The twelfth patriarch Bodhisattva Asvaghosa was born at the end of the fifth century after Shakyamuni Buddha went into Nirvana. He had been a debater before becoming a monk. After getting initiated from the eleventh Patriarch, he was able to break all heretical ideas and conquer all heretics. The thirteenth patriarch Kapimala had followed heretic method initially and was particularly good at supernatural powers and mystic practices. He used to have three thousand disciples. He came to Bodhisattva Asvaghosa for competition and argument in the beginning. Do you want to know how Bodhisattva Asvaghosa tamed him and taught him the Dharma? Please listen to Supreme Master Ching Hai’s interesting story about the Twelfth and Thirteenth Zen Patriarchs.

Asvaghosa was a great Bodhisattva. Wherever he went to spread the Dharma, people were all very respectful to him and admired him, Mahayana Buddhism prospered and even the heretics came to follow him and become monks. A great practitioner can affect the sentient beings close to him and turn them into high-level Bodhisattvas; the closer to him, the greater the influence would be. It’s just like coloring clothes with pigment. Bodhisattvas also use His light, wisdom and power to influence sentient beings and turn them to Buddha and Bodhisattva. However, one should have power to be able to influence people. Therefore, initiation is possible because of this power . There's no Dharma to teach actually.