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hello,
my name is xxxxx. I am a student of philosophy from Slovenia, just finishing my studies studies. I was always interested in budhism, yoga and marshall arts, although I have never seriously practiced any. I am travelling to india and nepal for at least a year next month. I would like to enter the shaolin temple to get known whith their way of living. Could you give me any information eather that is possible or not? I would like to find a traditional temple away from big cities and influences of european culture. Where do I have to look for one?
thank you for your answer
best whishes,
xxxxx
Hi
You can't really enter the Shaolin temple, to live anymore. It's largely a tourist attraction, with some renewed emphasis on martial arts teaching and demonstration. If you're looking for an "untouched" temple, I don't think that you'll find Shaolin to be that.
In fact, some of the most incredible temples I've ever seen, which are still inhabited and functioning, are in Tibet. Tibet is under heavy "influence" by China, but one temple, the Sera Drepung, was just outstanding. And full of monks, doing what monks do.
A visit to Shaolin is in order to see what it is all about. But, I don't recommend going there with the idea that you're going to live there and "experience" it. There has been lots of changes there, some good, some bad. Interesting thing about the place now, is that no one really knows where it's headed. Things might really change in the next couple of years. Shi Yongxin, the abbot, has been making some interesting and progressive changes over there, presently trying to make more of a lean towards traditional Shaolin. Time will tell how far he gets.
Good luck in India. Remember, eat with the right hand....
doc
my name is xxxxx. I am a student of philosophy from Slovenia, just finishing my studies studies. I was always interested in budhism, yoga and marshall arts, although I have never seriously practiced any. I am travelling to india and nepal for at least a year next month. I would like to enter the shaolin temple to get known whith their way of living. Could you give me any information eather that is possible or not? I would like to find a traditional temple away from big cities and influences of european culture. Where do I have to look for one?
thank you for your answer
best whishes,
xxxxx
Hi
You can't really enter the Shaolin temple, to live anymore. It's largely a tourist attraction, with some renewed emphasis on martial arts teaching and demonstration. If you're looking for an "untouched" temple, I don't think that you'll find Shaolin to be that.
In fact, some of the most incredible temples I've ever seen, which are still inhabited and functioning, are in Tibet. Tibet is under heavy "influence" by China, but one temple, the Sera Drepung, was just outstanding. And full of monks, doing what monks do.
A visit to Shaolin is in order to see what it is all about. But, I don't recommend going there with the idea that you're going to live there and "experience" it. There has been lots of changes there, some good, some bad. Interesting thing about the place now, is that no one really knows where it's headed. Things might really change in the next couple of years. Shi Yongxin, the abbot, has been making some interesting and progressive changes over there, presently trying to make more of a lean towards traditional Shaolin. Time will tell how far he gets.
Good luck in India. Remember, eat with the right hand....
doc