Speculations on the Very Diverse Roots of Shaolin Kung Fu
There has been lively debate over the centuries about the origin and parameters of Shaolin Kung Fu.
In 2001, Professor Meir Shahar, though acknowledging Tang Dynasty (618–690 & 705–907 AD) Shaolin efforts in fighting off bandits and a military campaign in support of soon to be Emperor Li Shimin, made a case asserting that martial arts were not practiced at or taught in the Shaolin Monastery until the late Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 61, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp. 359-413 http://www.jstor.org/stable/3558572
This of course flies in the face of Shaolin legend and tradition
In 2001, Professor Meir Shahar, though acknowledging Tang Dynasty (618–690 & 705–907 AD) Shaolin efforts in fighting off bandits and a military campaign in support of soon to be Emperor Li Shimin, made a case asserting that martial arts were not practiced at or taught in the Shaolin Monastery until the late Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 61, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp. 359-413 http://www.jstor.org/stable/3558572
This of course flies in the face of Shaolin legend and tradition
Blue-eyed Central Asian monk teaching an East Asian monk. A fresco from the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, dated to the 9th or 10th century. (Wikipedia)
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A common theory that’s been floating around for centuries is that Shaolin Kung Fu may have roots in the Indian Kshatriya caste of warriors and rulers given that one theory about Bodhidharma, the patriarch of Chan (Zen) Buddhism came from this class. However, there are two prevailing theories about the origin of Bodhidharma, one being from the Two Entrances and Four Acts by Tanlin 曇林 (506–574), which states that he was the third son of a great Indian king of the Pallava dynasty in the South of India.
Another history: The Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang 洛陽伽藍記 Luoyang Qielanji, asserts that Bodhidharma was a “Persian Central Asian” “of the Western Region.” Bodhidharma is referred to as “The Blue-Eyed Barbarian” 藍眼睛的野人 (lán yǎnjīngde yěrén) in Chinese texts (Soothill & Hodous, 1995) and thus it seems probable that he was from the Central Asian region rather than south India. Many Central Asian people have reddish hair and blue eyes, which they attribute to being descendants of Alexander the Great’s army which marched through that area (330-323 BC) with some staying and intermarrying with locals. |
In the article titled: Zen Buddhism and Persian Culture – An Investigation on the Influence of Simorghiansian Culture on Zen Buddhism, by Professor Masato Tojo (2010) the author writes:
“The Shaolin temple 少林寺(Jp: Šōrin-ji) is famous for its martial arts. There were many monk-warriors in the Shaolin temple. There were also many monk-soldiers (僧兵sōhei) in Japanese Zen temple Eihei-ji 永平寺. Believers of Roman Mithraism were mainly military people. This parallel is not a coincidence, but a tendency of Mithraism.”
Professor Tojo goes on to assert at the end of his article: "Some researchers tend to think that the Simorghian culture was extinguished by Zoroastrianism and Islam, therefore today people can only see its fragmented reflections in various esoteric traditions such as Yezidism and Persian Sufi literatures. But it is not true. We can see its evolved (sophisticated) form in Zen Buddhism." ("Zen" is the Japanese word for "Chan" - the Shaolin Monasteries were and are Chan based.)
"Some researchers on Mithraism tend to put Mithraism in the mirror image of Christianity and/or Zoroastrianism. But this is also misleading. Persian Sufism, Zen and Mithraism, these three are to be seen as three branches of one same tree, with its root the Simorghian culture." (P. 18)
“The Shaolin temple 少林寺(Jp: Šōrin-ji) is famous for its martial arts. There were many monk-warriors in the Shaolin temple. There were also many monk-soldiers (僧兵sōhei) in Japanese Zen temple Eihei-ji 永平寺. Believers of Roman Mithraism were mainly military people. This parallel is not a coincidence, but a tendency of Mithraism.”
Professor Tojo goes on to assert at the end of his article: "Some researchers tend to think that the Simorghian culture was extinguished by Zoroastrianism and Islam, therefore today people can only see its fragmented reflections in various esoteric traditions such as Yezidism and Persian Sufi literatures. But it is not true. We can see its evolved (sophisticated) form in Zen Buddhism." ("Zen" is the Japanese word for "Chan" - the Shaolin Monasteries were and are Chan based.)
"Some researchers on Mithraism tend to put Mithraism in the mirror image of Christianity and/or Zoroastrianism. But this is also misleading. Persian Sufism, Zen and Mithraism, these three are to be seen as three branches of one same tree, with its root the Simorghian culture." (P. 18)
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Regardless as to which actually is older, it seems likely that Shaolin Kung Fu influenced and was influenced by the martial arts of Chinese soldiers, whose martial arts influenced and were influenced by a wide number of other sources, including Persian, Indian, Roman and before that Egyptian, and Babylonian cultures, etc. in a manner according to the “reverberating history” theory. In any and all cases the Silk Road would probably have been the primary transmission lines along which those traditions passed. This reverberation of martial skills would by necessity have been much higher pitched and faster than most other forms of information reverberation given that survival was and still is predicated upon keeping up with new martial techniques and technologies.
