People's Republic of China

The history of China reaches back over 5,000 years. In that time, China has created a culture rich in philosophy and the arts. China has seen the invention of amazing products and technologies such as silk, paper, gunpowder, and movable-type printing.
Over the millennia, China has fought hundreds of wars. It has conquered its neighbors, and been conquered by them in turn. Early Chinese explorers sailed all the way to Africa; today, China's space program continues this tradition of exploration.
This snapshot of the People's Republic of China today includes a necessarily brief scan of China's ancient heritage.

Capital and Major Cities:

Capital:
Beijing, population 11 million.

Major Cities:
Shanghai, population 15 million.
Shenzhen, population 12 million.
Guangzhou, population 7 million.
Hong Kong, population 7 million.
Dongguan, population 6.5 million.
Tianjin, population 5 million.

Government:

The People's Republic of China is a socialist republic ruled by a single party, the Communist Party of China.
Power in the People's Republic is divided between the National People's Congress (NPC), the President, and the State Council. The NPC is the single legislative body, whose members are selected by the Communist Party. The State Council, headed by the Premier, is the administrative branch. The People's Liberation Army also wields considerable political power.
The current President of China and General Secretary of the Communist Party is Hu Jintao. The Premier is Wen Jiabao.

Official Language:

The official language of the PRC is Mandarin, a tonal language in the Sino-tibetan family. Within China, however, only about 53 per cent of the population can communicate in Standard Mandarin.
Other important languages in China include Wu, with 77 million speakers; Min, with 60 million; Cantonese, 56 million speakers; Jin, 45 million speakers; Xiang, 36 million; Hakka, 34 million; Gan, 29 million; Uyghur, 7.4 million; Tibetan, 5.3 million; Hui, 3.2 million; and Ping, with 2 million speakers.
Dozens of minority languages also exist in the PRC, including Kazakh, Miao, Sui, Korean, Lisu, Mongolian, Qiang, and Yi.

Population:

China has the largest population of any country on Earth, with more than 1.3 billion people.
The government has long been concerned about population growth, and introduced the "One-Child Policy" in 1979. Under this policy, families are limited to just one child. Couples who get pregnant for a second time may face forced abortions or sterilization.
There are exceptions to the policy for ethnic minorities. Rural families also may have a second child if the first is a girl, or has disabilities. In practice, many urban families also "buy" permission to have a second baby, particularly if they have a daughter.

Religion:

Under the communist system, religion has been officially discouraged in China. Actual suppression has varied from one religion to another, and from year to year.
Many Chinese are nominally Buddhist and/or Taoist, but don't practice regularly. People who self-identify as Buddhist total about 50 per cent, overlapping with the 30 per cent who are Taoist. Fourteen percent are atheists, four percent Christians, 1.5 per cent Moslems, and tiny percentages are Hindu, Bon, or Falun Gong adherents.
Most Chinese Buddhists follow Mahayana or Pure Land Buddhism, with smaller populations of Theravada and Tibetan Buddhists.

Geography:

China's area is 9.5 to 9.8 million square kilometers; the discrepancy is due to border disputes with India. In either case, its size is second only to Russia in Asia, and is either third or fourth in the world.
China borders 14 countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam.
From the world's tallest mountain to the coast, and the Taklamakan desert to the jungles of Guilin, China includes diverse landforms.
The highest point is Mt. Everest (Chomolungma) at 8,850 meters. The lowest is Turpan Pendi, at -154 meters.

Climate:

As a result of its large area and various landforms, China includes climate zones from subarctic to tropical.
China's northern province of Heilongjiang has average winter temperatures below freezing, with record lows of -30 degrees Celsius. Xinjiang, in the west, can reach nearly 50 degrees. Southern Hainan Island has a tropical monsoon climate. Average temperatures there range only from about 16 degrees Celsius in January to 29 in August.
Hainan receives about 200 centimeters (79 inches) of rain annually. The western Taklamakan Desert receives only about 10 centimeters (4 inches) of rain and snow per year.

Economy:

Over the past 25 years, China has had the fastest-growing major economy in the world, with annual growth of more than 10 per cent.
Nominally a socialist republic, since the 1970s the PRC has remade its economy into a capitalist powerhouse.
Industry and agriculture are the largest sectors, producing more than 60 per cent of China's GDP, and employing over 70 per cent of the work force. China exports $1.2 billion U.S. in consumer electronics, office machinery, and apparel, as well as some agricultural produce each year.
Per capita GDP is $2,000. The official poverty rate is 10 per cent.
China's currency is the yuan.

