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Structure of the Temples

Description of Ranks

The Shaolin had a limited class structure with three major levels: students, disciples, and masters. At the base was the student class, which held the most individuals. Members of this group cooked all the meals, washed clothes and performed all other menial or manual labor. Their station was such in order to teach them humility and respect, but also to provide the masters with an opportunity to observe potential proteges before entrusing them with martial arts skills. One who entered before you and was still in your class was an older brother or sister.

The next class of the Shaolin was composed of disciples. They were students who had demonstrated that they were worthy of learning the martial arts of the temple. Upon entrance into this class, they spent from two to four years in the exclusive study of the Shaolin arts of war and medicine, having already received their basic philosophical training as students. As students they learned the principles of Shaolin ethics; as disciples, their time had come to live those ethics, posing as examples for others to follow.

Above the disciples were the masters, who were accorded status as full monks of the temple. The title of master had been bestowed upon them because they had learned completely a system of martial arts from their temple and perfected it, thus achieving technical mastery. Also, they had succeeded in learning the philosophy of the temple well enough to teach what they had learned. Indeed, this was their function in the temple. They were the dispensers of knowledge to the student classes. Among themselves, they had levels of excellence which indicated their martial arts prowess and their grasp of the Shaolin philosophy.

The title "grandmaster" is not a traditional rank, but a modified term to indicate that the master had also been a teacher of other students who had attained master rank. There was no test or formal requirement for the use of this title, and grandmasers rarely use the term in reference to themselves.

Titles

These titles are in Mandarin

These titles are in Cantonese

Ranking

The young student was curious about why some wore the black sash and others didn't, though both showed similar martial prowess. The Master was approached, and the questions presented to him. His answer was lucid.

"What is a black sash? By now you know that it means entry into discipleship, one who has proven himself over a period of rigorous training. He is dedicated, loyal, knowledgeable and above all, trustworthy. So trustworthy, in fact, that they alone in the organization have a rank which automatically expires annually unless they prove they are still worthy.

"It is not an automatic award; there are no specific physical requirements to met for all. The number of forms is irrelevant. Intangible elements are the most important elements in this promotion. Taking responsibility for one's life and actions; the ability to respoect a trust; the ability to be friend, counselor, sibling, or training companion. Out of the nearly 3000 students in this pai, only a very few have been the black sash.

"They do more than what is asked of them, seeing tasks not as duties but as challenges to learn from. They sacrifice time and effort. Rather than neglect work or school, they learn to cultivate each with their Gung Fu. They are competent in their chosen field, and use this knowledge to enhance that competence. They do not forget the philosophical principles after each class; they LIVE them. And they persevere, even--ESPECIALLY--when things get rough.

"They lead, not through intimidation or rank, but through compassion and respect. They are models, and people openly and genuinely respect them. And they learn, always."

The student pondered this answer for some time. He watched the senior students and new disciples work out, then he watched them during non-training time. In time he saw the difference in action between those who acted in full knowledge of their actions, and those desperately fighting a flow from outside

Finally he understood the whole point of the structure of Shaolin ranking, as it were. You could not be made into a worthy one, but rather you acknowledge that you are by being one. How subtle! How appropriate. How Shaolin.

LIFE IN THE TEMPLE

Part 1

It would be as difficult to describe an "average" day in the life of an "average" Shaolin monk because, as with almost all other human activities, each day and each life was different. What we shall attempt is a guided tour through a temple (based on oral history from Canton's temple) as it existed until about 1915. The features are generalized, but intended to give a vicarious feel for what the reality was like.

The grounds outside the temple contain a variety of agricultural gardens, where most of the monk's food is grown. The front walls, however, are landscaped to reflect Shaolin concepts of peace and harmony. Pine and bamboo are carefully tended to line the approachway, but a grassy area separates the front gates from the trees. This "moat" is about 40 feet wide, and provides an area of no cover for potential intruders to hide behind. It is also out here where most of the weapons practice takes place (only Hollywood could afford a temple so large that all its functions were contained within walls). The main entrance is barred by two huge, wooden gates, that close at right angles to each other; one swings like conventional doors, the other slides laterally from one wall to the other, providing extra protection against battering ram assaults. Normally, the front gates are used for ceremonial occasions, such as the exiting of a recently promoted monk.For today, the gate is secured, and we must enter by a smaller gate on one of the side walls.

