Tulsa Yoga Meditation Center, 5319 S. Sheridan, Tulsa, OK 74145
  • HOME
  • TEACHERS
  • Blog
  • PRIVATE INSTRUCTION
  • YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
  • REIKI

THE BUDDHIST MONK WHO BROUGHT MARTIAL ARTS TO CHINA

6/21/2018

 
Picture


















(public domain picture from www.pixabay.com)

Shortly before his master died, he asked his disciple, Indian Buddhist Monk Bodhidharma, to leave south India and travel to China in order to spread Buddhism.  It was a long and dangerous journey with stops to teach Buddhism in Java, Indonesia, Bali, Sumatra, Malayasia before ultimately settling in central China at the Shaolin Buddhist Temple some time in 540 CE.  The Shaolin Temple had been established 30 years earlier. 

Budhidharma was shocked at the poor physical shape of the monks.
  They were overweight, lethargic and frequently ill. He immediately organized daily classes made up of pranayama (breathing exercises) and, significantly, introduced them to south India’s ancient martial art system called Kalaripayat. This combination of breath work and martial arts training improved the monks’ health enabling them to remain alert while meditating for long periods of time daily. The Kalaripayat martial arts component offered them the added benefit of defending themselves against gangs who roamed the countryside.

Though Bodhidharma's focus was on meditation and Buddhist teachings, many of the monks were more drawn to the physical lessons eventually creating a Chinese version of Kalaripayat which became known as Shaolin Kung Fu. With the passage of time time, the Shaolin Temple came to be associated as a martial arts training school rather than a traditional Buddhist monastery. 

(please feel free to share and/or link this information to your social media)




Comments are closed.

    Victor M. Parachin ...is a

    Vedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. 

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.