Prajnatara,
Bodhidharmas Guru is depicted as a man. But there is a strong evidence that Prajnatara actually was a woman, a great Mahayana yogini of southern India (Kerala) whom had no problems demonstrating the power and true light of Mahayana. Prajnatara , originally was a homeless wife who wandered western India and called herself Keyura, which means “necklace” or “bracelet.”
One day she met Master Punyamitra from Keyrua (Punya-Mitra meaning friend or ally with good merit), and they felt a great dharma connection between them from past lives. She became Punyamitra’s student and was re-named Prajnatara. She became known as an accomplished yogini and very powerful Siddhi (Dragon) who could see into the past, present and future.
Prajnatara or Prajna-Tara means “Supreme wisdom -Tara”. “Pure Light of Tara” and so on. The re-naming was made by her dharma master Punyamitra . Her dharma name, PrajnaTara, denoted in a way her awakening to pure Mind and the ability to produce bodhicitta, which enabled PrajnaTara to gain great Prajna (noble wisdom) something also Daijan Huineng required from his students (read his platform sutra). The ability to produce bodhicitta was the foremost mark of an authentic Chan master or very advanced chan student.
When Huns swept down through northern India in the 5th century, Prajnatara went further south to escape the chaos and slaughter. The Pallava king of south India, King Simhavarman (~450 CE) , invited her to teach in his capital.
Prajnatara, the twenty-seventh patriarch of Indian Buddhism, when Bodhidharma was a young boy, arrived the Pallava capital. The king warmly invited Prajnatara to the palace, gave many jewels and precious stones, and prepared a wonderful banquet. After the meal, the king asked Prajnatara to speak to his court.
Prajnatara laid out all the jewels that the king had given him and asked the audience, "Does anyone here know if there exists anything more precious than these jewels?"
The king's oldest son
Vitimiratara spoke first, "Honourable Master Prajnatara, my great grandfather bought that piece of jade in the pile before you with ten castles. I believe that must be the most valuable thing."
"Those jewels were brought from far, far away," the king's second son,
Punyatara then said. "Some people even wanted to trade their houses for them, so they are very valuable." Many ministers echoed the opinions of the two princes.
Then the words came from the youngest, "The most valuable thing is the Buddha's teachings. These jewels are valuable because they are rare and difficult to come by, but when death takes us away, they seize to be our possessions. The teachings of our Lord Buddha though, are not only a petty help in life, but could lead to our emancipation of the circle of rebirth and death, so that eventually we can attain Buddha hood."
Everyone in the audience was stunned speechless by young prince's words. However, Prajnatara knew right away that this prominent youngster would be the next patriarch. Soon after, while Prajnatara and the young Bodhitara were walking about the palace gardens, the Old Master found the proper time to ask some questions to his prominent and future successor.
"You may tell me, young man, what among things is the most beautiful?" and the young prince replied, "That, which is the most beautiful among things, is unborn" Prajnatara looking for a while the young man, continued, "What among things is the highest?" and the young prince responded without a second thought, "True nature is the highest".
And that was the Prajnatara's last question to the youngster. "Come now, young man, it is time to return", said to him stroking his long beard. In their way back, Prajnatara asked the king, if he could change his gifts and precious offers, by letting the great teacher taking the young prince as his student. Much to his happiness, the king proudly agreed, and within few days gave his son to his new "Father".
Bodhidharma was with his father until his father died. After the death of Bodhidharma’s father, while everyone was mourning, Bodhidharma sat in front his father's pall, for seven days. When the ceremonies and the burial ended, Bodhidharma, returned to Prajnatara to learn enlightment and attain supreme insight.
After Bodhidharma learned the supreme insight, when Bodhidharma asked his guru (teacher) what he should do next, his guru replied that he should go to
Zhen Dan (China) and establish Dharma in order to teach them the value of the excellent capability after Prajnatara's death.
Bodhidharma wondered, "How could it be, recognizing those who would accept the teaching? Is it possible the existence of troubles at the country, in the next thousand years?" Prajnatara by closing the eyes responded "Innumerable persons will exist, that will be awakened in that land you teach. Although problems may exist, you should remain as humble as you can. As long as you reach China, do not search in the southern lands, because people there are interested for wealthy jobs and they are not aware of the substance of the Teaching".
Also, Prajnatara recited a verse of the Teaching to Bodhidharma,
"Where you will cross the stream
And you shall meet the sheep
Alone and restless you shall cross the dark waters
Under the sun, nobility in two animals, the elephant and the horse
Two Cassia saplings shall flourish forever. There you shall come across
With one in the forest, is going to attain Buddha hood
Jen Dan is Vast, however there is no other way for you to find the ones
They follow your path
A golden rooster could take a seed of wheat to support all the races in the world"
Bodhidharma stayed with Prajnatara until Prajnatara died at the age of 67, on December 16, 457 and then started to
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