As you walk along the side wall, you may observe a few monks playing traditional musical instruments, or attending a philosophical discussion with a senior monk. Though movies portray Shaolin as testosterone-enhanced mega-jocks, the temples were actually cultural centers, something like modern universities. It was believed that mastery could only come from attaining a harmony of body, mind, and spirit. Each monk, therefore, was versed in more than martial arts, which were actually considered among the lower levels of accomplishment. (Here we must digress; Shaolin did not belittle their gung fu, but saw it and the practitioner incomplete and rather wasted if fighting was all he could do well. Gung fu proved a peace of mind through superior firepower, but was mainly used for physical discipline. That discipline was expected to be used to improve the holistic person.)

You enter through a narrow stone portal, and pass into another garden, possibly planted with a variety of flowers. In a small adjacent courtyard some disciples are training in gung fu. Along the walls are benches, where younger students are mending clothes, making baskets, or practing caligraphy. A stone building on the left is the grainery, and just beyond are more monks making flour. All around you are people doing rather mundane activities, for this is the guts area, where food is stored and prepared, students study, and daily business with the outside world transacted. A large structure twenty yards to the right looks like a temple; you enter to find a small temple area, with an altar, statues, and burning joss sticks at the far end. This is not the main temple, but a disciple and student area for daily meditation. It is here where they receive morning and evening instructions in meditation and visualization, and during the daytime disciples are taught other aspects of coordination.

It is here where you may first notice that not all the inhabitants are men; nor are men the only monk trainees. Shaolin was dedicated to the universality of human experience, and denied no one with qualifications admittance (again, contrary to television). Among the most famous Shaolin were some of the "nuns", including southern green dragon co-founder Ng Mui, Wing Chun founder Ng Mui (separated by about ten generations, and probably no relation), and others. The chauvanistic idea that Shaolin was for men only is loudly declaimed by the very existance of two of the Temple's most famous and prestigious styles. As for the term "nun," a sad choice, but, like "priest," was taken from the familiar structure of Christian missionaries to name their "heathen" counterparts. Women in the temple had the same rights, priviledges, responsibilities, and offices as the men. All were addressed as (loose translation) "monk." Only titles of specific address were gender-related (see RANKING), such that senior women were called "older sister", training masters called "aunt", and so on.

Moving out the far door and continuing to the left, you walk through a beautifully manicured garden. The path meanders amoung short islands of grass and carefully raked sand and gravel. Small trees are dotted among the islands. A pool of fish is on one side, and sitting near it is a monk in meditation. At the far end are some students, also meditating. Your walk ends abruptly at another wall, and you may go either left or right; going right, you eventually come to the end of the wall, which is the south face of the main and ceremonial temple building. Ahead some 200 feet is the main gate again, but instead we turn left and proceed across the barren courtyard towards the temple's entrance. We climb three sets of stone stairs and pass through an intricate door, each side supported by a column carved to resemble upwardly-flying dragons, their scale edges colored with gold, their bodies painted dark green. Across the entrance is a red plaque with gold characters that translate into "Shaolin Temple." Huge wooden doors would normally be closed, except when the temple is in ceremonial use; for now, they are open and we proceed inside.

Our eyes slowly adjust to the dark interior, illuminated today by a minimum number of candles along each wall. Above and behind the candles are statues, each 2-3 feet in height; along the left wall are various incarnations of the Buddha, Boddhidarma, and important Shaolin patriarchs from history. Along the right are depictions of the classical animals in a variety of fighting stances, each posed as if defending its human counterpart across the aisle. At the far end of the long hall is a giant statue of the Buddha.

As you leave by a small rear door from the main temple, you can again see the food area to the far left; ahead are the kitchens, eating, and sleeping areas; and to the far right a string of low buildings that house the common rooms, library, and writing areas. You walk through the dining hall into another narrow courtyard bordered by a low wall. At intervals along the wall are narrow entrances, each with a wooden door. Beyond each door is an area for the training and instruction of gung fu--these are the legendary chambers.

Part 2

The training chambers of Shaolin have assumed a nearly mythical status among martial artists, probably because of the legendary results of their successful students. In reality, the chambers were simply training areas for different aspects of gung fu. Some were style-specific, that is, where you would learn the kuen (formwork) of tiger or dragon. Others were places for muscular development, such as horse-training and water-carrying chambers. Some taught coordination and reflex drills; combat and sparring; weapons use; and meditation and visualization techniques. The actual number of chambers varied, depending upon which temple you were in, the combination of skills taught as a "core" by particular training masters, and, naturally, the size of the temple. In Canton, for example, many chambers served double or triple functions. You might study a crane form in chamber 4 at 8 a.m., practice sparring there at 12, and return for coordination drills at 5.

