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.
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Genjokoan: First Five Lines and Tozan'a Five RanksSerial: BZ-00710B Desire and Intention, Saturday Lecture Genjokoan, Tozan, Five Ranks, Desire, Ego, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Harmonizing,... |
May 30 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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April 2nd, 1992, Serial No. 00604 Heart Sutra, Book of Serenity, Blue Cliff Record, Lineage, Five Ranks, Transmission,... |
Apr 02 1992 |
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March 19th, 1992, Serial No. 00602 Bodhidharma, Lineage, Transmission, First Principle, Karma, Book of Serenity, Buddha... |
Mar 19 1992 |
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1992.01.26-serial.00107 Offering, Bodhidharma, Freedom, realization, Vimalakirti |
Jan 26 1992 |
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1992.01.26-serial.00108 Offering, Bodhidharma, Freedom, realization, Vimalakirti |
Jan 26 1992 |
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December 14th, 1991, Serial No. 00681, Side A Eka, Echo, Bodhidharma, Four Noble Truths, Buddha Ancestors, Soto Zen, Greed, Birth-... |
Dec 14 1991 |
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October 12th, 1991, Serial No. 00751, Side B Instruction, Darkness and Light, Book of Serenity, Right Speech, Precepts,... |
Oct 12 1991 |
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All Being and Our Sense of SelfSerial: BZ-00691A Sesshin Day 1 Birth-and-Death, Impermanence, Buddha Nature, Ego, Platform Sutra, Priest, Religion,... |
Mar 16 1991 Berkeley Zen Center |
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January 5th, 1991, Serial No. 00687, Side A confusion, Blue Cliff Record, Bodhidharma, Evil, Aspects of Practice, Silence, Right... |
Jan 05 1991 |
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GenjokoanSerial: BZ-01517A Manifesting This Moment, Rohatsu Day 2 Genjokoan, Birth-and-Death, Buddha Nature, Heart Sutra, Happiness, Attachment,... |
Dec 03 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #2Serial: BZ-00725 Lecture BCR-2, Discrimination, Attachment, Duality, Oneness, Non-discrimination, Beginners,... |
Nov 17 1990 Unknown Location |
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Mumonkan: Case #41Serial: BZ-00492B Bodhidharma Pacifying Eka's Mind, Saturday Lecture Bodhidharma, Eka, MM-41, Bodhidharma, Ordinary Mind, Eka, Echo, Non-attachment,... |
Sep 22 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Bodhidharma Travels EastSerial: BZ-00511A Saturday Lecture Bodhidharma, First Principle, Bodhidharma, Gratitude, Intuition, Attachment, Big Mind... |
Jul 07 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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December 11th, 1989, Serial No. 00503, Side A Buddha Mind, Posture, Offering, Avalokiteshvara, Repentance, Intimacy, Bodhidharma,... |
Dec 11 1989 |
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September 11th, 1989, Serial No. 04068 realization, Hsin Hsin Ming, Buddha Nature, Lay, Samadhi, Evil, Transmission,... |
Sep 11 1989 Green Gulch |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #7: Pt. 2Serial: BZ-00382 "You Are, Echo", Sesshin Day 2 Echo, BCR-7, Buddha Nature, Pure Existence, Big Mind, Fox, Bodhidharma, Precepts,... |
Sep 04 1989 Berkeley Zen Center |
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AnxietySerial: BZ-00383A Saturday Lecture Birth-and-Death, Absolute-and-Relative, Offering, Bodhidharma, Continuous, Separation... |
Sep 1989 Part 1 of 1 Berkeley Zen Center |
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August 11th, 1989, Serial No. 04067Serial: SF-04067 Duplicate realization, Buddha Nature, Hsin Hsin Ming, Evil, Lay, Samadhi, Transmission,... |
Aug 11 1989 Green Gulch |
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Sesshin LectureSerial: BZ-00377A Sesshin Day 3 Duality, Buddha Nature, Subject-and-Object, Oneness, Dharma Transmission, Doubt,... |
Jun 23 1989 Berkeley Zen Center |
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December 9th, 1988, Serial No. 01476, Side A training, Priest, Teacher-and-Student, Patience, Tassajara, Practice Period, Precepts... |
Dec 09 1988 |
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June 5th, 1988, Serial No. 00896, Side B Ordinary Mind, confusion, Don't Know Mind, Doubt, Daily Life, Fundraising,... |
Jun 05 1988 |
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April 25th, 1988, Serial No. 01893 Bodhidharma, Monastic Practice, Ordination, Doubt, Religion, Mahayana, Interview,... |
Apr 25 1988 Unknown |
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Genjokoan IIISerial: BZ-00908B Sesshin Day 2 Genjokoan, Religion, Eka, Echo, Heart Sutra, Describe, Bodhidharma, Interview,... |
Jun 05 1987 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Koun Ejo; Komyozo Zammai Pt. IISerial: BZ-00888B Sesshin Day 2 Koun Ejô, First Principle, Light-and-Darkness, Discrimination, Buddha Nature,... |
Mar 29 1987 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Tenzo Kyokun Pt.IVSerial: BZ-01529B Issan and the Cow, Rohatsu Day 4 Tenzo Kyokun, Issan, Daily Life, Dragons, Practice Period, Priest, Bowing, Offering,... |
Dec 04 1986 Berkeley Zen Center |
