The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text: History, Philosophy, and Gung Fu of Shaolin Ch'an (Order of Shaolin Ch'an) [Hardcover]

Order of Shaolin Ch'an (Author)

Book Description

Series: Order of Shaolin Ch'an | Publication Date: January 15, 2005

The Order of Shaolin Ch'an fled China in 1901 due to the upheavals of war. Since coming to the United States, the monks have quietly worked to preserve the traditions, philosophies, and martial arts of the Order. This text presents and discusses Shaolin philosophy and the martial significance of Gung Fu in a public forum for the first time since the Order was founded in 520.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...provides very specific information and insights...for...this rigorous physical, mental, and spiritual way of life. -- October Bookviews.com - Alan Caruba

...richly informative and very strongly recommended survey of Shaolin...Especially commended to the attention of dedicated martial artists... -- Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Written by the Order of Shaolin Ch'an who wish to remain anonymous, this book was compiled from the written records and orally transmitted teachings of three Shaolin priests who passed away in the 1970s. They were Li En Huo, Hua Ling P'o, and Ben Ch'i Lo.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Order Of Shaolin Ch'an; 6 edition (January 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0975500902
• ISBN-13: 978-0975500903
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,282,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clarification, September 16, 2005

By 

OSC (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text: History, Philosophy, and Gung Fu of Shaolin Ch'an (Order of Shaolin Ch'an) (Hardcover)

I am a contributor to The Shaolin Grandmasters' Test, and would like to make some comments about the book. I will do my best to represent other contributors, both living and deceased. Complaints that we fail to shower compliments upon the People's Republic of China (in general) and the resurrected Shaolin Temple in Honan Province (specifically) are not without substance. Many reviewers who are affiliated with the new Shaolin Temple may be offended by our book because we have tried to be truthful. Our perhaps it is simply the blunt presentation.

The PRC today employs tens of thousands of human and computerized monitors to censor the information accessible by the Chinese people. Internet sites with the word "freedom" typically do not make it onto the computers of Chinese citizens. The PRC continues to imprison Tibetan Buddhists who so much as say something positive about the Dalai Lama. The Shaolin Temple is the nucleus of a massive tourist industry, and has given rise to kung fu schools nearby for 10,000+ Chinese boys - keeping many young men "occupied" in a nation where the ratio of men:women is horribly skewed. Shaolin kung fu schools in Europe have been sued for using the "Shaolin" name - by an entity intimately connected with the Shaolin Temple. Stating these sorts of facts earn us the distinction of "having no room in our heart[s] for mainland China".

Our book is far from perfect. Many of our now-deceased priests were old enough to feel some personal bitterness over the incompetence of the Ch'ing dynasty, and many of our senior members had negative personal experiences with "Red China". In some places in the book, this bitterness shows. Deciding to leave some of these sentiments in the book was not a simple decision, but perhaps it was a wrong one. Buddhism does indeed reside in the heart. Anyone can choose this path. The Buddha even made provision for self-ordination, for those spiritual seekers who could not find a Sangha. I do not doubt that the Shaolin Temple in Honan houses some devout Buddhists, and human beings deserve compassion and fairness regardless of spiritual persuasion. But being a Buddhist and practicing martial arts are not sufficient conditions for being Shaolin. Shaolin is a sect of Buddhism, comparable to how the Jesuits are a specific order of the Catholic Church. One might say, "Being a Jesuit is all in the heart - just don a collar, study theology and logic, and believe in your own Jesuit-ness." It isn't that simple. The presence of martial arts in Shaolin is what makes it distinctive to most people. But what makes Shaolin _Shaolin_ is its underlying interpretation of Buddhism - an interpretation which allows for these martial, moving meditations. There is also the matter of a historical tradition. Although we have not personally witnessed these elements with respect to the Shaolin Temple in the PRC, that isn't to say they aren't there. If anything, we will strive to better reflect our own ignorance of such matters in future editions.

On a less serious note, OF COURSE our book doesn't reflect many developments in martial arts post-1900! Ours is a meditative discipline that came out of imperial China. This book is an attempt to explain our own tradition. If we were elitists of some kind who only felt scorn for those in China today, why would we have published a book detailing much of the philosophy that makes Shaolin Buddhism unique? Our goal in making the book available was to allow anyone at all to BE as Shaolin as possible (if that's what they want) with respect to the practice of Buddhism.

I believe that The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text, despite its flaws, will prove an invaluable resource for people interested in Shaolin, martial arts, Buddhism, or any combination thereof. The book details Shaolin oral history - and even though oral history is sometimes inaccurate, much can be learned from it. Some of the oral history is surely allegorical, but still has something to teach about Shaolin. There are also large sections on the traditional animal styles of Shaolin and various training methods. But the most important part of the book is the presentation of Shaolin's take on Buddhism, which we have tried to make as straightforward and clear as possible.

