Shaolin Monks Fight to Protect the Temple's Reputation

People Daily (China) ^ | 5.5.03

[Enemy Of The State]

Shaolin Monks Fight to Protect the Temple's Reputation

Monks of China's famed Shaolin Temple, which is commonly considered the birthplace of Chinese kung fu, a unique combination of Buddhism and Chinese martial arts, have been more and more aware of safeguarding the temple's reputation by legal means.

"The Shaolin Temple is an important piece of cultural heritage for all human beings. To protect it, we must propose draft legislation to ensure appropriate action," said the abbot of the Temple, whose religious name is Shi Yongxin.

Located in Dengfeng County in central China's Henan Province, the Shaolin Temple was built in the foothills of the sacred Songshan Mountain in AD 495 during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534).

Thirty-two years later, Bodhi Dharma, an India monk, began to teach in the temple and introduced an Indian form of exercise, which is regarded as the birth of the temple's martial art tradition.

Generations of Shaolin monks have devoted themselves to enriching and improving the tradition and have gradually developed it into a complex and sophisticated system of fighting, widely recognized as "gongfu" or kung fu.

Shaolin kung fu became more famous in modern China with the cinematic debut of the movie "Shaolin Temple" over 20 years ago, and its global influence has grown since the 1970s due to its use in a wide variety of foreign films featuring actors of Chinese origin, including Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

In recent years, the popularity of kung fu has been accentuated by Ang Lee's Oscar-winning blockbuster "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

To enhance protection, earlier this year, the 1,500-year-old Chinese kung fu underwent an application process to the United Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)for becoming listed as a "World Intangible Heritage."

"These days, Shaolin kung fu is misconstrued because most people barely scratch its surface and think that it is simply a martial art," said Shi Yongxin, who is also a deputy of the National People's Congress (NPC).

"Our temple is applying to UNESCO so that Chinese kung fu, not the martial arts, be listed as World Intangible Heritage," he said, "because kung fu refers to Buddhist meditation and cultivation, which aims to improve one's moral qualities. Our monks practice of martial arts is one method of moral development."

Meanwhile, the local government is taking steps to place the temple and more than 600 stupas, which were built as tombs for monks during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Qing Dynasty (1368-1644) at the temple and on nearby Songshan Mountain, on the United Nation's World Heritage list. The application process was initiated last year.

Shi Yongxin said that, in fact, the Songshan Shaolin Temple comprises the existing temple buildings, The Forest of Stupas, a cemetery for Shaolin monks, and a pavilion commemorating Bodhi Dharma.

"Thus, We should promote the listing of the Shaolin Temple as a whole," he said.

"And a successful application will not only help protect the endangered culture of Shaolin, but will also help to carry forward China's traditional culture," he said.

The temple is also involved in a battle to protect its name, involving the registration of "Shaolin" or "Shaolin Temple" as trademarks throughout the world.

According to figures provided by the temple, 80 unauthorized kung fu schools in China have used the name Shaolin, and more than100 businesses, including those selling cars, beer, tires, furniture, and even wire, bear the Shaolin trademark, all without consulting the temple.

A spot check conducted by the China Trademark and Patent Affairs Agency in 11 countries and regions on five continents also shows that, with the exception of Hong Kong, 117 examples of the use of the temple's name have been registered in these areas.

In 1994, the temple won a lawsuit against a company in a nearby town that was using the Shaolin name to market its product -- sausage, the first case of this type.

To further defend its reputation and interests, the temple has set up a firm, the Henan Shaolin Temple Industrial Development Ltd.Co., to protect and administer the intangible assets of Shaolin Temple, to safeguard the legitimate rights of the temple and to investigate cases of unauthorized use of the temple's name in commercial activities, said Yongxin.

In recent years, the temple applied for registration of "Shaolin" and "Shaolin Temple" as trademarks with the General Administration for Industry and Commerce of China, and similar efforts have also been stepped up in foreign countries.

To date, Shaolin Temple has registered nearly 100 items in China and has applied for registration in 68 countries since 2000,according to the abbot.

"It is our historical responsibility to protect and rejuvenate the culture of Shaolin," he said.

 

[mvpel]

I saw a movie preview for "ShaoLin Soccer." It looked absolutely hysterical.

[strela]

"The Shaolin Temple is an important piece of cultural heritage for all human beings. To protect it, we must propose draft legislation to ensure appropriate action," said the abbot of the Temple, whose religious name is Shi Yongxin.

Running dog. Your representative is a disgrace and your kung fu is weak.

(What's the smiley that means "speaking with mouth moving a second too late?")

[Ciexyz]

Bruce Lee bump.

[RIGHT IN SEATTLE]

Yip Man bump

[capitan_refugio]

Ah, yes, Grasshopper. Was not Caine (David Carradine) also a Shaolin monk? Master Po would certainly know.

