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Things change, and they remain the same. One of the more interesting characters in our Shaolin Temple play has been none other than the abbot, Shi Yong Xin, himself. His actions over the past few years have tended to lean more towards the increase in Buddhist monks and their influence, and a decrease in the Shaolin martial monks, both in influence and in numbers. These things have been discussed at length in the past. The following is a translation of a lecture given by Shi Yong Xin, supposedly in May of 1999, which, if you remember, was at the height of the temple's dispersal of the Shaolin martial monk talent. His views are commendable, if not "interesting".
THE CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS AS A DE FACTO CULTURE
AND AS A CONSTITUENT OF CHINESE CULTURE
(Summary of a Lecture
Given by the Reverend Shi Yongxin,
Abbot of Shaolin Buddhist Monastery, Mount Song
In Henan, PR of China)
The proposition that the lore of traditional Chinese martial arts constitutes a culture in itself and is, at the same time, a component of Chinese culture will make little sense-or might sound hollow-to the uninitiated....
For a complete reading of this lecture, please go to the Shaolin Topics section in the site.
Things change, and they remain the same. One of the more interesting characters in our Shaolin Temple play has been none other than the abbot, Shi Yong Xin, himself. His actions over the past few years have tended to lean more towards the increase in Buddhist monks and their influence, and a decrease in the Shaolin martial monks, both in influence and in numbers. These things have been discussed at length in the past. The following is a translation of a lecture given by Shi Yong Xin, supposedly in May of 1999, which, if you remember, was at the height of the temple's dispersal of the Shaolin martial monk talent. His views are commendable, if not "interesting".
THE CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS AS A DE FACTO CULTURE
AND AS A CONSTITUENT OF CHINESE CULTURE
(Summary of a Lecture
Given by the Reverend Shi Yongxin,
Abbot of Shaolin Buddhist Monastery, Mount Song
In Henan, PR of China)
The proposition that the lore of traditional Chinese martial arts constitutes a culture in itself and is, at the same time, a component of Chinese culture will make little sense-or might sound hollow-to the uninitiated....
For a complete reading of this lecture, please go to the Shaolin Topics section in the site.