Part 3

It is important to stress that more myth surrounds our general beliefs about Shaolin monks than is warranted. Among the readily dismissed fallacies are: Shaolin were all male, were celebate, were primarily warriors, studied primarily gung fu, were all trained physicians, were different somehow from other people. Myths place real people on pedastals, and this does nothing for potential students. After all, who could possibly and realistically expect to attain demi-godhood? Shaolin had their heros and villains, ascetic priests and political rebels, devout celebates and prolific parents.

The most universally held belief seems to be that Shaolin was a place to study, first and foremost, gung fu. China has a history of hundreds of martial arts, only a small fraction being true "Shaolin" practices, so it was virtually never necessary to get thee to a convent to learn pugilism. In fact, the combat side of gung fu was taught to Shaolin disciples as a means of combatting the self, to restrain ego and develop physical domain over your own body. Consider how little true control people generally have over themselves; we are never far from a "pathological" clutz, or people who revv their physical energies to little avail. When Boddhidarma instituted the practices that evolved into gung fu, his primary concern was to make the monks physically strong enough to withstand both the isolated lifestyle and the deceptively demanding training that meditation would require. In fact, it is one of the oldest Shaolin axioms that "one who engages in combat has already lost the battle." Such philosophies, alas, make for terrible movie plots...

The early phases of Shaolin training involved a lot of what we would call grammar school (for most students, entry was made when under the age of ten). Long days were spent learning to read and write, and quality calligraphy was seen as proof of a good education. Students also learned math, history, manners and customs, Taoist and Buddhist philosophies, painting, music, textile work, agriculture, pottery, and cooking. To be anything less than self-sufficient was seen as a failing of the training regimen. Older students and disciples would often write books of history, poetry, or natural history, while others would form musical ensembles (often with a master or two), paint, or learn medicine. It was one's development of the cultural side of life that mainly marked one's standing in the Shaolin community.

Hence the rather large amount of building space for housing a library, art materials, a music area, and other life-skills. Such interests were actively encouraged, and to again draw a parallel to modern American universities, such monks often taught "outreach" sessions to the local community. Wandering monks brought art, reading, medicine, and agriculture to remote villages, while people near a temple could come for sessions in all these topics. Mainly, however, they came for farming and medical assistance, as most Chinese villagers were not as intellectually active as some "New Agers" would have us believe.

Now for a controversial note: our instructors, all products of the old temples, taught that if a person study Shaolin and learn little more than gung fu, he was not Shaolin. All the arts of the temple were aimed at leading one closer to enlightenment by providing tools to make a whole person, or what we often call Rennaissance people. A jack of many trades, master of one or two, those are qualities that define a priest, according to those who long made such designations in China. If you are a young person in school, do not sacrifice studies for martial arts; even if you learn skill, a tool with a dull edge is a dull tool of limited use.

Philosophy of Shaolin

The Shaolin/Sil Lum sect is a branch of the Buddhist school known as Ch'an (the equivalent in Japan is Zen; the Shaolin-descended school of martial arts and philosophy in Japan is "Shorinji Zen"). Unlike most monotheistic Occidental religions that supplanted each other as Europe became "civilized," many Asian religions and philosophies resulted in amalgamations. Hence, over time, the Ch'an sect became a complex mixture of Buddhist and Taoist concepts. This first section reviews the Ch'an philosophy-base as it existed from about 1860 until recently. Below are additional sections about slightly "purer" forms of root Taoism and Buddhism.

One further note of importance: most Asian belief systems are represented by both a religious and a non-religious form. Religious aspects are those that adhere to belief in deities, supernatural ocurrances, and some distinct model for an after-life. In contrast, the non-religious (we term these "philosophical" for simplicity) aspects do not concern themselves with deities, magic, or "unknowable" knowledge. It is the latter aspect of both Buddhism and Taoism that sets Ch'an apart as a distinct entity.

Taoism

There are primarily 2 sects of Taoism: the philosophical and religious sects, similar to the broad divisions seen in Buddhism. They both studied nature, but for different reasons. The philosophical Taoists, who saw the teachings of Tao as a guide for life that is essentially deity-independent, studied nature to look for harmony. The religious Taoists, who believed strongly in a pantheon of greater and lesser gods, studied it to look for ways to change the course of nature (alchemy). This latter seems particularly difficult to understand because altering nature is moving against the flow.

