume One), MacMillan
• Maguire, Jack (2001), Essential Buddhism, New York: Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-04188-6
• Mahajan, Vidya Dhar (1972), Ancient India, S. Chand & Co. OCLC 474621
• McRae, John R. (2000), "The Antecedents of Encounter Dialogue in Chinese Ch'an Buddhism", in Heine, Steven; Wright, Dale S. (eds.), The Kōan: Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism, Oxford University Press.
• McRae, John (2003), Seeing Through Zen. Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism, The University Press Group Ltd, ISBN 978-0-520-23798-8
• Red Pine, ed. (1989), The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma: A Bilingual Edition, New York: North Point Press, ISBN 0-86547-399-4.
• Ryuchi, Matsuda 松田隆智 (1986), Zhōngguó wǔshù shǐlüè 中國武術史略 (in Chinese), Taipei 臺北: Danqing tushu
• Shahar, Meir (2008), The Shaolin Monastery: history, religion, and the Chinese martial arts, University of Hawaii Press, ISBN 978-0-8248-3110-3.
• Shaikh Awab, Zainal Abidin; Sutton, Nigel (2006), Silat Tua: The Malay Dance Of Life, Kuala Lumpur: Azlan Ghanie Sdn Bhd, ISBN 978-983-42328-0-1
• Soothill, William Edward; Hodous, Lewis (1995), A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, London: RoutledgeCurzon
• Sutton, Florin Giripescu (1991), Existence and Enlightenment in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra: A Study in the Ontology and Epistemology of the Yogācāra School of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Albany: State University of New York Press, ISBN 0-7914-0172-3.
• Suzuki, D.T., ed. (1932), The Lankavatara Sutra: A Mahayana Text.
• Suzuki, D.T. (1948), Manual of Zen Buddhism (PDF).
• Suzuki, D.T. (1949), Essays in Zen Buddhism, New York: Grove Press, ISBN 0-8021-5118-3
• Watts, Alan W. (1962), The Way of Zen, Great Britain: Pelican books, p. 106, ISBN 0-14-020547-0
• Watts, Alan (1958), The Spirit of Zen, New York: Grove Press.
• Williams, Paul. Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations. ISBN 0-415-02537-0.
• Wong, Kiew Kit (2001), The Art of Shaolin Kungfu, Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 0-8048-3439-3
• Yampolski, Philip (2003-A), Chan. A Historical Sketch. In: Buddhist Spirituality. Later China, Korea, Japan and the Modern World; edited by Takeuchi Yoshinori, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
• Zvelebil, Kamil V. (1987), "The Sound of the One Hand", Journal of the American Oriental Society, 107 (1), Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 107, No. 1: 125–126, doi:10.2307/602960, JSTOR 602960.
• 金实秋. Sino-Japanese-Korean Statue Dictionary of Bodhidharma (中日韩达摩造像图典). 宗教文化出版社, 2007-07. ISBN 7-80123-888-5

External links

• Essence of Mahayana Practice By Bodhidharma, with annotations. Also known as "The Outline of Practice." translated by Chung Tai Translation Committee
• Bodhidharma

v t e Chinese Buddhist pantheon
Buddhas 佛 (Fó)/如來 (Rúlái)	Five Wisdom Tathāgatas (Wǔfāng Fó) Seven Buddhas of Antiquity (Guòqù Qīfó) Buddhas of the Ten Directions (Shífāng Fó) Eighty-eight Buddhas (Bāshíbā Fó) Śākyamuni (Shìjiāmóuní Fó) Vairocana (Pílúzhēnǎ Fó) Amitābha (Āmítuó Fó) Bhaisajyaguru (Yàoshī Fó) Amoghasiddhi (Bùkōngchéngjiù Fó) Akshobhya (Āchù Fó) Ratnasambhava (Bǎoshēng Fó) Dīpankara (Rándēng Fó) Vipassī (Pípóshī Fó) Vessabhū (Píshèpó Fó) Kakusandha (Jūliúsūn Fó) Koṇāgamana (Jūnàhán Fó) Kassapa (Jiāshè Fó)
