达摩祖师 西来震旦 Patriarch Bodhidharma Comes from the West to China

Patriarch Bodhidharma Comes from the West to China

达摩祖师　西来震旦

Bodhidharma–“Bodhi” meaning enlightened and “Dharma” meaning the teachings–was the Twenty-Eighth Patriarch in India. Why didn’t he stay in India and be a Patriarch there? Why did he go to China? Well, previously Shakyamuni Buddha made a prediction that from the Twenty-eighth Patriarch on, the Great Vehicle teaching should go to China.

菩提达摩，菩提是觉，达摩是法。他是印度第二十八代祖师，可是他为什么不在那儿做祖师，而跑到中国来？因为以前佛陀曾经说过，到第二十八代的时候，大乘佛法应该传到震旦，震旦就是中国。

Thus it happened that Patriarch Bodhidharma sailed from India to China.

所以达摩祖师就由印度坐船到中国来了。