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Shaolin
History
Already in the year 100 BC
there was a monks residence constructed at the foot of the mountain
'Song Shan'. Later on, in 78 AD there was a summer residence, that was
a part of the 'white horse monastary' (Bai Ma Shi) constructed. A lot
later, in the year 260 AD, two martial arts experts were charged with
the protection of this treasure... the first known link to martial
arts on this place reputed for the martial arts. In the years 440 -
446 the emperor 'To Pa Tao' has Buddhists persecuted. In the year 480
the emperor 'To Pa Hong' transfers the capitol to the city 'Luoyang',
about 60 kilometers away from the mountain 'Song Shan'...
In the year 495 the emperor
'Hsiao Wen' gives the order to construct Shaolin Si (Shao=small, Lin=forest,
Si=temple), to welcome and honor the traveling Indian monk called 'Batuo',
who came to China to spread Buddhism.
Later there were four other
Shaolin temples constructed. One of those temples was the temple in
the Southern Chinese provence Fukien. It was built in 756, during the
Tang dynasty . It probably had narrow relations with the Henan
monastary, it became a 'laboratory' for martial arts studies. The
Fukien temple was completely destroyed in 1768 when it was set on fire
by the Mandchous. The surviving monks spread their knowledge of kung
fu in the south of China, giving birth to the major southern Chinese
kung fu styles as Hung Gar (Hung family boxing) and Tang Lang Quan (praying
mantis boxing). The three other Shaolin temples were situated in the
provences of Hebei, Sichuan, and Guangdong. It's unknown whether these
temples had a martial arts tradition.
Prince Brahmane from
southern India became Bodidharma ('the illuminated one') and was the
28th successor of Buddha. He gave up his birthright to come to China
to spread Buddhism. After a long and dangerous trip he arrived in
China, where he traveled throughout the country with as its goal to
guide human beings towards the illuminated experience through (seated)
meditation. Bodidharma didn't speak about precepts, devotion, or
ascetic practises that he considered as fanatic teachings. For him the
spirit is the Buddha. When the emperor, Wu, heard about him, he
granted Bodidharma with an audience. (He was not interested in the
teachings, but in how Bodidharma's efforts would benefit him.)
Bodidharma considered that merit came from whisdom cultivated through
meditation, and not from external acts... |