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Chan monasteries in China were generally not quietest places for silent meditation as is commonly associated with Indian Buddhism. Chinese tradition, especially Chan is vastly more dynamic, community based and interactive.
“Historically in China Buddhist monasteries were not only temples for meditation and rituals, and homes for monks, but they were also hospitals, schools, universities, research centers, libraries, art galleries, inns, orphanages, refuges for those in need, police stations, the goals of pilgrimages, publishing houses, cultural centers, meeting halls and specialty tea centers. When emperors traveled they often stayed at monasteries which were the apex of civilization at that time, because monks were the largest class of well-educated people…” The North Shàolín Monastery - History, Culture and Reincarnation, P. 112 by Shí Lóng (One of several nom de plume used by Gregory Brundage) |
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Historical records confirm that Shaolin Kung Fu specialized in staff, not surprisingly given that monks are obliged to protect life, however the curriculum of both historic and modern Shaolin Kung Fu includes 18 weapons, most of which are deadly indeed.
The idea that after helping Li Shiming establish a new dynasty (the Tang) the Shaolin monks then quietly slipped into meditation cells is patently absurd given Chan tradition and other exogenous needs of the Shaolin monastery at that time. Ancient China at that time, like the entire world was like the “wild, wild west,” times one hundred, rift with threats to peace and stability and a large influential monastery like the Shaolin simply couldn’t have turned its’ back on the many security needs of their monastery, community and nation at that time. Certainly by the Ming Dynasty the Shaolin had a well-established core curriculum of weapons and techniques that were probably more or less unique to it, however to survive in any competitive environment there has to be constant upgrading and integration of new techniques and methodologies to survive. During the Yuan Dynasty: "It was Yao Shu and Liu Bingzhong that made plans for Kublai leading to a revitalization of Songshan Shaolin martial arts, as they hosted numerous competitions to identify the most talented in many spheres of influence, including government administration and the military. They also organized debates between leading Chinese Buddhist, Daoist and Confucian scholars. It was within this crucible of influences and events that Abbot Fuyu was given jurisdiction over Faxing Si – the monastery that was some years later to become the North Shaolin Monastery." North Shaolin Monastery: History, Culture and Reincarnation, by Shi Long, P. 28 https://www.academia.edu/8033211/The_North_Shaolin_Monastery_History_Culture_and_Reincarnation |
The roots of the Shaolin are clearly wide and deep. That some of the deepest of those roots might be from the Simorghian Culture is not too surprising given the neighborhood in which they evolved:
"The Simorghian culture covers vast area, encompassing modern north-east China, Mongolia, Central Asia, Kashmir, north India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Kurdistan, Caucasas, Black Sea coast, Siberia, and East Europe."
http://www.shamogoloparvaneh.com/myth_of_simorghian_mithraism_v0b.pdf
Predating Zoroaster’s religion would make it older than 4,000 years old. Zoroaster worshiped the God of Wisdom Ahura Mazda as the Supreme Being and Creator, above and beyond all other deities.
"The Simorghian culture covers vast area, encompassing modern north-east China, Mongolia, Central Asia, Kashmir, north India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Kurdistan, Caucasas, Black Sea coast, Siberia, and East Europe."
http://www.shamogoloparvaneh.com/myth_of_simorghian_mithraism_v0b.pdf
Predating Zoroaster’s religion would make it older than 4,000 years old. Zoroaster worshiped the God of Wisdom Ahura Mazda as the Supreme Being and Creator, above and beyond all other deities.
Approaching the Source
But, the river didn’t really start there either. Ishtar was the main goddess of ancient Babylonia (2334–2279 BC) and Assyria. Goddess statues from around 30,000 have been unearthed. Other Mesopotamian goddesses include Ninhursag, Ninlil, Antu, and Gaga.
But, the roots of philosophy, religion and martial arts are probably much older.
Philosophers such as Descartes and Locke (e.g. Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 1690) tried reasoning to uncover the nature of “consciousness,” however, failed to produce a comprehensive theory. There are for example huge developmental differences between “consciousness” and “self-awareness.” Though insects and fish don’t dream, one can only speculate as to the extent they are “conscious.” Yet, clearly they have perception, and therefore some form of awareness. They clearly experience need states (like hunger) yet don’t “consciously” plan for their satisfaction of those needs, instead relying solely on hardwired (genetically programmed) responses to filling those needs.
In the history of Chan no question has been extensively addressed as Zhaozhou’s dog.
A monk once asked Tang Dynasty Chán Master Zhaozhou Congshen (赵州禅师): “Does a dog have Buddha nature?” (狗会有佛性?) Zhaozhou replied “No.” (無門關)
On one level this stops the mind because it directly contradicts the Mahayana belief that all things have the Buddha nature. From a Chan historical perspective, it’s unbelievable, illogical, mind stopping and potentially mind opening.
