A brief History
of the Shaolin Temple

Bodhidarma Sardili

Martial Arts were brought to China by the learned Indian buddhist monk Bodhidharma in the sixth century A.D. Bodhidharma ended his pilgrimage at the Shaolin Temple. There, he wrote the three books which are still considered as the most ancient proof of a systematic body of knowledge of the martial arts in China, and taught monks techniques to train the mind and body as a foundation for combat skills, giving birth to the Shaolin School.

While a variety of related martial arts techniques were introduced in the following centuries, the Orthodox Shaolin style remained until the eighteenth century the only formally organized style to be recognized as conform to buddhist teachings. It predates the Taoist styles, introduced by the Wu Tang School in the eleventh century.

After the eighteenth century, the tradition spread well beyond the walls of the Shaolin monastery. Today, "Shaolin Temple" refers to the whole set of teachings that were spawn by the Orthodox Shaolin tradition.

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This par was taken from Grand Master Nam Anh Win Chung school.

Bodhidarma Sardili

Bodi

Bodidharma

Origins of Kung Fu The roots of Kung Fu can be found in antique writings dating back to the period of Warring States: they reveal the existence of fighting techniques, with and without arms. Battle accounts of that time illustrate the detailed organization of the armies and the dreadful efficacy of those warriors. These techniques originally developed for military purposes were taught by heteroclites, requested ad hoc by the emperors since Kung Fu schools did not yet exist. It would take many a century for the Kung Fu Schools to come into being as a structured organization whose commitment was to maintain, propagate and develop the martial arts.

Under the philosophical influence of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, two great Schools were created: that of Shaolin and Wu Tang. The first is Buddhist and the second is Taoist. The Buddhist School dates back to the sixth century A.D., well before its Taoist counterpart which appeared in the eleventh century.

The arrival of the learned Indian Buddhist monk Bodidharma at the Shaolin Temple marks the beginning of Shaolin Kung Fu. Born in 483 A.D., the third son of a Brahman king of the Sardili clan, well educated according to his time, he was proficient in the arts, politics, sutras and warfare. He was not quite thirty when he left the princely comforts to dedicate his life to attaining enlightenment. Having become a reputable monk, he went to China to propagate the teachings of Buddha as had done many of his Indian predecessors during the era of the Three Kingdoms.

Welcomed at the Kuan Temple in the province of Guangdong (Canton) where he taught in around 527 A.D., the Governor of Guangdzou recommended Bodidharma, alias Tamo, to Emperor Liang Wu. Legend reports that the Emperor did not appreciate Tamo's discourse, making but a brief stay in Nanking. So, he headed for Luoyang, his pilgrimage ending at the Shaolin monastery, a few kilometres away from the capital. As he had taught Chan Buddhism (more commonly known as the Japanese Zen) for several years, Bodidharma established that the very poor health condition the monks were in, would not allow them to raise their consciousness and attain enlightenment. Their life style emphasized meditation at the expense of the physical body. Concerned, he withdrew to a cave and meditated for several years. As legend tells it, these nine years of isolation gave him the inspiration for the three books which are still considered as the most ancient proof of a systematic body of knowledge of the martial arts in China..

Li Shimin

The Three Sacred Books

These treaties dealt with the three dimensions of the human being according to the traditional concept of the Orient : the physical, the energetic and the mental planes of the body. The first such work, the Book of the transformation of muscles and tendons (Yi Kin King in Cantonese dialect), illustrated the basic exercises for reinforcing the body and increasing the suppleness as well as techniques for combat. The second, the Book on the cleansing of the marrow, concentrated on energetic exercises. And finally, the third collection was dedicated to spiritual exercises. When Bodidharma returned, he taught these techniques for training both the body and the mind. Once the monks had made this a matter of regular training, their bodily condition and health had been improved. They now had enough strength to do their day's work and were vigorous enough to perform their spiritual exercises.

The Temple Destroyed and Rebuilt

Learning combat techniques allowed them to be able to defend themselves against assaults on their monasteries in times of war, and against thieves on the roads. Destroyed and often rebuilt, persecuted by some emperors and valued by others, torn between Buddhist, Taoist and Confucianist lobbies competing for imperial favour, the Shaolin Temple not only survived centuries of political intrigues, but was able to become politically, economically and socially important. It was renown for its powerful combatants, defenders of the poor and the oppressed. They won fame in many great battles and so instilled imperial history with their glorious deeds.

Chian Lung

 

 

Prosperity

At the beginning of the Tang dynasty, the monks played a decisive role in the subjugation of General Wang Shichong by Li Shimin (reign from 626 to 649 A.D.). As an expression of his gratitude, the Emperor (also known as Tai Tsung) gave the monastery more land and authorized them to have their own army. The temple became more illustrious, more prosperous and ultimately a great centre for training in the martial arts during the Yuang and Ming dynasties.

The End of the Temple

At the beginning of the Ching dynasty, under the reign of Kan Shi (1661-1722 A.D.), the Shaolin Temple remained a powerful centre of learning. Its renown attracted a good number of students, thanks be to an emperor who encouraged the development of all religions. Among these students, many were supporters of the demised Ming dynasty. Trained in the most efficacious combat techniques, these rebels spread quickly throughout the country, most notably in the South and quickly became a serious threat to the government. Emperor Kan Shi severely repressed the Shaolin Temple and all of its offshoots throughout the 17th century when it proved to be a centre of resistance for the Ming dynasty. His grandson, Emperor Chian Lung (1736-1796 A.D.) organized new punitive expeditions against the Temple : stories of betrayal and of the growing number of rebellious secret societies connected with the monastery contributed to the total destruction of the Temple and to the massacre of the monks and nuns. Only five great masters survived the butchery, the « Invincible Five » : Jee Shin, Fung Tao Tak, Mieu Hien, Pei Mei and Ng Mui.