Greetings
Aroundd November 4th I was made aware of an Cadong sect ordaining ceremony for Yan Miaohai at Shaolin which involved the Abbot Shi Yong Xin naming Miaohai the 40th Dharma son of Caodong lineage.

at the ceremony there were hundreds of, what the report called "real monks". now I have to pause here to get clarity, when some one says "real monk" I think of the precepts of a Bhikkhu (僧 / Sēng) which in Mahayana school of which the Cadong sect is a branch of, vows for a monk extend further than that of a disciple. Becoming a lay disciple you take refuge in the three jewels and take vows of 5 precepts.
For an ordained monk, "going forth" into the monastic life the vows can be greater in number depending on the temple, some require 4 Encompassing vows, plus the 10 Bodhisattva vows made by Samantabhadra in the Avatamsaka sutra.

Yan Miaohai was ordained at Zhengjue Temple in Shandong province in 2014..... At Shaolin, what is the general requirement and preparation?

Theres an old documentary from either national geographic or discovery channel, where I recall the journalist saying people get rejected from being monks and warrior monks sometimes for years before they are accepted. Is this true? and if so, what is the reason? With warrior monks, I know it takes great skill and prowess to be accepted into the temple ranks based on martial arts alone.

this is the only link I have to pictures https://www.facebook.com/shaolin.disciples/posts/2814635595448859?__cft__[0]=AZWDtrnjgKjuPAu-zhcP_Zy_BVeM0wdLYnSeRR8cwtLRYAWWraYpgfH-mMPZPyG6Eu_k-WudP5zDZjcLvhc6-uHAnuNKwMkSK_J1HqQ5DebovyFunYlsqdd1WqpRkP7qpxrHXsX 9u7HQOTPc2pghGdDj&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R I will try to find a news report of the ordaining ceremony, maybe some one is familiar with it. Anyhow I was interested in the actual process that led to it, and what all the monks had to do to get there. Many people in the west are warrior monk disciples with a Dharma name for their generation of study, yet few I meet are practicing Ch'an in essence, some hold disciple precepts, some just live a regular secular life and practice Shaolin wugong. Now to certain people, especially monks that go forth and take to wearing a robe, certain titles and vows have more meaning to them.

Is this where the line is drawn? and why so many commit to discipleship rather than becoming a bhikku? there are a couple teachers I know of who actually went thru something grueling to become wuseng, yet they have never given detail, they are bhikku however, and they also teach wugong.

Just wondering what the requirement is, for anyone who can help. Besides finding a master, because the master wont hold you to a certain standard if you arent trying to go forth to be a monk.

Amituofo