The Master told me about Damo. A lot I memorized and decided to share with you. I want to live, imitating those who deserve it, and rise on great examples. Maybe something the Master added himself... Maybe it is even better. Thus, the showing the Way became closer and dearer to me. A low bow to him for everything!

Above the entrance to the Delphic Oracle was traced: "Man! Perceive yourself...

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Passing away, Damo said, smiling: "Why am not I made of a stone, as many people in this world?"
Those who created monuments to themselves are forgotten...
Damo lives in each of us, but some people just do not know about it...
I would not keep a chronological order. I would speak and you listen... listen and imagine.

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There is a version that the birth of the tea we owe to Damo... According to a legend, the abbot had been meditating for couple of days in a row and being in the senile age suddenly fell asleep... Being shocked that the imperfection of the old body overcame his spirit, Damo pulled his eyelashes off... In the spot where they fell the bush of the tea roses grew. Later people began to drink strongly made tea, to keep the dream away.

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Once in the monastery which Damo was an abbot of the quarrels between huvaraks (helpers, top disciples) began. They started to think that they reached the tops of the Teaching, and the Master is too old to run the community. Being over seized with false pride they shouted loudly who is to be an abbot. Damo listened to them, took his stick and silently walked through the monastery yard to the gates... On the ground the training in Liao (healing) and Syan-Sue (Martial Arts) were held. Passing his disciples, without turning his head Damo said: "I can't live in the house where silence doesn't exist, and the crave for power rules. I am leaving. Who considers me a Master can follow me... " The monks were confused: Damo was going no where, and here in the monastery it was warm and comfortable. Here, in the monastery were the shelter and food. And then one of the monks snapped up his sword and cut his left hand off: "The loss of the hand is a loss of the part if your life, but the loss of the Master is - a loss of the whole live" - he said. In five minutes, the monastery was empty... There were three huvaraks left. The one, who cut of his hand was named Hui-He, the names of the huvaraks did not stay in the people's memory. It is interesting that later Hui-He created a style of Martial Arts with one hand. This technique called Ui-Koy (Protection from robbers) was very-well spread in Okinawa.

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That story had a continuation… Eventually, after Damo left the starved huvaraks went to the village to get some food. But in violation to the tradition nobody gave them food. They were asked whom they were to get free food and shelter. "Don't you know us? - Shouted the monks - we are Damo's disciples?" "Really? - The farmers were surprised - Why are not you with your Master then?" Nobody likes the traders.

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Once late in the evening Damo with two usens (usen - a monk-fighter) went to visit the neighbor monastery. By that time Bodai became the abbot of several monasteries and often watching the training of the monks lived in this or that Djozeng (temple). Suddenly, he remembered that he did not put in the traveling basket his full herashang (a kind of outfit). "Go and get it, - He said to the accompanying him, - I will keep going alone." The word of the abbot is a haw, and cannot be disobeyed, but even then, the usens exclaimed: "How come, Master? It's night and the robbers are around, and you are alone". Damo, leaning on the stick answered: "I don't have anything. Should a person who does not have a thing be afraid of robbers? Go, I said." The usens ran to complete his will, and Damo went the other way. When it became dark, three robbers equipped with swords jumped out of the bushes. They could not see clearly who was in front of them, and firmly attacked Damo, with the purpose of robbing him first and killing afterwards because just like now, bandits tried not to leave witnesses of their crime… Two of them were killed ride away, and the third one with the bleeding check disappeared in the woods… In the East, there was one very important and unshakable rule: a man who lifted the hand on the monk is never forgiven. Never! Under any circumstances, he was not forgiven. Such a man became banished: nobody gave him either food or shelter (no hand or refuge). Besides there were the commandments of usens: the insult of the abbot was taken as personal and was washed off only with blood. Knowing that, the robber was horrified of his fate and gave Damo the letter (at that time a level of knowledge was as high that even robbers could write). In the letter he asked to forgive him (because even if monks never revenged, he would have died of hunger anyway. Bodai answered: "I forgive you. However, I cannot make my disciples forgive you, because we are preaching the same one law and live by it. If I make them they wouldn't listen to me and would be right… There is one native land and its name is a Law. The idea of the haw is a common equality before it: either for poor or for regents. Leave this life with dignity! You have already lost your face - do not lose it again trying best to save your life." The robber came to the monastery and in front of the goats committed seppuka (cutting the stomach open), by doing that he showed that deserved it. The grave of that man still exists.