That is how long that it is said that Bodhidharma sat outside the Shaolin temple before they realised he might have something going on.
It is also said, that upon encountering the monks of the Shaolin temple, he proclaimed that they had become too weak due to seated meditation, and that he would teach them exercises to strengthen the body breath such that insight into the self nature would be easy.
Is this story true?
Hard to say.
What can be gleaned from it, for even the most basic minded, is that if you practice seated meditation without exercise, then you will become physically weak and insight into the self nature will become difficult to put it mildly.
If you take a look around at those who do not train, they have the semblance of those who do not train.
If you look at those who do, they have the semblance of those that do train.
The choice of course, is up to you.
This is direct living Chan and Zen. Whether or not you grasp it is up you, whether or not you apply it is up to you.
Submitted October 11, 2017 at 09:14PM by TheSolarian http://ift.tt/2xyPOZ9
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