Sublime
An inspiration engine for ideas
The traditional story which the Zen School gives of its own origin is that Bodhidharma arrived in Canton from India around the year 520, and proceeded to the court of the Emperor Wu of Liang, an enthusiastic patron of Buddhism. However, Bodhidharma’s doctrine and his abrupt attitude did not appeal to the Emperor, so that he withdrew for some years
... See moreAlan W. Watts • The Way of Zen
From this uncompromising start, Bodhidharma then went on to increase the aura of mystery that surrounded him by spending the next nine years meditating in front of a wall in a cave.
Andrew Juniper • Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence
In the sixth century C.E., Bodhidharma, considered to be the first ancestor of the Zen lineage, put forth the four points that define Zen: Zen is a special transmission outside the scriptures, With no reliance on words and letters. A direct pointing to the human mind, And the realization of enlightenment.
John Daido Loori • The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life
Bodhidharma’s Vast Emptiness
John Tarrant • Bring Me the Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life
Her spiritual practice was called Chöd (pronounced “chuh”), which means “to cut through.” She developed this form of meditation, unusual even in her time in Tibet, and it generated such amazing results that it became very popular, spreading to all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism and beyond.
Tsultrim Allione • Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict
Emperor Wu of Liang asked the great master Bodhidharma, “What is the main point of this holy teaching?” “Vast emptiness, nothing holy,” said Bodhidharma. “Who are you, standing in front of me?” asked the emperor. “I do not know,” said Bodhidharma.