تعلیم ذن

by Bodhidharma, نامدار نادری

A fifth-century Indian Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma is credited with bringing Zen to China. Although the tradition that traces its ancestry back to him did not flourish until nearly two hundred years after his death, today millions of Zen Buddhists and students of kung fu claim him as their spiritual father.

While others viewed Zen practice as a purification of the mind or a stage on the way to perfect enlightenment, Bodhidharma equated Zen with buddhahood and believed that it had a place in everyday life. Instead of telling his disciples to purify their minds, he pointed them to rock walls, to the movements of tigers and cranes, to a hollow reed floating across the Yangtze.

This bilingual edition, the only volume of the great teacher's work currently available in English, presents four teachings in their entirety. "Outline of Practice" describes the four all-inclusive habits that lead to enlightenment, the "Bloodstream Sermon" exhorts students to seek the Buddha by seeing their own nature, the "Wake-up Sermon" defends his premise that the most essential method for reaching enlightenment is beholding the mind. The original Chinese test, presented on facing pages, is taken from a Ch'ing dynasty woodblock edition.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction, China

Unknown Binding

First published March 1, 1986

About the author

Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and regarded as its first Chinese patriarch.

Reviews

[فؤاد · Rating 4 out of 5]

تا وقتی جایی دیگر به دنبال بودا می گردی، هرگز نخواهی دید که جان خود تو بوداست.
بودایی را به پرستش بودایی دیگر وادار نکن.
جان خود را به دعا کردن به درگاه بودا وادار نکن.
بودا سوترا نمی خواند.
بودا به شریعت پایبند نمی ماند، یا آن را زیر پا نمی گذارد.
برای یافتن بودا، باید به درون خود نظر کنی. هر کس که درون خود را دید بوداست. اگر به درون خود ننگری، دعا کردن به درگاه بوداها، خواندن سوتراها، پیشکشی دادن و رعایت شریعت، هیچ سودی ندارد.
حتی اگر یک بودا یا بودی-ساتوا در مقابلت ظاهر شد، نیازی به تعظیم نیست. آن ها که عبادت می کنند، معرفت ندارند، و آنان که معرفت دارند، عبادت نمی کنند.
*
همین طور طواف کردن به دور معابد. معبد بدن و ذهن توست. وقتی آگاهی تو بی وقفه گرد بدن و ذهنت می چرخد، این را طواف به دور معبد می نامند. فرزانگان کهن از این راه به نیروانا می رسیدند. اما مردم امروز معنای این عبارت را متوجه نمی شوند. به جای نگاه کردن به درون، پیوسته نگاه به بیرون دارند. این ها با بدن مادّی به دور معبدهای مادّی طواف می کنند، شب و روز از پا نمی نشینند، بیهوده خودشان را خسته می کنند و ذره ای به خویشتن حقیقی خود نزدیک نمی شوند.
*
جان تو، خود نیرواناست. شاید که بپنداری جایی ورای جان خود بودا یا روشنا را توانی یافت. اما چنین مکان وجود ندارد.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four teachings of the founder of Zen are presented here in English for the first time. As with most foundational works I am surprised at how simple complex concepts are presented; strips Zen down to the bone. One of the best books on Buddhism I have ever read. Holds up against newer books on the subject.

[muthuvel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One primary thing to remember reading any religious or spiritual philosophies atleast from the antiquities is that there's this susceptibility of a lot of symbolisms involved. They are not meant to be read and interpreted literally but poetically and symbolically.

Religion is basically a misunderstood poetry when interpreted with reason, Joseph Campbell says so. If we see it as it is, insights could be reaped for the individuals. The kind of insights that could never be revealed from the rational positivist world. And yes, this was a meditating read.


_____


"Buddha is Sanskrit for what you call aware, miraculously aware. Responding, perceiving, arching your brows, blinking your eyes, moving your hands and feet, it’s all your miraculously aware nature."


"The Way is basically perfect. It doesn’t require perfecting. The Way has no form or sound. It’s subtle and hard to perceive. It’s like when you drink water: you know how hot or cold it is, but you can’t tell others."