Finally, throughout the work, we have tried to balance fairness with truthfulness. The foundation of Buddhism is the conquering of ignorance (in Tibetan sutras, the Buddha is often referred to as "The Conqueror"). How can one begin to develop compassion and wisdom if she does not know what those things are?

Edit: Alright, I've reflected and returned. These comments are my best effort at making an official statement to represent a variety of different people. Some of what I wrote seems a little goofy to me, but I'm leaving it as is. Speaking strictly for myself, I take no issue with there being many "brands" of Shaolin in the world. It is simply a name. And if a person goes searching for a spiritual path that calls itself "Shaolin", and that person finds fulfillment - well, that is all that really matters, isn't it? I believe that if you dig deep into The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text, this is the message which will emerge. Be responsible for your own spiritual development, and judge everything for yourself.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Introduction for even experienced Martial Artists, February 25, 2007

By 

D. Zeitler "Immunity to Change Certified Coach" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text: History, Philosophy, and Gung Fu of Shaolin Ch'an (Order of Shaolin Ch'an) (Hardcover)

I have studied many types of "Shaolin Kung Fu" - and let's get one thing clear from the beginning: There are many, many incorrect views out there about what "Shaolin" really is. This book, in my opinion, comes the closest to a genuinely authentic version of "Shaolin."

After studying for over two years as a lay-monk (i.e., taking Bodhisattva vows, studying Sutras, and doing 'kung-fu') under the current Temple's "official" US representative monk in Flushing, NYC, I learned only ONE martial move. That monk is himself an accomplished iron-body master. Yet he did not do any iron body training during my stay. (Nor did any of his students - it was ALL modern wushu for us). Nor was there any type of meditation practice. There was a strong sense of community, which was appealing.

I moved on to study Jin-Woo, which incorporated many authentic Shaolin forms before Mao took over China. Unfortunately, many Jin-Woo schools are continuing this impulse, and are "incorporating" modern wushu as well, to the point where many no longer teach any authentic, traditional Kung-Fu. I am much happier knowing three authentic Shaolin forms, instead of knowing 20 modern wushu forms that are Shaolin in name-only.

Where is Shaolin? Well, we all romanticize the "warrior-monks" of legend. But adhering to the philosophy of Shaolin requires taking the Bodhisattva vow, abiding by the rules of a monastery, and practicing Kung-Fu as an augmentation to sitting meditation. The closest thing that comes to Shaolin, nowadays, is Integral Institute's "Integral Life Practice".

I have only two small problems with this book:
1) It is not nearly polemical enough in deriding the ridiculous charlatans that perform flashy wushu with bald heads and saffron robes. The Chinese government oppresses Tibetan Buddhism and regularly engages in human rights violations against peaceful Falun Gong public-meditators, but "Shaolin" flourishes in mainland China?? WAKE UP PEOPLE....

2) The emphasis on differentiated "animal styles." Animal-specific forms are a product of importing forms into the West. Chinese history and culture has always been one that revealed a group-mind where things merged together. The Western mind finds the one-animal to one-form ratio appealing. In traditional Kung-Fu forms (with the exception of Southern and Hun-Gar), each form had many "fists" embedded within it.

Some "Shaolin Monks" that teach in the US will make you a "monk" with no Bodhisattva vow, no reading of sutras, and no true practice other than your continued monthly wushu training fees. This is not the "way of no way" that Zen speaks to so well, and which many have attempted to invoke in defense of this unconscienable and false practice. Make no mistake about it - any authentically spiritual practice that incorporates Kung-Fu will require "Hard Work" as much as it requires actual vows and spiritual practices such as sitting meditation.

So sure, Shaolin can be in your heart. But your heart is not truly OF Shaolin unless you use the sword of Manjusri to cleave your implusive and ego driven romanticism away from your real practice. (Your "real practice" = transcending ego). For all of its necessarily limited oral history (there were, after all, a great many monks), this book goes a long way in balancing the many ignorant and authentic voices in this underground debate about the true soul of Shaolin.

25 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enhanced with charts, photographs, and themed artwork, October 12, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text: History, Philosophy, and Gung Fu of Shaolin Ch'an (Order of Shaolin Ch'an) (Hardcover)

The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text: History, Philosophy, And Gung Fu Of Shaolin Ch'an is a richly informative and very strongly recommended survey of Shaolin history, Buddhism, and the martial arts associated with Shaolin practitioners. The authors purport to be two Shaolin monks with a direct and unbroken lineage to the Shaolin Order of dynastic China. Enhanced with charts, photographs, and themed artwork, this 304-page compendium is informed and informative as to Shaolin martial arts practices and the Buddhist philosophy that undergirds them. Especially commended to the attention of dedicated martial artists, The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text will also prove to be of particular interest to students of Buddhism and will correct a great deal of modern misinformation put out from the People's Republic Of China's attempted commercialized resurrection of Shaolin -- as well as the American cinema's distortions of authentic Shaolin practices.