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)