The History of Ch'an Buddhism

Buddhism was founded over 2,500 years ago in the country of Nepal by a man named Shiyamuni, and 400 years later reached neighboring India. By the time Buddhism reached India, it had split into two major branches - Mizhong and Shenzhong. From India, Buddhism spread to China and most of Asia.

By the year 495 AD, Buddhism was well established in China. At this time a Buddhist monk named Ba Tuo entered China teaching a form of Buddhism known as Xiao Xing Buddhism. He was given land at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain in the Henan province of China to found a temple by the Emperor Shao Wen. This temple was named Shaolin due to its location (“Shao” meaning young and for being at the foot of Shao Shi Mountain and "lin" meaning forest) (“Shaolin” - Young Forest).

Around the same time, there lived an Indian prince named Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma was the son of King Sugundha. Bodhidharma had two older brothers who were jealous of him and feared their father give the kingship to Bodhidharma and not one of them. So the two brothers would talk poorly about Bodhidharma to their father and other people as often as they could, in order to turn them all against him. One of his brothers even tried to kill him. Because Bodhidharma had good karma, none of their actions worked.

The actions of his brothers changed Bodhidharma and made him realize that he didn’t wish to live a life of politics. Instead Bodhidharma chose to devote himself to the study of Buddhism and studied with a famous master named Prajnatara, and became a Buddhist monk. After many years of study with his master, Bodhidharma asked him what he should do when his master passed away. His Master told him he should go to Jen Dan (China). Upon his master’s passing, Bodhidharma prepared to leave for China.

During his years training as a Buddhist, one of Bodhidharma's older brothers had become king and that older brother's son, Bodhidharma's nephew, was now king. Bodhidharma's nephew was very fond of him and wanted to make up for all the wrong actions of his father. He asked Bodhidharma to stay with him in India, where he could protect him. Bodhidharma told him that he wasn’t meant to live his life there, but instead was meant to live a life of spreading peace and harmony.

Understanding that his uncle wasn’t going to stay, the king sent carrier pigeons to China carrying messages asking the people there to accept and care for the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. These messages spread over China quickly, and so by the time Bodhidharma arrived in China in 527 (32 years after the Shaolin Temple was founded), many people had already heard of him. Many of them wondered what was so important about this Buddhist monk that the king of India would send messages speaking so highly of this monk. In China, Bodhidharma was called “Da Mo”.

Upon his arrival, Da Mo came across a large crowd of people who had heard of him and wanted to hear what he had travelled so far to say. Instead of speaking, Da Mo sat down and began meditating. He meditated for many hours, during which members of the crowd would asked Da Mo questions to which he never replied. After Da Mo finished meditating, he just got up and walked away, saying nothing.

His actions had a strong effect on the crowd. They either laughed, cried, nodded their heads as if they understood, or were angry at Da Mo's silence. Regardless of the response, every member of the crowd had a reaction.

This encounter with the crowd made Da Mo so famous that the Emperor Leung, who ruled the southern kingdom of China, invited Da Mo to his palace. The emperor spoke of all the money he had donated to Buddhist temples and of all the statues he had erected in the name of Buddha. He asked Da Mo if he had done good things and Da Mo said no. This of course surprised the emperor. Eventually the emperor asked Da Mo if there was Buddha in this world. Da Mo again said no.

Da Mo's replies were a reflection of the emperor. In boasting of his good deeds, the emperor was not acting in the best interests of his people, as was the duty of an emperor. Instead he was seeking the approval of a famous Buddhist monk. Similarly, in asking if there was Buddha in this world, he was demonstrating his lack of faith. To question the existence of Buddha is to fail to truly believe in Buddha.

Of course, these replies infuriated the emperor and he ordered Da Mo to leave his palace. Da Mo simply turned and walked out of the palace.

Da Mo continued his journey north and reached Nanjing City. In Nanjing City there is a famous place called the Flower Rain Pavilion. A large crowd had gathered and seated around a Buddhist monk who was lecturing. The Monk’s name was Shin Huang and at one time he had been a great general. He had killed many people in battle, but one day he realized that all the people he killed had friends and family and that one day someone might come and kill him. This thought changed him and he decided to become a Buddhist monk. He became a famous speaker and at this time the crowd was gathered to listen to him.

Da Mo approached the crowd and listened as Shin Huang spoke. As Shin Huang spoke, Da Mo would sometimes shake his head in agreement, and then sometimes he would shake his head in disagreement. As this continued, Shin Huang became irritated and wondered who was this foreign monk to come and disagree with him in front of this crowd?

Eventually Shin Huang became angry and took the Buddhist beads from around his neck and threw them at Da Mo. The beads struck Da Mo and knocked out two of his front teeth. Because of this, Shin Huang expected a confrontation, but even though Da Mo began bleeding, he just smiled, turned around and walked away. This reaction amazed Shin Huang and he immediately began following after Da Mo.

Da Mo continued north and he reached the Yangtze River, which divided the northern and southern kingdoms of China. Seated on the bank of the river was an old woman, and next to the old woman was a large bundle of reeds. Da Mo asked the old woman if he might have one of the reeds and she replied that of course he may. Da Mo ten took a single reed and placed it upon the surface of the river. Stepping onto this reed, Da Mo was carried across the river by the force of his chi.

