Shaolin Martial Arts and Buddhism

1. Shaolin Martial Arts and Buddhism

2. Legends Surrounding Shaolin Martial Arts • Staff legend associated with the Vajrapāņi Legend: Vajrapāni, aka. Nārāyaņa • Tang account indicates that Sengchou, a Shaolin monk in the 5th century, became a fighting monk after being helped by the god Vajrapāņi, who forced him to eat “sinews-flesh” • Vajrapāņi is a vajra wielder, a divine warrior, Shaolin’s tutelary deity

3. Vajrapāņi inspired Shaolin’s military training, staff fighting techniques and provided physical strength to martial monks • He also provided religious sanction to monastic violence, and Shaolin fighting monks changed his image, transforming him into a staff fighting expert

4. A 12th century stele associated with Shaolin depicts Nārāyaņa as a manifestation of Guanyin, noting that whoever studies his mudrā and mantra as described in the Sutra of the Assembled Charms can increase his body’s strength • Shaolin monks worshiped this deity from this time on • 14th century Shaolin monks changed his image, arming him with a staff and transforming him into a staff expert, progenitor of the monastery’s renowned staff technique

5. Ming Shaolin legend also elevated Vajrapani to the position of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, or Guanyin • Also the monastery's "guardian spirit", replacing Lord Guan (Guan Gong) as the temple's tutelary deity. Guan Gong remained tutelary deity in most Chinese Buddhist temple • The deity’s name was changed from Vajrapāņi and Nārāyaņa to Kimnara, a name originally designated a semi-divine and semi-human heavenly musicians and had nothing to do with warfare

6. Bare-handed Fighting • Shaolin’s bare-handed fighting techniques are said to have been practiced in the Ming dynasty, particularly late Ming • Late Ming authors, however, attributed creator of the bare-handed fighting techniques to Bodhidharma, who allegedly authored the Sinews Transformation Classic, • The book outlines a method of hardening the body to protect practitioners from being harmed

7. Legend says that the text was written in Indian language and that Shaolin monks could only comprehend a 30% to 50% of it • A Shaolin monk brought the text to Mt. Emei in Sichuan, where he met an Indian holy monk Pramiti who explained point by point the text and rendered its meaning

8. A Ming author, an outsider to the monastery, eventually got hold of the translated text and published it • The text was frequently referred to in Chinese fiction produced in Qing times and became widely popular in military circle

9. Bodhidharma was perceived as the originator of Shaolin’s fighting techniques and Shaolin monks began to practice the techniques taught in the text • Both Buddhists and Daoists regarded him as the creator of different Buddhist and Daoist meditative, gymnastic, and martial art exercises and techniques • Religious syncretism in the Ming provided an intellectual foundation for the late Ming evolution of bare-handed fighting

10. Despite syncretism, competition between Buddhism and Daoism continued well into the Ming and the Qing: • Shaolin’s bare-handed fighting was considered “offensive”, “external” school • Legends talk about a “defensive”, “internal” school created by Zhang Sanfeng, a Shaolin disciple turned into a Daoistimmortal who secluded himself on the holy Mt. Wudang in Hubei (p.179) • Two hand combating schools emerged: • Shaolin—Northern School; Shaolin Quan • Wudang—Southern School, TaijiQuan

11. Shaolin’s Fighting Monks (Wuseng) in Historical Accounts

12. Two important historical instances in which Shaolin monks resorted to armed forces • During the last years of the Sui dynasty (ca.610), warded off bandits’ attack • Beginning of the Tang dynasty, assisted the would-be emperor, Li Shimin, in his military campaign against Wang Shichong • During the second half of the Ming (1368-1644) • Helped defend the nation against Japanese pirates

13. Serving the emperor: • Shaolin monks defeated Wang Shichong's army that occupied a strategic mountain, where the monastery's Cypress Valley Estate was situated • the monks also took Wang's nephew captive; thereby pledging their allegiance to the dynasty

14. Later on, Shaolin monks were awarded titles of general and prefecture officers, although Tang emperor wanted them to disband and return to their monastery to perform their duties • Shaolin monk Tanzong is said to have become very famous because of his unsurpassable fighting skill

15. Shaolin's contributions to the Tang dynasty in its very beginning were recognized in three Taizong's letters and other documents that were engraved on stones and became known as "Shaolin Monastery Stele“

16. The stele safeguarded the monastery, protecting it from being destroyed by Tang government in 845, when Buddhism was suppressed and 4,600 monasteries were destroyed, many itinerant monks were Killed because they did not follow the order to return to laity. • Shaolin Monastery continued to receive official patronage.

17. Defending the Nation • By the second half of the Ming period, the 16th century, Shaolin monks had established themselves as expert fighting monks specialized in a wide variety of fighting techniques, including staff (gun) fighting, spear (qiang) fighting, broadsword (dao) fighting, and unarmed hand combat (quan)

18. Shaolin’s martial arts had become a household name and were often praised by late Ming military experts, despite Shaolin’s concentration on staff fighting • Decline of the regular Ming army and piracy crisis prompted people to study Shaolin martial arts and form monastic troops

19. Ming military officials mobilized Shaolin and other monastic troops to fight against Japanese pirates • Shaolin monks and those clerics receiving military education at Shaolin often scored victories in battles • Shaolin monks reaffirmed their renown after the piracy campaign and the Shaolin monk Tianyuan became best known for both his martial arts skills and his strategic genius

20. In early 16th century, Shaolin monks were drafted to quell local bandit armies in North China and continued to offer military support well into the dynasty’s last years, 1640s, during which the Shaolin fighting force was annihilated by the bandit led by Li Zicheng

21. In early 20th century, Shaolin monks became embroiled in warlords' feud and sided with General Fan against General Shi, whose army defeated General Fan's and Shaolin monks and set fire to the monastery, destroying some towers and halls