"Using the mind to look for reality is delusion. Not using the mind to look for reality is awareness. Freeing oneself from words is liberation. Remaining unblemished by the dust of sensation is guarding the Dharma. Transcending life and death is leaving home."


"If you use a trap to catch fish, once you succeed you can forget the trap. And if you use language to find meaning, once you find it you can forget language."

[Mista · Rating 5 out of 5]

"IT" cannot be stated clearer...

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent clear interpretation of the dharma - "one mind" as transmitted by Gautama the Buddha, Red Pine does an awesome job recounting the the history, myth and legend surrounding the mystical figure of Bodhidharma. Straight forward and very easily understood, the "precepts" are powerful and profound - cuts straight to the heart of Buddhism. It dispels Buddhist "Idol worship" ceremonies, mystique, traditions like a great cliff notes should. No offense, but Catholics could use a dude like this to shake the cobwebs off a dying religion, make Christianity relevant once more... Christ' original pure message of LOVE and SALVATION through the father.

Love it and highly recommended reading. Short, so you can absorb the zen/chan nourishment in one afternoon. Total fulfillment of emptiness.

[Owlseyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"To find a buddha, you have to see your nature. Whoever sees his nature is a buddha (...) And the buddha is the person who's free: free of plans, free of cares. (...) Just know your mind. Beyond your mind there's no other buddha. (...) Buddha is Sanskrit for what you call aware, miraculously aware.

Among Shakyamuni's ten greatest disciples, Ananda was foremost in learning. But he didn't know the Buddha. All he did was study and memorize. "



This was, sort of, a crash course on Zen Buddhism. Beware, be mindful, because there's a lot of mind in it. Mind-to-mind.

DO you mind?

[Peycho Kanev · Rating 5 out of 5]

MANY roads lead to the Path, but basically there are only two: reason and practice. To enter by reason means to realize the essence through instruction and to believe that all living things share the same true nature, which isn’t apparent because it’s shrouded by sensation and delusion. 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. Without moving, without effort, they enter, we say, by reason.

To find a buddha all you have to do is see your nature. Your nature is the buddha. And the buddha is the person who’s free: free of plans, free of cares. If you don’t see your nature and run around all day looking somewhere else, you’ll never find a buddha. The truth is, there’s nothing to find.

And without effort you’ll gain possession of an infinite number of virtues, perfections, and doors to the truth. Seeing through the mundane and witnessing the sublime is less than an eye-blink away. Realization is now. Why worry about gray hair? But the true door is hidden and can’t be revealed. I have only touched upon beholding the mind.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is FUN! written by a 5th century Zen monk yet the tone feels very current and refreshing to me.

"Buddhas don't save buddhas. If you use your mind to look for a buddha, you won't see the buddha. As long as you look for a buddha somewhere else, you'll never see that your own mind is the buddha. Don't use a buddha to worship a buddha. And don't use the mind to invoke a buddha. Buddhas don't recite sutras. Buddhas don't keep precepts. And buddhas don't break precepts. Buddhas don't keep or break anything. Buddhas don't do good or evil."

like a riddle or tongue twister reading aloud the simple and profound message comes through the playful writing. a reminder to come down to earth from the intellectual, esoteric and ritualized aspects of Buddhism to its heart of self-awareness...points the way clearly by telling you everywhere to Not look and to not get seduced by cultural trappings and idolizing. a good reality check and doorway into the mind's true state. the at times angry tone towards the deluded is humorous...

"A buddha is an idle person. He doesn't run around after fortune and fame. What good are such things in the end? People who don't see their nature and think reading sutras, invoking buddhas, studying long and hard, practicing morning and night, never lying down, or acquiring knowledge is the Dharma, blaspheme the Dharma. Buddhas of the past and future only talk about seeing your nature. All practices are impermanent. Unless they see their nature, people who claim to have attained unexcelled complete enlightenment are liars."

"Arhats don't know the Buddha. All trapped by cause and effect. Such is a mortal's karma: no escape from birth and death. By doing the opposite of what he intended, such people blaspheme the Buddha. Killing them would not be wrong." (!!!!)

"The stupa is your body and mind. When your awareness circles your body and mind without stopping, this is called walking around a stupa. The sages of long ago followed this path to nirvana. But people today don't understand what this means. Instead of looking inside they insist on looking outside. They use their material bodies to walk around material stupas. And they keep at it day and night, wearing themselves out in vain and coming no closer to their real self."

