Shaolin Temple is located in Dengfeng City, Henan Province of China. Disciple's Home of Shaolin Temple is newly furnished to host the overseas Shaolin Disciples with comfortable accommodation, basic facility, and exotic Chinese food. It is only 10 minutes walking distance from Shaolin Temple.
Studying and practicing Chan is a regular aspect of a monk’s daily life and meditation is the best way to cultivate and practice Chan. Without a doubt, the best way to study and practice Chan is for the monastery’s monks to assemble together to meditate according to the rules taught by previous masters. This is the most diligent and progressive method to meditate and is referred to as “Da Chan Qi”. Since Shaolin Temple has revived Da Chan Qi, not many outsiders know about this because our canonical rules stipulate that Da Chan Qi requires the monks to remain in a state of austere practice behind closed doors and undisturbed. Therefore, not many people truly understand Da Chan Qi, which is viewed by lay people as a mysterious and important Buddhist practice. The very important matter on my mind after I became Shaolin Temple’s abbot was to restore the meditation hall as soon as possible and revive meditation as part of our monks’ daily life. (From Shaolin Temple in My Heart)
If the monks want to achieve realization and this state of being it is not easy and requires a lot of hard work. During the Da Chan Qi, the monks are typically banned from leaving the Meditation Hall, but allowed to take a break for the duration of burning a few incense in the event that they have a minor illness. Those with major illnesses will only be allowed to leave the Meditation Hall after the group leaders in-charge have caucused. As such, the monks have to cast aside matters of life and death during the Chan Qi. They have to apply for permission to “Take Time off from Life and Death” with the Abbot in advance. During the Chan Qi, the monks wake up at 4:30 am and rest at 11:45 pm, and take a break from 3pm to 5pm. The rest of the time, they have to sit in meditation for the duration of burning twelve incenses and walk for the same duration, which results in an estimated distance of thirty kilometers per day. This is according to the rules of the Meditation Hall, which are quite strict. The monks go through a few tens of days without any exchange with each other and without talking. The schedule is tight and one must not let one’s mind drift. (From Shaolin Temple in My Heart)
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)
Bo Ya was an excellent zither player, and Zhong Ziqi loved nothing more that to listen to him play. When Bo Ya played a majestic song, Zhong Ziqi saw it as it was. “Wow, it’s as majestic as Mount Tai!” said Zhong Ziqi. And when Bo Ya played a relaxed, flowing tune……“Wow, it’s long and leisurely like the Yangtze and Yellow rivers.” said Zhong Ziqi. Then one day, Zhong Ziqi became ill and died. After this, Bo Ya never played the zither again. In fact, he went home and took a knife to its strings. Henceforward, “broken strings” came to signify the death of one’s closest friend. A person who understands one’s music is difficult to find. When the person who understood his music died, although Bo Ya was still very much alive, only half of him remained. （From Zen Stories：The Staff and Shout of the Venerable Ones）
One day while the Zen master Bankei was giving a lecture, a disciple suddenly stood up and yelled out…… “Ah ha! Caught you filching money again! ” “Forgive him,”said the teacher. “No way! We’ve forgiven him every time and he just keeps on stealing.” Other students answered. “Yea! If you don’t kick him out this time, we’ll all leave.” “You are all perceptive students and understand the difference between right and wrong. He is the only one who doesn’t understand even this. If I don’t teach him, who will?” t “I am going to let him stay here, even if every one of you leaves.” he teacher answered. At this, the pick-pocket monk fell to his knees and promised to reform, suddenly understanding right and wrong, good and bad. If you had one hundred sheep and one of them lost its way, wouldn’t you immediately go in search of the lost one, abandoning the other ninety-nine in the open fields? It is important to help those who need help the most. （From Zen Stories：The Staff and Shout of the Venerable Ones）
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Shi Yongxin
Shaolin Temple
Dew of Chan
