This book presents a cogent and highly readable translation of the Bodhidharma Anthology, an ancient manuscript discovered in a cave in Northwest China in the early 20th century that contains the earliest Zen books of recorded sayings. Jefrey Broughton's meticulous sorting of historical wheat from mythical chaff comprises a brief introduction to the text itself. For those who are interested or students of Zen, it provides an indispensable formulary of the texts that represent the very root of the subject. For anyone interested in Buddhism, it outlines the development of this particular tradition that was nurtured and has thrived in China and Japan for nearly 1,000 years.