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an especially awesome, extremely short, tersely-written book. Rereading it now, I think about the first time I read it, at work in the parking lot, a night that it was raining. Sitting in the booth, watching the reflection of the streetlight in a puddle by the speed bump, seeing the image disturbed by raindrops.

[Achint Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deals mostly with the mind,delusion,karma etc.Book is very small and each sentence is meaningful.Not a single sentence is without a purpose.Some paragraph was not easy to understand for me.Still i am feeling delighted after reading this book.

[Serdar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book, but a tremendously useful one. One commonly misunderstood aspect of Buddhism is how it used elements of the Brahmanic belief systems in a metaphorical way, not a literal way. One of the texts in this book explicitly spells that out, and shows this was a tradition that accompanied Zen Buddhism from its early days in China. The translation is also highly readable.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book started off with a description of the four noble truths. While the Bodhidharma is kind of severe through his teachings, I enjoyed how he broke the Buddha's metaphors down. I remember an instructor once saying that by cleaning the house you are at the same time polishing your soul. As if the physical things we do can improve our spiritual growth. The Bodhidarma kind of puts the metaphor into the context of a spiritual teaching not to be taken literally.

The mind is the Buddha.

This is a good thought. It reminds me of the quote by Emerson, "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." That is to say it's pointless to look for enlightenment outside of your own mind. It reminds me of the Upanishads that said we are already enlightened. The Bodhidarma teaches that it is our desire, anger, and delusion that keep us from realizing that fact. If the mind is an ocean, the Buddha is a fish in the ocean. As a fisherman catches the fish from the ocean, he no longer needs the ocean. How can you get to the point of catching the fish? By cultivating virtue, believing in the Mahayana, contemplation of body and mind, "severing the bonds of ignorance", and lastly always being aware.

[ordanJ]

Bodhidharma was an Indian man who lived in India and China around the year 400.

Dude seemed a bit cryptic, but I like where he's going with it. Here are some passages from the book:

"When you don't understand, you're wrong. When you under­stand, you're not wrong. This is because the nature of wrong is empty. When you don't understand, right seems wrong. When you understand, wrong isn't wrong, because wrong doesn't exist. The sutras say, "Nothing has a nature of its own." Act. Don't question. When you question, you're wrong. Wrong is the result of questioning."

...

"When you understand, reality depends on you. When you don't understand, you depend on reality. When reality depends on you, that which isn't real becomes real. When you depend on reality, that which is real becomes false. When you depend on reality, everything is false. When reality depends on you, everything is true."

...

"True vision isn't just seeing seeing. It's also seeing not seeing. And true understanding isn't just understanding understanding. It's also understanding not understanding. If you understand anything, you don't understand. Only when you understand nothing is it true understanding. Understanding is neither understanding nor not understanding."

My closing thoughts:

- I don't understand

[Darjeeling · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are the writings of the man credited with the founding of the first Shaolin Temple, and the invention of Zen Buddhism. By all accounts this dude was mad as a bucket of fish but it certainly makes an interesting read for anyone curious about the worlds religions. Miracles attributed to him include coming back from the dead and using a single twig as a boat.

From the "Bloodstream Sermon"
'Arhats don’t know the Buddha. All they know are so many practices for realization, and they become trapped by cause and effect. Such is a mortal’s karma: no escape from birth and death. By doing the opposite of what lie intended, Such people blaspheme the Buddha. Killing them would not be wrong. The sutras say, "Since icchantikas(deluded ones) are incapable of belief, killing them would be blameless, whereas people who believe reach the state of Buddhahood."'

This is the only text I know of in the entirety of Buddhist literature that encourages this kind of behavior, and the bible and koran contain such proclamations with alarming frequency, but this single passage has probably caused a great deal of harm. I would also recommend Zen at War by Brian Daizen Victoria.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so much difficulty not absolutely adoring bilingual texts. (Then again, I absolutely adore what seems like most human records, come to think of it.) I find it so pleasing to identify the characters for whatever with the hint of the English translation on the other side. This is the first reason I particularly appreciated this book.