Shin Huang reached the river just in time to see Da Mo's crossing. Feeling that he could do the same thing, Shin Huang ran up, and without asking the woman, grabbed a handful of reeds and threw them onto the river. Shin Huang stepped onto the reeds and they immediately sank beneath his weight and he began to drown. The old woman took pity on him and pulled him from the river. As Shin Huang lay on the ground coughing up river water, the old woman told him that by not asking for her reeds, he had shown her disrespect. In showing her disrespect, he had failed to respect himself. She also told him that he was searching for a master and someone to teach him. She told him that Da Mo, the man he was following, was that master. As she said this, the reeds which had previously sunk beneath Shin Huang surfaced again and Shin Huang found himself standing on the reeds. He was carried across the river and immediately began following after Da Mo. There are many people who believe that the old woman was a bodhisattva who had been sent to help Shin Huang.

At this point, Da Mo was nearing Shaolin temple. The Shaolin monks had heard of his approach and had gathered to meet him and to invite him to the temple.

Behind the Shaolin Temple there are five breast-shaped mountains. When the Shaolin monks invited Da Mo to come stay at the temple, Da Mo did not reply, but instead immediately went to a cave which was located on one of the breast-shaped mountains. Inside the cave Da Mo sat down facing a wall and immediately began meditating.

Da Mo meditated for nine years, and during those years, Shin Huang stayed outside Da Mo's cave and protected him from wild animals and other threats. Periodically Shin Huang enter the cave and ask Da Mo to teach him but he would never reply. The Shaolin monks would also periodically visit Da Mo's cave and invite him to stay in the temple, where he would be much more comfortable. Da Mo would never reply. After time, Da Mo's concentration became so intense that his image was engraved into the cave wall before him. Today, this stone is kept in the Shaolin temple as a reminder of Da Mo's meditation.

Towards the end of Da Mo's nine year meditation, the Shaolin monks decided to do something more for Da Mo. They prepared a special room for him which they called the Da Mo Ting. They then went back to the cave of Da Mo and invited him to stay in this room, where he would be much more comfortable. Da Mo did not reply but responded by rising and walking down to the room. Upon entering the room, Da Mo immediately sat down and began meditating.

Shin Huang followed Da Mo to the temple and stood guard outside his room while Da Mo meditated for another four years. Periodically, Shin Huang would still ask Da Mo to teach him. After thirteen years of silence from Da Mo, Shin Huang was standing outside of Da Mo's room in the wintertime. It was extremely cold, snow and ice covered the ground. Becoming enraged at Da Mo's silence, Shin Huang picked up a large block of snow and ice and hurled it into Da Mo's room. The snow and ice struck the floor and Da Mo was awakened from his meditation. Da Mo looked at Shin Huang and in anger and frustration, Shin Huang demanded to know when Da Mo would teach him. Da Mo finally replied, saying that he would teach Shin Huang when red snow fell from the sky. When he heard this, something inside Shin Huang changed and he took the sword from around his belt and cut off his left arm. Raising the severed arm above his head, Shin Huang whirled the arm above his head and the blood from the arm froze as it fell in the cold air, like red snow. Seeing this, Da Mo agreed to teach Shin Huang.

In front of the Shaolin temple, at the foot of Shao Shi Mountain, there are five little mountains. The mountains are named the Bell, Drum, Stamp, Sword and Flag mountains, named thusly because they are shaped like their namesakes. Da Mo took a monk's spade and went with Shin Huang to the Drum Mountain. The Drum Mountain was so named because it was flat on top, like the surface of a drum. In taking Shin Huang to the Drum Mountain, Da Mo was sending an unspoken message that Shin Huang should flatten his heart in the same way that a drum was flat.

Upon the surface of the Drum Mountain, Da Mo dug a well for Shin Huang. The water of this well was bitter. Da Mo left Shin Huang on the Drum Mountain for a year and for that year Shin Huang used the bitter water of Da Mo's well to cook, to clean, to bathe and to drink. After using the bitter water for a year, Shin Huang returned to Da Mo and asked him again to teach him. Da Mo took Shin Huang back to the Drum Mountain and dug a second well for him. The water of this well was spicy. For an entire year, Shin Huang used the spicy water for all of his needs. At the end of the second year, Shin Huang returned to Da Mo and asked again to be taught. Da Mo returned with Shin Huang to the Drum Mountain and dug a third well. The water of this well was sour. For the third year, Shin Huang used the sour water for all of his needs. At the end of that year, Shin Huang returned to Da Mo and asked again to be taught. Da Mo again took Shin Huang to the Drum Mountain and dug a fourth and final well. The water of this well was sweet.

Shin Huang realized that the four wells which Da Mo had dug represented his life. Sometimes his life would be bitter and sometimes spicy, sometimes sour and sometimes sweet. Without speaking to him, Da Mo had taught Shin Huang the most important of lessons through his actions. Upon realizing this, Shin Huang was given the name Hui Ke and he became abbot of the Shaolin temple after Da Mo.

To pay respect to Hui Ke’s sacrifice, Shaolin disciples greeted each other using only their right hand.