Sixteen centuries ago, there was a Pallava prince, nine years he waited. He lopped off his own left arm, from there comes the now famous one-handed namaste. Even today that school is in existence.
Around fifteen centuries ago, was a Pallava prince. Once he became a monk, he is immersed in what he is doing. As per the wishes of his guru, who told him, go north and spread this, he went north.
Went north enough to go into China. When he went there, the news spread that Buddha's disciple or somebody who is in that path, deeply immersed is coming this way. So emperor who, who had this aspiration all his life, who had built meditation halls, gardens, everything ready and translated all the Buddhist teachings into the local language, kept everything ready for a master to arrive.
Now when he came, by then emperor who is over seventy-two years of age, he came to the border of his kingdom to welcome Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma was not impressed, of course he needed some rest and food, but he is not impressed with the, the grandeur of the welcome. But he received the welcome and sat down and the moment they settled down, emperor who said, can I ask you a question? Bodhidharma said, by all means, question.
So he asked, I have built so many meditation halls, I have prepared so many gardens and so many translations, everything I have done to spread Buddha's message in this part of the world. Will I get nibbana? Nibbana means nirvana or mukti or enlightenment. Bodhidharma looked at him, stared at him with his great big eyes and said, what? You? Nibbana? You will burn in the lowest hell.
Somebody just welcomed you, gave you everything, gave you food and now he says this, he says there's no chance for you because the very fact as you're doing all these things, you're keeping accounts of how many things you have done in your life, you are not getting anywhere and he walked away. People tried to hold him in many places, he just went away and he went near a Shaolin temple. But he did not walk into the temple, he went and sat in a cave close by.
So, when Bodhidharma went and settled in the cave, General Shen followed, wants to be his disciple because he has heard that Bodhidharma is a Kalari expert, a master of Kalari. But Bodhidharma doesn't say a word, nine years he waited. Then Bodhidharma came out and entered the temple.
General Shen followed begging him, please take me as your disciple. Bodhidharma said, that will only happen when the snow turns red. So, General Shen in a fit of courage and sacrifice, he lopped off his own left arm and swung the arm around and all the snow around was covered in his blood and froze in the snow.
Bodhidharma looked at this and he could not push him away anymore, he took him as his disciple. General Shen trained in Kalari, became a master in his own way. From there comes the now famous one-handed Namaste.
Even today, they're doing it, this came from General Shen who had only one arm, he did his Namaste like this. Kalari is considered as the mother of all martial arts. Agastya Muni created this Kalari as an art form so that the yogis and the sadhakas could defend themselves against wild animals, it is from here martial arts went to China.
When Bodhidharma traveled and set up this first Shaolin school, even today that school is in existence and still doing well. They have done various modifications, but the fundamentals are from the Kalari. This is not essentially a combat process as other martial arts have become.
This is essentially a discipline, a kind of an exuberant version of the yogic practices, using the body in many different ways, which will also deepen one's understanding of one's own physical and psychological makeup and also the energetic system.
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