Buddhist monks fighting mad.

Rusty

Rusty

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The monks at the Shaolin Temple have had it to here with the kung fu claimants to their tradition. Saying that the martial arts are but one way of practice to work toward enlightenment, they are going to court to copyright the Shaolin name and end other shoddy uses of their cultural history. Shaolin Temple outraged

( Sorry Bill, I couldn't resist it! )

;) ;) :D
 
For centuries, the Shaolin monks have encountered challenges. Some life-threatening, others not so. That was in the past.

Today the threats they face are of a different nature but no less important. I guess going to court or through legal channels to protect their good name is in keeping with traditional - keeping what's rightfully theirs.
 
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Modern Shaolin monks are spreading the art around the world and at the same time, earning money for the temple and movement.
 
Thank you, Ferguson. It looks like you used the same url to me but got it to open for you. Good enough, don't try to explain it to me. It's open and I thank you very gratefully.
 
So modernized Shaolin Temple is developing fighting arts in court....

I remembered a description about ancient Indian debate. There were Masters of debate whose debate was a duel. Loser could easily judged as his head exploded by the spiritual Maelstrom whirled in the debate.
 
Dave, you have watched one too many English-dubbed kung fu movies... :D Either that or you are one of the voice actors! :D

I love HK martial arts movies but I greatly prefer those with subtitles instead of the universally piss-poor dubbing.

Andrew L

Originally posted by Dave K
"So you wanna fight, ah?":D :D :D
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by Rusty
Thank you, Ferguson. It looks like you used the same url to me but got it to open for you. Good enough, don't try to explain it to me.
Click to expand...

You think waaaay too much of me, if you think I could explain it!:confused:

Steve
 
We had about 30 Shaolin monks give a demo at the Nugget here a couple of months back. Lama Jigme attended as some sort of honored guest. I didn't make it.

The basis for most martial arts worth their salt is a warrior path to enlightenment. A few of my old Bando pals have taken up the Bando Monk system which tells me they are on the right path -- seems it takes 15 or 20 years to get there but it's worth it.
 
A while back, the local PBS affiliate ran footage of these monks and offered the recording that golok posted as a subscription reward. Very impressive series of exhibitions using the history of the order as a unifying theme to the presentation. Well worth seeing. Of course I had no blank VCR tapes as usual.
 
Originally posted by Semper Fi
"Oh little grasshopper, when you can snatch the pebble from my hand...." :D
Click to expand...
......you will then be able to represent us in court. After your victory of enlightenment, you will then finish your Ivy league business degree and formulate our new advertising program, world tour......and all without leaving footprints on the rice paper (the dream of every lawyer). :p
 
I gotta chime in on this one. The monks are right, a lot of not so authentic practitioners have hitched a ride on their reputation. A "grandmaster" in Kentucky comes to mind, which I won't name. The sad thing is that some of them turn that path into a business, and become not very monk-like in the process.

On the other side, I don't think that they are being 100% fair about the whole situation either. The Shaolin temple was inactive a long time. When it was allowed again, they pulled real masters from different areas to rebuild the teachings. The thing is, when the original Shaolin was dismantled, teachers took different paths, so you can effectively have a lineage student that has nothing to do with the new temple. The best Shaolin stylist I know spends most of his time living in Singapore and learned on the rooftops of China back in the 70's.

Gees, how to sort 'em out. I look at skill and I look at the heart.
 
I was in Shaolin a few weeks ago and was very disgusted by what I saw. It is mostly for tourists and there is little to inspire or have any real hope for what was.
I saw few monks and everything was about money. You need to pay to get in and you keep on paying as you go from temple to temple. The place is rundown and dirty.Many of the temples are dirty and the statues covered in dust and dirt. They say they need money to do repairs and yet if you look at the numbers of people who pay to get in you wonder where the money went. They have a Shaolin show which is a farce because it is done by kids 7-16 and I did not see one master martial artist.
I saw the area around the temple which is being bulldozed to make room for more martial art schools for the young.There are several very large schools with thousands of students who are taught by the monks for money.
I also saw several monks who are fat an unclean as well as drinking in public.
Not at all what I expected or hoped for.
 
I guess that answers my question about how Shaolin vs. Falun Gong or other Buddhist related practices are treated.

Unless you can further enlighten me on the situation in China regarding treatment of religion in general.
 
You can do as you please generally as long as you do not get into politics . There are temples all over the place and most cities in the south stink of incense as at least 2 out of three familes burn offerings. The southerns are very into spirits and most businesses burn all day to the gods for good business.
I was very surprised at the freedom of religion. I saw several christian meetings on Sunday.
The gov't will not tolerate any violence, fraud, or advocation against the govt.
The general fact is if you keep quiet and do your religion without questioning govt as a body, they will leave you alone.
Falu gong is a farce that is not understood by many. The founder lives in NY, Queens and is very wealthy with a green card. The group will sell you copies of its teachings for a very large sum in chinese money and tells its people to question the government and challenge it. They are attempting to prove themselves as political force. They have many followers overseas and yet there is little press in the west about the followers who burn and kill themselves in public. There are many instances of families who have given up their life savings to the man and are now homeless.There are other cases of a parent who will burn themselves with their children to go to the next level.
I did not believe this at first but have since seen the proof.
The people in the countryside use large cleavers for most uses and old blades are thougth to have spirits good or bad.
 
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