Shaolin Kungfu, widely known as Shaolin Quan, is the splendid cultural heritage contributed by the Buddhist monks of Shaolin Temple.

34 generations of Shaolin Temple monks have been prevailing Shaolin fighting arts and Shaolin tradition, in combination with the merits of the other Chinese Martial arts styles and the philosophy of Chan Buddhism.

Shaolin Kungfu won its fame in the Tang Dynasty because the Emperor Lishimin praised the 13 monks of Shaolin Temple for their contribution to help his empire. Shaolin Temple became a royal temple and the Emperor named the Shaolin Temple No. 1 Temple under the Heaven and permitted the Temple to own a prestigious army with 500 monk soldiers and privilege of abbacy nomination by the Emperors A lot of land was given to the temple to support 500 imperial monk warriors. Kungfu training for self-defence and body building began to associate with the military warfare.

The Shaolin monks are quick to point out that Kungfu is not their only activity. Like all the other Buddhist monks, they chant scriptures, sit in meditation and perform Buddhist services and rituals for the faithful. They are also careful to explain that while martial arts may seem to go against the peaceful teachings of Buddha, there is really no conflict in mastering Kungfu and following dictates of their faith.

For instance, Kungfu requires discipline and concentration, both of which Buddhism considers virtues. In addition, the Shaolin monks' mastery of martial arts proved crucial in the protection of temples and defence of the country during several periods of China's history.

The 19th year of the Tai He era of northern Wei, namely 495 AD, emperor Yuan Hong known to the west as Xiao Wen, built the Shaolin monastery, that means the Temple of the forest at the summit of mountain Shao, on the northern foothills of the Wuru summit, of Shao shi mountain, northwest of Dengfeng city, at Henan province. The temple was build for an Indian Buddhist monk called Brahdra, or Batuo (else Fotuo) in Chinese.

The 3rd year of Xiao Chang era of northern Wei, namely 527 AD, the 28th Patriarch of Indian Buddhism, the famous Bodhidharma or Putidamo in Chinese, came to China to propagate Da Xing Buddhism, the Great vehicle of Buddhism or Mahayana after Emperor’s Liang Wu Di invitation. Mahayana practices deep insight, by a meditating method that keeps mind calm and impervious just as a wall, along with Prajnaparamita Sutra.

The followers of Bodhidharma honoured him by giving him the title of the founder of the Way of Dhyana (Jhana in Pali, Chan-na or Chanzong in Chinese or Zen in Japanese). After Bodhidharma and his successors, the Shaolin monastery expanded and blossomed. Around the 7th century, there were 5.ooo halls lodging 1.800 monks.

So, religiously, Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and Bodhidharma, the 28th Patriarch of Indian Buddhism, is considered to be the father of Chan Buddhism.

In the Song Dynasty, Shaolin Kungfu developed into 170 fist forms and 130 different weapon forms. All these forms had been noted and organized into books and stored in the Temple.

Fuyu, the abbot of Shaolin Temple in the Song Dynasty, invited a lot of outstanding Kungfu masters at regular intervals to teach the monks, perform their versatile techniques for mutual progress. It's said that the first Emperor of Song Dynasty had ever been to the Temple and sent several of his generals to learn from the Shaolin Temple monks and teach the Temple monks. The form Taizu Chang Quan is created by the Emperor and created to Shaolin Temple.

The Shaolin Temple Record noted that 5 branch Shaolin Temples were established in HeLi, Chang An, Yanji, Taiyuan and LuoYang at the abbacy of Fuyu, for spreading Shaolin Kungfu and Chan Buddhism.

Dazhi, a Japanese monk came to Shaolin in 1312 and spent 12 years to study Shaolin Fist forms and weapon forms. After his return to Japan, he began to enroll a lot of Japanese for practicing Shaolin Kungfu.

In 1379, Japanese monk Shao Yuan stayed in Shaolin Temple for 8 years under the instruction of the Abbot Juan. He introduced Shaolin Kungfu to Japan and Shaolin Kungfu was widely spread and acclaimed as "The soul of the country" in Japan.

The 260 years history of Ming Dynasty marked the peak prosperity of Shaolin Kungfu. Hundreds of monks were selected to be generals, four volumes of Kungfu works were published and 13 new forms were invented.

