Topic Archive

Myths about Mount Song

Explore myths connected by the recurring theme of Mount Song across cultures, characters, and sacred places.

2 myths currently featured for Mount Song.

Bodhidharma's Nine-Year Meditation at Shaolin

🐉 Chinese MythologyShaolin Temple, Mount Song, ChinaBodhidharma • Huike • Emperor Wu of Liang

Bodhidharma, the legendary monk and founder of Chan Buddhism, is said to have spent nine years in deep, silent meditation facing a stone wall in a cave near the Shaolin Temple. His concentration was so absolute that his shadow became permanently burned into the rock, and he reputedly cut off his eyelids to prevent himself from falling asleep. This feat of endurance and spiritual discipline...

Cao Guojiu Renouncing His Corrupt Royal Family to Study the Dao in the Mountains

🐉 Chinese MythologyMount Song, Henan, ChinaCao Guojiu • Cao Jingzhi • Empress Cao

Cao Guojiu, a noble of the Song Dynasty and brother to the Empress, abandoned his life of privilege and political power after becoming deeply ashamed of his younger brother's crimes and corruption. Seeking spiritual redemption and the ultimate truth, he distributed his wealth to the poor and retreated to the peaks of Mount Song to live as a hermit. His sincere devotion to the Dao eventually...