Getting to North America for Visit and Exchange

From Nov. 11 to 12, the 2023 North American Shaolin Games hosted by China Songshan Shaolin Temple was held in Los Angeles. Its contents covered the first North American Shaolin Kungfu Games, world peace blessing meeting, promoting training and certification of Shaolin Kungfu Duanpin system, Shaolin Kungfu public performance and so on. This is a grand event held in America again by Shaolin Temple since the 2013 North American Shaolin Culture Festival over ten years. Participants are from more than 40 states from America as well as Canada, Mexico and other countries. Kungfu Star chosen from the Shaolin Kungfu games also together with Shaolin Kungfu monks attended “immortal Shaolin” public performance on Nov. 12, showing American audience Chinese Kungfu’ s unique charm.

2024-03-08

Getting to South America for Visit and Exchange

From Oct. 18 to 29, to spread traditional Chinese culture and healthy Shaolin lifestyle and concepts, and to promote Shaolin culture outgoing, recently, a group led by Shi Yongxin, abbot of Shaolin Temple, arrived in Bolivia and Argentina, starting the 2023 Shaolin Kungfu games and Shaolin and the South American cultural exchange tour. This is another grand event held in the South America after the African, Asian Singapore’ s Kungfu games.

2024-03-08

Temple Is a Part of Society

I believe that Buddhism and dharma teachings need not be confined to the walls of temples but be fully immersed and integrated into secular society where it could be best used to help alleviate suffering and deal with daily problems. Following this Mahayana practice, Shaolin Temple cannot be separated from secular society as a monk cannot be entirely segregated from society after ordination. Interaction with society is essential as the water we drink, the electricity we use, and even the food we consume, are products of society. In Buddhism, we have a term called “Chushi” which means “leaving the world” entirely. In the past, temples were able to live off the land, but in present day living, it is not possible to survive on a few acres of land. Being part of society has become a necessity. In today’s world, retreating into meditation would mean living a secluded and quiet life in the mountains, but part of the process would mean being marginalized from society. (From Shaolin Temple in My Heart)

2024-02-20

Not Every Monk Can Enter the Meditation Hall to Participate in Da Chan Qi

Da Chan Qi is different from ordinary meditation sessions, and not every monk in the monastery can enter the Meditation Hall to participate. Da Chan Qi has certain prerequisites: one must have met a certain level cultivation in meditation; be physically fit with strong legs and feet, so as to be able to sit comfortably in a cross-legged position for long periods of time; and participants must understand the rules of the Meditation Hall since every monk who enters the hall aims to be liberated from cycles of life and death and achieve realization within a set timeframe. Any person who causes disruption during such periods will not only hamper his own practice but will affect others, and hence have karmic consequences. There are many rules during Da Chan Qi such as talking is not allowed, and everyone must act according to instructions and the sounds of ritual objects. If one does not understand the rules or sounds from ritual objects, it could result in disruption of the meditation, thus leading to mental afflictions on oneself and causing the same in others. Therefore, not everyone who wants to enter the Meditation Hall is allowed entry. (From Shaolin Temple in My Heart)

2024-02-20

The Real Kungfu and Practice in the Shaollin is Chan Meditation

Chinese Buddhism originated almost two thousand years ago, but despite slow and gradual progress since the 1980s, it still faces many challenges and difficulties. With the restoration and revival of Shaolin Temple’s position as the ancestral monastery of Chan, we must orientate monks towards the serious practice of Chan meditation. Many say that “Shaolin is the cradle of all martial arts under Heaven” and that statement is true. In the minds of many, our kungfu is unrivaled. However, the real kongfu and practice in the Shaolin is Chan meditation. Different forms of fist arts and other martial arts styles were passed down froShaolin’s previous generations of masters and derived from the practice process of Chan cultivation. Meditation is the focal point of the daily life of a Shaolin monk and monastic members are able to transcend life and death only through meditation, which is the foundation of Shaolin’s culture. Other forms of cultural expression perfected with the meditation include wushu, medicine, calligraphy, architecture and sculpture, etc. (From Shaolin Temple in My Heart)

2024-01-17

Vigorous Dharma Practice

In the journey of life, quite often each person goes through stages of diligent practice. At some stages, we commit to vigorous dharma practice. At some stages, we commit to vigorous dharma practice and practice asceticism with the aim to thoroughly master something and to upgrade ourselves. Each person of the monastic order undergoes these stages and I have experienced such at least a few times. The fact is that in our entire life of many decades, we cannot be so hardworking and diligent and practice asceticism every day. If we do so, the body will not be able to withstand. Therefore, we live in monastery and pursue a kind of “ordinary mind”, make long term commitments and learn to engage in practice throughout our life – this is what we pursue. Therefore, dharma practice need not be vigorous, neither does it need to be a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Committing to vigorous practice in stages I fine; constant long term commitment to vigorous practice is unrealistic. (From Shaolin Temple in My Heart)

2024-01-17

Hot News