Buddhabhadra

From Buddha World

The Indian dhyana master Buddhabhadra or Bátuó was the first abbot of Shaolin Monastery. Former Worthies Gather at the Mount Shuang-feng Stūpa and Each Talks of the Dark Principle contains the following reference to him: Dhyana Master Buddha says: "The extreme principle is wordless. The sagely mind is unimpeded." (Broughton 1999:108) According to the Deng Feng County Recording (Deng Feng Xian Zhi), Bátuó came to China in 464 CE and preached Nikaya Buddhism for thirty years. Thirty-one years later, in 495, the Shaolin Monastery was built by the order of Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei for Batuo's preaching. Bátuó's disciples Sengchou and Huiguang were both expert in the martial arts by the time they began their studies of religion with Batuo and are believed by some to have been the originators of what would become Shaolin kungfu.