Since you are the representative and historian of the Shaolin Temple-at least here on these forums, perhaps you can answer an important question. I am putting this on a public forum so that it can be answered once and for all.
Is there any evidense found of a wooden man hall, 108 wooden men, and espcially, has there EVER been Shaolin monks wearing the brands of the Dragon and Tiger, or Dragon head Tiger body, or ANYTHING? Has anyone ever seen a monk with brands, and if so, did they signify any type of graduation ritual?
-or is it simply a legend, a myth, a nice story.
(oh, and BTW, crazy Americans who shave their heads and brand themselves don’t count-we’ve plenty of them here!)
From http://usashaolintemple.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=61&Itemid=82 :
[I]"Those who were successful in passing the wooden men reached an urn filled with hot coals which had two figures that would be branded into the monk’s arms as he embraced the urn to lift and move it, thus freeing himself from the Hall of the Wooden Men and exiting with the coveted diploma of Shaolin, branded arms bearing the dragon on the left arm, the tiger on the right arm. This certainly was a diploma that no one could forge and all respected.
Later that evening, one of my students asked if, once he has his temple built here in the United States, he would reinstitute the practice of the branding of the arms. His answer, without a moment’s hesitation, was ‘yes’." [/I]
I too would like to know. Any details of the famed Hall of Wooden Men, the urn, any old pictures of (now-deceased) monks with the brands visible, SOMETHING!
(also trying to figure out the urn itself, how it would leave JUST the imprint of the dragon/tiger, and not one big burn where the arms had to lift it?)
I’ve never found it
I was chipping on this question a few years ago, but never found anything conclusive. Branding was banned during the Cultural Revolution, which was the answer I typically received, then someone might point to the discreet incense brands some of the older monks had on their heads. The dragon and tiger is, of course, a strong symbol in China, the first one being located in Puyang, dated some 6400 years old (see my article An Iron Head Points to the Moon: Shaolin Wushuguan’s Senior Master, Monk Shi Sugang in our 2005 Shaolin special. The thing is that the legends of the wooden man hall and the brands are more of a southern temple myth, and the southern myths are a mess. BTW, speaking of dragons and tigers…
The other thing is, it might have come from the quote:(btw-I’m paraphrasing I read it long ago-possibly in Secrets of Shaolin Temple Boxing-not sure)
“When two Shaolin meet, they take three steps forward presenting their arms and showing the symbols of the Dragon and Tiger” That actually describes the Hung bow-"Dragon and Tiger Emerge"and they could be referring to the symbol of the Dragon claw and Tiger fist,or was it Dragon fist and Tiger claw? The symbol for the Emperor. Over time it could have gotten exagerrated.
Oh it’s older than that…
…it appears in Chinese sources, mostly Chinese fiction (wuxia xiao shuo) but I’ve never tried to find the earliest example. A lot of southern myth finds its roots here. That’s one reason why it’s such challenging research.
Wan Heng had an interesting variation to the legend- he says it was a kettle and not a cauldron.
Of course you never know if he’s telling tall tales for enjoyment.
Should ask monk Shi Yan Ming…
Sorry. I just saw this but I heard that monk Shi Yan Ming of NY will bring back the old way of training along with the branding. It might just be a rumor.
He’ll first have to stop teaching modern sport wushu… 
I’m with Gene on this one. I think its a southern thing, I’ve never heard anyone talk about it here.
There was a room with Wooden statues in it in shaolin, but they were modern. Also they have gone now.
ANd I think it is probably something to do with the salute you mentioned.
Some people still do the head brands with incense. And I have seen old photos of monks around here. SOme of the head brands were a LOT more intense. Dots ALL over the head, some as big as a quarter. Alternating large and small, all sorts of designs. This looks like it would be equally painful.
There is a Battle the Mountain Gate ritual, but I think it was more symbolic than actual.
Forgive stupid question but does this 108 wooden men have anything to do with the 108 (I believe) statues of arhants?
There is a Battle the Mountain Gate ritual, but I think it was more symbolic than actual.
Wu Gulun (Shi Jiqin) is said to have been the last monk to have “fought” his way out of the monastery, to return to secular life.
That test would have been much like the reenactment seen today, rather than tale of fighting through a hall of wooden men and getting branded.
[QUOTE=rett;1114467]Forgive stupid question but does this 108 wooden men have anything to do with the 108 (I believe) statues of arhants?[/QUOTE]
108 in any case would most accurately represent the 108 afflictions to overcome on the Buddhist path. Many things numbering 108 are symbolic reminders of this practice.
[QUOTE=LFJ;1114470]108 in any case would most accurately represent the 108 afflictions to overcome on the Buddhist path. Many things numbering 108 are symbolic reminders of this practice.[/QUOTE]
Thanks. I was thinking of the hall at modern Shaolin temple that has 108 wooden statues of men. (at least it was there in 2007)
[QUOTE=rett;1114472]Thanks. I was thinking of the hall at modern Shaolin temple that has 108 wooden statues of men. (at least it was there in 2007)[/QUOTE]
If it’s those cheap plaster statues of monks fighting and chanting you’re talking about, they weren’t actually wooden. They were all torn up and are gone now. But 108 in Buddhist traditions, regardless of what symbol is used (statues, beads, etc..), represents the number of human afflictions (Kles).
[QUOTE=LFJ;1114474]If it’s those cheap plaster statues of monks fighting and chanting you’re talking about, they weren’t actually wooden. They were all torn up and are gone now. But 108 in Buddhist traditions, regardless of what symbol is used (statues, beads, etc..), represents the number of human afflictions (Kles).[/QUOTE]
I mean a hall with 108(?) old-looking life-size wooden statues of arahants. Buddhist statues. Each one has a very distinct personality. You sort of circumambulate the whole hall and have statues on both sides of you.
Yeah I know the ones. They have all gone now.
They were all broken anyway. That room has been revamped now, but there are no statues. They were not old in the first place.
So it was the same ones, okay. I’m sorry to hear that because i thought they were pretty cool.
I was imagining the kind of…you know what I mean… touristy pictures, murals, frescoes, mosaics, statues, pillars etc of monks doing wushu-looking stuff that you start seeing at Zhengzhou airport and that pursue you all the way to Deng Feng unless you take the old road to skip paying the freeway toll:) (oh and its like there’s more every year)
Just to be clear…
We’re talking about the statues in the left-hand courtyard right after you enter Shaolin Gate and not the luohan statues in the Temple of Four Directions across the street, right?
[QUOTE=GeneChing;1114775]We’re talking about the statues in the left-hand courtyard right after you enter Shaolin Gate and not the luohan statues in the Temple of Four Directions across the street, right?[/QUOTE]
I was talking about the ones “across the street” I believe. It wasn’t inside the main complex. (Not inside where they have the famous entrance with the sign) I could’ve sworn it was even across a little dried river, but maybe not. I was told they are “arahants” i.e. Luohan?. Are they still there? (and did I explain clearly enough…)
Oh ok.
I was talking about the ones in the room on the left when you go in.
The Luohans in the meditation garden are still there. Your right, it is across a little dried up river. They are Arhats. Or Luohan. Probably ‘Saint’ is the best English translation.