Then the other, perhaps more important reason, regards what was actually being translated between the two tongues. It seems the dominant language of the text is Red Pine's English, as the endnotes are in English. Anyway, what it was is Zen Buddhism, which is an important philosophy to embrace. I found it so helpful to have the hàn​zì on the left clarify what the dense blabber on the right was trying to say.

干杯! (Cheers!) ...which is gān​bēi, yes. *off now*

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Christian maybe I shouldn’t be recommending this book, but it’s probably the best Buddhist book I’ve read (and there was a time when I read a lot of them), and one of the better books I’ve read in general. Talk about the diamond that cuts through illusion – the Diamond Sutra doesn’t really cut the way this book does. It’s pretty powerful, straight-ahead stuff. Incidentally, I once read that part of this book was a source for a section of TS Eliot’s The Waste Land, but that’s a fuzzy old memory.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The format here is English text with the Chinese of which it's a translation on the facing pages.
So if you're working on learning to read Chinese, this could be a help. I'm not learning Chinese
so the main result for me was that it boosts the page count to that of a short book from what otherwise
would be a ridiculously short book, coming in at about 60 pages.

Even so, this seems overly long for a doctrine that claims to go beyond scriptures. As Zen writing
goes, this one doesn't stand out from the crowd much.

[Renzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

No permanecer en la permanencia ni en la no permanencia.
No estar apegado a las palabras y a la no palabra.
Bodhidharma más alla de todo pensamiento dogmático
Nos muestra como no ser arrastrados por las corrientes cósmicas de los fenómenos y a cultivar una mente que camine con la liviandad del dragón.
*Comprender, que no hay nada que comprender*

[Jason Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this short but crystal clear translation of Bodhidharma, Red Pine takes you on the old Zen masters journey from India to China where he began to teach the dharma. This book is full of profound insights into the nature of Zen through the mind of Bodhidharma. It is one of those books you could finish in an afternoon but contemplate for a lifetime.

[Stephen McDonough · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will need to have a basic to intermediate understanding of Zen Buddhism to catch on. Until I studied Buddhism, Zen Buddhism and it's historical foundations, I could not understand nor fully appreciate the Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma.

[Matt Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've told people that after reading this I don't need any more Buddhist literature. Bodhidharma has completed my Buddhist library with a single diamond clear text. It was like getting punched in the face by a log on a chain. Perfect.

[Catie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Seeing through the mundane and witnessing the sublime is less than an eye-blink away. Realization is now."

[H3SSETRON 3000 · Rating 5 out of 5]

yo soy re el monje del cuenco y no el monje del balde

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Pine (Bill Porter), author of Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits and a celebrated translator of Buddhist poetry and scripture, gives us a spirited translation of four talks attributed to Bodhidharma even though debates over authorship, and even the existence of Bodhidharma as more than a legend, have not rested.

Bodhidharma's "Outline of Practice" outlines the dharma as this Brahman-born monk taught it in China after being sent there by his teacher, Prajnatara. A confusing distinction made in these talks, especially the "Outline," has to do with what Bodhidharma calls "reason" (again, in this translation) and meditation practice. They are presented as two avenues to "zen," but the definitions make it hard to distinguish them. Throughout, there is an inside/outside (or mind/body) kind of thinking which may be expedient thinking for the sake of his students, or his own enduring mind-habit.

Otherwise, his teaching is very clear: attain your true self, attain what the Heart Sutra is talking about; and at that point, what is there to do? Realizing the paramitas without a trace of actor or action, the student can use form with a clear mind and help others.
In the "Bloodstream Sermon," there are questions and answers, as Bodhidharma teaches and occasionally spars with monks in China (at a time when Buddhism in China was heavily philosophical). Bodhidharma is able to turn cognitive understanding on its ear and make it point these sleepy students to "just doing it." If you do not find your true self, he says, all invocations, offerings and precepts are useless. "The thousands of sutras and shastras only amount to a clear mind."

With the "Breakthrough Sermon," the conceptualizing gets pretty convoluted. Dharma speeches are like acupuncture needles, and what may have pointed directly 1,500 years ago sounds mysterious. This talk refers to the Nirvana Sutra and the Sutra of the Ten Stages, which were revolutionizing Buddhism in China.

