The Shaolin School is a fictional martial arts school mentioned in several works of wuxia fiction. It is one of the largest and best-known orthodox schools in the wulin (martial artists' community). Its base is in Shaolin Monastery,Henan,China. It is also sometimes referred to as "Shaolin Monastery" or "Shaolin Temple" instead of "Shaolin School".
Apart from playing the role of a leading righteous school in the wulin in wuxia novels,Shaolin is also featured in popular culture and martial arts films such as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978),Shaolin Temple (1982),and Shaolin (2011). It is also synonymous with Chinese martial arts as it is mentioned in wuxia stories as the origin of all Chinese martial arts. It is best known worldwide for the Shaolin Kung Fu associated with the monastery.
The school's members are predominantly Buddhist monks with a minority of non-monks known as "secular members" (俗家弟子).[1][2] Apart from training in martial arts,the monks also follow Buddhist customs,and practices.
History
The Shaolin School was founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma,[3] who wanted his followers to practice martial arts for improving health,and self-defense,as well as upholding justice and helping the weak. Shaolin members are expected to follow a Buddhist code of conduct in addition to having a good mastery of martial arts.
Organisation
The school is led by the abbot (方丈;fāngzhàng) of the monastery. Shaolin members are ranked by generation. Each member of a certain generation has a prefix before his Buddhist name to indicate his position in the hierarchy. In Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,the most senior generation is the Xuán (玄) generation. The abbot is Xuanci and the senior monks such as Xuanji,Xuannan,Xuandu,and Xuanku also have a Xuán prefix in their names. One of the novel's three protagonists,Xuzhu,is from the Xū (虛) generation,which is two generations after the Xuán generation.[2]
In The Legend of the Condor Heroes, the Xianxia School (仙霞派) is a branch of Shaolin. Its base is at Yunxi Monastery (雲棲寺) in southern China. Its members include Reverend Jiaomu,Reverend Kumu,and Kumu's apprentice,Lu Guanying.
The following is a list of generation ranks in different eras:[2][3][4]
Song dynasty:Líng (靈;'spiritual'),Xuán (玄;'mysterious'),Huì (慧;'prajñā'),Xū (虛;'imaginary'),Kōng (空;'empty')
The school is subdivided into several groups,which take charge of different parts of the monastery or different aspects of the school's daily activities. They include:
Bhaishajyaraja Hall (藥王院),the hospital wing where the sick and injured are attended to.
Śarīra Hall (舍利院),the crematorium for cremating deceased members.
Guest Hall (知客院),the reception grounds for guests.
Library (藏經閣),the place where Buddhist scriptures and martial arts manuals are kept.
Martial arts
The Shaolin School is hailed as the origin of all Chinese martial arts and as a leading orthodox school in the wulin (武林;martial artists' community). In Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,it is said to house 72 powerful forms of martial arts and no one has managed to master all of them since the founding of the school. These martial arts have Buddhist names,such as "Bodhidharma's Palm" and "Arhat's Fist".[2]
It is also home to the Yijin Jing (易筋經),a manual instructing the user how to master a certain technique that improves the user's prowess in all types of martial arts. It has also powerful healing properties if the user manages to master the skill. In Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,You Tanzhi acquires the manual by chance and uses its skills to purge poison in his body after he is bitten by venomous creatures. The sutra also increases his inner energy and stamina,allowing him to deliver an ordinary palm stroke with force several times the original impact.[2] In The Smiling,Proud Wanderer,Linghu Chong uses the skills in the manual to heal his internal wounds.[1]
Note:Although the skills listed here are entirely fictional,some are based on or named after actual martial arts.
Discontinued use of the name "Shaolin" in television series
The term "Shaolin School" was not used in two television series adapted from Jin Yong's wuxia novels. In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber,a 2009 TV series adaptation of the novel of the same title,the Shaolin School is referred to as the Monks' School (僧人派). In Swordsman,a 2013 TV series adaptation of The Smiling,Proud Wanderer,Shaolin Monastery is referred to as Lingjiu Monastery (靈鷲寺;'Divine Eagle Monastery').