History of China:

Chinese historical records reach back into the realm of legend, 5,000 years ago. It is impossible to cover even the major events of this ancient culture in a short space, but here are some highlights.
The first non-mythical dynasty to rule China was the Xia (2200- 1700 B.C.), founded by Emperor Yu. It was succeeded by the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.), and then the Zhou Dynasty (1122-256 B.C.). Historical records are scanty for these ancient dynastic times.
In 221 B.C., Qin Shi Huang assumed the throne, conquered neighboring city-states, and unified China. He founded the Qin Dynasty, which lasted only until 206 B.C. Today, he is best-known for his tomb complex in Xian, which houses the incredible Army of Terracotta Warriors.
Qin Shi Huang's inept heir was overthrown by the army of commoner Liu Bang in 207 B.C. Liu then founded the Han Dynasty, which lasted until 220 A.D. In the Han era, China expanded west as far as India, opening trade along what would later become the Silk Road.
When the Han Empire collapsed in 220 A.D., China was thrown into a period of anarchy and turmoil. For the next four centuries, dozens of kingdoms and fiefdoms competed for power. This era is called the "Three Kingdoms," after the three most powerful of the rival realms (Wei, Shu, and Wu), but that is a gross simplification.
By 589 A.D., the Western branch of the Wei kings had accumulated enough wealth and power to defeat their rivals, and unite China once more. The Sui Dynasty was founded by Wei general Yang Jian, and ruled until 618 A.D. It built the legal, governmental, and societal framework for the powerful Tang Empire to follow.
The Tang Dynasty was founded by a general called Li Yuan, who had the Sui emperor assassinated. The Tang ruled from 618 to 907 A.D., and Chinese art and culture flourished. At the end of the Tang, China decended into chaos again in the "5 Dynasties and 10 Kingdoms" period.
In 959, a palace guard named Zhao Kuangyin took power and defeated the other small kingdoms. He established the Song Dynasty (960-1279), known for its intricate bureaucracy and Confucian learning.
In 1271, the Mongolian Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis) established the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The Mongols subjugated other ethnic groups including Han Chinese, and were overthrown by the Han Ming.
China flowered again under the Ming (1368-1644), creating great art and exploring as far as Africa.
The last Chinese dynasty, the Qing, ruled from 1644 to 1911, when it was overthrown by Sun Yat-Sen, touching off the Chinese Civil War. Although the war was interrupted for a decade by the Japanese invasion and World War II, it picked up again once Japan was defeated. Mao Zedong and the Communist Peoples Liberation Army won the Chinese Civil War, and China became the Peoples' Republic of China in 1949. Chiang Kai Shek, leader of the losing Nationalist forces, fled to Taiwan.

Upgrade to ‘Z Class’ for Peace

Cause it’s getting squishy squashy at the Monk on our celebratory dinner for International Day of Peace (21 September, 2011), the cookie boy has kindly offered us his wheels pictured below as an alternative eating space that will be parked outside the Monk.
This will particularly appeal to the more casual swinger hipster cool types that are looking for the experience of how this old hippie traveled the 3 K’s (Kuta, Kathmandu. Kabul) in the 60’s. But if you are straight edged and cashed up, that’s cool too!
As this is a once only offering for people looking for a more intimate occasion, it will also come at a premium price of $100 per person. Rest assured that absolutely all the proceeds go to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Edgars Mission!
Bookings of 3-4 only on a first come first served basis.
Date and Time: Wednesday 21 September, 2011 at 6pm and 8.30pm
Dinner will be fully vegan and will include the following :
Three [3] dip combo/ Moroccan Pumpkin, Mexican Red Bean and Middle Eastern Hummus served with organic corn chips and raw vegetable crudités
Rasam [soup]
Feast Plate/ Sea Shepherd Pie, Mansoor Dal, Spiced Potatoes, Royal Rice [Sela], Lijjat Pappads, Silverbeet Kitchari and Chile Jam
Raw selection of mignardises including chocolates, cookies, biscotti and macaroons
Beautiful Chai Masala
Please book online through www.monkbd.com.au/wpd as a regular payment and then email marwin@monkbd.com.au to request an upgrade.