It is interesting to watch how Bodhidharma intercepts questions which are often reverently Buddhist and spin them around to the three poisons (anger, greed, delusion) and our need to practice just now. And yet one might wonder that even as he criticizes external devotions, he seems to be making something special about "inner" work and enlightenment. Is there such thing as practice without inside and outside?

[Giacomo Mantani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy text as introduction to Zen teachings but definitely recommended. Like other old text, additional readings clarify concepts, inspire more and improve your understanding. You always find something to learn from them.

The teachings are essential and there are not useless words. Insights bring the reader to deeply understand sacred text and Sutra, in my humble opinion.

Often you must read carefully and you must pay attention and put lots of effort in order to get the idea.

Bodhidharma explains in the last few chapters the real meaning behind sages teachings. In order to reach enlightenment you do not focus on external practices. Sages use metaphors to facilitate beginners mind to understand the Way. Bodhidharma says that you must focus on your perceptions and your inner grow.

As others before me said, disciple must not be a repeater. He must renew the teachings and find new formulations that are right at the moment and in such new conditions. He must accomplish much more. Bodhidharma succeed on it and the reader must do the same.

[Goran Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bodhidharma is the 6th Century Indian monk who is credited with founding Zen Buddhism and Kung Fu at the Shaolin temple. Also known as Da Mo in Chinese, and Daruma in Japanese, he is the spiritual father of countless martial artists whose systems trace their origins to Shaolin.

In this slim volume Red Pine (an American monk living in Taiwan) gives an outline of the history, myth and legend surrounding the mystical figure of Bodhidharma and translates these short, enigmatic writings attributed to him.

While others viewed Buddhism as a steady practice on the way to enlightenment, Bodhidharma’s Zen pointed directly to reality, to everyday life. Instead of telling his disciples to purify their minds, he pointed them to rock walls, to the movements of tigers and cranes, to a hollow reed floating in the Yangtze.

[Ahmad A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have attempted to read this book a couple of years ago but I couldn't make sense of it, simply because I didn't study Buddhism and its practices thoroughly. Having studied Buddhism, in addition to reading other books on Zen, re-reading this book was more enjoyable and eye-opening. This is by far the best book I have read on Chan and Zen. Bodhidharma's works are full of metaphors and references to the Sutras, which this book greatly help outline, in addition to interpreting classical Buddhist practices in a metaphorical way that points back to the basic concepts of Buddhism itself, i.e.: the 4 noble truths (Bodhidharma has his own version of these), the 3 marks of existence, the 6 sense doors, the 6 precepts and the noble eightfold path. I find this book highly recommended for anyone who wants to study Chan/Chinese Zen.

[M. Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohh Bodhidharma! Sabia que llevaste el budismo a China, sabia que fundaste los pilares del Kung Fu. Pero tu libro... los textos que fundaron el budismo Zen en China y oriente, son el sello que caracterizan el linaje de la escuela Zen.

Los tratados sobre el linaje de la fe, El sermon del despertar, entre otros textos bilingues en chino y español, hacen ideales para comprender las enseñanzas del Dharma que imparte el budismo Chan, el Zen y el budismo en general, de manera tan sutil como una hoja en el viento y tan penetrante como una hoja de acero, tal como la mirada severa de Bodhidharma de la portada.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going through this short book very, very slowly. We just spent eight weeks at my local Zen center going over *just* the Outline of Practice chapter, line by line. What does it mean to enter the path by reason (alternate translations include "principle" or "insight")? What does it mean to "suffer injustice"?

This is not a long book, and you can get through it quickly, but I found it much more gratifying to go through slowly and deliberately with a spirit of inquiry. This is likely to stay on my "currently reading" shelf for some time.

[Sharon Moriarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short book that packs a powerful punch. I would say this book is flawless! It continuously inspires me, even over a decade later. Bodhidharma was never one to waste words and the clarity, depth and succinctness of his powerful transmission is prominently evident. He illuminates, like no other. If you never picked up another book on Zen, this is the one to get. He understands abundantly the nature of mind, penetrates the world of perception and is hardly fooled by the world of appearances.