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Thread: Another article to translate about Bai Yu Feng

  1. #1
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    Another article to translate about Bai Yu Feng

    白玉峰是明代人 颜紫元 2007.7。11

    少林武术史的研究,应以少林拳法正宗传人所保留的武术资料,及原始少林碑文为主要依据,其余旁门别枝的种种 传说,只能作为参考。

    光绪年间出版的《少林宗法》,及民国初,在《少林宗法》的基础上“尊我斋主人”重编出版的《少林拳术秘诀》 ,其关于少林拳史部分,内容原始详尽。虽然两书的编著者,可以肯定是反清复明的革命党人,因而书中有不少影 射暗语,但书中的资料,绝大多数是得自少林正宗传人之手。

    而与《少林宗法》、《少林拳术秘诀》中,所涉及到的少林俗家弟子没有任何关系的另一支少林俗家传人牛翰章老 师(1898-1976),所留下的少林拳谱,是迄今发现记载少林拳艺最原始、最系统、最完整的资料。牛师的传承是清末俗 家劉慶朝,字閣臣在少林寺學藝,系山東壽縣人,傳俗家本縣(饒陽縣)人張峻巍,字鳳岩,傳俗家 牛瀚章。

    令人惊讶的是:《少林宗法》、《少林拳术秘诀》上所记载的有关拳技方面的内容及描述,虽然远远没有牛师留谱 的完整,但在牛师留谱上均能找到,而且完全一致。在历史源流叙述上也一致。故此,可以推断《少林宗法》、《 少林拳术秘诀》编著出版前的原始资料,必定来自少林正宗传人之手。

    《少林宗法》、《少林拳术秘诀》及牛师留谱都清楚地说道:少林技击术始自觉远上人、白玉峰、李 叟。

    那么觉远上人、白玉峰及李叟究竟是何时人呢?

    一说,是金元之时人。如果说明是金元时代人,那么金元时期及明代早期无论文献还是碑刻上,为何不见蛛丝马迹 ?

    少林武术开始有记载,是始自明代中叶,从金元之时到明中叶的几百年间,不见任何记载,其不怪哉?!而明中叶 至现今,少林武术的文献及碑文记载没有中断过。

    再者,元代朝廷严禁习武,僧俗同论,一旦查证,便是杀头之罪。原山西太原人白玉峰又如何能供养“过往有奇技 者”,让他们传授自己武功?家道中落后,他又怎么可能挟技游天下,使“大河南北莫比伦”?而且年过半百后, 在“洛阳同福寺授徒自给”,这些岂不招来杀身之祸?!

    而原严州(今浙江新安一带)某公子的觉远上人,在少林寺剃度前“娴技击”,成为少林和尚后,又俗装携资访民 间技击高手,遇李叟于兰州。又在李叟的带领下,一同去洛阳同福寺找白玉峰,且三人在同福寺练武相当一段时间 后,才一起去了少林寺,并在少林寺创拳传艺,广招弟子。这在元代朝廷的禁令下,是没有可能的。

    而白玉峰创的五拳,及觉远的罗汉拳,若在金元时期就已创传,那么经过几百年后,到明代中晚期,世人应该早有 所闻,而明中晚期的戚继光将军,在编其著的《纪效新书》中,详尽列举了当时流行的拳种,竟无一字提及五拳、 罗汉拳,说明当时五拳、罗汉拳,创传不是很久,尚未被武术家们所闻。

    这一切与明中叶以前少林技击术,无任何文献和碑刻记载,是一致的。

    如果说元代没有记载,是因为担心元朝廷的发难,那么从明初到明中的一百多年时间里,也未见记载,岂不是怪事 。

    因此所有的事实都说明觉远、白玉峰、李叟不可能是金元时期人,所有的事实都显示,他们可能是明 中叶人。

    现在我们来看一下,他们是明中叶人的证据(除上面叙述的之外)。

    在《少林宗法》及《少林拳术秘诀》中,反复提到觉远是少林技击术的引进与奠基者,同时又说觉远传一贯禅师, 一贯又传蔡九仪等,对一贯禅师的生平也有描述,而蔡九仪是广东人,崇祯时从武科起家,为洪经略承畴之军令承 宣官。蔡九仪又传广东顺德人麦姓与莫姓,此即广东南拳的发端。因此明末崇祯年间蔡九仪的师爷觉远是明中期人 ,不可能是数百年前的金元时期人。

