After becoming editor of a magazine, everyday I have a new learning. It was quite interesting today. I just happended to bump into a video about Bodhidharma. This video was done in lieu with the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Mahabalipuram.
I had written a small article about Bodhidharma many years before for the Siruvar malar (children magazine) of a Tamil daily Dina Thandhi. That time I just mentioned that the Master of Bodhidharma was Prajnatara not knowing much about that person.
Today the video mentioned that Bodhidharma's master was a female. Then my interest increased to know more about her. Started browsing the internet for more details about her. It was an interesting story. While browsing, came accross the video named Da mo Zu Shi - Master of Zen. Thinking that it would be in English, I switched onto the video. But it was in Cantonese with English subtitle.
It depicted the story of Bodhidharma from the time he was princess. But the story depicted the master as a male. Today I came to know the life history of Bodhidharma and why he is worshipped as Zen master. Youtube video is available at https://youtu.be/GQiK8m_Z8fo
History is always written based on evidences found in books, literatures and sculptures. So when they found the evidence, the myth of master being a male changed. The evidences were from archeological discoveries, Korean Zen traditions and historical and oral traditions of the people of the state of Kerala. The history has to be rewritten once the evidences are found.
Keeladi, the excavations in Tamil Nadu is also moving to that direction of rewritting history to introduce one more civilization of the world, the oldest one, Tamil Civilization.
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