Pain Management – It’s All In The Mind : bodhidharma

It is quite surprising that many doctors admit that placebos or fake drugs are commonly used as part of pain management.
What are Placebos?
Placebos are fictitious treatments administered by doctors who are relying on the patient’s ability to make himself well using the power of his mind. The practice of using placebos is not intended to mislead or dupe patients suffering from chronic pain or any illness for that matter. Though it is undeniably a deceptive procedure, it is nonetheless widely-accepted for its benefits and therapeutic effects which have been confirmed many times by studies and research. Placebo medication may come in the form of inert tablets, non-reactive creams and other procedures which are based on fabricated information that these might be able to help the patient. Through these procedures, patients are made to believe that their condition will improve or that their pain will diminish. This deceptive practice was first frowned upon as it was initially used by doctors to satisfy impatient and overly anxious patients. Today, doctors are still not allowed to use the procedure for that purpose. However, it can be used in curing or treating patients and helping them cope with their illnesses.
What is Placebo Effect?
Though it entails the use of non-reactive medications, placebos are powerful tools in pain management. The procedure is done by first administering placebos to patients suffering from chronic pain. Even when the so-called treatment or medication has no actual therapeutic value, the patient actually starts to feel better and some actually become pain-free. This occurrence is called the Placebo Effect. What really happens is that when people are conditioned or made to believe that taking a certain medication will make him better or will cure him of his pain, the very thought itself sparks a response in his brain. The positive response in his brain stimulates the production and release of endorphins. Endorphins are hormones that are produced by the pituitary gland which act like morphine. Endorphins prevent or relieve pain and provide a feeling of temporary euphoria.
What are the Disadvantages of the Placebo Effect?
Current studies from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternaive Medicine confirm that the use of placebos on patients suffering from pain can give significant advantages in terms of temporary pain reduction. However, reactions to placebos may vary from one person to another. One person’s response may not be as as potent as another person’s conditioned response. Since it is the response that directly affects the release of endorphins, there will be instances when some people will feel better while others will not.
Since using placebos is a fictitious form of treatment or therapy, patients who may opt to stick to their fake treatments are in danger of delaying real medical treatments. This delay may worsen the patient’s present condition. This predicament, however, does not apply to terminally ill patients who need pain management more than anything else.

Martial arts and sexual health : bodhidharma

According to history, in A.D. 527, an emperor named Wu Di invited an Indian monk named Bodhidharma to travel to China. The purpose of the journey was for Bodhidharma to come and teach his fellow monks in certain exercises to help strengthen their bodies. Monks in Henan province were frequently attacked by bandits and had no training in how to defend themselves.
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An extension of the above posture can be attained in the following manner: staying in the final posture obtained above, open your eyes. Move the palms about 10-15 cms towards the knees. Curve the back upwards so that it shapes like an arch. Relax the neck and hang the head down. Draw the chin towards the chest and relax the abdomen, practice differential relaxation and then do prandharana. This is the final extension posture of marjaraasana- maintain it according to capacity.Releasing the asana: Start by lowering the right leg by bending it at the knee, then rest the knee on the floor. Lower the head and make the back parallel to the ground, loosen it up and relax.
Clinical studies show that martial artists use several aspects of fitness like muscular strength, endurance, aerobic, and anaerobic conditioning. Their training also involves flexibility, body composition, motor skills, and coordination. These training modes may give practitioners health benefits such as stronger muscles and improved endurance. Martial arts training also includes meditation. These moments of stillness may bring short periods of relaxation. Some people actually see martial arts as “moving meditation.” Researches have also shown that the regular practice of martial arts help release stress and improve one’s self-esteem. Sexual health
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Bodhidharma, Father of Zen and Kung Fu

~It is all about where you are placed because this is what the intention is...and that intention is NOW in your present reality as this is what you wished~

Forever in my eyes and heart*

Forever in my eyes and heart*


I have traveled far for mountain high
To reach the clouds and kiss the sky
My heart has seen eternity there
With open arms to embrace and care
So I become of this, forever to be
My Love for new heights always to see

 