However, there is another level of analysis here. It was during the 7th and 8th centuries in China that the doctrine that all sentient beings contain the Buddha nature, including plants, trees, stones and even dust particles emerged. However, others argued that only the sentient can attain Buddha nature. The sixth century Monk Jingying Huiyuan (523-592) made a distinction between the “Buddha-nature that knows” (néngzhī xìng 能 知性) and the “Buddha-nature that is known” (suǒzhī xìng 所知性). The “Buddha nature that knows” then, was classified as “true consciousness” (真 實性) which would include animals (sentience) and capable of awakening to Buddha nature through the elimination of ignorance. The “nature that is not known” was associated with the dharma-realm, emptiness, ultimate truth and so is universal, penetrating everywhere and applies to sentient and non-sentient things. Thus, a dog being an advanced, sentient life form, definitely has the Buddha-nature. Zhaozhou’s “No” therefore was simply astonishing.
Later on in the Tang Dynasty this dichotomy between sentience and non-sentience became quite accepted. However, the ninth Tiantai Patriarch Zhanran (711-782) took this a step further by asserting 1) Mahayana doctrine insists on the universality of Buddha-nature, and 2) therefore cannot make a distinction between sentient and insentient things: the absolute principle is not dualistic and there are no objects apart from mind. Again, the dog has the Buddha-nature.
Zhaozhou’s “No,” (無門關) therefore was either an outrageous denial of classic Chán philosophy, or perhaps his “No” wasn’t an answer to a question at all, but rather an indication that the question itself was wrong, i.e. this is a false dichotomy, and the famous “No” was an admonishment to the questioner rather than an answer to a question and perhaps should be written (at least in English) as: “No!”
“This ‘No’ is not, in the end, a denial of Buddha-nature to dogs so much as it is a rhetorical strategy for eluding the conceptual trap laid for him. Zhaozhou must neither affirm nor deny the doctrine of Buddha-nature and at the same time must avoid postulating a third ‘transcendent’ position.”
Sharf, Robert H. (2007) published in Furth, C. et. al. (Ed.) P 226
The controversy regarding Zhaozhou’s dog did not end there but resonates up and down the corridors of Chán philosophy and the above is only one example in the long history of this Gōng‘àn (“Koan” in Japanese).
Another dialogue centering on Zhaozhou’s dog can be found in the Jingde Era Record of the Transmission of the Lamp (景德傳燈錄 Jingde chuandeng lu):
“A student asked: ‘Does a dog also have Buddha-nature or not?’ The Master said: ‘It does.’ The monk said: ‘Does the Reverend also have it or not?’ The Master said: ‘I don’t have it.’ The monk said: ‘All sentient beings have Buddha-nature. Why does the Reverend alone not possess it?’ The Master said: ‘I am not all sentient beings.’ The monk said: ‘Since you are not a sentient being, are you a Buddha or not?’ The Master said: ‘I am not a Buddha.’ The monk asked: ‘Ultimately what sort of thing is it?’ The Master said: ‘It is also not a thing.’ The monk said: ‘Can it be seen or thought?’ The master said: ‘If you think of it you won’t reach it; if you deliberate on it you won’t get it. Therefore it is called inconceivable.’”
Sharf, Robert H. (2007) P. 241
But, the river didn’t really start there either. Ishtar was the main goddess of ancient Babylonia (2334–2279 BC) and Assyria. Goddess statues from around 30,000 have been unearthed. Other Mesopotamian goddesses include Ninhursag, Ninlil, Antu, and Gaga.
But, the roots of philosophy, religion and martial arts are probably much older.
Philosophers such as Descartes and Locke (e.g. Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 1690) tried reasoning to uncover the nature of “consciousness,” however, failed to produce a comprehensive theory. There are for example huge developmental differences between “consciousness” and “self-awareness.” Though insects and fish don’t dream, one can only speculate as to the extent they are “conscious.” Yet, clearly they have perception, and therefore some form of awareness. They clearly experience need states (like hunger) yet don’t “consciously” plan for their satisfaction of those needs, instead relying solely on hardwired (genetically programmed) responses to filling those needs.
In the history of Chan no question has been extensively addressed as Zhaozhou’s dog.
A monk once asked Tang Dynasty Chán Master Zhaozhou Congshen (赵州禅师): “Does a dog have Buddha nature?” (狗会有佛性?) Zhaozhou replied “No.” (無門關)
On one level this stops the mind because it directly contradicts the Mahayana belief that all things have the Buddha nature. From a Chan historical perspective, it’s unbelievable, illogical, mind stopping and potentially mind opening.
However, there is another level of analysis here. It was during the 7th and 8th centuries in China that the doctrine that all sentient beings contain the Buddha nature, including plants, trees, stones and even dust particles emerged. However, others argued that only the sentient can attain Buddha nature. The sixth century Monk Jingying Huiyuan (523-592) made a distinction between the “Buddha-nature that knows” (néngzhī xìng 能 知性) and the “Buddha-nature that is known” (suǒzhī xìng 所知性). The “Buddha nature that knows” then, was classified as “true consciousness” (真 實性) which would include animals (sentience) and capable of awakening to Buddha nature through the elimination of ignorance. The “nature that is not known” was associated with the dharma-realm, emptiness, ultimate truth and so is universal, penetrating everywhere and applies to sentient and non-sentient things. Thus, a dog being an advanced, sentient life form, definitely has the Buddha-nature. Zhaozhou’s “No” therefore was simply astonishing.
