History and Philosophy of the Shaolin Temple The Shaolin order dates to about 540 AD, when Bodidharma (in Chinese – Tamo), an Indian Buddhist priest, traveled to China to see the Emperor. At that time, local Buddhist monks were translating Buddhist texts from Sanskrit to Chinese, by order of the Emperor, with the intent to allow the general populace the ability to practice this religion. Although considered a noble project, Tamo disagreed with the Emperor’s belief that this would be his path to Nirvana. You could not achieve your goal solely through good actions performed by others in your name, Tamo believed. It was at this point that Tamo and the Emperor parted ways. Tamo traveled to the nearby Buddhist temple to meet with the monks who were translating these Buddhist texts. The temple, constructed years before in the remains of a forest that had been either cleared or burned down, was named "young forest" (in Mandarin, Shaolin – in Cantonese, Sil Lum), since at the time of temple construction, the emperor's gardeners had also planted new trees. Upon his arrival, Tamo was refused admittance to the temple, perhaps being thought an intrusive foreigner by Fang Chang, the head abbot. After being rejected by the monks, he went to a nearby cave and meditated until the monks recognized his religious prowess and admitted him. Legend has it that Tamo bored a hole through one side of the cave with his constant gaze; however, lost to history is accomplishment that earned his recognition. When Tamo joined the monks, he observed that they were in poor physical condition, as most of their routine paralleled that of the Irish monks of the Middle Ages, in which hours each day were spent hunched over tables while transcribing handwritten texts. As a result, the Shaolin monks lacked both the physical and mental stamina necessary to perform the most basic Buddhist meditation practices. By teaching them moving exercises, designed to both enhance ch'i flow and build strength, Tamo succeeded in countering these qualities. The exercises, modified from Indian yoga and based on the movements of the 18 main animals in Indo-Chinese iconography (i.e., cobra, deer, dragon, leopard, snake, tiger, etc.), were the beginnings of Shaolin Kung Fu. These movements were codified into a system of self-defense over a period of time, although it is hard to say just when they became known "martial arts". Since the Shaolin temple was in a secluded area where bandits would have traveled and wild animals were an occasional problem, a method of self-defense was necessary. As time went on, the Buddhist sect became more distinct, due to the nature of the martial arts studied and practiced. Although martial arts had existed in China for centuries, it was within confines of the temple that these arts were codified into the new and different styles that would become distinctly Shaolin. The Shaolin practitioner is never an attacker, nor does he or she dispatch the most devastating defenses in any situation. Rather, the study and practice of kung fu leads to better understanding of violence, and consequently conflict avoidance. A practitioner who refuses to accept an offering of violence (i.e., an attack) merely returns it to the sender. Initially, the kung fu expert may choose to parry an attack; however, if an assailant is both skilled and determined to cause harm, a more definitive and concluding solution may be required, ranging from a joint-lock hold to a knockout, to death. The more sophisticated and violent an assault, the more devastating the return of the attack is to the attacker. Kung fu practitioners do not intentionally harm anyone; they merely refuse delivery of intended harm. Shaolin philosophy started from Buddhism but later adopted many Taoist principles to become a new sect. Even though a temple may at first have been Taoist or Buddhist, once it became Shaolin, it was a member of a new order. Description of the Temples There were five main temples at the height of the Shaolin order, although all five temples were rarely active at the same time. Honan: This is "the" Shaolin temple seen in Chinese kung fu movies, and the one portrayed in the ABC-TV "Kung Fu" series of the 1970s. The physical premises, located in Loyang, a small mountain town southwest of Beijing, have been restored by the Chinese government in the mid 1970s (the temple was destroyed as a result of the Boxer Rebellion of 1901, but probably not until the late 1920s), and subsequently become a tourist/martial arts Mecca. Most of the resident "monks" seen today are actors, similar to the people you would meet in Colonial Williamsberg and other historical sites. During most of its history, Honan Temple was the seat of the most senior monks in the Shaolin Order. Fukien: Probably built around the same time as Honan Temple, but originally a mainstream Buddhist temple until the early 1600s. This temple was integrated into the Shaolin order around 650. Larger than the Honan Temple, Fukien served as the "headquarters" during times when Honan was either destroyed or under threat. The southern styles of Praying Mantis, Snake, Dragon, and Wing Chun were all developed in Fukien Temple, or by its masters. The temple was burned during the Boxer Rebellion, and its remains were rediscovered in the early 1980s. Kwangtung: Southern school, taught many great warriors, snake temple. Temple was built in late 1700's as a Shaolin temple, built in a mountain area overlooking the ocean near Shanghai. This Cantonese temple was close to (ca. 150 miles southwest) Fukien, and was home to many southern styles, including Choy Li Fut and dragon (styles often originated in one location and were modified at others). Shelled during the civil warring following the Boxer Rebellion. Wutang: Tiger temple. Located near the town of Wutang. Built in a politically unstable area (near Manchuria and the Korean peninsula). Probably the temple most involved with temporal concerns, and consequently often besieged by one army or another. Mercenary monks, including Bok Lei, Hung Si Kuan, and Bok Mei all came from Wutang, eventually moving to Honan (and thus involving Shaolin in its biggest political incursion). Very old temple, integrated into the Shaolin order around AD 800. O mei shan: (Literally, "Great White Mountain") Northern, library and medical temple. This temple was located in an inaccessible area of the Szechuan province and imported monks much like research institutions do today. The temple itself was very old, probably Taoist in origin. Integrated into Shaolin order around AD 1500. Was in close contact with Tibet. Crane temple. This was a major medical "school" for four centuries, the libraries filled with tomes from East and West. The buildings were used for artillery practice by the armies of both Shang Kai Shek and Mao Tze Tung, but restored in the early 1970s. Today, the "temple" serves as the conservation service headquarters for the bamboo forests of Szechuan and research center for the pandas. The first four temples had the brands of the tiger and dragon on the left and right forearms respectively. The O mei shan temple had the mantis and the crane on the right and left forearms.