What is Shaolin?

[BennyMeng]

What is Shaolin? Before looking at the technical expression of a martial art, you have to understand the essense of Shaolin in the first place.

I. Three Treasures of Shaolin
A. Chan
B. Martial Arts
C. Health

For a martial art to be Shaolin, it has to address all three treasures of Shaolin. Each of these treasures can be broken down:

A. Three Treasures of Chan (Also refered to as the three refuges)
1. Buddha (Master)
2. Dharma (Teaching, doctrines)
3. Sangha (family/community)

B. Three Treasures of Shaolin Martial Arts
1. Gong Fa (Specialized Skill)
2. Tao Lu (Sets/ patterns)
3. Ge Dou (Fighting)

C. Three Treasures of Health
1. Essence (Jing)
2. Energy (Qi)
3. Spirit (Shen)

Wuyi= Ancient term used in China representing Martial Arts

[JK Walz]

Originally posted by BennyMeng

For a martial art to be Shaolin, it has to address all three treasures of Shaolin. Each of these treasures can be broken down:

A. Three Treasures of Chan (Also referred to as the three refuges)
1. Buddha (Master)
2. Dharma (Teaching, doctrines)
3. Sangha (family/community)




Sigung,

Are the three treasures analogous to the Three Bows done during the Tea Ceremony? The first being to yourself to master the system, the second being to the system itself or lineage and the third to the current MA community.

Thanks,

JK

[Savi]

Wasn't the third bow to "The Way" as in the way of Universal Truth and our pursuit of it? Actually JK, I will have to assume that there is far greater depth into the three bows than a simple black and white, here it is type issue.

[JK Walz]

Originally posted by hfysavi
Actually JK, I will have to assume that there is far greater depth into the three bows than a simple black and white, here it is type issue.

That goes without saying. It is sort of like the 5 energies discussed in the Ng Jan thread. The 5 energies are used throughout Chinese philosophy and culture. They can be applied in many different ways to many different situations.

The 3 Bows are the same. They are different depending on the topic- but still the same basic concept.

I realize they are deeper than they first appear. Although, I would argue that in reality, once you gain a fuller understanding, they are not really that complicated at all!

JK

[Savi]

True again JK! I am in complete agreement with you!

[BennyMeng]

Are the three treasures analogous to the Three Bows done during the Tea Ceremony? The first being to yourself to master the system, the second being to the system itself or lineage and the third to the current MA community.

JK,

Yes - the bows in the Tea Ceremony are the same. You are disciples of Shaolin. Throughout my research of Wing Chun and Weng Chun, among eight different lineages, only Chi Sim and Hung Fa Yi contain all three treasures: Chan, health and fighting. This is strong evidence that HFY and CS are descendants of Shaolin.

Savi,

The Dharma is the Way - just different language.
3 bows:
1st - Teacher (Buddha/Sifu)
2nd - Reality/Teaching (Dharma/Way)
3rd - Community (Sangha/Sihingdai)

"The state that is attainable through wisdom is called the true Dharma. Entering the true Dharma and attaining real liberation through wisdom is called Nirvana. The true Dharma is thus the same as Nirvana." - The Way to Buddhahood, Venerable Yin-shun

BM

[JK Walz]

Originally posted by BennyMeng
JK,

Yes - the bows in the Tea Ceremony are the same. You are disciples of Shaolin. Throughout my research of Wing Chun and Weng Chun, among eight different lineages, only Chi Sim and Hung Fa Yi contain all three treasures: Chan, health and fighting. This is strong evidence that HFY and CS are descendants of Shaolin.


Sigung,

In the Big Picture is any one more important than the other two?

Is it truly possible to be Shaolin if you don't focus on all three equaly? I have found recently that my main focus has shifted from Kung Fu (fight training) to Chan. I don't know if this is because my personal schedule has become difficult or I feel a need for more life-philosophy (or a combination or even reasons I am not aware of).

JK

[passing_through]

JK,

Just to throw something out before Sifu posts again... I know where you're coming from... one way to think of it is like building muscles - before you can hit your primary movers and fatigue them completely, your stabilizers have to be strong enough to carry the load. So, looking at the three main parts of Shaolin: Chan, Health, and Fighting - if you want to get strong in any one of them, the other two have to be strong to support.

So, if you're focusing in one area more than the others at this moment in time - it's only so you can go farther in the other two. It's that old adage, "a chain is only as strong as the weakest link." If you fighting is weak, your confidence might decrease - which will weaken your health and Chan. If your Chan is weak, your health and fighting really serve no purpose other than your ego. If your health is weak, you can't train and you fall asleep instead of meditating. It's all connected, different but not separate.

What do you think?
Jeremy R.

[JK Walz]

Originally posted by passing_through
What do you think?

I agree completely!

I do have my entire lifetime to perfect this (if perfection is possible). If I allow myself to focus on what my heart tells me I need to focus on then I'll succeed. If I force it I'll "burn out".

I try to look at the big picture in all of this. Learning King Fu is great was exactly my sole and only focus for the first 2.75 years of training. It was all about pak, tan, bong, fuk...ect. Recently I have discovered that the picture is mush larger than I first thought. I start to think about Chan and health as well. Does my kung fu training suffer? Sort of I guess- if kung fu fight training was still my only goal than anything else would detract. But, now that I am more concerned with the big picture (or I should say the Whole Picture) I need to spend as much time on the others I do the fight training.

I suppose my goal now is to get all three in harmony. Ideally I would be able to live in every moment with Chan, by healthy but not obsessed with it, and still train the kung fu every day as well. Right now I think I am a little lop-sided. I am trying to get that balance before the lop-sidedness (sp?) get more uneven.

Does this make any sense at all??

JKW

[Cang Long]

discussions going back and forth
Shaolin (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=27021)

[BennyMeng]

Has anyone found it contradictory for compassionate Buddhist monks to practice the art of war?

[Cang Long]

Meng Sigung,
The attachment that comes with the spoken or written word would be the stummbling block in your question. To say that anyone practices the art of war is an opinion or view of someone witnessing "the act of practicing" something anything yet if that person were to ask the person perfoming that act what it is he/she was doing the answer could very well be but not limited to something along the nature of performing the act of harmony of self or self preservation or any given number of replies different from what might be perceived by a second party to a given act but not the art of war. So it is the attachment to the term contradiction that would cause the problem in the question you raise anyone willing to accept that fact will perhaps no longer see a contradiction just the yin/yang of self preservation or spacial harmony.