Later on in the Tang Dynasty this dichotomy between sentience and non-sentience became quite accepted. However, the ninth Tiantai Patriarch Zhanran (711-782) took this a step further by asserting 1) Mahayana doctrine insists on the universality of Buddha-nature, and 2) therefore cannot make a distinction between sentient and insentient things: the absolute principle is not dualistic and there are no objects apart from mind. Again, the dog has the Buddha-nature.
Zhaozhou’s “No,” (無門關) therefore was either an outrageous denial of classic Chán philosophy, or perhaps his “No” wasn’t an answer to a question at all, but rather an indication that the question itself was wrong, i.e. this is a false dichotomy, and the famous “No” was an admonishment to the questioner rather than an answer to a question and perhaps should be written (at least in English) as: “No!”
“This ‘No’ is not, in the end, a denial of Buddha-nature to dogs so much as it is a rhetorical strategy for eluding the conceptual trap laid for him. Zhaozhou must neither affirm nor deny the doctrine of Buddha-nature and at the same time must avoid postulating a third ‘transcendent’ position.”
Sharf, Robert H. (2007) published in Furth, C. et. al. (Ed.) P 226
The controversy regarding Zhaozhou’s dog did not end there but resonates up and down the corridors of Chán philosophy and the above is only one example in the long history of this Gōng‘àn (“Koan” in Japanese).
Another dialogue centering on Zhaozhou’s dog can be found in the Jingde Era Record of the Transmission of the Lamp (景德傳燈錄 Jingde chuandeng lu):
“A student asked: ‘Does a dog also have Buddha-nature or not?’ The Master said: ‘It does.’ The monk said: ‘Does the Reverend also have it or not?’ The Master said: ‘I don’t have it.’ The monk said: ‘All sentient beings have Buddha-nature. Why does the Reverend alone not possess it?’ The Master said: ‘I am not all sentient beings.’ The monk said: ‘Since you are not a sentient being, are you a Buddha or not?’ The Master said: ‘I am not a Buddha.’ The monk asked: ‘Ultimately what sort of thing is it?’ The Master said: ‘It is also not a thing.’ The monk said: ‘Can it be seen or thought?’ The master said: ‘If you think of it you won’t reach it; if you deliberate on it you won’t get it. Therefore it is called inconceivable.’”
Sharf, Robert H. (2007) P. 241
And thus the notion of consciousness evolved in China.
The origin of a belief in “the God,” or “Gods,” remains unknown. Professor Julian Jaynes in his book, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind theorizes that after human ancestors came down from the trees around five million years ago there was a need for the tribe to act as One in order survive different land predators that were faster, more aggressive and had sharper longer teeth. To survive and reproduce humans evolved a part of the brain that acted as a “god voice” directing the tribe to act as One. Individual (self, reflective) consciousness Jaynes argues evolved later, around the second millennium, BCE, or it could easily be much older. The oldest jewelry found was uncovered in a cave in Morocco, dating back to around 80,000 BCE. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/06/070607-oldest-beads.html
Like Charles Darwin’s theory, the Bicameral Brain Theory is rational, secular and hotly debated. Unlike Darwin’s theory of evolution it has thus far not been widely accepted, due to lack of evidence regarding the process of the development of human “reflective/self-consciousness” during evolution. In any case it’s a fascinating theory regarding the evolution of consciousness, and lacking a better alternative scientific theory stands alone at this time.
The roots of the “martial arts” however are clearly older, depending on how “martial arts” are defined. On one hand, life on earth is about 3.5 billion years old and the food chain began shortly after. On the other hand, the term “arts” suggests some degree of conscious control over one’s martial endeavors and thus probably didn’t begin until sometime after the rise of individual consciousness probably during the past 100,000 years.
The origin of a belief in “the God,” or “Gods,” remains unknown. Professor Julian Jaynes in his book, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind theorizes that after human ancestors came down from the trees around five million years ago there was a need for the tribe to act as One in order survive different land predators that were faster, more aggressive and had sharper longer teeth. To survive and reproduce humans evolved a part of the brain that acted as a “god voice” directing the tribe to act as One. Individual (self, reflective) consciousness Jaynes argues evolved later, around the second millennium, BCE, or it could easily be much older. The oldest jewelry found was uncovered in a cave in Morocco, dating back to around 80,000 BCE. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/06/070607-oldest-beads.html
Like Charles Darwin’s theory, the Bicameral Brain Theory is rational, secular and hotly debated. Unlike Darwin’s theory of evolution it has thus far not been widely accepted, due to lack of evidence regarding the process of the development of human “reflective/self-consciousness” during evolution. In any case it’s a fascinating theory regarding the evolution of consciousness, and lacking a better alternative scientific theory stands alone at this time.
The roots of the “martial arts” however are clearly older, depending on how “martial arts” are defined. On one hand, life on earth is about 3.5 billion years old and the food chain began shortly after. On the other hand, the term “arts” suggests some degree of conscious control over one’s martial endeavors and thus probably didn’t begin until sometime after the rise of individual consciousness probably during the past 100,000 years.