Abbot Xiao Shan had been appointed to be Marshal of the royal army to lead his Temple warrior monks to fight against Japanese pirates in China's southeast coast and more than 50 of them sacrificed their lives in the war. A Southern Shaolin Temple was constructed to settle the wounded monks and commemorate those who sacrificed their lives in the war.

In the Qing Dynasty, Kungfu training was forbidden in the country. The monks of Shaolin Temple had to practice secretly in the night. 48 feet marks in the Thousand Buddhas Hall of the temple are the existing evidence of that period.

The Temple was burned down three times during its history. The last one took place at the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928) by Shi Yousan a low rank officer of warlord Feng Yu Xiang (the Christian General) because warlord Fan Zhong Xiu to occupy Shaolin Temple for its headquarters. For more than 40 days, all the main buildings and halls of the Monastery were burned, raising the Temple's total destruction, as well as the destruction of its relics and its numerous sacred objects. More than 200 buildings were burned down, including the Temple's library with all the sacred texts and manuscripts, gathered there since the beginning of the Shaolin Temple, the Heavenly Kings' Hall, the Great Heroes' Hall and the Drum Tower.

Numerous historic handicrafts and mass of texts and manuscripts about monastery's martial arts were also destroyed. Unfortunately, three of the Temple's oldest books that were destroyed and lost, are now haunting the memories of the priests. "The Basic Art of Shaolin", the "Secrets of Shaolin Boxing" and "The essence of Shaolin Boxing". Since the burning, the Shaolin Temple almost vanished.

The monks, who managed to escape the furious rage of the warlord Feng Yu Xiang, run away. Few though, stayed there to protect the temple. One of monks who stayed there was Shi De Chan, 12 years old then. Hiding in the mountains, at places that very few knew, the young boy waited passionately, praying for the army to leave, and seeing the Temple burning, he wept.

He and the other surviving monks, managed to save a great deal of the One Thousand Buddha Hall, Damo Hall, Arhats Hall, the Hall of Di Cang Buddha, the White Robe Hall, and the Mountain Gate. All the Shaolin monks suffered during that period.

However, there is a saying "Anytime that the Shaolin Temple has a great destruction a new Golden period become". In 1963, the Shaolin Temple was officially declared by the state of Henan Province, as a Provincial Historic Monument and is listed by the State Council as one of China's key national cultural relics. The continuous looting of the last relics was stopped. After 1978's reform and opening policy, the governments at all levels had played an important role on the renovation, reconstruction and extension of Shaolin Temple. A special organization was formed to search for the missing Kungfu theory and forms.

But following the release of the movie ''Shaolin Temple'' back in 1982, the forgotten Shaolin monastery at Song Shan Mountain has become a popular pilgrimage site for other Buddhists from all over the world.

In September 1995, the Shaolin monastery, which belongs to the Chan Buddhist sect, held a grand ceremony marking the 1,500th anniversary of its founding. There is no doubt that the monastery will be celebrating more anniversaries in the years to come.

What distinguishes Shaolin Kungfu from other schools of martial arts is that its movements are based in folklore and on the movements of animals found in the woods and mountains surrounding the monastery in Henan. Through time, Shaolin monks have developed several kinds of what they call Xing Quan (Animals Boxing), such as that of the Tiger, Leopard, Snake, Crane, Dragon etc.

It consists of 36 external exercises and 36 internal exercises. They are called in combination the 72 Hand Combat Arts of Shaolin. Each kind of exercise has a very close relation with Qi Gong (deep breath control exercise), such as Tiebi Gong (Iron arm exercise), Diao Gong (Hanging from a tree with a rope round the neck), Tiebu shan( the Belly exercise), Yizhijin (Head standing on one finger), Huo Gong (Fire exercise), Tietou Gong (Head training), Bading Gong (Fingers Exercises), Yudai Gong (Abdomen exercise), Tieshazhang (palm exercise), Tizhuang Gong (The art of breaking) and many more.

''The Shaolin monks who have gained high attainment can fly and do everything that is beyond the imagination of common people."

The monks themselves do not want to say much, but what is certain is that it takes several years before a disciple at the monastery is considered a master of one of the temple's boxing techniques. Shaolin Monks say their craft is not only about strength but also about achieving a state of mind in which one is in harmony with the universe and where nothing is impossible. In this light it is easy to see why the Shaolin monks insist that Shaolin Kungfu and Buddhism are one.

 

By Shaolin Master Shi Yan Zhuo

Head Master of the Greek Shaolin Temple Cultural Center