    民国初出版的“尊我斋主人著”的少林拳术秘诀(1915年中华书局版)“五要说”中载:“吾宗术法虽创始于 达摩禅师,而推阐变化以臻厥大成者,则以圆性禅师(生于晚明,别创击剑术及十戒约规)为首屈一指。至明末诸 老避难南来,更以此为磨礱筋骨之具,斯道乃重放光明。”

    该书“少林之戒约微言”一章中又说:“……不肖之徒竟有忘其本来面目,失佛门倡立此术之遗旨,以慈悲救世之 场,竟变为弄拳习棒之地,故觉远上人 悲焉忧之,乃重立戒约,以垂示来兹。……”

    由此可知,圆性禅师便是觉远上人(应为明中期人)。

    自元代福裕禅师入住少林寺,他便定下排辈表如下:少林寺雪庭〈福裕〉禪師立曹湖洞根本一宗。“并預先安排七 十字輩,讓後來的和尚依照裔輩數的順序,以命法名,七十字輩訣是:

    福惠智子覺,了本圓可悟。
    周洪普廣宗,道慶同玄祖。
    清靜真如海,湛寂淳貞素。
    德行永廷恆,妙體常堅固。
    心朗照幽深,性明鑒祟炸。
    忠正善禧祥,僅原志濟度。
    雪庭為遵師,引汝歸鉻路。

    上述七十字訣是元代少林字欽命方丈福裕〈雪庭〉大和尚立曹洞正宗,撰立了七十字輩訣,擬此訣順序給後代子孫 取法名。福裕和尚的“福”字為第一世。今任少林寺首座僧素喜是第三十世,是今日少林寺最高的輩數。下輩已排 到廷字、已是第三十四世了‧


    若以每代25-27年的通常计算法,到明正德、嘉靖年间出现少林武僧周友、洪转等的周字辈的、洪字辈的情形,在时间上是十 分吻合的。

    少林自福裕入住后,分本系僧与外系僧。觉远上人应该是属圆字辈的少林寺本系僧,而白玉峰(秋月禅师)应当不 属排辈表的外系僧,一贯禅师也属外系僧。

    觉远上人、白玉峰、李叟在少林寺开启少林技击术后,所传弟子,有俗有僧,有本系的少林僧,又有外系的少林僧 。如周友、洪转等是本系少林僧,一贯等是外系少林僧。通背拳创始人董成(明嘉靖、万历年间人)的老师郭万清 、张文魁,及宁波府志记载的边澄等,都是半俗半僧的弟子。(注:郭万清传董成太祖长拳,张文魁传董成白氏五 拳。太祖长拳是李叟传入少林寺的,据载:李叟精大洪拳、棍术及擒拿术。大洪拳也叫大红拳,也称太祖长拳,于 明早期中期发源于豫北,又被托名为宋太祖长拳,传入少林寺后,又分成多支。)

    而圆字辈的觉远上人(圆性禅师)正是明中叶人。有人或许会提出:觉远为何不是排辈表的“觉”字 辈?

