Bodhidharma
~5th–6th century CE · Indian (or Persian) · Early Medieval
Known for: Brought Zen to China — stared at a wall for 9 years, cut off his eyelids to stay awake
Legendary monk who brought Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China. Told Emperor Wu his temple-building earned 'no merit whatsoever.'
His teachings: direct experience over scripture, meditation over ritual.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.