Photo by Urek Meniashvili_Tree of life_Shaki_khan_palace_interier_Azerbaijan_ Wikipedia_17th c.
From both Chan (Zen) and Sufi perspectives, reflection upon the roots of consciousness, self-awareness, philosophies, religions and martial arts is rather like the proverbial finger pointing to the moon: “Look only at the finger and one misses all that heavenly glory.”
The reverberations of that growing tree of awareness are heard most clearly by those who are awakened to the ever growing needs of the interdependent life forms on earth.
Reflecting back and forward on all these complex and mostly harmonious systems of evolution, might one be better served by meditation upon Chuang Zi’s (Chuang Tzu, 莊子) question, “Is this perhaps just a butterfly dream?” The answer is clearly “No,” if one is truly aware of the growing and extreme needs of our natural ecosystems and human family at this time. Never before in the evolution of life on earth have things been so out of balance. Denial and escapism have become the primary religions of our age and the consequences of those twin evils are incalculable for all life on earth. The truths of the world today are too painful to endure so hiding in hedonistic nihilism and within the secure and comforting walls of our ivory, glass and steel towers we passively perpetuate the growing miseries of increasing percentages of humanity along down the slippery slope at ever increasing speeds such that no precipice will be noticed until it is finally reached. Odysseus had himself tied to the mast of his ship to resist the Siren's call, yet we modernists in our infinite hubris fear nothing, while being lured into the deep blue sea. But it doesn't have to be this way.
Great trees have roots spread widely and deep - drinking from rivers with no beginnings or ends. But the rivers are getting muddier and a huge amount of consciously directed work must be done to preserve and protect the health of the great tree of life and harmony on earth. At the end of 2013 UNHCR reported more refugees than at the end of WWII, more than ever before in history. The number has soared since then. Paradoxical as it may seem, life preserving beliefs inherent in many ancient martial philosophies may help point the way to curbing our more "beastly" tendencies towards war and conquest. For example: Kurash is one of the oldest martial arts ever practiced. Kurash is an Uzbek word. It means "reaching the goal with the just or fair way." Almost 2500 years ago Herodotus, the ancient Greek philosopher and historian in his famous books called “Histories” says that Kurash is a common practice for people living in the territory where the modern Uzbekistan is located.
In any case that peaceful center must come from within us. It takes courage, immeasurable strength and wisdom to find and hold the harmonious balance between just letting go, meaningful justice, and optimal prospects for peace in the future. The Songshan Shaolin Abbots in history confronted such times, for example during the Warlord Era. Defenders of the community, they were burned to the ground by the unjust in 1928. Taking a moral stance in an immoral environment can be perilous indeed. But, like Gandhi said: "When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always."
The reverberations of that growing tree of awareness are heard most clearly by those who are awakened to the ever growing needs of the interdependent life forms on earth.
Reflecting back and forward on all these complex and mostly harmonious systems of evolution, might one be better served by meditation upon Chuang Zi’s (Chuang Tzu, 莊子) question, “Is this perhaps just a butterfly dream?” The answer is clearly “No,” if one is truly aware of the growing and extreme needs of our natural ecosystems and human family at this time. Never before in the evolution of life on earth have things been so out of balance. Denial and escapism have become the primary religions of our age and the consequences of those twin evils are incalculable for all life on earth. The truths of the world today are too painful to endure so hiding in hedonistic nihilism and within the secure and comforting walls of our ivory, glass and steel towers we passively perpetuate the growing miseries of increasing percentages of humanity along down the slippery slope at ever increasing speeds such that no precipice will be noticed until it is finally reached. Odysseus had himself tied to the mast of his ship to resist the Siren's call, yet we modernists in our infinite hubris fear nothing, while being lured into the deep blue sea. But it doesn't have to be this way.
Great trees have roots spread widely and deep - drinking from rivers with no beginnings or ends. But the rivers are getting muddier and a huge amount of consciously directed work must be done to preserve and protect the health of the great tree of life and harmony on earth. At the end of 2013 UNHCR reported more refugees than at the end of WWII, more than ever before in history. The number has soared since then. Paradoxical as it may seem, life preserving beliefs inherent in many ancient martial philosophies may help point the way to curbing our more "beastly" tendencies towards war and conquest. For example: Kurash is one of the oldest martial arts ever practiced. Kurash is an Uzbek word. It means "reaching the goal with the just or fair way." Almost 2500 years ago Herodotus, the ancient Greek philosopher and historian in his famous books called “Histories” says that Kurash is a common practice for people living in the territory where the modern Uzbekistan is located.
In any case that peaceful center must come from within us. It takes courage, immeasurable strength and wisdom to find and hold the harmonious balance between just letting go, meaningful justice, and optimal prospects for peace in the future. The Songshan Shaolin Abbots in history confronted such times, for example during the Warlord Era. Defenders of the community, they were burned to the ground by the unjust in 1928. Taking a moral stance in an immoral environment can be perilous indeed. But, like Gandhi said: "When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always."
Collection of brief histories of Buddhism in Central Asia
(These are just a few clips from my notes...)
