Shaolin Monastery and Shaolin Martial Arts

1. Shaolin Monastery and Shaolin Martial Arts

3. Why Studying Shaolin? The Bodhidharma Myth In historical time, the monastery made an enormous contribution to the evolution of Chinese Buddhism and to Chinese culture Song Chan historians’ and Shaolin monks’ historicization of legends and fiction surrounding the monastery has misled people’s understanding of history of Chinese Buddhism Shaolin is the best-know monastery in modern day China because of its martial art tradition, its martial art academy, and its martial art (fighting) monks

4. Shaolin is thought to have been the origin of Chan school of Buddhism in China and it best exemplifies many “paradoxical aspect” of Buddhism • Shaolin’s martial art tradition is of both historical significance and doctrinal ramifications that contradict principal Buddhist tenets • Shaolin has come to the West and Shaolin temples have been built in the large cities in the US • Shaolin’s staff fighting and bare-handed fighting techniques resulted from the blending of Buddhist and Daoist teachings • The popularity of Shaolin martial art is closely connected with Buddho-Daoist interaction and competition

5. Buddhism and the State • Buddhist scriptures stress that Buddhism can only function with the state’s support and that Buddhist institutions have to work with or even serve the state • Its rapid growth in China is due in large part to its gradual adaptation and transformation into Chinese Buddhism • Despite its sinicization, it was often regarded as foreign religions by the elites and the state • It tended to be purged and suppressed when anti-foreign sentiment prevailed, oftentimes provoked by Confucians or Daoists

6. With only a few exceptions, the majority of Chinese rulers/emperors before Song times preferred Daoism to Buddhism, resulting in the establishment of so-called “Daoist theocracy” in early 5th century • Daoist hermit, Kou Qianzhi (365-448) on Mt. Song in Henan took his “divine revelations” to court and urge the emperor to make Daoism state religion and himself ruler of “Great Peace” with a reign title “Perfect Lord of Great Peace • Buddhism was suppressed • Tang emperors favored Daoism and curbed Buddhism’s influences • In 845, Emperor Wuzong suppressed Buddhism and all foreign religions

7. Shaolin Temple received special imperial favor primarily because Shaolin’s warrior/fighting monks helped prince Qin, Li Shimin, future Tang emperor, defeat his enemies • Despite the favor, the state kept Shaolin in check • Nonetheless, Shaolin continued to flourish and Shaolin fighting techniques became more and more popular in the Ming and the Qing