Tender moments*

Tender moments*


Moon of glow in passing night
Sunshine on the horizon, here in sight
Guidance from the Soul, darkness passed
Light and Love has come at last
What happiness, this Love I feel
Now it is with you, tender moments that I steal

Heart kept in your Soul*

Heart kept in your Soul*

Look at me with open eyes, your sins they have past

True test of Love, your Soul* with heart, did not make it last

You are Now safe within this, the feeling gets so strong

The heart you have within, gives this feeling where it belongs

Continuing with the moment, it brings more Love with each step

Now you know where heart is, it is with your Soul* where it is kept

 

Satisfied search of Love*

Satisfied search of Love*


Oh passion, give me passion, my heart yearns for you
I have searched the world over, to find a Lover so true
Please more and more I walk this unknown world
Hopefully seeking the flower, that the bloom has unfurled
For in this that I search and open heart can be
I know that Love is within your heart, and will Now satisfy me

 

To be bright is to be free*

To be bright is to be free*


The darkness came in a deep sky of black
Jewels in the sky not seen, for this is what it lacked
But Now the sun has ushered in brightness of the day
My heart is filled with happiness sent on its way
The feeling of Love pulls me through intuitively
I feel the easy effort, I walk with my heart so free 

Sumatra Source Trip: Part One. The Trip

One of the stand out moments of 2010 for me was discovering the Sumatran Takengon whilst cupping at Market Lane Coffee. I then set out on a relentless campaign to convince Marwin and Tim to order a bag of green for us, ultimately succeeding and using it as the base of my blend in the Victorian Barista Championships. Between those times, however, an amazing opportunity was offered to me: a chance to go to origin, Sumatra, and see and understand this bean’s story.
For many Australians, Indonesia means Bali, and beaches. To me, Indonesia is now all about coffee and all those that have a hand in producing it. Fleur and I were lucky enough to meet some of those people from the very first day, arriving before everyone else and visiting the Sarimakmur processing plant and mill on the edge of Medan.



 Most of these women are paid government mandated minimum wage to hand sort beans: in some cases, it’s one 60 kg bag of coffee, per woman, per day! This was also my introduction to some of the machinery used to sort coffee: for example, the colour sorter. It does exactly that: sorts coffee according to a pre-defined colour, within definable parameters, at an incredible speed. I also saw here the most coffee I have seen in my entire life (and this was only their robusta warehouse!).

Over the next few days, we visited farms and mills around the Lake Toba area on our way to Wahana Estate. One of the huge obstacles in gaining specialty grade coffee is traceability, and in an area such as this with most farms not exceeding half an acre, traceability starts at the mill which buys coffee from farmers and at markets, rather than at the farm level. Wahana Estate is an attempt to combat that, and was truly impressive: over 200 hectares of land they are experimenting with over ten different coffee varietals, to see which grows best in that environment, from Rasuna to Longberry to Catuai. They will soon obtain 300 hectares more to plant with those that succeed: growing what they believe will be Sumatra’s first true estate coffee. Wahana Estate is also home to a mill, and several civet cats. Whilst not meaning to offend our hosts, this was not an aspect of the industry I enjoyed seeing – luwaks kept in cages with coffee growing in with them, and coffee cherries being fed to them alongside other fruits.
It was then back to Medan in preparation for the 12 hour bus ride to Takengon, Aceh. In the day we spent there we visited many farms, slightly larger than those in the Lake Toba area, and small and large coffee ‘collectors’. A common sight in Sumatra was coffee from small farmers drying on the side of the road, in their front yards, on schoolyards, anywhere it would fit!

International Day of Peace for ‘All Beings’ 21 September, 6pm and 8.30pm at Monk Bodhi Dharma

The old hippie and the crew are back to celebrate the International Day of Peace on Wednesday 21st September, 2011 at Monk Bodhi Dharma.

Michael Hewstone (ex Peace Kitchen) and the crew from the Monk will be holding a peace offering and celebratory dinner with absolutely all the proceeds going to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Edgars Mission! The animal kingdom is having a hard time at the moment, so we are coming together to celebrate peace amongst all beings!

Due to the success of the event last year and having to turn people away, we are happy to announce that we are holding two sessions (don’t tell the cookie boy!)