Buddhist Dharma reached into Central Asia even during the lifetime of Buddha Gautama (563 BCE or c. 480 BCE) and grew widely alongside other religions including the philosophies of Mitra and Anahit, Zoroastrianism which dates back to about 1000 BC, the Greek pantheon and various cults worshiping for example, fire, trees, etc. (The first verifiable record of Indo-Aryan Mitra, is in the inscribed peace treaty (1400 BC) between Hittites and the Hurrian kingdom of the Mitanni in the area southeast of Lake Van in Asia Minor. There Mitra appears together with four other Indo-Aryan divinities as witnesses and keepers of the pact.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitra He had a daughter Maitreyi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitreyi
... The spread of Buddhism beyond the Indian subcontinent accelerated under the Mauryan King Asoka (304–232 BCE). An active proponent of Buddhism, he sent out religious missions and stated some of the Buddhist principles in inscriptions. In his Edict 13 he wrote that he had dispatched missionaries to other peoples, in particular to the Kambojas, an Iranian people, and to the Yonas, that is, the Greeks. Much of the Buddhist teachings that came to China came from Central Asia including Iran. Thus the possibility that Bodhidharma might have been from what is present day Iran is not inconceivable.
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/buddhism-iv
The expansion of Buddhism throughout most of Asia was peaceful and occurred in several ways. Shakyamuni Buddha being primarily a teacher traveled to nearby kingdoms to share his insights with those who were receptive and interested. He instructed his monks to go travel and expound his teachings. He did not ask others to denounce and give up their own religion and convert to a new one. He was not seeking to establish his own religion. He was merely trying to help others overcome the unhappiness and suffering that they were creating for themselves because of their lack of understanding.
http://www.inilu.com/Buddhism_in_Centra_%20Asia51056.htm
Buddhism’s influence waxed and waned in various places and times.
For example Sjuan Czjan (7th Century AD), who visited Central Asia 100 years prior to the coming of the Arabs, wrote that in the country Kan (Sogd) the king and the people did not believe in Buddhism and venerated the fire instead, and that there were two monasteries but no monks. According to Hoj Chao (8th Century) there was one monastery with one monk in Samarkand at the beginning of the 8th Century.
http://www.kroraina.com/ca/h_sogd.html
Until 1252 the Mongols' great khan, the Jochid Golden Horde, and the other princely lines shared rule over the area from Afghanistan to Turkey.
http://www.fofweb.com/History/MainPrintPage.asp?iPin=EME233&Data
Kublai Khan (1215 – 1294) was the Great Khan, Emperor of China and supreme leader of the other successor khanates: the Chagatai, the Golden Horde, and the Ilkhanate and favorably inclined towards Buddhism. For example, he invited Haiyn, the most respected Buddhist monk in North China to his home in Mongolia, and one of his closest advisors was Buddhist monk Liu Bingzhone, a painter, calligrapher, poet and mathematician. Kublai was also impressed by Tibetan Buddhist medicine, making Drogon Chogyal Phagpa an official member of his entourage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kublai_Khan
Historian Rashid-al-Din-Hamadan wrote that Kublai Khan granted Hulagu (his younger brother, 1218 – 1265), the title of Ilkhan or subordinate Khan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilkhanate
Kublai called a conference of Taoist and Buddhist leaders in early 1258. At the conference, the Taoist claim was officially refuted, and Kublai forcibly converted 237 Taoist temples to Buddhism and destroyed all copies of the Taoist texts. Kublai Khan and the Yuan dynasty clearly favored Buddhism, while his counterparts in the Chagatai Khanate, the Golden Horde, and the Ilkhanate later converted to Islam at various times in history - Berke of the Golden Horde being the only Muslim during Kublai's era (his successor did not convert to Islam).
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kublai_Khan
The Ilkhanate state was mainly based in Iran, present-day Azerbaijan, and the central and eastern parts of present-day Turkey. The primary religions of the Ilkhanate Empire were Shamanism and Buddhism at least from 1256–1295 and then Islam from 1295–1335 with the ascension of Mahmud Ghazan, seventh ruler of the Ilkhanate empire, who despite his conversion to Islam continued to practice Mongol Shamanism and worshiping Tengri, the God of the Turks and Mongolians. None the less he was like most Mongolian rulers generally quite easy-going in regards to religion, though Islam then became more fashionable thus beginning the decline of Buddhism in West Central Asia. It declined more rapidly after the final demise of the Yuan Dynasty 1368.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilkhanate
In Arghun's reign the khan for the first time showed outright hostility to Muslim officials as Buddhism reached its height of influence as the royal religion. Arghun defeated an invasion from the Golden Horde in 1290 but could not stop the increasingly destructive raids from Egypt or the rebellion of Nawroz in Khorasan. Pushed by his empty treasury, Arghun allowed the viziers Buqa and then Sa'd-ud-Dawla to centralize expenditures tightly. Arghun's former partisans, led by Ta'achar (d. 1296) of the Baarin, fought this centralization, engineering the deaths of both viziers and finally murdering Arghun himself as he lay in a coma.
