Collected Treatises of Bodhidharma: The Teachings of No-Mind, Sudden Awakening, and Direct Transmission

📘 Overview – Collected Treatises of Bodhidharma

The Collected Treatises of Bodhidharma is a profound anthology of Chan (Zen) Buddhist wisdom attributed to Bodhidharma, the Indian monk regarded as the First Patriarch of Chinese Chan. The treatises explore the heart of Mahayana Buddhist practice—emphasizing direct insight into the mind, letting go of conceptual thought, and realizing one’s original nature. Through dialogues, question-and-answer formats, and poetic reflections, the texts dismantle dualistic thinking and guide practitioners to the realization of “no-mind” (無心), the gateway to true liberation.

Rather than advocating elaborate rituals or scriptures, Bodhidharma stresses “guarding the original mind” as the essence of Buddhist practice. The treatises blend the depths of Indian Yogacara and Madhyamaka philosophy with the spontaneity and simplicity of early Chan Buddhism.

🧘♂️ Author – Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma (ca. 5th–6th century CE) was a South Indian prince-turned-monk credited with bringing Mahayana Buddhism—especially the Dhyana (Zen/Chan) school—to China. Revered as the First Patriarch of Chinese Chan, he is famed for his radical, no-frills approach to spiritual practice. Eschewing reliance on scriptures and external rituals, Bodhidharma taught that awakening comes from realizing the mind’s true nature directly.

Legend says he spent nine years meditating facing a wall at Shaolin Monastery, exemplifying his teaching of inner stillness and direct perception. His teachings laid the foundation for the later flourishing of Chan and Zen Buddhism throughout East Asia.

📖 Selected Passage

“Sentient beings must awaken and liberate themselves by recognizing their own minds—even the Buddha cannot liberate those who cling to delusion. If the Buddhas could truly deliver others, then with the countless Buddhas of the past, how is it that we have not yet attained Buddhahood? It is only because true sincerity does not arise from within, and thus we remain adrift in the sea of suffering.”