Date and Time: Wednesday 21 September, 2011 at 6pm and 8.30pm

Bookings Essential. To make a booking, go to: http://www.monkbd.com.au/wpd

Dinner will be fully vegan and will include the following :

Three [3] dip combo/ Moroccan Pumpkin, Mexican Red Bean and Middle Eastern Hummus served with organic corn chips and raw vegetable crudités

Rasam [soup],

Feast Plate/ Sea Shepherd Pie, Mansoor Dal, Spiced Potatoes, Royal Rice [Sela], Lijjat Pappads, Silverbeet Kitchari and Chile Jam,

Raw selection of mignardises including chocolates, cookies, biscotti and macaroons

Beautiful Chai Masala

What is International Day of Peace?

The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly.

International Day of Peace is also a Day of Ceasefire – personal or political. Take this opportunity to make peace in your own relationships as well as impact the larger conflicts of our time. Imagine what a whole Day of Ceasefire would mean to humankind.

http://internationaldayofpeace.org

Upgrade to ‘Z Class’ for Peace

Cause it’s getting squishy squashy at the Monk on our celebratory dinner for International Day of Peace (21 September, 2011), the cookie boy has kindly offered us his wheels pictured below as an alternative eating space that will be parked outside the Monk.
This will particularly appeal to the more casual swinger hipster cool types that are looking for the experience of how this old hippie traveled the 3 K’s (Kuta, Kathmandu. Kabul) in the 60’s. But if you are straight edged and cashed up, that’s cool too!
As this is a once only offering for people looking for a more intimate occasion, it will also come at a premium price of $100 per person. Rest assured that absolutely all the proceeds go to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Edgars Mission!
Bookings of 3-4 only on a first come first served basis.
Date and Time: Wednesday 21 September, 2011 at 6pm and 8.30pm
Dinner will be fully vegan and will include the following :
Three [3] dip combo/ Moroccan Pumpkin, Mexican Red Bean and Middle Eastern Hummus served with organic corn chips and raw vegetable crudités
Rasam [soup]
Feast Plate/ Sea Shepherd Pie, Mansoor Dal, Spiced Potatoes, Royal Rice [Sela], Lijjat Pappads, Silverbeet Kitchari and Chile Jam
Raw selection of mignardises including chocolates, cookies, biscotti and macaroons
Beautiful Chai Masala
Please book online through www.monkbd.com.au/wpd as a regular payment and then email marwin@monkbd.com.au to request an upgrade.

Bodhidharma : Dàoxuān (Tao-hsuan) - Further Biographies of Eminent Monks

In the 7th-century historical work Further Biographies of Eminent Monks (續高僧傳 Xù gāosēng zhuàn), Dàoxuān (道宣; 596-667) possibly drew on Tanlin's preface as a basic source, but made several significant additions:
Firstly, Dàoxuān adds more detail concerning Bodhidharma's origins, writing that he was of "South Indian Brahmin stock" (南天竺婆羅門種 nán tiānzhú póluómén zhŏng).^[12]
Secondly, more detail is provided concerning Bodhidharma's journeys. Tanlin's original is imprecise about Bodhidharma's travels, saying only that he "crossed distant mountains and seas" before arriving in Wei. Dàoxuān's account, however, implies "a specific itinerary":^[13] "He first arrived at Nan-yüeh during the Sung period. From there he turned north and came to the Kingdom of Wei".^[12] This implies that Bodhidharma had travelled to China by sea, and that he had crossed over the Yangtze River.
Thirdly, Dàoxuān suggests a date for Bodhidharma's arrival in China. He writes that Bodhidharma makes landfall in the time of the Song, thus making his arrival no later than the time of the Song's fall to the Southern Qi Dynasty in 479.^[13]
Finally, Dàoxuān provides information concerning Bodhidharma's death. Bodhidharma, he writes, died at the banks of the Luo River, where he was interred by his disciple Huike, possibly in a cave. According to Dàoxuān's chronology, Bodhidharma's death must have occurred prior to 534, the date of the Northern Wei Dynasty's fall, because Huike subsequently leaves Luoyang for Ye. Furthermore, citing the shore of the Luo River as the place of death might possibly suggest that Bodhidharma died in the mass executions at Heyin 河陰 in 528. Supporting this possibility is a report in the Taishō shinshū daizōkyō stating that a Buddhist monk was among the victims at Héyīn.

