Around 520 CE, the Indian Buddhist monk Bodhidharma (Damo in Chinese) is said to have arrived in China, where he founded the Chan school of Buddhism — known as Zen in Japan. Legend holds that he spent nine years in wall-gazing meditation at the Shaolin Temple. Bodhidharma's teaching emphasized direct pointing at the mind, seeing one's true nature, and attaining Buddhahood — bypassing scripture and ritual. The Chan/Zen tradition he inspired went on to profoundly influence Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese culture, shaping everything from martial arts and tea ceremony to calligraphy and garden design.
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