Shaolin Temples
The Pagoda Forest: memorials to Shaolin monks. Photo
T Chu.
Shaolin entrance gate, with Song Shan beyond. Photo
Jani.
View of the Shaolin temple complex. Photo
Anna T.
One of the temple halls at Shaolin Si. Photo
Anna T.
Depressions in the floor from repeated stance kicks. Photo
Anna T.
A flying kick. Photo
Elizabeth Switaj.
The Wushu Training Center at Shaolin. Photo
Harry Alverson.
A mural depicting a battle. Photo
Anna T.
Modern monks of Shaolin: sending text messages. Photo
T Chu.
Kung fu demonstration. Photo
Elizabeth Switaj. The Shaolin temples (Shàolín Sì) are a group of Chinese Buddhist monasteries in Henan Province famed for their long association with Chán (Zen) Buddhism and martial arts. Thanks to Kung Fu movies, they are probably the most familiar Buddhist monasteries in the West. Shaolin is situated on China's central Taoist sacred mountain, Song Shan. The name "Shaolin" means "Young Forest".
History
Shaolin was founded during the Northern Wei dynasty in approximately 497 AD and remains one of China's oldest Buddhist temples. It was said to have been used as a home by the Indian monk Batuo during the thirty years he spent preaching Nikaya Buddhism in China.
Shaolin Kong Fu
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But the most famous name associated with Shaolin is that of Bodhidharma or Tamo (pinyin: Dámó), an Indian monk who travelled to China in 5th century to teach Buddhism. A traditional story relates that Bodhidharma sat in meditation facing a wall in a nearby cave for nine years. Bodhidharma's ministry at Shaolin formed the basis for what would later be called the Zen or Chán (Meditation) school of Buddhism.
After entering Shaolin, it is said that Bodhidharma found the monks out of shape from a lifetime spent in study and meditation, so he introduced a regimen of gymnastics which later developed into kung fu.
The monks studied the movements of animals and copied them - crawling snakes, leaping tigers, dancing mantises, and so on. The exercises evolved into a form of self-defense, as Shaolin was isolated in lawless territory and often prey to bandits. (This was a common problem for ancient monasteries, which was met in Egypt by strong walls and in Ireland by round towers.)
From childhood, Shaolin monks subjected themselves to rigorous training five hours a day, every day. Only after 20 years of this could they be considered fully fledged monks, by which time they could perform incredible feats. Examples range from breaking concrete slabs with their fists to balancing on one finger.
The martial arts taught at Shaolin had a spiritual and moral dimension that was considered equally, if not more, important than the physical. The monks spent as many hours praying and meditating as they did in kung fu training. They adhered to a moral code in which self-defense was the only acceptable reason for fighting and killing one's opponent was to be avoided if possible.
Popular tales illustrating these ideals include the story of one monk who fought a thousand enemies with a stick while pretending to be drunk, and the cook who kept a horde at bay with a poker at the temple gates while the other monks continued their meditations undisturbed.
These rules were bent a little, however, as emperors and peasants sought their help in battle. Shaolin Temple's military fame began during the early Tang Dynasty (618-907), when records describe Shaolin monks saving the life of the future emperor Li Shimin (the monks were said to have gotten in and out of the fort before anyone could even raise the alarm) and assisting in his fight against renegade forces.
Once enthroned, the gratified emperor enlarged their compound and gave permission for some monks to continue their military training. Shaolin kung fu reached its peak during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when several hundred Shaolin monks were given military status and weapons were added to their training. Some monks personally led campaigns against rebels and Japanese bandits. By this time, the Shaolin had developed their own unique style of martial arts, known as Shaolinquan.
The original temple survived being sacked and rebuilt many times, but the Manchus destroyed the compound in 1647 and massacred almost the entire population of monks. Shaolin was not rebuilt until around 1800. The most recent destruction was a fire set by the warlord Shi Yousan in 1928, which destroyed the buildings and many priceless manuscripts of the temple library.
At the Cultural Revolution, the temple was sacked and the monks arrested or chased into the countryside to become peasants. The teaching of kung fu was banned in China until the 1980s when, partially thanks to the immensely popular film Shaolin Temple, there was a resurgence of the art. The old masters were allowed to teach again and the government reopened Shaolin, mainly as a tourist attraction.
Kung fu remains incredibly popular in China today, with films featuring the tales of Shaolin monks often making up the bulk of offerings at the cinema. Many Chinese children want to study kung fu and the Wushu Training Center was opened at Shaolin to meet the demand. Few of them want to become monks, however; most dream of being movie stars.
Today's robed residents at Shaolin are highly skilled fighters, but cannot be considered genuine Shaolin monks, for the spiritual side of their discipline is now virtually absent. In fact, the present abbot has a distinct reputation for aggression. There are still genuine Shaolin monks in China, but they keep a low profile and are not to be found at Shaolin.
Nevertheless, the ancient temple remains a center of pilgrimage for martial arts enthusiasts, a good place to get quality kung fu lessons, and a popular tourist destination.
What to See
The present Shaolin temple complex dates mostly from after the 1928 fire. It has been gaudily repainted and filled mainly with souvenir shops, but there are still several sights of interest.
The first temple courtyard contains steles, one of which celebrates the visit of American kung-fu masters. Two of the halls in the back have delightful murals, one of the few things that haven't been repeatedly restored. The monks depicted in the murals look more comic than threatening.
The Qing murals in the White Robe Hall depict the Rescue of Emperor Tai Zong by Thirteen Monks, showing typical kung-fu moves. The Thousand Buddha Hall contains a Ming-dynasty mural of 500 arhats. In the Hall of Wen Shu are deep depressions in the stone floor caused by monks standing in the same place and practising their stance kicks over and over again.
About 200m up the hill from the temple is the impressive Forest of Dagobas (or Pagoda Forest), with hundreds of stone pagoda memorials erected in honor of Shaolin monks from the 9th to 19th centuries. Each one is inscribed with the names of the monk and his disciples. Here the students of the temple practice martial arts in their orange robes: one exercise involves fighting while balanced halfway up the sides of the dagobas.
You can continue the ascent up the mountain by cable car or stone steps from here. The main attraction is the cave where Bodhidarma is said to have spent nine years motionless facing a wall in a state of Zen enlightenment. For a few ¥ you can look at it from the road through a high-powered telescope.
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Shaolin. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our China Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- Wikipedia (some text used under GFDL)
- The Rough Guide to China 4 (October 2005), 300-303.
More Information
- Shaolin Temple - China Highlights
- Shaolin Temples of China - Gungfu.com
- Shaolin Gung Fu Institute
- Shaolin Temple, Hometown of Chinese Kongfu - Travel in China
- Shaolin Kung Fu - Shaolin-Wushu.com
