…in china and what happened there. 520 AD, a legendary or perhaps actually historical Indian Saint came to china. This was Bodhidharma. He noticed there that what people were interested in were the rituals of Buddhism, the chants of Buddhism, the translation…

…he named the number of monasteries I'm supporting and he named the number of monks and nuns. What merit have I gained? Bodhidharma answers none. Then the emperor says: who is this impudent person talking to me? And Bodhidharma says: I do not know. This…

…and nuns. What merit have I gained? Bodhidharma answers none. Then the emperor says: who is this impudent person talking to me? And Bodhidharma says: I do not know. This didn't recommend him to the emperor so he went across the river and as the story…

…greatly concerned with rites following Confucius Advice and let it be within you. Well, a Confucian Scholar came to consult with Bodhidharma and stood beside him for some time. Bodhidharma was looking at the wall. Snow came down, Bodhidharma still looking at…

…and let it be within you. Well, a Confucian Scholar came to consult with Bodhidharma and stood beside him for some time. Bodhidharma was looking at the wall. Snow came down, Bodhidharma still looking at the wall. The man was getting no result whatsoever.…

…Scholar came to consult with Bodhidharma and stood beside him for some time. Bodhidharma was looking at the wall. Snow came down, Bodhidharma still looking at the wall. The man was getting no result whatsoever. So, in order to show that he was serious, he…

…was getting no result whatsoever. So, in order to show that he was serious, he cut off his arm and presented it to Bodhidharma. And this, of course, distracted Bodhidharma from his meditation and he turned and said: what do you want? And the man said: I…

…So, in order to show that he was serious, he cut off his arm and presented it to Bodhidharma. And this, of course, distracted Bodhidharma from his meditation and he turned and said: what do you want? And the man said: I want you to set my soul at…

…his meditation and he turned and said: what do you want? And the man said: I want you to set my soul at REST. And Bodhidharma says: produce your soul and I will set it at REST. And the answer was: I can't find my soul. And Bodhidharma says: leave it…

…REST. And Bodhidharma says: produce your soul and I will set it at REST. And the answer was: I can't find my soul. And Bodhidharma says: leave it alone, it's at REST. This man became the second leader of this Zen or Chan Buddhism. Now the word Zen is…

…By doing the things that you are normally doing, you are performing the work that is no work, which is the meditation of Bodhidharma. So instead of sitting, we have moving around Buddhism. Now this is the Chan Buddhism of china. When you read books today…

…of ritual discipline, of the interpretation of words and all that kind of thing. And then an Indian Buddhist came to china named Bodhidharma, and he sat facing a wall for nine years and didn't say a darned word. And the point here was: Buddhism consists…

…of huining neng is told us and told us and told us and given as us the typical story of Zen, but then behind that there's Bodhidharma, the one who sat facing the wall these years. Then go to Japan and go to a Zen Monastery and what do you see? You…