Bodhidharma Talks
Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and is regarded as its first Chinese patriarch. According to a 17th-century apocryphal story found in a manual called Yijin Jing, he began the physical training of the monks of Shaolin Monastery that led to the creation of Shaolin kungfu. He is known as Dámó in China and as Daruma in Japan. His name means "dharma of awakening (bodhi)" in Sanskrit.
Little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is extant, and subsequent accounts became layered with legend and unreliable details.
According to the principal Chinese sources, Bodhidharma came from the Western Regions, which typically refers to Central Asia but can also include the Indian subcontinent, and is described as either a "Persian Central Asian" or a "South Indian [...] the third son of a great Indian king." Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as an ill-tempered, large-nosed, profusely-bearded, wide-eyed non-Chinese person. He is referred to as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian" (Chinese: 碧眼胡; pinyin: Bìyǎnhú) in Chan texts.
Aside from the Chinese accounts, several popular traditions also exist regarding Bodhidharma's origins.
The accounts also differ on the date of his arrival, with one early account claiming that he arrived during the Liu Song dynasty (420–479 CE) and later accounts dating his arrival to the Liang dynasty (502–557 CE). Bodhidharma was primarily active in the territory of the Northern Wei (386–534 CE). Modern scholarship dates him to about the early 5th century CE.
Bodhidharma's teachings and practice centered on meditation and the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. 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 Gautama Buddha himself.
Title | Speaker | |
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Joshu: Wash Your BowlsSerial: BZ-00036B On Handling Activity, Saturday Lecture Continuous, Ego, Bodhidharma, Attachment, Samadhi, Eka, Heart Sutra, Bell,... |
Sep 18 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Hyakujo and the FoxSerial: BZ-00016B Form and Emptiness, Karma, Sesshin Day 2 Hyakujo, Karma, Form-and-Emptiness, Karma, Fox, Priest-and-Lay, Priest, Daily Life,... |
Feb 21 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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December 1st, 1978, Serial No. 00624 Politics, Dragons, Bodhidharma, Sangha, Building |
Dec 01 1978 |
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April 3rd, 1978, Serial No. 00582 Community, Bodhidharma, Ordination, Building, Baso |
Apr 03 1978 |
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April 2nd, 1978, Serial No. 00581 Zendo, Concentration, Love, Bodhidharma, Patience |
Apr 02 1978 |
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March 27th, 1978, Serial No. 00576 Joshu, Forgiveness, Letting Go, Bodhidharma |
Mar 27 1978 |
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Hakuin Bodhidharma, Demons, training, Greed, Concentration, Passions, Bell, Lay, Hate... |
Mar 23 1978 Tassajara |
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August 22nd, 1977, Serial No. 00090 Transmission, Bodhidharma, Evil, Silence, Echo, realization, Lay, Ego, Anger,... |
Aug 22 1977 |
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July 12th, 1977, Serial No. 00055 Posture, Chanting, training, Bodhidharma, American |
Jul 12 1977 |
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September 10th, 1975, Serial No. 00077 Transmission, Building, Dharma Transmission, Soto Zen, Rinzai, soto, Bell, lecture,... |
Sep 10 1975 |
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September 10th, 1975, Serial No. 00086 Transmission, Bell, Building, Soto Zen, Rinzai, Echo, difficulty, lecture,... |
Sep 10 1975 |
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September 1975 talk, Serial No. 00073 Silence, realization, Bodhidharma, Describe, Discrimination, Transmission, Oneness,... |
Sep 1975 |
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September 1975 talk, Serial No. 00075 Transmission, Dharma Transmission, Bodhidharma, New Year, Ceremony, Soto Zen, Echo,... |
Sep 1975 |
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September 1975 talk, Serial No. 00076 Transmission, Echo, Ceremony, Building, Bodhidharma, Addiction, Demons, Rinzai,... |
Sep 1975 |
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August 1974 talk, Serial No. 00519 realization, Addiction, Discrimination, Bodhidharma, Non-discrimination |
Aug 1974 |
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June 16th, 1974, Serial No. 00170 First Principle, Bodhidharma, Tozan, Baso |
Jun 16 1974 |
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June 16th, 1974, Serial No. 00507 First Principle, Bodhidharma, Tozan |
Jun 16 1974 |
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February 22nd, 1974, Serial No. 00266 Bodhidharma, Money, Transmission, Buddha Nature |
Feb 22 1974 |
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February 21st, 1974, Serial No. 00268 Bodhidharma, Shosan, Dharmakaya, Ceremony, Commitment |
Feb 21 1974 |
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February 17th, 1974, Serial No. 00269 Bodhidharma, Gratitude, heart, Funeral, Fox |
Feb 17 1974 |
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February 8th, 1974, Serial No. 00257 Bodhidharma, Happiness, Greed, Hate, Delusion |
Feb 08 1974 |
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February 3rd, 1974, Serial No. 00250 Lotus Sutra, Bodhidharma, Buddha Nature, Nirvana, Precepts |
Feb 03 1974 |
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January 28th, 1974, Serial No. 00253 Bodhidharma, Mindfulness, Truth, Mahayana, Breath |
Jan 28 1974 |
