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  • Monks and Dots...

    OK, well, several people are thinking this dot thing is real, and it prob. is.... I have only recalled seeing it in the movies, others say they've seen it in tapestries and paintings. Now, the main painting that I think of and images are posted...

    Here we see the most famous painting of shaolin, monks, without dots on their foreheads.

    Here we have another painting of monks without dots on their foreheads.

    Picture half way down

    no dots

    I'm currently looking into finding some old threads that mention this (not here).... oh, and some movie pics...

    with dots



    Now, Gene Ching has posted this in the past:
    The burns are called jie ban and made with an incense stick. They symbolize a vow or vows taken by a monk and were banned during the cultural revolution. However, some monks have them anyway. Shi Guolin, in light of the ban, secretly made them on his arm. Shi Wanheng has them on his head, but they might have been from before the CR.
    So, I guess there is historical evidence, however, how come you don't see it in the paintings.
    Attached Files
    Last edited by shaolinstylee; 04-20-2005, 10:22 PM.
    practice wu de

  • #2
    I wrote about this a long time ago, somewhere.... Anyone look in the ARCHIVE???

    I've seen the forehead burns occasionally, but, more commonly now, the monks that want to, burn the dots on parts of their bodies that are eaiser to cover. A practice which started after the madness of the CR.
    Experienced Community organizer. Yeah, let's choose him to run the free world. It will be historic. What could possibly go wrong...

    "You're just a jaded cynical mother****er...." Jeffpeg

    (more comments in my User Profile)
    russbo.com


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    • #3
      Dots and Monks; does it get any better? Also, Dots are some of the best things on this planet.
      Attached Files
      Last edited by LeiYunFat; 04-21-2005, 06:10 AM.
      Becoming what I've dreamed about.

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      • #4
        HEY I pulled a tooth out on a Dot once, you bastidge. Thanks for that painful memory.




        ODB lyrics:
        silence on Smith with six shots, lick shots
        Leave ya head like a Shaolin monk with six dots
        Whatever doesn't kill me had better be able to run damn fast.

        "You are one of the most self-deluded immature idiots I've come across here for a time..." —Blooming T. Lotus

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        • #5
          How good of a shot would one be if they could line up 6 dots like that? Whew.
          Becoming what I've dreamed about.

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          • #6
            one thing I noticed at Shaolin was that at least three monks had little tattoos, very discrete, but noticeable when they trained with us.
            "Arhat, I am your father..."
            -the Dark Lord Cod

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            • #7
              Cool, good to see you still around Arhat.
              practice wu de

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              • #8
                Originally posted by shaolinstylee
                So, I guess there is historical evidence, however, how come you don't see it in the paintings.
                The painted cartoon monks are fake and not able to take the vows, so they weren't allowed to have the dots. If they were paintings to represent a specific monk, perhaps they would have the dots if that certain monk had them.

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                • #9
                  Of course the 'dot thing' is real. I think the problem is people don't look in the right texts. The historical 'evidence' you're looking for is called the Shurangama Sutra and there is also a passage in the Medicine King Sutra wherein practicioners will mark themselves with incense. Nowadays it's on the forearm and there are only three. But in the old days it was three in a square of three on the forehead. There are many Chan orders that still follow this practice, although it does seem to be optional as to whether you take the marks. I've met two monks and three nuns who where these incense marks.

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                  • #10
                    The zero and infinite

                    On dots i recommand the Zero and Infinite. Was it Koessler?

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Paul702
                      Of course the 'dot thing' is real. I think the problem is people don't look in the right texts. The historical 'evidence' you're looking for is called the Shurangama Sutra and there is also a passage in the Medicine King Sutra wherein practicioners will mark themselves with incense. Nowadays it's on the forearm and there are only three. But in the old days it was three in a square of three on the forehead. There are many Chan orders that still follow this practice, although it does seem to be optional as to whether you take the marks. I've met two monks and three nuns who where these incense marks.

                      yep actually have the text here somewhere, amidst my other texts

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