Qigong's Buddhist Origins

[RenDaHai]

Come on, use some logic here. That evidence says little. Because all we can use is SURVIVING records. Where did the 'new' information come from? You think 1500 years ago all they had to go on were the 'Record of buddhist monasteries in Luoyang'? Off course not. 1500 years ago they probably had 1500 other sources of information that are not around today.

Imagine in 1500 years time a load of professors are writing history based on the only surviving magazine which happens to be 'Playboy'...... How close to the truth could they construct?

Does the Luoyang record mention shaolin temple at all? If not it may just be a record of the monasteries within Luoyang City rather than the whole prefecture. In which case it shouldn't say he was in Mt. Song really should it? If anything the fact that it is recorded that Damo WAS in Luoyang dramatically adds to the evidence that Damo was at shaolin, it doesn't take away from it at all. How and why would that myth appear in the 160 years after that first record? More likely it is taken from more detailed sources.

Notice how NONE of those records are in any way conflicting? That is important.

When analysing history you can only base it on surviving records. The person who wrote the first record may not have thought it necessary to put down the whole life story. Or may not have known it. Only that he came to luoyang. The Fact that only 165 years later the entire story as it is known today is complete adds a great deal of credit. Since back then they had access to a great deal more info than we have now. The second record just 100 years later actually says Mt. Song and at the time Shaolin would have been one of the largest monasteries, and the closest of song shan to Luoyang.