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Shaolin gung fu, or "Sil lum gung fu" in Cantonese, is any kind of gung
fu rooted in the Shaolin temples. So there are hundreds, if not thousands, of kwoons (gung fu schools) that legitimately teach Shaolin
gung fu. Practically any Wing Chun or Hung Gar or Dragon school, for
instance, can correctly call what they teach "Shaolin gung fu." Some
organizations are attempting to trademark the word "Shaolin," making it illegal for anyone else to use that word without permission. This would almost be like a single Italian restaurant trying to trademark the word "Italian" and then insisting that other eateries serving Italian fare
must find another word to describe their cuisine!
Especially galling is that "Shaolin" is the name of a Buddhist religious
order. Part of a genuine Buddhist path is realizing that we are all
inextricably linked together by karma, otherwise known as the universal law of cause and effect. To awaken to the karmic law is to understand that control of others is not an illusion, but a dangerous delusion. That is, when we believe we can control others, we are fooling ourselves. This delusion, and the ideas and behaviors it feeds, is
harmful to all.
Let call apples "apples" and oranges "oranges." Attempting to create and enforce a trademark is a commercial activity, not a religious one.
Attempts to trademark "Shaolin" are especially preposterous and
misguided given that so many martial traditions around the world are
rooted in the meditative practices of the Shaolin Order. "Shaolin" may
only describe the martial teachings of most schools, as the Buddhist
tradition has largely died out. Yet even the "Shaolin" tradition at the
Song Shan Temple in China is a "resurrected" tradition. What a mess has been created! And what for: money.
Even if our litigious culture someday requires us to use a name other
than "Shaolin," it will not alter the essence of our traditions nor our
practice of the Dharma.
Copyright © 2004 Order of Shaolin Ch'an
"Gung fu" (written as "Kung fu" under the Wade-Giles system of
transliteration and as "gong fu" under the Pinyin system) is a generic
phrase which roughly translates as "skilled practice." People can have
good gung fu at playing the piano, mathematical theorizing, gardening,
and many other pursuits. The use of "gung fu" to describe Chinese
martial arts is a legacy of Cantonese martial artists. The term "wushu,"
which literally means "martial arts," was more popular in northern
China. Today, this leads to confusion, as there are both Modern Wushu (a gymnastic performance art which may look like a combat art to the untrained eye) and traditional wushu, which are the traditional Chinese martial arts. In Taiwan, "gung fu" and "wushu" are often both abandoned in favor of "kuoshu," which means "national arts."
It is humorous, when you think about it, that practitioners of
traditional Chinese martial arts have not chosen to use a uniform term
to describe those arts. The Order of Shaolin Ch'an has chosen to use
"gung fu" for two reasons to describe the martial aspect of our
practice. First, most of the Chinese-born Shaolin priests of our order
who came to America were ethnically Cantonese, and so it is simply our habit to refer to our martial practices as "gung fu." However, the term is usually paired with the style or activity so that we say, "She
practices Tiger gung fu," or "His Black Crane gung fu is very good."
Second, we use "gung fu" because it is the most familiar term. In spite
of this, there are usually confused looks when people hear "gung fu"
because they are used to the phrase being mispronounced. It sounds
exactly as it looks. There is no "k" sound.
Copyright © 2004 Order of Shaolin Ch'an
Celibacy and vegetarianism are minor issues in Buddhism that people like to make a big deal out of. A Buddhist is someone who follows the
eightfold path as a means to relieve suffering, both in the self and in
others. In the Buddha's lifetime, the monastic community practiced
celibacy, but not vegetarianism. Today, there are many Buddhist monastic traditions. Some maintain both vegetarianism and celibacy as precepts, such as most Chinese branches of Buddhism. Some traditions maintain celibacy without requiring vegetarianism, such as many Theravada schools. Surely, somewhere, there is also a Buddhist sect that requires vegetarianism, but not celibacy. And finally, there are some Buddhist sects that require neither, such as Tibetan Buddhism and Shaolin.
Buddhism of any kind encourages individuals to seek their own answers. A Buddhist does not abdicate spiritual responsibility to the clergy, but rather strives on her own behalf to wake up. Clergy are there as guides, not as commandment givers or sellers of "indulgences." But, because of that old clerical precept about NO SEX (and certainly other writings as well), many Buddhists begin to think romantic relationships are a hindrance on the path. (Some people gently criticize lay Buddhists for attempting to lead a life based on monastic precepts, saying that the lay person should leave the really "difficult" spiritual work for monks. Hogwash. Part of Buddhism's appeal is personal spiritual accountability. In Shaolin, every person is encouraged to practice as best as he is able, according to his understanding of the Dharma.) Romantic relationships are discouraged for clergy in most traditions because they present a difficult obstacle to renunciation and detachment - not because they are inherently "bad" or un-Buddhist. Sex is a powerful force, and easy to abuse or be abused by. In Shaolin, we strive to follow the eightfold path with respect to our sexual lives, practicing responsibility and maturity. Above all, sex must not be used to harm one's self or others.
On the topic of vegetarianism, the Buddha forbade strict vegetarianism
because, at that time in India, monks begged for food from lay people
and the Buddha felt that the exchange of generosity and gracious
acceptance was more important than the kind of food given. You ate
whatever people placed in your bowl. Shaolin certainly allows
vegetarianism, but does not require it from students or monks.
Think about why the different precepts exist. Buddhism is not a
philosophy of immutable commandments. Buddhism did not begin with
precepts; it began with the four noble truths and the eightfold path.
Precepts were sort of "spot" guidelines to help the monastic community
in the quest to extinguish suffering. The spirit of the Dharma must take
priority over the "letter" of the Dharma - as with all the sutras.
Pleasure is not inherently detrimental to Buddhist practice and neither
is pain. It is clinging to pleasure, clinging to pain (usually in the
form of aversion), that obstructs the practice. We are human beings; it
is natural for us to experience pleasure and pain. And regardless of
what we eat, we impact our environment. It is up to each individual to
make decisions about how to implement the teachings in personal life.
Copyright © 2004 Order of Shaolin Ch'an
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