景德傳燈錄 3.3

3.3

The twenty-eighth patriarch, Bodhidharma, was the third son of King Sugandha of Southern India. His caste was Kṣatriya, and his original name was Bodhitāra. Later, he met the twenty-seventh patriarch, Prajñātāra, who arrived in his native kingdom to receive the king's offerings. Recognizing the Master's hidden capacity, [Prajñātāra] tested him by having him discern the precious jewel offered by his father together with his two elder brothers, and he elucidated the essentials of the mind. Soon after, the Venerable One said to him: 'You have already attained a thorough comprehension of all dharmas. "Dharma" has the meaning of "penetrating greatness." It is fitting to name you Dharma.' Because of this, his name was changed to Bodhidharma. The Master then said to the Venerable One: 'Having attained the Dharma, to which country should I go to perform the Buddha's work? I pray you deign to give me instruction.' The Venerable One said: 'Although you have attained the Dharma, you must not yet travel far. For the present, remain in Southern India; wait until sixty-seven years after my demise, then you should go to Cīnasthāna to administer the great Dharma medicine and directly receive those of superior roots. Be careful not to go quickly, lest you languish under the sun.' The Master said again: 'Are there great beings there worthy of becoming Dharma vessels? Across a thousand years, will there be hindrances?' The Venerable One said: 'In the region you will convert, those who attain bodhi will be beyond counting. More than sixty years after my demise, there will be a crisis in that kingdom. A patterned cloth in the water will naturally subdue it with ease. When you arrive, do not stay in the south; they only delight in conditioned merits and achievements and do not see the Buddha principle. Even if you arrive there, you must not stay long. Listen to my verse:'