Kongozen

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INDO-CHINA CONNECTION

While Ancient India had sophisticated civilizations as early as 10,000 years ago, when men where considered still barbaric, it also chartered the souls journey from ignorance to wisdom as; Sudra (class of people who do-work), Vysya (class of people who get-work-done), Kshatriya (the warrior class), Brahmana (the knower of God or God realized soul). It is interesting to note that the terms did not denote a hard caste-based system, but was only used to show the journey of the soul from ignorance to wisdom. For, every man had equal opportunity to realized himself within the ancient cultural-community framework. Every householder after the age of 60, was permitted to lead a life called Vana Vasagam (Forest-Hermit life). He was free to leave his family, his society and go in search of Trurth. He was permitted to enter the neighbouring mountains and forests and live an isolated life filled with penance, prayer and silence.

India abounds in such stories which is carried from one generation to another and these are called "Puranams".

India thus had many lines of towering saints who were called under different names: swami, muni, sadhu & yogi. India never had a Religion as we now understand it to be. Religion was never an institution as we see it now. The religion called "HINDUISM" is actually not the right term, though it's used for convenience sake. "SANATANA DHARMA" or "ETERNAL RIGHTEOUSNESS" is the term used by the Indians who were called 'Hindus' as the foreigners found them on the banks of the river Indus. the very name expounds what true religions should be - Eternal Righteousness (Sanatana Dharma).

Every Saint within the system, constantly evolved and progressed in time. Saint Mahaveer bettered the socio-communal-spiritual system and was called Jainism. Lord Gautama Buddha bettered this system further and was called Buddhism.

During the past 3000 years, China shared a great interest in India not just for the commercial reasons, but more on the Spiritual and Healing fronts. Many Indians, especially the saints, walked across the silk route into China, and there freely shared and trained the Chinese brethren in the Art of Living.

It is said that till this day, the Chinese look towards India and worship, just like the moslems look towards Mecca and worship.

The Chinese call India as Tenji (Heaven). They rever the India sod and the people who come from India.

Just like many Indians, who build Temples in the Forest Mountains, the Chinese too built Temples and readily adopted the religious science of India (Buddhism). A great temple was built in the Hunan Province of China, called the Shaolin Temple (Shorin- Japanese), which literally means, 'Forest Mountain Temple'. This fact is recorded till date on two paintings found within the Shaolin temple hall, called the 'White Robe Hall'. Here on the paintings, which hangs in the northern and southern walls of the white robe hall, you will clearly find the inscriptions as 'Tenjiku Nara No Kaku' (The fighting art of India) and 'Arahan no Ken' (The fighting art of Monks).

The paintings clearly depict Indians with the chinese partners, happily practising the skills.

Thus it is established scientifically, that there was an influx of Indians into mainland China and that India supremely ruled the hearts of the chinese without war, but socio-spiritual-community based activities.

The first man to introduce Meditation to China was Bodhi Dharma, who is called the first Zen Patriach.

The word 'Zen' came from India. In India we say 'Dhyan' (Hindi: Dhyan se koro! which means, 'do it carefully'). Dhyan was pronounced as 'Chan' in China, 'Chen' in Korea and finally 'Zen' in Japan. Ironically, in this electronic age, many Indians fail to recognise Zen as its own just due to the terminology being foreign. However, the truth is that, India is no alien to Zen and it is the mother of Zen.