Bodhidharma, sensing that the emperor couldn’t understand him, crossed the Yangtze river and went to another country called Wi. Later the emperor of Yang regretted failing to recognise him and wanted to send for him. Then, master Ji-Gong said to him, “Don’t try to bring him back. He will never return even if you send all the people for him.”
Student: “Why did Ji-Gong say that Bodhidharma would never return even if the emperor of Yang sent all the people for him?”
Master: “What can be brought and taken is not Bodhidharma.”
Commentary:
The Buddha neither comes nor goes but is with us wherever we may go.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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