Bodhidharma sat facing the wall. Huike, the Second Ancestor, having cut off his arm, stood in the snow and said, “Your disciple’s mind has no peace as yet. I beg you, master, to please put it to rest.”
Bodhidharma said, “Bring me your mind, and I will put it to rest.”
The Second Ancestor said, “I have searched for my mind, but I cannot find it.”
Bodhidharma said, “Then I have completely put it to rest for you.”
The koan of Bodhidharma and his heir, Huike, plunges us into the heart of it: we are not at peace. How can we find peace? Huike’s request for help is to the point. The Buddha’s teaching, has not lost its relevance. At some point, we all come to recognize the difficulties and challenges of this life and are troubled. All we need do is, as Bodhidharma says to Huike, is bring forth our troubled mind so it can be pacified. That shouldn’t be too hard to do, should it? Ha!
Books — “The Three Pillars of Zen” — Philip Kapleau
Photo — Bodhidharma Altar, Oct 2026, Endless Path Zendo
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör
Roshi Rafe Martin. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Roshi Rafe Martin och inte av,
eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.
