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Shaolin Sect

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This article is about the fictional martial arts sect featured in Wuxia fiction. For the actual school of martial arts, see Shaolin Kung Fu.

The Shaolin Sect (Chinese: 少林派; pinyin: Shào Lín Paì; Jyutping: Siu3 Lam4 Paai3) is a fictional martial arts sect featured in several works of Wuxia fiction. It is one of the largest, most famous and highly-recognised orthodox and righteous sects in the Jianghu. Its home base is at present-day Shaolin Monastery (少林寺) in Henan Province. It is also sometimes referred to as "Shaolin Monastery" instead of "Shaolin Sect".

Besides its role as the leading righteous sect in the Jianghu in Wuxia novels, the Shaolin Sect is also strongly featured in popular culture as well. Several Chinese martial arts films also feature the Shaolin Sect, such as Shaolin Temple. It is also synonymous with Chinese martial arts as it is mentioned to be the "origin" of all Chinese martial arts in Wuxia works. It is perhaps best known to non-Chinese for the Shaolin Kung Fu associated with the fictional sect and monastery.

The Shaolin Sect's members are predominantly Buddhist monks with a minority of non-Buddhist monks known as "secular disciples" (俗家弟子)[1][2]. The Buddhist monks follow Buddhist practices and the Buddhist code of conduct apart from practicing martial arts.

History

The Shaolin Sect is founded in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period by Bodhidharma, who introduced Zen Buddhism to China[3]. Bodhidharma founded the sect for Buddhist followers to practice martial arts. The aims of practising martial arts were to: improve health, uphold justice, self-defence and helping the weak. As such, Shaolin disciples were reputed to have a strong sense of morality and good mastery of Shaolin martial arts.

List of Shaolin head abbots

Organisation

The Shaolin Sect is headed by the Head Abbot (方丈) of the Monastery. Below him in rank are the elders of the sect.

Shaolin disciples are ranked by generation. Each member of a certain generation has a prefix before his Buddhist name to indicate his seniority in the sect. In Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, the most senior generation is known as the "Xuan" (玄) generation. The Head Abbot is Xuanci (玄慈) and several elders such as Xuanji (玄寂), Xuannan (玄難), Xuandu (玄渡) and Xuanku (玄苦) also have a "Xuan" prefix in their Buddhist names. One of the protagonists, Xuzhu (虛竹), is from the "Xu" (虛) generation, which is two generations junior that of the Xuan generation.[2]

The following is a list of generation ranks in different eras[2][3][5]:

  • Northern Song Dynasty: Ling (靈), Xuan (玄), Hui (慧), Xu (虛), Kong (空)
  • Yuan Dynasty: Du (渡), Kong (空), Yuan (圓), Hui (慧), Fa (法), Xiang (相), Zhuang (莊)
  • Qing Dynasty: Da (大), Jue (覺), Guan (觀), Hui (晦), Cheng (澄), Jing (靜), Yan (嚴), Hua (華)

The sect is also sub-divided in several different branches and clusters (or halls), which take charge of different aspects of the sect's daily activities.

List of halls

  • Abbot's living quarters (方丈精舍)
  • Bodhidharma Hall (达摩院/达摩堂) - training grounds for only Shaolin martial arts
  • Arhat Hall (罗汉堂) - meeting grounds with challengers from other sects
  • Prajñā Hall (般若院/般若堂) - training grounds for martial arts (including those of other sects)
  • Discipline Hall (戒律院) - in charge of law and order within the sect
  • Bodhi Hall (菩提院) - the place where the Tendon-Altering Sutra is kept
  • King of Herbs Hall (药王院) - the hospital where the sick and injured are attended to
  • Sarira Hall (舍利院) - the crematorium for cremating the bodies of deceased members
  • Guest Hall (知客院) - reception grounds for guests to the Monastery
  • Library (藏经阁) - the place where Buddhist sutras and martial arts manuals are kept

Martial arts

The Shaolin Sect is hailed in the Jianghu as the origin of all Chinese martial arts and as one of the leaders of all "righteous" and "orthodox" sects. In Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, it is said to house 72 different forms of martial arts and no one has managed to master all of them since the founding of the sect. These martial arts have Buddhist-style names, such as "Bodhidharma's Palm" (達摩掌) and "Arhat's Fist" (羅漢拳)[2].

