I’m curious to know what concepts of Chan Buddhism are found to be present in the Shaolin systems.
Are there specific principles of Chan embodied in the forms or movements which themselves are essentially the physical manifestations of Chan in a martial form?
Any specific notions on Time and Space?
Great question!
I cannot speak for the Shaolin temple. But I can speak for MYSELF.
What I found out from practicing Shaolin kung fu is that many of its techniques are found in other styles as well.
Because of this, I do not feel as if my kung fu is all that different from other styles. This commonality of techniques prevents me from cultivating a closed “My style is better than yours” mindset.
Being able to find martial commonalities with others helped me find personal commonalities with them as well. That really improved my life, as meeting other people and appreciating their differences is the greatest thing there is.
As far as the actual techniques themselves go, I find that the Shaolin techniques can be applied with a variety of interpretations. I learned from this that one can shape the world in a way that works for him. To what extent is the hard question, but I do try to take responsibilities for my own life’s sufferings.
I also found that the Shaolin techniques interface quite well with the natural environment and make me more aware. This increased awareness helps me learn more about the world.
ch’an chuan yi ti
I am actually thinking of preparing an article about this very subject.
I am aware of a few movements which were mapped into the forms so to speak directly from either monastic life or buddhist ceremonial tasks, which I think is very interesting- I once asked a question about buddhist statues, why are they worshipped?
I was told that the easy thing to do is to see the statue as if it is a picture of buddha. But Buddha does not need statues, and never wished to be ‘worshipped.’ But the stones and materials used to make the statue will one day BE a Buddha, so that is the reason for the statuary- to show the conceptual connection in a physical representation.
Hello gents may I add something!
This may be a abstract idea but I like to think of things this way. We practice to eliminate suffering (poor health mental and physical). We practice to gain true experience. we practice to gain awarness of what is real. 
The Buddhist statues are not used by all Buddhists.
I prefer to think of them as a focal point on which one can fix his concentration. That helps get a person into the right state of mind to hear himself and the world around him.
Depending on the sect of Buddhism, people use different objects for focus. The Zen Japanese do it via counting the breath, the Shaolin monks do it via physical kung fu set practice, the Christians do it via prayer and the Bible - there are countless other examples.
planetwc asks:
No one seems to have responded clealy to the specific question.
Chan is about enlightment and there are different paths that developed in Chan. But chan avoids absolute " intellectual" positions because all phenomena are ultimately “empty”. That would hold for absolute time and space I would think. Relative time and space can be different and can exist under dependent origination or a specific context.
be in the moment -
be aware -
see the reality of the situation -
these Ch’an principles all apply to using a martial art.
peace
Kung Lek- Good statement.
joy chaudhuri
What about the Lohan forms?
I responded directly to the original post in my 1st reply here.
Chan is about reaching into oneself and about reaching outward into the world.
I detailed SPECIFICALLY how that could be accomplished via practicing Shaolin kung fu.
Questions wich arise from yall’s Posts…If Zen is bieng in the moment, then what differentiates Shaolin KF Forms Trained in the 16th century and say mike tyson shadowboxing after he mastered zen meditation?. Or, How is a Sport taekwondo or a modern wushu set differant from the shaolin sets?.
My Mind tells me Bhuddists were great artists, compared to a crackhead who graffittis in a alley off-Broadway!
. And the same Highly-Aware Mindset a Suppossed Bhuddist Master Manifested through the stages of his Enlightenment or Waking Up, would be displayed through his paintings!.
Now the Question is, What is ’ Waking Up Applied to Direct Physical Actions?..is everything you do,.. Strictly Work of Genius?.. Like a Picasso or Mozart!?.
It is quite easy to be aware that your teeth have been knowcked out by someone who was faster than you.
this is zen also.
peace
zuo ch’an
To me, it all comes back to the cornerstone of ch’an, the sitting practice. You have to sit to really penetrate it. That was one of the ideas I was getting at when I wrote this http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=159 . Once you have an understanding of the way of sitting practice, you understand that this way can be extended to any practice, and anything and everythign can become a practice. Externally, kungfu practice is the diametric opposite of sitting, yet the essence is the same. From stillness to maximal motion, you heart remains unchanged.
Good post and great essay Gene. The key is doing the dhyan/zan/chan and dogen’s zazen.
BTW, one of signatures is “JOM” which is just another English spelling for one pronouciation of Yama.
yuanfen/joy