Bodhisattvas 菩薩 (Púsà)	Four Great Bodhisattvas (Sìdà Púsà) Eight Great Bodhisattvas (Bādà Púsà) Twelve Bodhisattvas of Perfect Enlightenment (Shí'èr Yuánjué Púsà) Avalokiteśvara (Guānyīn Púsà) Manjushri (Wénshū Púsà) Samantabhadra (Pǔxián Púsà) Kṣitigarbha (Dìzàng Púsà) Mahāsthāmaprāpta (Dàshìzhì Púsà) Vajrapāṇi (Jīngāngshǒu Púsà) Maitreya (Mílè Púsa) Ākāśagarbha (Xūkōngzàng Púsà) Cundī (Zhǔntí Púsà) Tara (Duōluó Púsà) Sūryaprabha (Rìguāng Púsà) Candraprabha (Yuèguāng Púsà) Bhaiṣajyarāja (Yàowáng Púsà) Bhaiṣajyasamudgata (Yàoshàng Púsà) Cintāmaṇicakra (Rúyìlún Guānyīn) Vajrasattva (Jīngāng Sàduǒ Púsà)
Wisdom Kings 明王 (Míngwáng)	Eight Wisdom Kings (Bādà Míngwáng) Ten Wisdom Kings (Shídà Míngwáng) Mahamayuri (Kǒngquè Míngwáng) Ucchuṣma (Huìjì Jīngāng) Kuṇḍali (Jūntúlì Míngwáng) Hayagriva (Mǎtóu Guānyīn) Acala (Bùdòng Míngwáng) Trailokyavijaya (Xiángsānshì Míngwáng) Yamāntaka (Dàwēidé Míngwáng) Mahacakra (Dàlún Míngwáng) Padanaksipa (Bùzhì Míngwáng) Mahabala (Dàlì Míngwáng) Aparajita (Wúnéngshēng Míngwáng) Vajrahāsa (Dàxiào Míngwáng)
Deities and Demons 諸天鬼神 (Zhūtiān Guǐshén)	Twenty-Four Protective Deities (Èrshísì Zhūtiān) Twelve Heavenly Generals (Shí'èr Shénjiāng) Eight Great Yakṣa Generals (Bādà Yèchā Dàjiàng) Eight Legions of Devas and Nāgas (Tiānlóng bābù) Four Heavenly Kings (Sì Tiānwáng) Brahma (Fàntiān) Indra (Dìshìtiān) Shiva (Dàzìzàitiān) Lakshmi (Gōngdétiān) Saraswati (Biàncáitiān) Surya (Rìtiān) Chandra (Yuètiān) Pañcika (Sànzhī Dàjiàng) Hārītī (Guǐzǐmǔ) Yama (Yán Wáng) Marici (Mólìzhītiān) Prithvi (Jiānláo Dishén) Sāgara (Suōjiéluó Lóngwáng) Vajra-Weilding God (Zhíjīngāng shén) Gunyapati (Mìjī Jīngāng) Narayana (Nàluóyántiān) Sitātapatrā (Báisǎngài Fúdǐng) Mahākāla (Dàhēitiān) Sudhana (Shàncái) Nagakanya (Lóngnǚ) Puti Shushen Ziwei Emperor Dongyue Emperor (Dōngyuè Dàdì) Thunder god (Léigōng) Skanda (Wéituó) Sangharama Bodhisattva (Qíelán Púsà) Deva (Tiān) Nāga (Lóng) Asura (Āxiūluō) Yaksha (Yèchà) Garuda (Jiālóuluó) Gandharva (Gāntàpó) Kinnara (Jǐnnàluō) Mahoraga (Móhóuluójiā) Apsara (Fēitiān Nǚshén) Kalaviṅka (Jiālíngpínqié)
Arhats 羅漢 (Luóhàn)	Five Hundred Arhats (Wǔbǎi luóhàn) Eighteen Arhats (Shíbā Luóhàn) Sixteen Arhats (Shíliù Luóhàn) Mahākāśyapa (Xiánglóng Luóhàn) Nagasena(Wāěr Luóhàn) Rahula (Chénsāi Luóhàn) Pindola Bharadvaja (Qílù Luóhàn) Bodhidharma (Guojiāng Luóhàn) Asita (Chángméi Luóhàn) Kanaka the Vatsa (Xǐqìng Luóhàn) Kanaka the Bharadvaja (Jǔbō Luóhàn) Subinda (Tuōda Luóhàn) Nakula (Jìngzuò Luóhàn) Kalika (Qíxiàng Luóhàn) Vijraputra (Xiàoshī Luóhàn) Gobaka (Kāixīn Luóhàn) Pantha the Elder (Tànshǒu Luóhàn) Vanavasa (Bājiāo Luóhàn) Pantha the Younger (Kānmén Luóhàn) Budai (Bùdài Luóhàn)
Sangha 高僧・祖師 (Gāosēng・Zǔshī)	Ānanda Moggallāna Bodhidharma (Dámó) An Shigao Xuánzàng Fǎxiǎn Yìjìng Shàn Dào Huìguǒ Jìgōng Emperor Ming Emperor Wu
Mahayana Chan Pure Land Tiantai Huayan Chinese Esoteric Buddhism Tantrism Chinese mythology Religion in China

v t e Japanese Buddhist pantheon
Buddhas 如来部 (Nyorai-bu)	Śākyamuni (Shaka Nyorai) Amitābha (Amida Nyorai) Bhaiṣajyaguru (Yakushi Nyorai) Vairocana (Dainichi Nyorai) Five Wisdom Buddhas (Godai Nyorai)
Bodhisattvas 菩薩部 (Bosatsu-bu)	Maitreya (Miroku) Avalokiteśvara (Kannon) Samantabhadra (Fugen) Mañjuśrī (Monju) Mahāpratisarā (Daizuigu) Kṣitigarbha (Jizō) Ākāśagarbha (Kokūzō) Mahāsthāmaprāpta (Seishi) Vajrasattva (Kongōsatta) Vajrapāramitā (Kongō-Haramitsu)
