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

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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.

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.

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.

The primary strength of this book is that it sincerely attempts to remain loyal to the superiority of an historical analysis of Shaolin Chan and its associated martial arts. As any good academic will tell you, a given topic can only be understood in its historical time and place. The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text does an outstanding job at reaching for this standard while always acknowledging that no one has all of the pertinent facts of a 1500 year old lineage such as Shaolin Chan. Combined with this historical analysis are general overviews of several gongfu styles and fundamentals of the Shaolin moving arts. One of the overall messages of this book that grants it such value is the emphasis on the reason for Shaolin Chan: to cultivate self-awakening. This book is recommended for the novice and the instructor.

This book, "The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text: History, Philosophy, and Gung Fu of Shaolin Ch'an" is extremely well written and covers all the basic of Shaolin Chan. (Chinese Zen Buddhism as Practiced in the Shaolin Monasteries.) The book covers, as it's title implies, the history and philosophy of both the Buddhist practices and the Gung-fu practices as well as how they are interrelated. The dharma lessons are intriguing as there are a number of lessons from texts dating back to Tamo (Bodhidharma) and his direct disciples. The information on the Gung-fu is very fundamental and explains the history, traditions and philosophy of the arts. This is NOT a how to manual.

If you are a practitioner or fan of the martial arts, this is a must have item. Many common misconceptions about Shaolin are corrected in this book. Some of the basic training methods of the original Shaolin temples are explained, as are the basic concepts of some of the styles that were taught at Shaolin along with detailed history of the temples and their styles and why Monks who love peace and admonish violence study and master martial arts. If you are a Buddhist or interested in Buddhist teachings, particularly a Chan or Zen Buddhism, then this book covers a great deal on the philosophy and teachings of Bodhidharma, the founder of Chan/Zen Buddhism as well as the early history of Chan/Zen Buddhism. If you are looking for a "How to be a Shaolin Master is three easy lessons" book, this book is NOT for you. Sorry!

This is a book I've been looking for for a long time. It is a book that give answer the questions: What is Shaolin? What's their story? How did the differnt styles of kung fu develop? and so on. It also gives a good insight in the Shaolin Buddhism. I think it is one of the best overviews you can get today on the subject in english.

It is written by different writers, and, in a very ambitious sense, try to cover all important facts of the history of Shaolin up until today.

In their own humbleness they also says that they mayby don't cover everything and it its possible errors, because there is always another story to be telled, and the order today is spread around the world and much knowledge and history is also lost.

One thing though is that these authors lives today in the USA, with roots from the Shaolin grandmasters who came there in 1927; In the 80-ies they claim to have been in the Shaolin Monastery in Henan and "found no Bhuddist or traditional gung fu practice..."

This is a little odd, because I happen to know that from the beginning of 80-ies they officially opened up the Shaolin activities in the Temple again, after it was shut down at 1949 during the cultural revolution of Mao.

In the meanwhile the martial arts training by the monks was done in secret, and when it was "legal" again the monks counld start up all over again (even though some of them fled the country).
Today it is a lot of "profane" martial art centers outside the Temple at Henan, where it's a lot of wushu and similar modern martial arts training, but inside the monastery there is still "ortodox" martial art training and typical Shaolin Bhuddist activity.

Over all, for anyone with genuine interest of the story and real nature behind the myths of Shaolin, this book is a goldmine.

As you may be knowing, Shaolin temples have been the source and fountain heads of the martial art of Kung Fu (Gung Fu) for centuries.

This is an authentic treaties and a high quality literary work of the ORIGINAL Shaolin Order. It has taken a many decades to write and present this book to the world. A unique and unprecedented event in the history of the original Shaolin till date. The book describes what Shaolin is all about in details. It refers to Shaolin history from the ancient times till date, explains basic philosopy and gives overall picture of Shaolin way of thinking and Shaolin way of life. The book gives a general information on Shaolin Kung Fu - a sort of overview of Kung Fu and what it really means and how it has developed and evolved.

The book clearly states why almost all the original and authentic Shaolin Masters and Grand Masters fled war torn communist China to settle in U.S.A. The war torn China at the beginning of the last century was way too hostile for sustaining traditional Shaolin styles and values.

The book clearly explains why TODAY Shaolin temples of China have got fake Kung Fu instructors implanted and supported by the present Communist government to deceive foreign tourists into believing that these clowns or dancers are knowledgeable about Shaolin Kung Fu. It also explains that these representatives of government of China are put there to promote tourism and for other reasons but they know nothing from Original Shaoling Knowledge Bank. Today, what they teach at temples in China has absolutely nothig to do with the original and traditional Shaolin Kung Fu since all the authentic Shaolin Masters and Grand Masters have fled from China decades ago due to hostilities of Communists and the Communist Government. What is being practiced TODAY at temples in China is fake and they do it for money ! Those clowns are imposters !

The book explains various styles of Kung Fu (Gung Fu).
Explains philosopy and purpose of Kung Fu, various ranking etc.
It has got a brief write up on almost every style of Shaolin Kung Fu (Gung Fu). Good pictures (diagrams) are given in the book to illustrate some of the concepts. It is a well written book in good English. The book is comprehensive for its subject and the presentation of the articles is excellent.

It is a good resouce book on original Shaolin in general and Shaolin Kung Fu (Gung Fu) in particular. It is a good resouce book for anyone interested in the original Shaolin Kung Fu which has evolved for more than 1400 years. It is a good resource book for those who want to know about Shaolin or Gung Fu. It is a good resource for any serious Martial Artist. It is a good resource for anyone who wants to know about Shaolin and Kung Fu (Gung Fu).

This book is the best account of Shaolin and its practices available. It appears to be the only book written with inside knowledge of the real Shaolin order. Wong Kiew Kit's "Art of Shaolin Kung Fu" is one of the better "outside looking in" books dealing with Shaolin, but it is clearly not authoritative. "Bodhisattva Warriors" by Shifu Tomio Nagaboshi, - and even though it denies the existence of Shaolin - gives an excellent look at the esoteric union of Buddhism and martial arts, but it is a mess organizationally and delves a little too deeply into esotericism.
The Grandmasters' text has the most complete package of history, philosophy and martial practices of the Shaolin order available to anyone. It is destined to raise controversy as it challenges many of the current assumptions about the state of Shaolin in the world today. Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in Shaolin, Buddhism or the martial arts in general.

For anyone seriously interested in learning about the history and philosophy of Shaolin, this text is a must have. It clears up a lot of the misconceptions prevalent in society today. In addition, the text has a valuable section on finding the correct type of school and master for you.

Without repeating the comments in the reviews above, I will further support them by saying that this is perhaps the single best treatment on the history, philosophy, and practice of Shaolin Chan I've seen. I would highly recommend this book for anyone seeking an insider's, "one-stop shopping" treatment of the subject. While I do not want to give any criticism inappropriate weight, I must say that I do agree with their own disclaimer that the read is somewhat disjointed, given that several different author's sections were put together to form the whole volume. As a result, it's almost a literary collage rather than a smooth end-to-end read. Additionally, given the heavy use of American vernacular at times, I am sure that some of it at least had to have been written by Occidentals...nonetheless, I do highly prize this read and I enthusiastically recommend it to any serious student of Shaolin Chan.