Now that Doctrine of the Heart had always been in existence; it does not mean that Bodhidharma invented anything.  But in a line of Teachers, each will have its own methods, and, if there is progress, there will be new and deeper revelations.  The Buddha gave out so much, as the time permitted him; Nagarjuna, founding the Mahayana, so much further; Bodhidharma, now that with the move to China a new lease of life had come, gave out, or rather taught to his disciples, so much more again of the doctrine that in its fulness is and always has been the doctrine of the Lodge.

Lian Wuti, the emperor at Nanking, had been at the end of the fifth century a general in the service of the last scion of a dying dynasty there, and a devout Taoist; in 502 he became the first of a new dynasty, the Liang; and presently, a devout Buddhist.  Chinese historians love him not; Fenollosa describes him as too generous-minded and other-worldly for success.  Yet he held the throne for nearly fifty years; a time in which art was culminating and affairs advancing through splendor and unwisdom to a downfall.  Twice he took the yellow robe and alms-bowl, and went forth through his domains, emperor still, but mendicant missionary preaching the Good Law.—­The Truth? the Inner doctrine?—­I learn most about this poor Lian Wuti from the record of an interview held once between him and the ‘Blue-eyed Brahmin’ Master of Dzyan.  Lian Wuti invited Bodhidharma to court, and Bodhidharma came.  Said the emperor: 

—­“Since my accession I have been continually building temples, transcribing books, and admitting new monks to take the vows.  How much merit may I be supposed to have accumulated?”

—­“None,” said Bodhidharma.

—­“And why none?”

—­“All this,” said the Master, “is but the insignificant effect of an imperfect cause not complete in itself; it is but the shadow that follows the substance, and without real existence.”

—­“Then what,” asked Wuti, “is real merit?”

—­“It consists in purity and enlightenment, depth and completeness; in being wrapped in thought while surrounded by vacancy and stillness.  Merit such as this cannot be won by worldly means.”

Wuti, I suppose, found this kind of conversation difficult, and changed the subject,—­with an exotericist’s question.  Said he: 

—­“Which is the most important of the holy doctrines?”

—­“Where all is emptiness,” said Bodhidharma, “nothing can be called holy.”

A neat compliment, thinks good externalist Wuti, may improve things.—­“If nothing can be called holy,” says he, “who is it then that replies to me?”—­holiness being a well-known characteristic of Bodhidharma himself.  Who answered merely: 

—­“I do not know”; and went his ways.  The final comment on the interview is given by a Japanese writer thus:  “Can an elephant associate with rabbits?”

For the rest, he spent the remaining years of his life in a cave-temple near Honanfu; and died after appointing a Chinaman his successor.  Besides this small stock of facts there is a sort of legend; as for example: