A Brief History of The Shaolin Temple
Everyone has heard of the Shaolin Temple, but not many people know its history. So what is it, exactly? And how did this place become so well known? The Shaolin temple is a Buddhist monastery situated at the foot of Wuru Peak of the Songshan mountain range in Dengfeng County, Henan Province, China. It’s one of the most important centers of Chan (Zen) Buddhism and martial arts in the world. Originally built in 483 CE, it grew from a small monastery into a large and important place of worship. Its history is full of destruction, but also of growth and resilience.
In this blog post, you will learn about the history of the Shaolin Temple and its influence on martial arts today.
Who Built the Shaolin Temple?
The Shaolin Temple was founded by a Buddhist Monk named Buddhabhadra (also known as Da Shi) in the 5th century CE. He was originally from Central India, where Buddhism had been thriving for around 400 years. Buddhabhadra was the first of a long line of Chinese monks who practiced Chan Buddhism at the Shaolin Temple. Chan Buddhism is a religion that emphasizes meditation and mental clarity above all else. The Shaolin Temple started out as a small monastery, but grew into an enormous complex over the next few hundred years. It became the center of Chinese Buddhism and kung fu.
The Shaolin Temple’s influences on martial arts
The first thing most people think of when they hear the word “Shaolin Temple” is martial arts. And it’s easy to see why: the Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of many martial arts forms, known as kung fu, including, Small Frame Fist (Xiao Hong Quan), Long Fist (Changchuan), and Seven Star Boxing (Qi Xing Quan). There are many theories about how the monks at Shaolin Temple developed martial arts. Most agree that the monks utilized their daily training as part of their spiritual practice. There are even stories of monks fighting fierce animals as a form of meditation. Others say that monks used martial arts to defend themselves against bandits and invaders. In any case, Shaolin Temple martial arts focus on health, spirituality, and combat.
The Shaolin Temple in combat during the Ming and Qing Dynasties
The Shaolin Temple has a long, tumultuous history as a center of Chan Buddhism and martial arts. The Temple endured periods of great prosperity, followed by times of destruction and turmoil. Some of the Temple’s darkest moments came during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the 15th century, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty (the ruling power of the time) grew worried that the monks at Shaolin Temple were training soldiers. He ordered his army to destroy the Temple. The emperor died before the destruction was complete, but the Temple was left in ruins. Things were even worse during the Qing Dynasty, which lasted from 1644 to 1911 CE. The Manchu rulers of the Qing Dynasty saw the Shaolin Temple as a potential threat to their rule. They destroyed it again and outlawed the practice of kung fu (martial arts). The monks of the Shaolin Temple were forced to flee to surrounding villages, where they continued their worship and martial arts training.
Conclusion
The Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of many martial arts (kung fu) forms, and continues to be a major center of Chan (Zen) Buddhism today. The Shaolin Temple has had a tumultuous history, but continues to thrive and will have an influence for many years to come.