The philosophical school of Taoism has its roots in the fifth century writings ascribed to Lao Tzu, a beaureaucrat who spurned the world to find bliss. According to legend, he was recognized as he left the kingdom, where the border guard requested Lao Tzu write down the essence of his wisdom. The resulting book is known as the Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way. In essence, the knowable universe is composed of opposite components, whether physical (hard/soft; dark/light), moral (good/bad), or biological (male/female), which may be classed as either YANG (pronounced "yong") or YIN. When combined, existence is produced, and is manifest as TAO. Neither yin nor yang can exist independently (ergo the fallacy of "yin" or "yang" styles). The symbol of Tao is the "fish symbol" within which are two small dots (yin in the yang section, yang in the yin section), and around which are a pair of arrows, symbolizing dynamic interaction. The arrows have often been removed in contemporary motiffs, but were popularized again when used by Bruce Lee in his Jeet Kune Do emblem.

The philosophical Taoists are largely atheistic, looking to nature for the secrets to harmony and bliss. As a result, Taoist martial artists mimicked animals in their quest for martial arts techniques, and many styles, including mantis, snake, and some tiger, show distinct patterns of nature mimicry. However, the theistic sects of Taoists believed that by understanding the harmony of nature, you could alter nature. In addition to alchemy, theistic taoists developed complicated schools of ceremonial magic, and developed the martial arts style of Pakua.

The Taoists had their own temples and had their own system of martial arts (Hsing-I, Pakua). Emphasis was on internal styles. T'ai Chi Ch'uan (="supreme, ultimate fist;" a rather interesting, if redundant, use of superlatives), often attributed to Taoism, had a slightly different origin. It was designed to be a martial art for soldiers. 1200 years old.

While both Taoists and Buddhists understood and studied the concepts of duality in nature, the Taoist was more focused on the differences of Yin and Yang, while the Buddhist was more interested in the state of dynamic harmony of the two (ironically, Buddhists focused on Tao rather than its parts). Taoist philosophy is concerned with the intrinsic nature of Yin-ness and Yang-ness, readily seen when studying Taoist medicine or magic, for example. It is a Taoist stance to look at "Yin" versus "Yang" techniques, "Hard" versus "Soft" styles. (See also Buddhism.)

Buddhism

Conventional

There are essentially 3 schools of Buddhism:

The low path was the path of the common man, the life of one unaware or unprepared to develop his spiritual self. The worker who struggles merely to survive is not seen as low or lowly, but as one not yet awake enough to see beyond the immediate needs of food, clothing, and shelter.

The high path is the religious sect which combined the Indian pantheon of gods and goddesses with the existing Chinese pantheon.This path tries to incorporate the living body with a sense of its god-self, to awaken the spiritual or divine from within.

The middle path is also called Mahayana. It is a belief that we live in the here and now and should act and think accordingly. Mahayana is centered on the basic understandings of life as revealed by Guatama, the first Buddha. These teachings include the Four Noble Truths about life. The first truth is that there is pain, suffering, old age, and death in life. These transient factors affect us all, and are part of the reality that defines life. The second truth states that desire for wealth, health, love, money, and life all cause suffering. This is because we cannot have everything we want, and denial is a source of pain. The third truth simply states that extinction of desire ceases pain and suffering; killing the ego releases one from wants. The fourth truth says that adherence to the Eight-Fold Path is the route to the extinction of desire.

The Eight-Fold Path is given here:

1. Right Views: ask yourself "why do I do what I do?" Examine your motives, your goals. No action should be mindless; a spiritual person knows why he acts.

2. Right Resolve: are you prepared for the task at hand? What are your preparations of thought, speech, motivation? Is the task at hand worthy of your time and effort?

3. Right Speech: words are powerful; do you use them wisely? Careless words may hurt others, open yourself to atack. The U.S.Navy was not joking when, in World War II, it placed posters on ships and in bases proclaiming "loose lips sink ships." Buddhists are aware of the power of words and the thought-entities they can invoke (more on this in a later addition).

4. Right Action: once you decide on a task, is your procedure well-thought out, or is it hap-hazard? If you wish to become an M.D., you must gain admittance to a medical school. Each step leading to that must be precise. One does not enter medical school directly from a manager's position at True-Value Hardware (but a hardware worker MAY become an M.D. if he makes the appropriate actions).

5. Right Livelihood: Buddhists believe that work is a manifestation of spiritual development. Enlightenment is difficult to achieve if you are in the wrong occupation for you, i.e., a vegetarian may find extreme moral difficulty working as a butcher. The choice of career is important, and Buddhists believe that the choice must come from within, not from "following in the family footsteps"--that is, unless you truly find fulfillment in that business. To a Buddhist, a large part of your physical self IS what you do.

