First Exposition of the Core Principle

When Patriarch Bodhidharma arrived in the Eastern Land, Emperor Wu of Liang welcomed him with an invitation. The Emperor asked:

"Since I took the throne, I have built temples, copied sutras, and ordained many monks. What merit have I earned?"

Bodhidharma replied: "None of this counts as true merit. It brings only small fruits within the human and heavenly realms."

"Then what is true merit?"

"True merit lies in realizing fundamental wisdom — pure, empty, and still, perfectly integrated and unobstructed. It cannot be sought through any worldly, conditioned means."

The Emperor asked again: "Holy monk, what is the ultimate meaning of the Noble Truth?"

The Patriarch did not answer directly. "The dharmadhatu is empty and still," he said. "From the start there has been nothing holy to speak of — let alone a Noble Truth."

Still puzzled, the Emperor pressed: "If not a sage, then who stands before me?"

Sensing the Emperor had missed the heart of the teaching, Bodhidharma shook his head and said: "I do not know."