Wisdom Kings 明王部 (Myōō-bu)	Five Wisdom Kings Acala (Fudō-Myōō) Rāgarāja (Aizen-Myōō) Ucchuṣma (Ususama-Myōō) Hayagrīva (Batō-Myōō) Mahāmāyūrī (Kujaku-Myoō) Yamāntaka (Daiitoku-Myoō)
Heavenly deities 天部 (Ten-bu)	Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennō) Eight Legions (Hachi-Bushū) Twelve Devas (Jūni-ten) Twelve Heavenly Generals (Jūni Shinshō) Twenty-Eight Legions (Nijūhachi-Bushū) Sarasvatī (Benzaiten) Vaiśravaṇa (Bishamonten) Śakra (Taishakuten) Brahmā (Bonten) Maheśvara (Daijizaiten) Mahākāla (Daikokuten) Ḍākinī (Dakiniten) Yama (Enma-Daiō) Gigeiten Skanda (Idaten) Īśāna (Ishanaten) Pṛthvī (Jiten) Gaṇapati (Kankiten) Hārītī (Kishimojin) Apsara (Hiten) Kalaviṅka (Karyōbinga) Lakṣmī (Kisshōten) Mārīcī (Marishiten) Vajrapāṇi (Niō)
Circumstantial appearances 垂迹身部 (Suijakushin-bu)	Akiha Gongen Ishizuchi Daigongen Ochi Daigongen Kumano Gongen Sanki Daigongen Zaō Gongen Suzuka Gongen Seiryū Gongen Tateyama Gongen Chimyō Gongen Nezu Gongen Hakusan Gongen Haguro Gongen Hachiōji Gongen Hiryō Gongen Sannō Gongen Futara Gongen Yuga Daigongen Hikosan Gongen Shiromine Gongen Izuna Gongen Atago Gongen Konpira Daigongen
Religious masters 高僧・祖師部 (Kōsō・Soshi-bu)	Nāgārjuna (Ryūju) Vasubandhu (Seshin) Bodhidharma Prince Shōtoku Kūkai Saichō Eisai Dōgen Kigen Genshin Hōnen Ippen Shinran Nichiren Sixteen Arhats
Zen Tendai Shingon Pure Land Shugendō Nichiren Japanese mythology

v t e    Topics in Buddhism
Outline Glossary Index
Foundations	Four Noble Truths Three Jewels Buddha Dharma Sangha Noble Eightfold Path Nirvana Middle Way
The Buddha	Tathāgata Birthday Four sights Eight Great Events Great Renunciation Physical characteristics Life of Buddha in art Footprint Relics Iconography in Laos and Thailand Films Miracles Family Suddhodāna (father) Māyā (mother) Mahapajapati Gotamī (aunt, adoptive mother) Yaśodharā (wife) Rāhula (son) Ānanda (cousin) Devadatta (cousin) Places where the Buddha stayed Buddha in world religions
Bodhisattvas	Avalokiteśvara Guanyin Mañjuśrī Mahāsthāmaprāpta Ākāśagarbha Kṣitigarbha Samantabhadra Vajrapāṇi Skanda Tārā Metteyya/Maitreya
Disciples	Kaundinya Assaji Sāriputta Mahamoggallāna Ānanda Mahākassapa Aṅgulimāla Anuruddha Mahākaccana Nanda Subhūti Puṇṇa Mantānīputta Upāli Mahapajapati Gotamī Khema Uppalavanna Asita Channa Yasa
Key concepts	Avidyā (Ignorance) Bardo Bodhicitta Buddha-nature Dhamma theory Dharma Enlightenment Five hindrances Indriya Karma Kleshas Mental factors Mindstream Parinirvana Pratītyasamutpāda Rebirth Saṃsāra Saṅkhāra Skandha Śūnyatā Taṇhā (Craving) Tathātā Ten Fetters Three marks of existence Anicca Dukkha Anattā Two truths doctrine
Cosmology	Ten spiritual realms Six Paths Deva realm Human realm Asura realm Hungry Ghost realm Animal realm Naraka Three planes of existence
Branches	Mahayana Zen Chinese Chan Japanese Zen Korean Seon Vietnamese Thiền Pure Land Tiantai Huayan Risshū Nichiren Madhyamaka Yogachara Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism Chinese Esoteric Buddhism Shingon Dzogchen Theravada Navayana Early Buddhist schools Pre-sectarian Buddhism Basic points unifying Theravāda and Mahāyāna Southern, Eastern and Northern Buddhism
Practices	Bhavana Bodhipakkhiyādhammā Brahmavihara Mettā Karuṇā Mudita Upekkha Buddhābhiṣeka Dāna Devotion Deity yoga Dhyāna Faith Five Strengths Iddhipada Meditation Mantras Kammaṭṭhāna Recollection Smarana Anapanasati Samatha-vipassanā (Vipassana movement) Shikantaza Zazen Tukdam Koan Ganana Mandala Tonglen Tantra Tertön Terma Merit Mindfulness Mindful Yoga Satipatthana Nekkhamma Nianfo Pāramitā Paritta Puja Offerings Prostration Music Refuge Sādhu Satya Sacca Seven Factors of Enlightenment Sati Dhamma vicaya Pīti Passaddhi Śīla Five precepts Eight precepts Bodhisattva vow Pratimokṣa Threefold Training Śīla Samadhi Prajñā Vīrya Four Right Exertions Twenty-two vows of Ambedkar
Nirvana	Bodhi Bodhisattva Buddhahood Pratyekabuddhayāna Four stages of awakening Sotāpanna Sakadagami Anāgāmi Arhat
Monasticism	Bhikkhu Bhikkhunī Śrāmaṇera Śrāmaṇerī Anagārika Ajahn Sayadaw Zen master Rōshi Lama Rinpoche Geshe Tulku Western tulku Kappiya Donchee Householder Upāsaka and Upāsikā Achar Śrāvaka Ten principal disciples Shaolin Monastery
Major figures	The Buddha Nagasena Aśvaghoṣa Nagarjuna Asanga Vasubandhu Kumārajīva Buddhaghosa Buddhapālita Dignāga Bodhidharma Zhiyi Emperor Wen of Sui Songtsen Gampo Xuanzang Shandao Padmasambhava Saraha Atiśa Naropa Karmapa Hōnen Shinran Dōgen Nichiren Shamarpa Dalai Lama Panchen Lama Ajahn Mun B. R. Ambedkar Ajahn Chah Thích Nhất Hạnh
Texts	Early Buddhist texts Tripiṭaka Mahayana sutras Pali Canon Chinese Buddhist canon Tibetan Buddhist canon Dhammapada Sutra Vinaya Madhyamakālaṃkāra Abhidharmadīpa
Countries	Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Korea Laos Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Philippines Russia Buryatia Kalmykia Tuva (ru) Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam Africa Senegal South Africa Central Asia Uzbekistan Middle East Iran Saudi Arabia Western countries Argentina Australia Brazil Canada Costa Rica Czech Republic France Germany Italy Mexico New Zealand Norway Poland Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom United States Venezuela
History	Timeline Ashoka Kanishka Buddhist councils History of Buddhism in India Decline of Buddhism in India Huichang persecution of Buddhism Greco-Buddhism Gandharan Buddhism Texts Menander I Buddhism and the Roman world Buddhism in the West Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Persecution of Buddhists In Afghanistan In Vietnam Rimé movement Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal Dalit Buddhist movement Chinese invasion of Tibet 1959 Tibetan uprising Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism Buddhist modernism Vipassana movement 969 Movement Engaged Buddhism Women in Buddhism
Philosophy	Abhidharma Atomism Buddhology Creator Buddhism and democracy Economics Eight Consciousnesses Engaged Buddhism Eschatology Ethics Evolution Humanism Logic Reality Secular Buddhism Socialism The unanswerable questions
Culture	Architecture Temple Vihāra Kyaung Wat Ordination hall Stupa Pagoda Burmese pagoda Candi Dzong architecture List of Buddhist architecture in China Japanese Buddhist architecture Buddhist temples in Korea Thai temple art and architecture Tibetan Buddhist architecture Art Greco-Buddhist Bodhi Tree Budai Buddha in art Calendar Cuisine Funeral Holidays Vesak Uposatha Māgha Pūjā Asalha Puja Vassa Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Kasaya Mahabodhi Temple Mantra Om mani padme hum Mudra Music Pilgrimage Lumbini Maya Devi Temple Bodh Gaya Sarnath Kushinagar Poetry Prayer beads Hama yumi Prayer wheel Symbolism Dharmachakra Flag Bhavacakra Swastika Thangka Temple of the Tooth Vegetarianism
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