T'an-lín's preface to the Two Entrances and Four Acts (bodhidharma)

The second account was written by T'an-lín (曇林; 506–574). T'an-lín's brief biography of the "Dharma Master" is found in his preface to the Two Entrances and Four Acts, a text traditionally attributed to Bodhidharma, and the first text to identify Bodhidharma as South Indian:

"The Dharma Master was a South Indian of the Western Region. He was the third son of a great Indian king. His ambition lay in the Mahayana path, and so he put aside his white layman's robe for the black robe of a monk [...] Lamenting the decline of the true teaching in the outlands, he subsequently crossed distant mountains and seas, traveling about propagating the teaching in Han and Wei."^[9]

T'an-lín's account was the first to mention that Bodhidharma attracted disciples,^[10] specifically mentioning Dàoyù (道育) and Huìkě (慧可), the latter of whom would later figure very prominently in the Bodhidharma literature.
T'an-lín has traditionally been considered a disciple of Bodhidharma, but it is more likely that he was a student of Huìkě, who in turn was a student of Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma : Yáng Xuànzhī (Yang Hsüan-chih) - The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang

The earliest text on Bodhidharma, is a contemporary account by Yáng Xuànzhī (Yang-Hsuan-chih 楊衒之), a writer and translator of Mahāyāna Buddhist texts into the Chinese language. He compiled in 547 The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang (洛陽伽藍記 Luòyáng Qiélánjì), was compiled in by Yáng Xuànzhī. He gives the following account:

"At that time there was a monk of the Western Region named Bodhidharma, a Persian Central Asian. He traveled from the wild borderlands to China. Seeing the golden disks [on the pole on top of Yǒngníng's stupa] reflecting in the sun, the rays of light illuminating the surface of the clouds, the jewel-bells on the stupa blowing in the wind, the echoes reverberating beyond the heavens, he sang its praises. He exclaimed: "Truly this is the work of spirits." He said: "I am 150 years old, and I have passed through numerous countries. There is virtually no country I have not visited. Even the distant Buddha-realms lack this." He chanted homage and placed his palms together in salutation for days on end."^[7]

Dumouling gives another translation of the same text:
"In those days there was a Sramana Bodhidharma from the western regions, originally a man from Persia. He came from rugged countries and was staying in the Middle Land. When he beheld how the golden dome sparkled in the sun, how its light reflected upon the surface of the clouds, how the precious bell housed the wind within itself, and how its voice rang beyond the heavens, he sang a hymn of praise: "Truly how wonderful it all is!". He said that he was 150 years old and had travelled all countries and had visited all regions, but that nothing in Jambudvipa was comparable with the beauty of this temple, that is surpassed all others, and that there was nothing like it anywhere. With hands clasped, he daily invoked devotedly the name of Buddha.

Bodhidharma

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an (Sanskrit: Dhyāna, Japanese: Zen) to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch. According to Chinese legend, he also began the physical training of the Shaolin monks that led to the creation of Shaolinquan.
Little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is extant, and subsequent accounts became layered with legend.^[1] There are three principal sources for Bodhidharma's biography^[2]: Yáng Xuànzhī's (Yang Hsüan-chih) The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang (547), Tánlín's preface to the Two Entrances and Four Acts (6th century CE), and Dàoxuān's (Tao-hsuan) Further Biographies of Eminent Monks (7th century CE).
These sources vary on their account of Bodhidharma being either "from Persia" (547 CE), "a Brahman monk from South India" (645 CE), "the third son of a Brahman king of South India" (ca. 715 CE).^[1] Some traditions specifically describe Bodhidharma to be the third son of a Pallava king from Kanchipuram.^[3][4]
The accounts also differ on the date of his arrival, with one early account claiming that he arrived during the Liú Sòng Dynasty (420–479) and later accounts dating his arrival to the Liáng Dynasty (502–557). Bodhidharma was primarily active in the lands of the Northern Wèi Dynasty (386–534). Modern scholarship dates him to about the early 5th century.^[5]
Several stories about Bodhidharma have become popular legends, which are still being used in the Ch'an and Zen-tradition.
Bodhidharma's teachings and practice centered on meditation and the Lankavatara Sutra.
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 Buddha himself.
Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as a rather ill-tempered, profusely bearded and wide-eyed barbarian. He is described as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian" in Chinese texts.