Althought a number of history articles posted on aboutshaolin.com are a mixture of myth and fact (in some case even their facts are questionable), it is still interesting and worth a read.

A recent article posted by the editorial team call "Bodhidharma is not a Myth" speaks about a stele found in March of 2004.

Apparently the stele was found in San Men Xia County and is dated Nov 25, 772 AD, from the Tang Dynasty. It is recorded as saying that 300 years after Damo's death the emperor of the time, gave Damo the new name/title, "Yuan Jue", at the request of Premier Guo Zi Yi.

The name "Jue Yuan" is a key figure in the development of Shaolin wushu and is part of the legends of many Shaolin traditions. However, Jue Yuan is generally place in a much later period. Our tradition places Jue Yuan in association with Bai Yufeng sometime in the Yuan Dynasty.

Wondering aloud, possibly Yuan Jue, Jue Yuan, and Damo were one and the same person.

r.