Bodhidharma Quotes

Neither gods nor men can forsee when an evil deed will bear its fruit.

To find a buddha, you have to see your nature. Whoever sees his nature is a buddha. If you don't see your nature, invoking buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings, and keeping precepts are all useless. Invoking buddha's results in good karma, reciting sutras results in a good memory; keeping precepts results in a good rebirth, and making offerings results in future blessings–but no buddha.

Unless they see their nature, how can people call themselves buddhas? They're liars who deceive others into entering the realm of devils. Unless they see their nature, their preaching of the Twelve-fold Canon is nothing but the preaching of devils. Their allegiance is to Mara, not to the Buddha. Unable to distinguish white from black, how can they escape birth and death?

Seeing through the mundane and witnessing the sublime is less than an eye-blink away. Realization is now. Why worry about gray hair?

達磨面壁。二祖立雪斷臂云。弟子心未安。乞師安心。
磨云。將心來。與汝安。
祖云。覓心了不可得。
磨云。為汝安心竟。

Many roads lead to the Path, but basically there are only two: reason and practice.

Trying to find a buddha or enlightenment is like trying to grab space. Space has a name but no form. It's not something you can pick up or put down. And you certainly can't grab it. Beyond this mind you'll never see a buddha. The buddha is a product of your mind. Why look for a buddha beyond this mind?

舉梁武帝問達摩大師：「如何是聖諦第一義？」
摩雲：「廓然無聖！」
帝曰：「對朕者誰？」
摩雲：「不識。」
帝不契，達摩遂渡江至魏。

The Emperor Wu of Liang asked the great teacher Bodhidharma,
“What is the ultimate meaning of the holy truths?”
Bodhidharma said, “Empty, nothing holy.”
The emperor said, “Who is answering me?” Bodhidharma said, “Don’t know.”
The emperor didn’t understand.
Bodhidharma subsequently crossed the Yangtse River into the kingdom of Wei.