http://www.fofweb.com/History/MainPrintPage.asp?iPin=EME233&Data
16th century Mongol potentate Altan Khan, invited Buddhist teachers to their realm and proclaimed Buddhism the official creed of the land in order to help unify their people and consolidate their rule. In the process they may have prohibited certain practices of non-Buddhist, indigenous religions and even persecuted those who followed them, but these heavy-handed moves were primarily politically motivated. Such ambitious rulers never forced their subjects to adopt Buddhist forms of belief or worship. This is not part of the religious creed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Central_Asia
Also see:
http://www.kroraina.com/ca/h_sogd.html
According to Hadith in Musnad Imam Ahmad, narrated by Abu Umamah al-Bahili relating a conversation that Abu Dharr (ra) had with the Prophet (saws), it says:
قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَمْ وَفَّى عِدَّةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ قَالَ مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ وَأَرْبَعَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ أَلْفًا الرُّسُلُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثُ مِائَةٍ وَخَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ جَمًّا غَفِيرًا.
I said "O Messenger of Allah, how many Prophets were there?" He replied "One hundred twenty four thousand, from which three hundred fifteen were jamma ghafeera."
So, I think probably Buddha, Bodhidharma, Confucius, Mozi, and many others were probably "Messengers."
I also sincerely wish people of all religions and philosophies would study the others to help build bridges along which peace could flow. Good people need to work together now more than ever, as it seems some really bad people are doing altogether too well (as evidenced by the number of war refugees) at this time.
(These are just a few clips from my notes...)
Buddhist Dharma reached into Central Asia even during the lifetime of Buddha Gautama (563 BCE or c. 480 BCE) and grew widely alongside other religions including the philosophies of Mitra and Anahit, Zoroastrianism which dates back to about 1000 BC, the Greek pantheon and various cults worshiping for example, fire, trees, etc. (The first verifiable record of Indo-Aryan Mitra, is in the inscribed peace treaty (1400 BC) between Hittites and the Hurrian kingdom of the Mitanni in the area southeast of Lake Van in Asia Minor. There Mitra appears together with four other Indo-Aryan divinities as witnesses and keepers of the pact.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitra He had a daughter Maitreyi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitreyi
... The spread of Buddhism beyond the Indian subcontinent accelerated under the Mauryan King Asoka (304–232 BCE). An active proponent of Buddhism, he sent out religious missions and stated some of the Buddhist principles in inscriptions. In his Edict 13 he wrote that he had dispatched missionaries to other peoples, in particular to the Kambojas, an Iranian people, and to the Yonas, that is, the Greeks. Much of the Buddhist teachings that came to China came from Central Asia including Iran. Thus the possibility that Bodhidharma might have been from what is present day Iran is not inconceivable.
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/buddhism-iv
The expansion of Buddhism throughout most of Asia was peaceful and occurred in several ways. Shakyamuni Buddha being primarily a teacher traveled to nearby kingdoms to share his insights with those who were receptive and interested. He instructed his monks to go travel and expound his teachings. He did not ask others to denounce and give up their own religion and convert to a new one. He was not seeking to establish his own religion. He was merely trying to help others overcome the unhappiness and suffering that they were creating for themselves because of their lack of understanding.
http://www.inilu.com/Buddhism_in_Centra_%20Asia51056.htm
Buddhism’s influence waxed and waned in various places and times.
For example Sjuan Czjan (7th Century AD), who visited Central Asia 100 years prior to the coming of the Arabs, wrote that in the country Kan (Sogd) the king and the people did not believe in Buddhism and venerated the fire instead, and that there were two monasteries but no monks. According to Hoj Chao (8th Century) there was one monastery with one monk in Samarkand at the beginning of the 8th Century.
http://www.kroraina.com/ca/h_sogd.html
Until 1252 the Mongols' great khan, the Jochid Golden Horde, and the other princely lines shared rule over the area from Afghanistan to Turkey.
http://www.fofweb.com/History/MainPrintPage.asp?iPin=EME233&Data
Kublai Khan (1215 – 1294) was the Great Khan, Emperor of China and supreme leader of the other successor khanates: the Chagatai, the Golden Horde, and the Ilkhanate and favorably inclined towards Buddhism. For example, he invited Haiyn, the most respected Buddhist monk in North China to his home in Mongolia, and one of his closest advisors was Buddhist monk Liu Bingzhone, a painter, calligrapher, poet and mathematician. Kublai was also impressed by Tibetan Buddhist medicine, making Drogon Chogyal Phagpa an official member of his entourage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kublai_Khan
Historian Rashid-al-Din-Hamadan wrote that Kublai Khan granted Hulagu (his younger brother, 1218 – 1265), the title of Ilkhan or subordinate Khan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilkhanate
Kublai called a conference of Taoist and Buddhist leaders in early 1258. At the conference, the Taoist claim was officially refuted, and Kublai forcibly converted 237 Taoist temples to Buddhism and destroyed all copies of the Taoist texts. Kublai Khan and the Yuan dynasty clearly favored Buddhism, while his counterparts in the Chagatai Khanate, the Golden Horde, and the Ilkhanate later converted to Islam at various times in history - Berke of the Golden Horde being the only Muslim during Kublai's era (his successor did not convert to Islam).