6. Right Effort: having embarked on a path, are you giving the journey the logistical and emotional support it needs to be accomplished. Buddhism frowns on half-hearted efforts.

7. Right Attention: are you giving enough attentiona to yourself, to gauge your moods and relationships to be sure you are still on the right path for you? If you cannot hear yourself, how well can you hear others?

8. Right Meditation: have you the discipline to fully focus on the task at hand? (We enjoyed Yoda's comment in "The Empire Strikes Back" about Luke: "Never his mind on where he is!) You need not be single-minded; life is, after all, made of many experiences and relationships. But the task at hand deserves your full mindfulness, or it is unimportant.Can you tell which?

Above all, the Buddha left his disciples (n.b., many were women) with a last lesson that underscores all his teachings. When asked by one what was the TRUE way to enlightenment, the Buddha replied, "Be your own light, your own refuge. Believe only that which you test for yourself. Do not accept authority merely because it comes from a great man, or is written in a sacred book, for truth is different for each man and woman." In short, Buddhism rejects the blind obedience of the "faithful," and prefers its practitioners to know life from experiencing it in all its glory and despair.

Chan

Perhaps most glaringly absent in the study of Shaolin has been the philosophy of this unique sect of non-secular Buddhism. Though Shaolin has become famous for the gung fu styles and abilities of its monks, the foundation and spirit of the Order are actually much more centered in the Buddhist teachings of an Indian teacher named Bodhidharma, or, to the Chinese, Tamo (440?-528 AD). Like most spiritual masters, Tamo left few direct writings of his interpretation of the Dharma (or principles) of Buddhism, but through written and oral history, Shaolin have maintained his legacy. This is the first lesson in the Shaolin interpretation of its spiritual roots and principles that we shall present.

A translation of his major teachings has been published (The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma) in which the author wonders at why these basic teachings have not been more widely circulated. We concur with this question, and suggest the following possible reasons:

First, Tamo's message is simple: The mind is the Buddha. Tamo rephrases the four noble truths and eightfold path as the core reality to seekers of enlightenment--simple enough concepts--but places the entirety of becoming (or rather recognizing the state of being) enlightened on the individual. In a sweeping gesture he urges self-motivation, self-awareness, and self-recognition at the expense of hierarchical "orders" of monks and token ceremonies. Cut the extraneous, he goads, ignore illusions, and go for the core which is already there. Certainly such a philosophy is anathema to practices that perpetuate the illusion that someone else can enlighten you.

Second, Tamo left the disciple considerable latitude in how to live, as did Shakyamuni himself. He did not require monks to be celibate, to fast, or perform rites of asceticism, nor was the "priesthood" limited to males. Quite the contrary, he embraced the human condition as the starting point from which all "higher" revelations would spring. Shaolin remains unique in allowing its members this degree of freedom (and thus being more like Methodist ministers than Catholic priests). In Tamo's message of simplicity (but not specifically denial), he limits the more embellished aspects of sectarian religious practice and organization.

Finally, I would suggest that Tamo's influence has been largely circumvented by the plethora of Buddhist scriptures, scholars, and sects. As with most original thinkers, there is more commentary written about him than by him, and the same can be said of interpretations and critiques of his teachings.

That said, we now offer an annotated review of Tamo's teachings as embraced by the Shaolin Order for during its 1500-year history. Tamo's words are in italics and the editorial notes are in standard text. Enjoy and be free!

The Outline of Practice

There are many roads that lead to the Way, but these contain but two common features: recognition and practice. By recognition is meant that meditation reveals the truth that all living things share a common nature, a nature concealed by the veils of illusion.

By "many roads," Tamo points out that enlightenment is reached by different souls in different ways; these may include the various seated and moving meditations. Such practices are termed yogas, gung fu, and sudden self-realization. However, all of the possible routes share the common themes of recognition of self-awareness, and practice of the Dharma--the Eightfold Path-- that allows enlightenment (covered later in this document). Recognition of the fact that all of life is connected spiritually is essential to reaching self-awareness.

Those who shun illusion for reality, who meditate on walls and the loss of self and other, on the unity of mortal and sage, and are undeterred by written holy words are in accord with the faculty of reason. Lacking motion and effort, they embrace reason.

