Alejandro Jodorowsky - The Spiritual Journey of Alejandro Jodorowsky - The Creator of El Topo

†29. Eka, or Huike in Chinese (487–593 CE), was the second patriarch of Ch’an. He had several disciples but had to flee, because his eloquence had caused jealousy and hostility among several rival teachers.

‡30. Sosa, or Sengcan in Chinese (d. ca. 606 CE), was the third patriarch of Ch’an and Eka’s disciple.

§ 31. Doshin, or Daoxin in Chinese (580–651 CE), was the fourth Ch’an patriarch and a disciple of Sengcan from a very young age. He was one of the most ardent practitioners of meditation.

*32. A cloth that is the symbol of the transmission from master to disciple. According to Taisen Deshimaru ( Questions à un maître zen [Paris: Albin Michel, 1984]): “In order to sew the first kesas , they collected pieces of funeral shrouds, clothes from women giving birth, and various other ornaments. . [T]hey used material that was considered polluted, undesirable, and destined for the rubbish heap. They washed all the pieces carefully and made them into the noblest form of vestment, a monk’s robe. Thus the most filthy garment became the purest garment, for everyone respected the monk’s kesa.”

*33. The hara is an energy center in the lower belly. In Zen as well as in the martial arts, it is considered to be the center of the human body. It is from this center that the shout “Kwatzu!” (or “Kiai!” in karate) originates.

*34. Hokoji, or Pangyun in Chinese (740–81 °CE), studied the Confucian classics and realized that mere literary study was not enough. Accompanied by his daughter, he traveled in China, seeking the greatest Ch’an masters in order to learn from them. He became the most celebrated layman in Ch’an. He was a disciple of Sekito Kisen and of Baso Doitsu, or Mazu Daoyi in Chinese (709–788 CE). The latter made a major contribution to the reform of Chinese Zen, thanks to his character and his teaching methods.

*35. [There is a play on words here. In French, the word for goat is bouc , pronounced the same as the artist’s name. — Trans .]

Alejandro Jodorowsky is a playwright, filmmaker, composer, mime, psychotherapist, and author of many books on spirituality and tarot, and over thirty comic books and graphic novels. He has directed several films, including The Rainbow Thief and the cult classics El Topo and The Holy Mountain . He lives in France.