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1986.09.07-serial.00323 Bodhidharma, Koan, Tozan, Peace, Composure |
Sep 07 1986 |
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December 7th, 1985, Serial No. 00163 Emotions, Intention, Posture, Consciousness, Ego, Passions, Oneness, Discrimination,... |
Dec 07 1985 |
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Background of Oryoki PracticeSerial: BZ-00864B Beginners' Sitting Oryoki, Offering, Cultivation, Bodhisattva Vow, Soto Zen, Lay, Gratitude, Rinzai,... |
Oct 12 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Karma and The HindrancesSerial: BZ-00410B Saturday Lecture Karma, Hindrances, Karma, Study Period, Hindrances, Precepts, Bodhisattva Ceremony,... |
Aug 31 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sutra Study: The Meaning of Zazen and KinhinSerial: BZ-00413B Saturday Lecture Zazen, Kinhin, Lotus Sutra, Posture, Daily Life, Sixth Patriarch, Mindfulness, Bell,... |
Aug 10 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Eight Janas and the Origins of ZenSerial: BZ-00429A One-Day Sitting Consciousness, Happiness, Concentration, Pure Existence, Hindrances, zen meditation,... |
Jul 20 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Way-Seeking MindSerial: BZ-00412A Saturday Lecture Way-Seeking Mind, Priest, Complete Perfect Enlightenment, Vows, Samsara, Nirvana,... |
Jun 22 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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May 25th, 1985, Serial No. 00428 War, Happiness, causation, Zoom, Diversity, Manjushri, Demons, Gratitude, Bodhidharma... |
May 25 1985 |
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May 19th, 1985, Serial No. 00427, Side B Gratitude, Dragons, Bodhidharma, Happiness, War |
May 19 1985 |
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May 18th, 1985, Serial No. 00427, Side A New Year, Cultivation, Bodhidharma, Transmission, Describe, Priest |
May 18 1985 |
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Sanshi Mompo: Ongoing Practice of Student and TeacherSerial: BZ-00408A Saturday Lecture Teacher-and-Student, Teacher-and-Student, Interview, Lineage, Instruction, Buddha... |
Dec 15 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Breathing in ZazenSerial: BZ-00405B Rohatsu Zazen, Breath, Zazen Mind, confusion, Discrimination, Big Mind, Birth-and-Death,... |
Dec 04 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Fifth Grave Precept: Do Not Misuse DrugsSerial: SF-04058 Duplicate Precepts, true dharma, Giving-and-Taking, Buddha Nature, Sangha, Lay, Bodhidharma,... |
Oct 08 1984 SFZC |
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May 22nd, 1984, Serial No. 00435 Ordinary Mind, Bodhidharma, Sixth Patriarch, Soto Zen, Impermanence, Culture, Buddha... |
May 22 1984 |
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Mumonkan: Case #41: Bodhidharma and EkaSerial: BZ-00432B Peace of Mind and Having a Sincere Practice, One-Day Sitting Bodhidharma, MM-41, Bodhidharma, Peace, Bodhisattva Vow, Echo, Composure, Eka,... |
Apr 14 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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1984.03.18-serial.00322 Daily Life, Big Mind, Concentration, Harmonizing, Bodhidharma |
Mar 18 1984 |
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Book of Serenity: Case #2Serial: BZ-00418A The Highest Truth is Emptiness, Rohatsu Day 6 Emptiness, SER-2, Enlightenment, Bodhidharma, Two Truths, Four Noble Truths, Practice... |
Dec 1983 Part 1 of 2 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Mumonkan: Case #19 Pt. ISerial: BZ-00903B Nansen's Ordinary Mind, Saturday Lecture Ordinary Mind, Nansen, Ordinary Mind, Anger, Zazen Mind, Samsara, Lotus Sutra, Demons... |
Nov 12 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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October 22nd, 1983, Serial No. 00416, Side B Fox, Karma, Daily Life, Priest-and-Lay, Lay, Aspects of Practice, Heart Sutra, Priest... |
Oct 22 1983 |
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The Fifth Grave Precept: Do Not Misuse Drugs Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, true dharma, Giving-and-Taking, Sangha, Lay,... |
Aug 09 1983 Green Gulch |
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The Third Grave Precept: Do Not Misuse Sex Precepts, Teacher-and-Student, Sangha, Commitment, training, Rinzai, Attachment,... |
Aug 08 1983 SFZC |
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The Nature of the Precepts Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Mahayana, realization, Lay, Sangha, Bodhidharma,... |
Aug 03 1983 1 |
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The Nature of the Precepts Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Mahayana, Lay, Bodhidharma, Emptiness, Daily Life,... |
Aug 03 1983 SFZC |
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Bodhisattva Ceremony: Renewing Our WaySerial: BZ-00006A Saturday Lecture Bodhisattva Ceremony, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Vows, Eka, Offering, Daily Life,... |
Feb 26 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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June 1983 talk, Serial No. 01522, Side B First Principle, Dragons, Continuous, Hate, Emotions, Anger, Bodhidharma, Intuition,... |
1983 |