Reality and what appears as reality are difficult to separate, especially if one looks to outside sources (which may themselves be illusions). Wall meditation is the inward focus of the mind on itself, done in peaceful surroundings. Such a mind must cut through illusion and realize that duality is also an illusion. We are mortal and sage; we are self and all else. Once this reality is seen, we become reason itself.

By practice it is meant the participation and acceptance of the Four Noble Truths: suffering, adapting, non-attachment, and practicing the Dharma. First comes suffering. When followers of the Way suffer, they should recall that in the countless previous incarnations they have been deterred from the path, sometimes becoming trivial and angry even without cause. The suffering in this life is a punishment, but also an opportunity to exercise what I have learned from past lives. Men and gods are equally unable to see where a seed may bear fruit. I accept this suffering as a challenge and with an open heart. In recognizing suffering, you enter onto the path to the Way.

This is a lesson in karma¹, that we are ultimately responsible for our actions (also called the Law of Cause and Effect). If we can learn from a punishment and attain true rehabilitation, we rejoin the path and move ahead. Because the First Noble Truth declares "there is suffering in life," an adept is expected to know suffering as both a condition of being alive and as a disease that can be treated.

Second, adapt to your conditions. Mortals are ruled by their surroundings, not by themselves. All we experience depends upon surroundings. If we reap a reward or great boon, it is the fruit of a seed we planted long ago. Eventually, it will end. Do not delight in these boons, for what is the point? In a mind unmoved by reward and setback, the journey on the path continues.

In essence, Tamo says that we shall all have good days and bad days, the "goodness" and "badness" depending on circumstances or viewpoint. Accept what comes, knowing that both good and bad will pass, and stay focused on the important points of the Dharma.

Third, seek no attachments. Mortals delude themselves. They seek to possess things, always searching for something. But enlightened ones wake up and choose reason over habit. They focus on the Way and their bodies follow them through each season. The world offers only emptiness, with nothing worth desiring. Disaster and Prosperity constantly trade places. To live in the three realms is to stay in a house on fire. To have a body is to experience suffering. Does any body have peace? Those who see past illusion are detached, and neither imagine nor seek. The sutras² teach that to seek is to suffer, to seek not is to have bliss. In not seeking, you follow the path.

Buddhism is notorious for its non-attachment³. Suffering is the disease that binds us to rebirth, and attachment--especially for life--is the tether that keeps us suffering. We all experience ups and down, and these are transitory. To attach to any feeling is to anchor in the fleeting moment that quickly becomes the past. Accept what comes, even enjoy (or loathe) it, then let it go. This is how to non-seek.

Fourth, practice the Dharma, the reality teaching all spirits are pure. All illusion is dropped. Duality does not exist. Subject and object do not exist. The sacred texts say the Dharma has no being because it is free from the attachment to being; the Dharma has no self because it is free from the attachment to self. Those who understand this truth wisely practice the path. They know that the things that are real do not include greed and envy, and give themselves with their bodies, minds, and spirits. They share material things in charity, with gladness, with no vanity or thought of giver or taker of the gift. In this way they teach others without becoming attached. This allows them to help others see and enjoy the path to enlightenment.

This passage contains several important concepts, and it would have been nice of Tamo to elaborate more fully. The practice of Dharma refers to following Buddhism's Eightfold Path to Enlightenment. The Path is central to all sects of Buddhism, though there are varying interpretations of its meanings. The central elements are: right views, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right devotion, right mindfulness, and right meditation. Volumes have been written about these concepts, and so we shall not pursue them further here at this time.

Buddhism appears in conflict with many other philosophically based religions in denying the duality of the universe. For example, many schools teach the dual nature of reality as positive/negative, hot/cold, male/female, and so on. Buddhism teaches that duality is an illusion. Reality may manifest positive/negative/neutral, hot/warm/cool/cold, or male/female/sexless (as in many microorganisms). Consider the cliché "fight or flight." The implication is duality, either run or attack. A third possibility is also readily apparent: freeze and do nothing. Not all possibilities are dual or triple in nature, so Buddhism seeks to free us from seeing the world through the blinders of a philosophical model.

The teachings also include room for sharing, mainly in efforts to help other souls see the possibility of enlightenment. Actions taken to help such souls are seen as highly important to followers of the path. Indeed, those who become enlightened and later choose to undergo another rebirth into this world are seen as "saints," forgoing Nirvana to help others escape rebirth. Such noble souls are called Bodhisatvas.

1 Karma is a very specific term in Asian thought, and is a measure of debt or accumulation that impedes the advancement of the spirit to a higher level. There is no such thing as "good" karma in Asia; one either acquires karma (not good) or eliminates it (the goal of meditation).

