After leaving Emperor Wu, Bodhidharma continued his journey, heading north, when he reached the city of Nanjing. In the city of Nanjing, there was a famous place called the Flower Rain Pavillion where many people gathered to speak and relax. There was a large crowd of people gathered in the Flower Rain Pavillion around a Buddhist monk, who was lecturing. This Buddhist monk was named Shen Guang.
Shen Guang had at one time been a famous general. He had killed many people in battle but one day realized that the people he had been killing had family and friends and that one day someone might come and kill him. This changed him and he decided to train as a Buddhist monk. Eventually, Shen Guang became a great speaker on Buddhism. As Bodhidharma neared the crowd, he listened to Shen Guang's speech. Sometimes Shen Guang would speak and Bodhidharma would nod his head, as if in agreement. Sometimes Shen Guang would speak and Bodhidharma would shake his head, as if in disagreement. As this continued, Shen Guang became very angry at the strange foreign monk who dared to disagree with him in front of this crowd. In anger, Shen Guang took the Buddhist beads from around his neck and flicked them at Bodhidharma. The beads struck Bodhidharma in his face, knocking out two of his front teeth. Bodhidharma immediately began bleeding. Shen Guang expected a confrontation; instead, Bodhidharma smiled, turned and walked away.
This reaction astounded Shen Guang, who began following after Bodhidharma.Similar Posts :
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Bodhidharma in Nanjing
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