Road to Heaven by Bill Porter
Ever remember something in the middle of the night? That was Red Pine's other book, which I highly recommend despite being off topic (Shaolin is mentioned but in an unflattering way.)
Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com
Continuing the Bodhidharma string
DA MO (whose last name was Sardili) and who was also known as Bodhidarma, was once a prince of a small tribe in Southern India. He was of the Mahayana school of Buddhism, and was considered by many to be a Bodhisattva,or an enlightened being who renounced nirvana in order to Save others. From the fragments of historical records it is believed he was born about 483ad. IT is believed that DaMo was the second Indian Priest to be invited to China. DA MO was invited to china by emperor LIang in 527Ad. The emporer decided that he did not like DA Mo's teachings and threw him out and Da mo retreated to the Shaolin Temple. He saw that the Monks there were weak and sickly and could not stay awake during the meditation session he held. DA Mo retreated to a cave up the mpountain side from the Temple and stayed thier for nine years and during that time he created the yi gin ching muscle/tendon changing excersises.
this excerpt was edited by me and comes from the book that Dr Yang Jwing Ming wrote on the subject. NOW here is my take on this:
From All accounts Da Mo was NOT a myth, he was a real person who actually exisited. argueing this point is just like argueing that jesus was a myth and we have the bible and old hebrewic texts to prove otherwise. NOW: here is where i get confused: 495ad is when the shaolin temple was built,,DA Mo was born around 483a.d.,, he came to the temple in 527ad. that makes him 44 yrs old when he came to shaolin temple. That means that the shaolin temple was only open for 32 yrs from the time it was built to the time DA Mo came there. Plus the records indicate thatthe monks were weak and sickly and could not meditate properly. THEN HOW ON EARTH WAS THERE MARTIAL ARTS BEING STUDIED THERE AT THIS BEGINNING? given these dates, i conclude that the Shaolin Temple was a Buddhist order studying Buddhism and not fighting..when Da mo came and taught the excercises and the fist and palm sets, THAT IS WHEN THE MARTIAL WAYS STARTED HAPPENING AT THE TEMPLE. remember that DA mo was unorthodox in his teachings and he fought when he had to.
to say that there was martial arts already at the temple at the time of his arrival is BS. There was not. This supports my theory that the temple became a military training center for the emperors army. we have heard the tales of the temple being destroyed several times in its history due to tyranny and new regimes,,this also supports the theory that the temple was a military training center for the emperors. as for the buddhism taught there. i believe that at first it was buddhism but them the TAoist influence took over and the temple became Taosit like all the rest with some buddhist influence. Remember that Buddhism renounces violence of any form, there is no foot notes below those doctrines that say oh yeah you can fight if this happens. All the other Budhhist temples in the world have NO FIGHTING OR MARTIAL PROGRAM AT ALL IN THEM. I believe that DA Mo is the Father of shaolin kungfu. all things afterwards developed a and were subsequently ABSORBED AND ADOPTED INTO THE FIGHTING CURRICULUM at Shaolin.
so here it is lets discuss this: Hope GENE gets in on this thread.
Many respects,,Willow Sword
Whatever you think i am or want me to be,,, i am.
oh and,,,Jesus loves you, everyone else thinks you are an a$.