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January 20th, 1974, Serial No. 00246 Practice Period, Buddha Nature, Breath, Posture, Bodhidharma |
Jan 20 1974 |
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February 3rd, 1973, Serial No. 00298 Lotus Sutra, Bodhidharma, Nirvana, Precepts |
Feb 03 1973 |
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1973, Serial No. 03016Serial: SF-03016 8411-2 Dragons, Bodhidharma, Light-and-Darkness, First Principle, Ceremony, Instruction,... |
1973 Unknown |
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November 12th, 1972, Serial No. 00350 Attachment, Fasting, Consciousness, Bodhidharma, Funeral, Chanting, Posture, Breath,... |
Nov 12 1972 |
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July 4th, 1972, Serial No. 00476 Evil, Bodhidharma, Buddha Nature, Rinzai, Heart Sutra |
Jul 04 1972 |
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May 20th, 1972, Serial No. 00467 Silence, Bodhidharma, Buddha Nature, War, Letting Go |
May 20 1972 |
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May 13th, 1972, Serial No. 00464 Breath, Bodhidharma, Truth, causation, Koan |
May 13 1972 |
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May 10th, 1972, Serial No. 00466 Ceremony, Dragons, Building, Buddha Nature, Bodhidharma |
May 10 1972 |
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May 9th, 1972, Serial No. 00462 Bodhidharma, Breath, Attachment, Mahayana, Koan |
May 09 1972 |
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April 29th, 1972, Serial No. 00460 Bodhidharma, First Principle, Dragons, Love, Passions |
Apr 29 1972 |
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April 1st, 1972, Serial No. 00451 Posture, Composure, Instruction, Sambhogakaya, Bodhidharma |
Apr 01 1972 |
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Good Confidence In Your PracticeBodhidharma, First Principle, Bell, Wisdom, Breath, Building, American, Faith... |
Aug 05 1971 Tassajara |
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Sewing SesshinSerial: SR-00122 Sunday, June 20, 1971 Sesshin, Okesa, Dogen, Attachment, New Year, Freedom, Bodhidharma, Lay, Concentration... |
Jun 20 1971 City Center |
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Precepts as Original NaturePrecepts, Bodhidharma, Precepts, Concentration, Building, Posture, New Year,... |
Jun 12 1971 City Center |
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The Teaching Just for YouSerial: SR-00147 Sesshin Lecture No. 1 Sesshin, Precepts, Dragons, Bodhidharma, Truth, sitting, Buddha Nature, Politics,... |
Jun 05 1971 City Center |
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The Boss of EverythingZazen, Big Mind, confusion, Precepts, Bodhidharma, Zazen, Suffering, Observe... |
Jan 16 1971 City Center |
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OLD - The Boss of EverythingSerial: SF-06096 Jan 16 1971 one tape - original copied - missing Big Mind, Bodhidharma, Precepts, confusion, Observe, Delusion |
Jan 16 1971 City Center |
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Zazen Practice and Listen to the Right TeacherSerial: SF-05631 ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #24, by Shundo David Haye ===== In the last years of Suzuki Roshi's life, very few talks were lost from the collections... Sesshin, Dogen, Bodhidharma, Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Observe, Precepts, Faith... |
Aug 03 1970 City Center |
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Walk like an Elephant and Sitting like a FrogSerial: SR-00066 True Practice As Expression Of Buddha-Nature Sesshin, Sengai, Buddha Nature, Family Practice, War, Bodhidharma, Zazen, Monks... |
Aug 02 1970 City Center |
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Ekō Lecture 5Serial: SR-00231 The Third Morning Eko [This is the fifth in a series of six lectures by Suzuki on the four ekos chanted at the conclusion of... Eko, Chanting, Buddha Ancestors, Transmission, Building, Bodhidharma, Sutra,... |
Jul 13 1970 Tassajara |
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How To Observe PreceptsSerial: SR-00047 Sunday Morning, May 17, 1970 Precepts, Precepts, Chanting, Observe, Bodhidharma, Zazen, Mahayana, Posture,... |
May 17 1970 City Center |
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OLD - 1969.07.15-serial.00030Serial: SR-00030 Second part of talk from this date. Emptiness, Lotus Sutra, New Year, Don't Know Mind, Sutra, Forms, Bodhidharma,... |
Jul 15 1969 |
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March 25th, 1969, Serial No. 00011 Silence, Meditation, Attachment, Bodhidharma, confusion, Gratitude, Community,... |
Mar 25 1969 |
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The True DragonDogen, Baso, Dragons, Freedom, Soto Zen, Emptiness, Bodhidharma, soto, Instruction,... |
Oct 12 1968 B Sokoji |
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BodhidharmaSerial: SF-05081 ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #22, by Shundo David Haye ===== In this second tape made by Dan Gourley at Tassajara in the summer of 1968,... Beginner’s Mind, First Principle, Time, First Principle, Bodhidharma, Describe, Faith... |
Jul 29 1968 Tassajara |
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What is Soto and what is Rinzai?Serial: SF-05144A SR024 Tass July 26/68 Roshi Sectarianism copied; July 21 Chino Sensei; July 24 Chino Sensei - also many handwritten notes on the content Soto Zen, Rinzai, Buddha Nature, Bodhidharma, Evil, Bowing, Mahayana, Gratitude, Ego... |
Jul 26 1968 Tassajara |
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OLD - What is Soto and what is Rinzai? Buddha Nature, Bodhidharma, Family Practice, Mahayana, Bowing, Death, Diversity,... |
Jul 21 1968 Tassajara |