Quote Originally Posted by pazman View Post
Buddhism and "yogic practice" go hand-in-hand. The yogic practices became formalized during the formation of Jainism and Buddhism, from which Hinduism borrowed. This was long before there was "Chinese Buddhism".
This may or may not be true; I am somewhat impartial as to who owns the IP here. However, you cannot say for certain. The source for "yogic practice", as I mean it here, is a Hindu text which scholars believe came to be written somewhere between the second and fifth centuries B.C.

If the latter is true, then the source predates Buddhism, period. Also, keep in mind that the writing of a notion is not necessarily its origin. The fact is that nobody really knows how old some of these things are.

My point, from the start, is that what began at Shaolin was the product of specifically Hindu Yoga practice taught by an Indian Buddhist to Chinese Buddhists through a lens they would understand. I also feel that to some extent, Buddhism and Chinese culture have attempted to cover up this history.