    本人认为,圆性禅师在《少林宗法》及《少林拳术秘诀》中被称为“推阐变化以臻厥大成者”,而所有的少林资料 都又指觉远为“推阐变化以臻厥大成者”(除牛师的留谱,则指白玉峰为真正的少林寺技击术奠基者,但白氏原非 少林寺僧,是觉远上人请入少林寺的,按照少林寺僧人发展少林武功的观点看,觉远上人是少林武术的第一功臣, 故牛师谱述与《少林宗法》、《少林拳术秘诀》所述,并无矛盾)。因此,觉远便是圆性禅师,不可能是二个人。 同时圆字辈的觉远与一贯禅师在年代上也吻合,若是“觉”字辈的觉远,则在年代上分离就远了。

    有的通背拳谱还把白玉峰说成是他们的祖师,并且是明末人,虽然不完全正确,但也是白玉峰为明代人的一个旁证 。

    明末,在北方被满清打败的明皇室成员中的一部分朱姓人物,分别逃到了河南嵩山少林寺、四川峨嵋山的寺庙等。 在少林寺中的朱氏有位称为“朝元和尚”的,他奋发练功继承白氏五拳等,又结合道门武功而创梅花拳。朝元和尚 广传弟子,以图反清复明,其所传弟子又分成内家弟子与外家弟子。即以反清复明为目的者为内家弟子,不以反清 复明为目的者为外家弟子,清初江宁甘凤池便是朝元和尚的外家弟子。

    正因为这种反清复明的活动,清初少林寺又遭清廷的一次围剿、焚毁。(注:梅花拳后又分支出戳脚门,后戳脚门 又与翻子拳结合,而成戳脚翻子门。)

    通背拳出现在明嘉靖、万历年间,及梅花拳出现在明末清初,都是白玉峰为明代人的佐证,因为这二支都与白氏五 拳相关。

    通背拳又与内家六合拳(心意六合拳)及外家六合拳的形成,有着密切的关系。外家六合拳中至今同洪洞通背拳一 样,保持着地趟练法。通背拳还与济源神拳的形成、陈氏太极的形成、弓力拳的形成、阴阳八盘掌的形成,有着密 切关联。(详情请参阅本人《怀庆府通背,天下武艺之源》一文)

  2. #2
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    The author points out that written records of Shaolin martial arts were mostly put together during the Ming Dynasty and that there is no mention of "5 fists" in General Qi Jiguang books - Ji Xiao Xin Shu, nor any mention of it on any 'steles' – then, suddenly, there appears to be a lot of stories about '5 fist' in the late Ming period.

    The author makes a further point that the Yuan government issued a prohibition against the practice or teaching of military arts and keeping of military weapons and asks how could Baiyu Feng teach or even learn martial arts under these conditions. He finds this "strange". Basically the author is saying that the "5 fists"
    were developed during the late Ming period and passed on to lay people in the Qing period.

    I would argue that is not strange at all and it is possible that these events took place at the beginning of the Yuan – when one looks this in a historical context.

    Although there are many similarities with our version of this story there are a number of differences as well.

    I'll put a couple of points together shortly.

    r.
    Last edited by r.(shaolin); 06-27-2008 at 09:54 AM.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by r.(shaolin) View Post
    The author points out that written records of Shaolin martial arts were mostly put together during the Ming Dynasty and that there is no mention of "5 fists" in General Qi Jiguang books - Ji Xiao Xin Shu, nor any mention of it on any 'steles' – then, suddenly, there appears to be a lot of stories about '5 fist' in the late Ming period.

    The author makes a further point that the Yuan government issued a prohibition against the practice or teaching of military arts and keeping of military weapons and asks how could Baiyu Feng teach or even learn martial arts under these conditions. He finds this "strange". Basically the author is saying that the "5 fists"
    were developed during the late Ming period and passed on to lay people in the Qing period.

    I would argue that is not strange at all and it is possible that these events took place at the beginning of the Yuan – when one looks this in a historical context.

    Although there are many similarities with our version of this story there are a number of differences as well.

    I'll put a couple of points together shortly.

    r.
    True, I agree with you.
    Well, I don't always agree with Yan's conclusions, but he does do a lot of interesting research.

    I think that he needs more access to other information besides surveying ming era books that are seen as forged info today.

    Well, he would like to converse with you.

  4. #4
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    Well, he would like to converse with you.
    Ok.

    To start with here are some general points.

