It is said that when Bodhidharma set out to spread the wisdom of Gautama Buddha, he headed East towards what is today China. As he walked across the land on one Full Moon night, he saw nothing but barren land. There were no bushes, no shrubs, no trees, nothing except sand dunes for as far one could see in the moonlit night.
Suddenly, a man carrying a sword appeared and yelled: "Stop, or I will kill you." To this, Bodhidharma replied: "Kill me if you wish. I am here to speak Buddha's Words of Wisdom. I come in peace".
Suddenly, a man carrying a sword appeared and yelled: "Stop, or I will kill you." To this, Bodhidharma replied: "Kill me if you wish. I am here to speak Buddha's Words of Wisdom. I come in peace".
Feeling challenged, the angry warrior rushes across the barren land. His brisk walking is slowed down quickly by his feet sinking in the ground. Every step he took made him sink under the ground by a few centimeters. As he began to sink in the sand, he screamed for help. Bodhidharma held out his hands and pulled him out of quicksand. It is said that the warrior was enlightened.
The philosophy behind this is for one to think things through before committing to do something. One must have an extraordinary sense of awareness to perceive the environment.