Although some viewers have expressed dissatisfaction over the changes,the reasons behind the renaming are not made clear to the public. Some people believe that the producers wanted to avoid trademark infringement,since Shaolin Monastery has officially registered "Shaolin" as a trademark and has been involved in lawsuits with commercial companies over the use of "Shaolin" as a brand name or trademark.[5]
Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and is regarded as its first Chinese patriarch. According to a 17th-century apocryphal story found in a manual called Yijin Jing, he began the physical training of the monks of Shaolin Monastery that led to the creation of Shaolin kungfu. He is known as Dámó in China and as Daruma in Japan. His name means "dharma of awakening (bodhi)" in Sanskrit.
Shaolin Monastery, also known as Shaolin Temple, is a renowned monastic institution recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak of the Songshan mountain range in Dengfeng County, Henan Province, China. The name reflects its location in the ancient grove of Mount Shaoshi, in the hinterland of the Songshan mountains. Mount Song occupied a prominent position among Chinese sacred mountains as early as the 1st century BC, when it was proclaimed one of the Five Holy Peaks. It is located some 48 km (30 mi) southeast of Luoyang, the former capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534), and 72 km (45 mi) southwest of Zhengzhou, the modern capital of Henan Province.
Shaolin kung fu, also called Shaolin Wushu, or Shaolin quan, is one of the oldest, largest, and most famous styles of wushu, or kung fu of Chan Buddhism. It combines Chan philosophy and martial arts. It was developed in the Shaolin Temple in Henan province, Greater China during its 1500-year history. Popular sayings in Chinese folklore related to this practice include "All martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin" and "Shaolin kung fu is the best under heaven," indicating the influence of Shaolin kung fu among martial arts. The name Shaolin is also used as a brand for the so-called external styles of kung fu. Many styles in southern and northern China use the name Shaolin.
Louis Cha Leung-yung, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, was a Chinese wuxia novelist and essayist who co-founded the Hong Kong daily newspaper Ming Pao in 1959 and served as its first editor-in-chief. He was Hong Kong's most famous writer, and is named along with Gu Long and Liang Yusheng as the "Three Legs of the Tripod of Wuxia". He is also known as one of the "Four Great Talents of Hong Kong".
Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong. It was first serialised concurrently from 3 September 1963 to 27 May 1966 in the newspapers Ming Pao in Hong Kong and Nanyang Siang Pau in Singapore. It has been adapted into films and television series in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China numerous times since the 1970s. Set in 11th-century China, the plot is made up of separate yet intertwining storylines revolving around three protagonists – Qiao Feng, Duan Yu and Xuzhu – and other characters from various empires and martial arts sects. The novel examines the cause and effect that form and break the inherent bonds underlying each major character's struggles on five uniquely corresponding levels: self, family, society, ethnic group, and country (dominion).
The Ming Cult is a fictional cult and martial arts school featured in the wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber by Jin Yong, first published in serial form from 1961 to 1963. It is also briefly mentioned in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, another novel also by Jin Yong. It is loosely based on Manichaeism, an actual gnostic religion which originated in Persia in the 3rd century CE and later spread to other parts of the world, including China. The cult's headquarters is at Bright Peak in the Kunlun Mountains and it has several other bases spread throughout China. Its most powerful skills are the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" and the "Martial Arts of the Holy Flame Tablets".
The Jiuyang Zhenjing, also known as the Nine Yang Manual, is a fictional martial arts manual in Jin Yong's Condor Trilogy. It was first introduced briefly at the end of the second novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. It plays a significant role in the third novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber after Zhang Wuji discovers it and masters the skills in the book.