2 Sutra is an Indian word for sacred texts. From the word meaning a string, it became the string of words of holy lessons.

3 There is a logical discordance in Buddhist practice: the seeking to not-seek. More will be said about this in later annotations, but for now consider Tamo's core point as follows: seeking and non-seeking are both desires (and hence causes of suffering). By neither seeking nor not-seeking, one reaches a state of "mindless bliss, or the "one-point."

History of the Shaolin Temples

Site MapThere are few historical entities that engender as much debate, confusion, and acrimony as the nature and reality of Shaolin. We have heard distinguished university professors categorically deny the existence of either Shaolin or its problem-children Tongs; that only authenticated accounts by the Communist Chinese government are to be trusted; or that the temples are fictitious, based on stories in old novels. To the latter (most common) observation we reply that Americans have similarly been deceived about the reality of an historical event they call the Civil War, which is actually a fictitious event taken from a novel called "Gone With The Wind." The following accounts are taken from sources who 1) practiced the specific styles to Master level from the "supposed" temples, 2) learned their arts AT those temples before the temples were destroyed, or 3) were taught by practitioners from those temples. Also, our sources were corroborated by at least three individuals (standard rule of evidence accepted by most professional journalists). The masters, however, have declined to be named for the reasons that 1) they do not want to engage in controversy--the information is here to accept or reject as you like (as directed by the last lesson of the Buddha), 2) they have assumed new names after leaving China because, as refugees, did not want their families to suffer for their actions. Having said that, and agreeing in advance to protect the confidentiality of our sources, we have been told that...

The Shaolin order dates to about 540 A.D., when an Indian Buddhist priest named Bodhidharma (Tamo in Chinese), traveled to China to see the Emperor. At that time, the Emperor had started local Buddhist monks translating Buddhist texts from Sanskrit to Chinese. The intent was to allow the general populace the ability to practice this religion.

This was a noble project, but when the Emperor believed this to be his path to Nirvana, Tamo disagreed. Tamo's view on Buddhism was that you could not achieve your goal just through good actions performed by others in your name. At this point the Emperor and Tamo parted ways and Tamo traveled to the nearby Buddhist temple to meet with the monks who were translating these Buddhist texts.

The temple had been built years before in the remains of a forest that had been cleared or burned down. At the time of the building of the temple, the emperor's gardeners had also planted new trees. Thus the temple was named "young (or new) forest", (Shaolin in Mandarin, Sil Lum in Cantonese).

When Tamo arrived at the temple, he was refused admittance, probably being thought of as an upstart or foreign meddler by the head abbot (Fang Chang). Rejected by the monks, Tamo went to a nearby cave and meditated until the monks recognized his religious prowess and admitted him. Legend has it that he bored a hole through one side of the cave with his constant gaze; in fact, the accomplishment that earned his recognition is lost to history.

When Tamo joined the monks, he observed that they were not in good physical condition. Most of their routine paralleled that of the Irish monks of the Middle Ages, who spent hours each day hunched over tables where they transcribed handwritten texts. Consequently, the Shaolin monks lacked the physical and mental stamina needed to perform even the most basic of Buddhist meditation practices. Tamo countered this weakness by teaching them moving exercises, designed to both enhance ch'i flow and build strength. These sets, modified from Indian yogas (mainly hatha, and raja) were based on the movements of the 18 main animals in Indo-Chinese iconography (e.g., tiger, deer, leopard, cobra, snake, dragon, etc.), were the beginnings of Shaolin Gung Fu.

It is hard to say just when the exercises became "martial arts". The Shaolin temple was in a secluded area where bandits would have traveled and wild animals were an occasional problem, so the martial side of the temple probably started out to fulfill self-defense needs. After a while, these movements were codified into a system of self-defense.

As time went on, this Buddhist sect became more and more distinct because of the martial arts being studied. This is not to say that Tamo "invented" martial arts. Martial arts had existed in China for centuries. But within confines of the temple, it was possible to develop and codify these martial arts into the new and different styles that would become distinctly Shaolin. One of the problems faced by many western historians is the supposed contraindication of Buddhist principles of non-violence coupled with Shaolin's legendary martial skills. In fact, the Shaolin practitioner is never an attacker, nor does he or she dispatch the most devastating defenses in any situation. Rather, the study of gung fu leads to better understanding of violence, and consequently how to avoid conflict. Failing that, a Buddhist who refuses to accept an offering of violence (i.e., and attack) merely returns it to the sender. Initially, the gung fu expert may choose to parry an attack, but if an assailant is both skilled and determined to cause harm, a more definitive and concluding solution may be required, from a joint-lock hold to a knockout, to death. The more sophisticated and violent an assault, the more devastating the return of the attack to the attacker. Buddhists are not, therefore, hurting anyone; they merely refuse delivery of intended harm.