    1. General Qi Jiguang's books - Ji Xiao Xin Shu aside, the concept of 'animal imitation' Xiang Xing Quan (像形拳) is very ancient and persistent in Chinese martial arts– this was not a Ming invention – and goes back to at least the Han Dynasty if not earlier.

    2. Although it's true that keeping and training in military weapons was 'illegal' for Han Chinese during the Yuan, I would point out that as a rule, military training and keeping military weapons in monasteries was also 'illegal' even during the Tang Dynasty. Martial arts practice however, was encouraged within northern Chinese nationalities – from the very beginning many northern Chinese were part of the Mongolian army - in fact that is the way the Mongols defeated the Jin. It was with the help of northern Chinese military.

    3. During the Yuan Dynasty weapons and fighting became part of performances on stage and was common.

    4. Throughout the Yuan Dynasty many people kept training in secret, particularly in Henan, Shanxi, Hebei, Anhui and other northern provinces. This is clear, because as has been noted by various scholars, there were dozens and dozens of uprisings in northern China which encouraged wushu training and culminated in the upraising of the northern Red Turbans. As a side note, the Red Turbans were generally a problem for remote Buddhist Monasteries in northern China as well and they needed to defend against them..

    5. According to one source, Jue Yuan left Shaolin Monastery and traveled abroad from 1224 to 1231 looking for martial arts masters. This suggests that the Jue Yuan / Bai Yufeng event took place during the period Jurchens (Jin) conquered and ruled over the northern parts (which included the area where Shaolin Si stood). This was the period just before the Mongols pushed the Jin out of the region. (Also note that Kublai Khan and his army stayed in Shaolin Si before he became the first Yuan emperor. They built up the monastery, offered land, material support in general, and rice to the Buddhist households in order to show their gratitude. When he became Emperor he continued to be friendly towards Shaolin)

    6. During the Yuan Dynasty Shaolin experienced one of its biggest growths.

    7. In our tradition the term 五形拳 is not used for the name of the Shaolin Dragon /Tiger sets connected with Bai Yufeng. Wu Xing only refers to the five hand shapes (五形手). As well the term 'Quan' (拳) is not used, but rather "shou" (手).
    Last edited by r.(shaolin); 06-28-2008 at 02:39 PM.

  5. #5
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    6. During the Yuan Dynasty Shaolin experienced one of its biggest growths.

    Reply]
    I was under the impression Shaolin (martial arts) about died out during the end of the Yuan. Can you shed some more lite on that (assuming I am not wrong).
    Those that are the most sucessful are also the biggest failures. The difference between them and the rest of the failures is they keep getting up over and over again, until they finally succeed.


    For the Women:

    + = & a

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    Quote Originally Posted by Royal Dragon View Post
    6. During the Yuan Dynasty Shaolin experienced one of its biggest growths.

    Reply]
    I was under the impression Shaolin (martial arts) about died out during the end of the Yuan. Can you shed some more lite on that (assuming I am not wrong).
    During the Yuan years when Abbott Fu Yu was there, there was a big spurt in martial arts, where they developed the Vajra sets and the Kan Jia Quan sets, amongst many others.

    By the turn of the dynasty going into Ming, there was great unrest, with the Taoist Red Turbans revolting, and Shaolin was basically closed and shrunk down to a skeleton crew.

    It's a big space of time during the yuan to its end time.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sal Canzonieri View Post
    During the Yuan years when Abbott Fu Yu was there, there was a big spurt in martial arts, where they developed the Vajra sets and the Kan Jia Quan sets, amongst many others.

    By the turn of the dynasty going into Ming, there was great unrest, with the Taoist Red Turbans revolting, and Shaolin was basically closed and shrunk down to a skeleton crew.

    It's a big space of time during the yuan to its end time.
    Hi Sal;
    You're right.
    By the way, did you get my email address?
    r.

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    Quote Originally Posted by r.(shaolin) View Post
    Hi Sal;
    You're right.
    By the way, did you get my email address?
    r.
    yes, thanks.I gave it to Professor Yan.

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