[The KG9 Kid]

If there's one thing I know for sure from years of watching Kung Fu Theatre, it's that you never under any circumstances dishonor the Shaolin temple.

[PianoMan]

Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was actually about the internal martial arts of rival Wudan mountain, and not the "hard styles" of Shaolin Temple.

In any case it would be great if there was more understanding of Shaolin Temple as primarily a Buddhist temple for spiritual enlightment and not a boot camp for kung fu fighting.

[green team 1999]

"you have dishonor my family and the shaolin temple",from the movie "enter the dragon",bruce lee,john saxon,jim kelly.,great movie.

[green team 1999]

David Carradine,"kung fu". i remember all the episodes.

[capitan_refugio]

Master Po: [after easily defeating the boy in combat] Ha ha, never assume because a man has no eyes he cannot see. Close your eyes. What do you hear?
Young Caine: I hear the water, I hear the birds.
Master Po: Do you hear your own heartbeat?
Young Caine: No.
Master Po: Do you hear the grasshopper that is at your feet?
Young Caine: [looking down and seeing the insect] Old man, how is it that you hear these things?
Master Po: Young man, how is it that you do not?

[Thorondir]

The real monks left when the commies took over. Those in the tourist trap "Shaolin monasteries" within Red China are actors and other martial artists pretending to be the original buddhists. They are hired to do so by the ChiCom government. This is such a sickening rip off and cash cow for the ChiComs.

Don't buy into it, and don't be duped as so many have.

[weegee]

I've seen the movie and actually it does a good bit to try to show how people can use Shaolin principles in their daily lives (although it is a comedy and deals with entirely unreal situations).

I prefer the Shaolin chef movie that was one of his earlier comedies ("God Of Cookery").

I've heard some scary things about Disney's recutting/retitling/redubbing/rescoring Shaolin Soccer so I ordered the original subtitled DVD from Hong Kong myself (about $8-11 plus postage).

[weegee]

(What's the smiley that means "speaking with mouth moving a second too late?")

Your smiley should appear before you have ;^D finished your post.

[weegee]

I recognize that guy. He's got a new kung fu movie coming out this year with Sonny Chiba.

[rogue yam]

I went to the Shaolin Monastery in 1987. Its debasement was great even by Chi-com standards. Much vandalism. No restoration or even basic maintenance. It was a lengthy bus ride to get there. Then there were many tacky souvenir stands. You climbed up the hill and finally there was the monastery. They were taping a kung fu video there that day so you couldn't even go in to see what little was there. (Typical Chi-com crap. The place was essentially closed for the taping, yet they still let scores of people pay hard-earned money and spend hours riding out there to be denied that which they were there to see.) The cemetery was really cool, though. And the surrounding mountains were beautiful. I have some good photos somewhere.

On the way back to town our bus came upon some PLA vehicles stuck in and blocking the road. The steep, windy road had big mudholes. Two vehicles had tried to pass each other (in opposite directions) at a particularly bad spot. Neither would back up for the other. One got stuck in the mud blocking the road. Traffic backed up in both directions. PLA officers from each vehicle screamed at each other for a long, long time. There were numerous trucks filled with troops just sitting there. Scores of men in all. Yet they were never ordered to get out and free the mired vehicle. Finally some men from some of the stuck vehicles (not soldiers) freed the truck so everyone could get underway again.

At the time it was fashionable to speak of China as a "sleeping giant." An American I met while travelling there said simply "I don't see it."

[Thorondir]

Very interesting. Sorry it was such a crap experience for you. Do you study?

[rogue yam]

No, I don't study. My interest in the subject came, believe it or not, entirely from the TV show. Being a child of the '60's, anything that spoke of peaceful enlightenment as experienced via other cultures was of great interest to me. That and rocket science, of course. Well, I've since been to Tibet and Kathmandu, literally and otherwise, and am grateful that I had my rocket science to fall back on.

[Thorondir]

Yep. More Americans need to travel to the third-world in order to appreciate what we have here.

[KungFuMaster]

It's strange how so much had happened in those days of Communism that it should affect even its martial heritage-- that of Shaolin Temple. And I do find it incredulous that they would allow what seemed to be 'filmmakers' to me were allowed to shoot footage while everyone else were on 'no touchie' warnings.

But there are still some people struggling to keep the old spirit of Shaolin alive. I believe there is always a little light inside a dark box. I myself am an aspiring practitioner of Shaolin and other relating arts, and have always been taught to keep a optimistic viewpoint on things.

Though it's degrading that *sausage stalls* are taking the name Shaolin! :@ Good Lord, that's like calling a turd a fillet mignon a la voleur.

Oh well, at least they're not doing it with anti-war pin-ups. >.<