The Shaolin philosophy is one that started from Buddhism and later adopted many Taoist principles to become a new sect. Thus even though a temple may have been Taoist or Buddhist at first, once it became Shaolin, it was a member of a new order, an amalgamation of the prevailing Chinese philosophies of the time.

Other temples sprung from Honan. This happened because the original temple would suffer repeated attacks and periods of inactivity as the reigning Imperial and regional leaders feared the martial powers of the not-always unaligned monks. Refugee Shaolin practitioners would leave the temple to teach privately (in Pai) or at other Buddhist or Taoist temples. In rare cases, a new Shaolin Temple would be erected (Fukien, Kwangtung) or converted from a pre-existing temple (Wu-Tang, O Mei Shan). Politically and militarily involved monks (such as the legendary White Eyebrow and Hung Tze Kwan) would be perpetual sources of trouble for the generally temporally aloof monks.

The Boxer rebellion in 1901 was the beginning of the end of the Shaolin temples. Prior to that, China had been occupied by Western and Japanese governments and business interests. The British had turned the Imperial family into an impotent puppet regime largely through the import and sales of opium and the general drug-devastation inflicted upon the poor population. This lead to the incursion of other European powers, including Russia, France and Holland, and later the Japanese and Americans. By the late 1800s, China was effectively divided into national zones, each controlled by one of the outside powers (similar to post World War II Berlin, on a hugely larger scale). The long standing animosities between China and Japan worsened, and extended to include all other "foreign devils" as well. Coupled with the now almost universal disdain by the Chinese for their Empress, a Nationalist movement with nation-wide grass-roots support was born. Among the front line soldiers of the new "order" were the legendary and near-legendary martial artists--many Shaolin--known as Boxers (remember how Bruce Lee, in his films depicting these times, refers to himself as a Chinese boxer...). Though their initial assaults on the military powers of the occupation governments were not entirely successful (many believed in Taoist magical spells that would make them impervious to gunfire), their temporary defeat would lead to a more modern reformation that included adopting modern military weapons and tactics.

The withdrawal of western forces was prolonged over many years, and by the end of World War I saw China in an almost feudal state of civil war. Not only were national troops fighting loyalists, but both sides had to fight the Japanese (who still held much of the northern Manchurian region of China) as well as many powerful, regional warlords. Many parts of China were virtually anarchies, but by 1931 almost all non-Asian occupants had been successfully driven out (with the interesting exception, in the late 1930s, of the volunteer American airmen known as The Flying Tigers, who helped repel Japanese forces prior to World War II), and the major combatants within China were the Nationalists and the Communists. Both sides displayed the typical jingoistic attitudes of forces in mindless warfare--if you aren't with us, you are against us. Neutrality meant nothing except the possibility of a later enemy. Consequently, Shaolin and other monks were routinely murdered by soldiers from both sides. One result of this program of murder was the exodus of many monks into the hills, or abroad, with the hope that Shaolin knowledge might survive even if the temples themselves did not.

The temples were unfortunate victims of war in a land that had abandoned its historical practice of respecting posterity and ancestors. All were ransacked and looted by various armed groups. O Mei Shan Temple ("Great White Mountain"), in Szechuan Province, was situated on a mountain top and deemed by Chinese officers to be a fitting target for artillery practice. It was shelled in turn by Nationalist and Communist armies. In a fitting twist of fate, this one-time site of medical and natural history knowledge was rebuilt by the Communists in the mid 1970s, and now stands as the National Park and Research Headquarters for the panda preserve.

There are various stories coming out of China today referring to the history of Shaolin, particularly over the past 300 years. However, many of these stories are suspect (compare Chinese accounts of Tiananmen Square with CNN news coverage), with the more commonly "authenticated" versions coming from government records. The fact that Chinese authorities outlawed Shaolin and martial arts practices makes any story about their history from such sources suspect. The prevalent wu-shu styles originated as a result of a compromise between the post-World War II governments and the national need and history of having a martial arts tradition. Wu-Shu, however, was not designed as a martial art (strictly illegal), and claims to the contrary date back only a decade or so, following on the popularity of Kung Fu.

We have started a timeline of Shaolin History.

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