Bodhidharma Calms the Soul

Bodhidharma sat in silence, facing the wall.A monk named Huike came to him again and again, asking for instruction.

But Bodhidharma always turned him away, giving no reply.

One day, Huike stood for hours in the snow. Finally, to show his determination, he cut off his arm (a symbol of radically letting go of all attachments) and offered it to Bodhidharma.

In despair, he cried:“My soul finds no peace. Master, please calm my soul.”

Bodhidharma said:“Bring me your soul, and I will calm it.”

Huike replied:“When I search for my soul, I cannot find it.”

Bodhidharma answered:“Then it is already calmed.”

Comment:

The story shows: The soul cannot be calmed by clinging. Only when we stop searching and cease to grasp at it do we discover true stillness – and there, we find it.