It is also home to the famous Tendon-Altering Sutra (易筋經), a martial arts manual instructing the user how to master a certain skill which improves the user's prowess in all kinds of martial arts. It has also powerful healing properties if the user manages to master the skill. In Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, You Tanzhi acquires the manual by chance and uses its skills to purge poison in his body after he is infected by venomous creatures. The sutra also increases his inner energy and stamina, allowing him to deliver an ordinary palm stroke with a force several times the original impact[2]. In The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Linghu Chong uses the skills in the manual to heal his internal wounds.[1]

List of fictional Shaolin martial arts

See also: List of the 72 Shaolin martial arts
  • Foundation skills
    • Shaolin Long Fist (少林長拳)
    • Arhat Fist (羅漢拳)
    • Tiger-Subduing Palm (伏虎掌)
    • Skanda Palm (韋馱掌)
    • Merciful Thousand Leaves Hand (大慈大悲千葉手)
  • Fist styles
    • Dashing Shaolin (闖少林)
    • Drunken Fist (醉拳)
    • Five Elements Linking Fist (五行連環拳)
    • Lu Zhishen Pounds the Door Drunken Fist (魯智深醉打山門拳)
    • Heaven and Earth in the Sleeve (袖里乾坤)
    • Great Vajra Fist (大金剛拳)
  • Palm styles
    • Great Skanda Palm (大韋馱掌)
    • Evil-Subduing Palm (降魔掌)
    • Divine Vajra Palm (金剛神掌)
    • Vajra Prajñā Palm (金剛般若掌)
    • Prajñā Palm (般若掌)
    • Eight styles of Divine Palm (神掌八打)
    • Thousand Hands Buddha Palm (千手如來掌)
    • Mount Meru Palm (須彌山掌)
    • Flower Scattering Palm (散花掌)
    • Snowy Mountain Palm (雪山掌)
    • Bodhidharma Palm (達摩掌)
    • Swift Palm (快掌)
    • Stone Wielding Palm (握石掌)
    • One Clap Two Scatters (一拍兩散)
  • Finger styles
    • Indian Buddha Finger (天竺佛指)
    • Mo Ke Finger (摩诃指)
    • Duo Luo Ye Finger (多羅葉指)
    • Wu Xiang Jie Finger (無相劫指)
    • Nian Hua Finger (拈花指)
    • Great Strength Vajra Finger (大力金剛指)
    • Great Wisdom Wu Ding Finger (大智無定指)
    • One Finger Zen (一指禪)
  • Grabbing styles
    • Great Strength Vajra Grab (大力金剛抓)
    • Eagle Claw (鷹爪手)
    • Ending Grab (寂滅抓)
    • Indra Grab (因陀羅抓)
    • Tiger Claw (虎爪手)
    • Dragon Claw (龍爪手)
    • Grabbing Hand (擒拿手)
    • Big Grabbing Hand (大擒拿手)
    • Small Grabbing Hand (小擒拿手)
    • Nian Hua Grabbing Hand (拈花擒拿手)
    • Shaolin Eighteen Styles Grabbing Hand (少林擒拿十八打)
  • Sword styles
    • Arhat Swordplay (羅漢劍法)
    • Skanda Evil-Subduing Swordplay (韋馱伏魔劍)
    • Bodhidharma Swordplay (達摩劍法)
  • Saber styles
    • Evil-Subduing Saber Style (降魔刀法)
    • Burning Wood Saber Style (燃木刀法)
  • Staff styles
    • Evil-Subduing Staff Style (伏魔杖法)
    • Evil-Subduing Staff Style (降魔杖法)
    • Wild Demon Staff Style (瘋魔杖法)
    • Small Yaksha Staff Style (小夜叉棍)
    • Big Yaksha Staff Style (大夜叉棍)
    • Obtaining the Scriptures Staff Style (取經棍法)
  • Inner energy skills
    • Vajra Evil-Subduing Divine Skill (金剛伏魔神通)
    • Vajra Body-Defending Divine Skill (金剛不壞體神功)
    • Yi Jin Jing (易筋經)
    • Nine Yang Divine Skill (九陽神功)
    • Arhat Evil-Subduing Divine Skill (羅漢伏魔神功)
    • Po Na Skill (破衲功)
    • Cassock Evil-Subduing Skill (袈裟伏魔功)
  • Other skills
    • Snake and Crane
    • Coking(Cooking) Kung Fu'
    • Dragon-Capturing Hand (擒龍手)
    • Golden Bell Shield (金鐘罩)
    • Iron shirt (鐵布衫)
    • Jackfruit Hand (波羅蜜手)
    • Vajra Zen Lion Roar (金剛禪獅子吼)
    • Shadowless Formless Legs (如影隨形腿)
    • Great Skanda Mace (大韋馱杵)
  • Formations
    • Great Arhat Formation (羅漢大陣)
    • Vajra Evil-Subduing Ring (金剛伏魔圈)
    • Arhat Sword Formation (羅漢劍陣)

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c Cha, Louis. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (笑傲江湖). Ming Pao, 1967.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Cha, Louis. Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (天龍八部). Ming Pao, 1963.
  3. ^ a b c Cha, Louis. The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (倚天屠龍記). Ming Pao, 1961.
  4. ^ Cha, Louis. Ode to Gallantry (俠客行). Ming Pao, 1965.
  5. ^ a b Cha, Louis. The Deer and the Cauldron (鹿鼎記). Ming Pao, 1969.
  6. ^ a b Cha, Louis. The Book and the Sword (書劍恩仇錄). The New Evening Post, 1955. Cite error: The named reference "SJECL" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
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