The path to Bodhidharma’s cave is through the grounds of Shaolin Temple, just outside of Dengfeng. Shaolin seems to be primarily a gung fu training facility for boys and young men. Just inside the gate we saw several hundred of them, organized in groups of 30 or so, practicing their martial arts routines.

In fact the whole Dengfeng area has a strong gung fu focus. We saw school boys practicing their running flips in the air and the shouts that go along with various stances. There are shops selling gung fu paraphernalia everywhere.

Since we were more interested in visiting Bodhidharma’s cave, we set out directly to find the path up the mountain toward Wuru Peak. Part way up we came to the Chuzu Nunnery, where Cynthia decided to sit under the Cypress Tree allegedly planted by the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng while I went on up the steep stone steps to the cave.

According to Zen tradition, Bodhidharma was the first Chinese Zen patriarch and the twenty-eighth master in a lineage traced from Shakyamuni. He is generally thought to have died around 536 CE.

In Zen’s Chinese Heritage, Andrew Ferguson writes (p 17),

“Central to the Bodhidharma legend is his interview with Emporer Liang Wudi of the Liang dynasty. The legend of their meeting serves as the preeminent example of Zen’s uncompromising method of instruction.

“The emperor Wudi had attained power through intrigue and murder, but after assuming power he became a great supporter of Buddhism, and in atonement for his past sins, he established many Buddhist temples and provided for the welfare of the Buddhist clergy. But when he asked Bodhidharma what merit he had attained from these activities the sage answered, ‘No merit.’

“As recounted in the Blue Cliff Record, the emperor then asked Bodhidharma to expound the highest truth of Buddhism, to which he replied, ‘Emptiness. Nothing holy.’

“The emperor then asked, ‘Who is it that faces me?’

“Bodhidharma replied, ‘I don’t know.'”

When I arrived at the cave, three young Chinese men were already there. They went inside to offer incense and do their prostrations. There was an alter with a statue of Bodhidharma. A nun, responsible for overseeing the alter sat off to the side and struck a gong once for each prostration. After the three left, I entered the cave, made an offering, lit some incense and did my own prostrations. Three rings of the gong.

The place did seem like just the right place to be if you were going to meditate for nine years. Except for the constant stream of visitors, or course. The rocks in these mountains seem very old. Immediately around the cave there were lots of cracks. I could just see Bodhidharma moving rock pieces around to fashion himself a place to sit.

Another thing that struck me was how stories of Bodhidharma and his successor, the Second Patriarch, Huike change as they are told over the years. Compare, for example, the story as related in Zen’s Chinese Heritage (p 20) with the inscription on a stone stele just outside of the cave, erected by the headmaster of Sholin Temple in 2006. First, the story from Andrew Ferguson’s book:

“Huike met Bodhidharma and studied with him at Shaolin Temple on Mt Song for six years. Huike is remembered and extolled in Zen tradition for his determination to realize the great truth of the Zen school. According to legend, Huike stood waiting in the snow outside Bodhidharma’s cave, then cut off his left arm to show his sincerity. Recognizing Huike’s great resolve, Bohidharma accepted him as his student. Huike said to Bodhidharma, ‘My mind is anxious. Please pacify it.’ To which Bodhidharma replied, ‘Bring me your mind, and I will pacify it.’ Huike said, “‘Although I’ve sought it, I cannot find it.’ Bodhidharma then said, ‘There, I have pacified your mind.'”

This is basically the same story story told by most Zen teachers, and while there is weak historical evidence to back it up, it has important instructional value.

But when I read the recently erected stone stele next to the cave, I was struck by the differences. One side was in Chinese; the other in English. Note that “Dharma” refers to the First Patriarch, Bodhidharma, and “Hole” refers to the cave. Here is what it said:

“Dharma Hole”

“The first year of Da Tong of Nan Dynasty emperor Liang Wu (527 AD), Dharma left Jian Ye (Nan Jing), touring the Central China, came to Five Peaks of Song Shan Mountain, finding a hole beneath the central peak named Fire Dragon Hole where an immortal — Fire Dragon had been practising. It is all mystery inside, 24-section main keel centers clearly with two dragons on both sides correspondingly protecting the doctrine, stars, moon, colorful clouds, The Yangtze River. The Yellow River, high mountains and flowing water all appear inside, looking like “a mini-universe” The second generation ancestor stands on the right.
The Fire Dragon went up to the heaven after first ancestor Dharma came here who then faced the wall nine years, being in deep meditation. Inside the hole, he experienced “trance” to “conscious trance”; When in trance, birds nestling on his shoulder did not undulate him; Outside, he climbed up branches and stretched body, and imitated monkeys, snakes, etc, forming a whole set each of “Xin Yi Boxing” and “Arhat Stick”, becoming the founder of “Shaolin Boxing”.
The second generation ancestor — Hui Ke was determined to formally visit and learn from him. He knelt down on the snow ground outside the hole for nights running, and cut off part of his arm to show his will. Finally he became the second generation ancestor.
First ancestor faced the wall for nine years, and the opposite wall reflected his image, just like a watercolor painting. It is said the stone hole on its left just the one where the king of Qin of Tang Dynasty Li Shi Min escaped being captured under the safeguard of martial monks.
This monument:
Set up by: headmaster of ShaoLin temple — Shi Yong Xin, abbot of First Ancestor Nunnery — Shi Yong Mei
Organized by: Shi Yan Zhen from Rizhao City, Shandong Province
Donators: Yan Zhen, Chang Yuan, Chang Qing, Chang Jing, Chang Cheng, Chang Fo, Hao Yu, Jia Yi
Accompliished: on Nov. 25, 2006 (Oct. 5, 2006, Chinese lunar calendar)”

So Bodhidharma is remembered as a martial arts adept, as “the founder of “Shaolin Boxing”. And there seems to be a lot of Taoist influence here too. Given that restatements of the story have gone on for 1500 years, I guess it’s not too surprising to see these differences, but I think it’s good to keep in mind that history is one thing and legend is another.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T