達摩祖師 西來震旦 Patriarch Bodhidharma Comes from the West to China

Patriarch Bodhidharma Comes from the West to China

達摩祖師　西來震旦

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.

菩提達摩，菩提是覺，達摩是法。他是印度第二十八代祖師，可是他為什麼不在那兒做祖師，而跑到中國來？因為以前佛陀曾經說過，到第二十八代的時候，大乘佛法應該傳到震旦，震旦就是中國。

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

所以達摩祖師就由印度坐船到中國來了。