The Gaibang (丐幫) is a fictional martial arts organisation featured prominently in works of wuxia fiction by writers such as Jin Yong, Gu Long and Wolong Sheng. The gang has also found its way into martial arts films such as King of Beggars and video games such as Age of Wushu. The gang's members are mostly beggars as its name suggests, but some of them are from other walks of life. They are noticeable in public for their dress code and behaviour. The members adhere to a strict code of conduct and maintain the utmost respect for rank and hierarchy. They uphold justice and help those in need through acts of chivalry. The Beggars' Gang is also one of the supporting pillars in the defence of Han Chinese society from foreign invaders. The gang has a wide network of communications and the members are reputed for their excellent information gathering skills. This is due to the gang's large size and the nature of its members, which allows them to easily blend into different segments of society.
The Yijin Jing is a manual containing a series of exercises, coordinated with breathing, intended to dramatically enhance physical health when practiced consistently. In Chinese, yi means "change", jin means "tendons and sinews", while jing translates to "methods".
Shi Yongxin is the current abbot of the Shaolin Temple. He is the thirteenth successor after Shi Xingzheng. He is the Chairman of the Henan Province Buddhists Association, a representative of the Ninth National People's Congress and also one of the first Chinese monks ever to get an MBA degree.
The Wudang School, sometimes also referred to as the Wu-Tang Clan, is a fictional martial arts school mentioned in several works of wuxia fiction. It is commonly featured as one of the leading orthodox schools in the wulin. It is named after the place it is based, the Wudang Mountains.
The Mount Hua Sect, also known as the Huashan Sect, is a fictional martial arts sect mentioned in several works of wuxia fiction. It is commonly featured as one of the leading orthodox sects in the wulin. It is named after the place where it is based, Mount Hua. The sect appears in three of Jin Yong's novels.
The Kongtong School is a martial arts school mentioned in several works of wuxia fiction. It is commonly featured as a leading orthodox school in the jianghu. It is named after the place where it is based, the Kongtong Mountains.
The Mount Heaven School, also known as the Tianshan School, is a fictional martial arts school mentioned in works of wuxia fiction, most notably Liang Yusheng's Qijian Xia Tianshan. It also appears in Jin Yong's Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils as a minor school that plays an important role in the story line of one of the three protagonists, Xuzhu. The school is named after the place where it is based, the Tian Shan mountain range in western China.
Qiao Feng, born Xiao Feng, is one of the protagonists of the wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Jin Yong. He is a tragic hero whose tragedy resembles that of ancient Greek hero Oedipus.
Shaolin King of Martial Arts is a 2002 Chinese wuxia television series directed by Chang Hsin-yen, Liu Jiacheng and Wu Chia-tai. It starred Wu Jing, Yaqi, Chunyu Shanshan, Gao Haiyan, Huang Yi, Yu Chenghui, Ji Chunhua, Yu Hai and Xu Xiangdong in the leading roles.
Master of Zen also known as Bodhidharma is a 1994 Hong Kong film based on the legends surrounding the life of Bodhidharma. The film was directed, produced, and co-written by Brandy Yuen, and starred Derek Yee and Louis Fan in the leading roles.
Shi Yanxu is the director of Shaolin Temple Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Yanxu started his monastic life in childhood with extensive Chan meditation and Shaolin Kung Fu training under Abbot Shi Yongxin at China’s Songshan Shaolin Temple. He was appointed the head instructor of Shaolin martial monks in 2004-2005 and has been the personal aid of the Abbot before he came to the United States. Shi Yanxu is a master of the Shaolin Arts---an integrated system of Chan Buddhism, Martial Arts and Medicine. He has gained insights to the scriptures and human nature through meditation guided by accomplished Chan masters. He specializes in various forms of Shaolin Martial Arts as well as the holistic exercise system which is designed to enhance people's physical health. The holistic exercise system follows Yijin Jing and Xi Sui Jing, which were left behind by Bodhidharma at Songshan Shaolin Temple during 5th/6th century. Since 2007, Yanxu has taught hundreds of students with difference age, race, religion and cultural background. He has organized various events to promote Shaolin culture in the U.S., such as the Shaolin Temple Day Celebration. Also, Yanxu actively involved with the local community and his efforts were acknowledged by the City of Arcadia, City of Walnut, Los Angeles Country Sheriff's Department and Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles County, etc.
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