Shaolin Temple in Henan territory

Zen Buddhism Documentary Shaolin Temple in Henan territory, China is acclaimed worldwide for its tranquil looking friars who perform mind boggling kung fu stunts.

For quite a while, I have been entranced by the hand to hand fighting aptitudes of Shaolin ministers. How are these friars ready to accomplish such astounding deeds?

The answer lies in Zen. Zen is the shrewdness behind Shaolin and it is the thing that makes Shaolin Kung Fu exceptional and capable. Truth be told, the 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple is the support of Zen and Kung Fu.

Zen is short for Zen Buddhism and is the Japanese interpretation of the Chinese word Chan. Chan itself is adjusted from the Sanskrit word Dhyana which signifies "contemplation".

Things being what they are, how did Chan Buddhism and Kung Fu occur at Shaolin Temple?

In the legends of Shaolin, one figure towers over all others - Damo. It was Damo who acquainted Zen and kung Fu with Shaolin.

The story goes that around 1,500 years back, an Indian friar by the name Bodhidharma - or Damo as the Chinese call him - touched base on the Southern shores of China in today's Gaungzhou.

Going through Nanjing, and intersection the Yangtze River, Damo strolled in the northerly bearing until he came to Shaolin Temple. He advised the Buddha's teachings to the Shaolin friars, however he was demonstrated the entryway.

Damo withdrew to a collapse the mountains sitting above Shaolin. There he sat confronting an enormous shake and contemplated so seriously that his picture was carved onto it! Following nine years, the Shaolin ministers chose that Damo appeared well and good all things considered and welcomed him back to the sanctuary as their boss.

What did Damo do in these nine years? He established a Chinese style of Buddhism called Chan (Zen). In Chan, everything a man does is contemplation if the individual's brain is unified with the errand, be it washing dishes, hacking wood, sitting discreetly or preparing in hand to hand fighting.

Damo developed a self-preservation craftsmanship called Eighteen Lohan Hands taking into account the developments of creatures he found in the mountains. This he taught the Shaolin ministers so they could shield themselves from wild creatures and brigands.

He additionally made Yijinjing or Muscle-Tendon Change Classic, a progression of yoga-like developments to create qi stream so the friars had more vitality to practice Zen.

Damo trusted that physical preparing toughened the body and accordingly permitted the brain to become more grounded. A solid personality could then control an intense body in movement.

A selection from the completely showed youngsters' book "Shaolin - Legends of Zen and Kung Fu" (0-9733492-3-9) by Kah Joon Liow, 32 pages, incorporates unique 3D-energized story "Enter The Zen" on DVD, distributed by SilkRoad Networks (Canada), Sept 2006, US$26.95, With the interest of MDA. Copyright 2006, SilkRoad Networks Inc and MDA.