The ancient Chinese Shaolin monastery has long turned into a cultural phenomenon. The spread of Buddhism from Asia to the West, Bruce Lee, and even the story of Star Wars and Kung Fu Panda were inspired by this monastery. However, most of us know almost nothing about who the mysterious Shaolin martial monks really are.
It was founded by the Indians
Shaolin Monastery is an integral part of Chinese culture, but its founder was a wandering Buddhist monk from India - Batuo. Under his leadership, the first monastery was built, which gradually developed into a whole school.
War monks
Many people think that Shaolin was the first monastery to practice martial arts. In fact, centuries before its creation, there were training centers for warrior monks in India. In addition, there was also a special order in Tibet that enjoyed the patronage of the Dalai Lama himself.
Promotional video:
Kung Fu
The history of kung fu also began long before Shaolin. By the time of the formation of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), Shaolin really became associated with this particular martial art, but in fact, the standard kung fu techniques originated in about 500 BC.
Shaolin werewolf
In the second half of the 19th century, there was a man named Tai Jin, nicknamed the Shaolin Werewolf. The boy was born with hypertrichosis: frightened parents took the baby to the forest, where the monks of the monastery found him. Here he was raised and raised as a Buddhist warrior - legend has it that Tai Jin became the only person in half a century who mastered the technique of Dim Mak, the deadly touch.
Japanese pirates
In the early 16th century, coastal cities in China were constantly ravaged by Japanese waka corsairs. In 1553, they became so insolent that they attacked and captured the huge coastal city, Hangzhou. The emperor of China sent 120 Shaolin monks to fight the waka, and this small group was able to completely clean the country's coastline.
Jieba
Kung Fu films often show how Shaolin monks have nine round dots (three in each row) drawn on the foreheads of Shaolin monks, which are called Jieba. This sacred mark serves as a sign that the monk has completed his training. Each dot symbolizes one of nine fundamental rules of conduct that every monk must follow. The world knows only 43 people who managed to complete the ceremony of applying the sacred mark. Among them is one Italian - Franco Testini (known as Shi Yan Fan), rector of a Buddhist temple in California.
star Wars
In an interview, George Lucas admitted that the Shaolin monks inspired him to create the Star Wars saga. The stories of the emergence of the Jedi Order and the Shaolin Monastery also have a lot in common. In the movie Star Wars. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Palpatine orders Anakin Skywalker to attack the Jedi Temple and kill all the youths who are trained there. Shaolin had a similar fate: in the 18th century, Emperor Qian Long ordered the destruction of the monastery and all its inhabitants, including children.