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kublai_Khan
The Ilkhanate state was mainly based in Iran, present-day Azerbaijan, and the central and eastern parts of present-day Turkey. The primary religions of the Ilkhanate Empire were Shamanism and Buddhism at least from 1256–1295 and then Islam from 1295–1335 with the ascension of Mahmud Ghazan, seventh ruler of the Ilkhanate empire, who despite his conversion to Islam continued to practice Mongol Shamanism and worshiping Tengri, the God of the Turks and Mongolians. None the less he was like most Mongolian rulers generally quite easy-going in regards to religion, though Islam then became more fashionable thus beginning the decline of Buddhism in West Central Asia. It declined more rapidly after the final demise of the Yuan Dynasty 1368.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilkhanate
In Arghun's reign the khan for the first time showed outright hostility to Muslim officials as Buddhism reached its height of influence as the royal religion. Arghun defeated an invasion from the Golden Horde in 1290 but could not stop the increasingly destructive raids from Egypt or the rebellion of Nawroz in Khorasan. Pushed by his empty treasury, Arghun allowed the viziers Buqa and then Sa'd-ud-Dawla to centralize expenditures tightly. Arghun's former partisans, led by Ta'achar (d. 1296) of the Baarin, fought this centralization, engineering the deaths of both viziers and finally murdering Arghun himself as he lay in a coma.
http://www.fofweb.com/History/MainPrintPage.asp?iPin=EME233&Data
16th century Mongol potentate Altan Khan, invited Buddhist teachers to their realm and proclaimed Buddhism the official creed of the land in order to help unify their people and consolidate their rule. In the process they may have prohibited certain practices of non-Buddhist, indigenous religions and even persecuted those who followed them, but these heavy-handed moves were primarily politically motivated. Such ambitious rulers never forced their subjects to adopt Buddhist forms of belief or worship. This is not part of the religious creed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Central_Asia
Also see:
http://www.kroraina.com/ca/h_sogd.html
According to Hadith in Musnad Imam Ahmad, narrated by Abu Umamah al-Bahili relating a conversation that Abu Dharr (ra) had with the Prophet (saws), it says:
قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَمْ وَفَّى عِدَّةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ قَالَ مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ وَأَرْبَعَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ أَلْفًا الرُّسُلُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثُ مِائَةٍ وَخَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ جَمًّا غَفِيرًا.
I said "O Messenger of Allah, how many Prophets were there?" He replied "One hundred twenty four thousand, from which three hundred fifteen were jamma ghafeera."
So, I think probably Buddha, Bodhidharma, Confucius, Mozi, and many others were probably "Messengers."
I also sincerely wish people of all religions and philosophies would study the others to help build bridges along which peace could flow. Good people need to work together now more than ever, as it seems some really bad people are doing altogether too well (as evidenced by the number of war refugees) at this time.
Afterthought 1 - Are Mommy and Daddy Our First Gods and Terrorists?
As a writer and almost an old guy I prefer to avoid being too serious about much of anything – except for the need for world peace, better education, clean water, access to medicine and a few other things – and consequently offer this brief analysis of a baby’s first lessons in life and subsequent events in hope illustrating a pattern of spiritual evolution, as ridiculous as it may seem at first glance.
First, a rhetorical question: “Does anyone recall what it’s like to be a newborn baby?” Newborns have no idea how legs really work so mommy seems to just float in and plug us into a wondrous warm soft delicious milk machine that satisfies all of our physical and spiritual needs at that time. Daddy too can float in and with a few pats on the back help us burp and presto like magic mysterious pains disappear!
Of course as we get older we figure out how legs work, and see the darker side of parents. For example if we do something naughty mom might say: “Wait till your father gets home, he’ll teach you a lesson!”
Thus we learn the meaning of true incalculable fear.
It’s possible the respect we carry with us throughout life may derive from the fear we learn as children.
And then come the wonderful teen years; hormones kick in and the brains kick out, as the age based IQ tests stop at age 14 and one must take the adult test forever after as no measurable differences can be found after that age.
And, we also learn that our parents are complete idiots and wrong about everything. We can take some great satisfaction in knowing that they are far from the realization of the god-like perfection we originally attributed to them and that we and our friends are really much smarter and more perfect. This blissful state usually lasts until we become parents ourselves and suddenly we realize mom and pop may have had more brains than we had previously thought.
After 25 to 30 or so years of parenting we always hope the kids eventually unplug from the ol’ money nipple and we can start to pursue the dreams we left behind when we first heard those immortal joyful words: “I’m pregnant!”
In this stage one again has time to ponder the meaning of it all, and wait for grandkids to play with that we can send home with their parents after some relatively short time.
And so the wheel turns. Are we the gods and devils our parents and children were and are? Though seen as both we were and are just human. Growing up includes learning that parents are nothing more or less than human. As parents we see our children look like little angles but know that's not true for sure when they're two and three years old. When we can forgive them, ourselves and our children for errors along that road of life, perhaps we can extend that understanding to the hubris and fallibility of all humankind.
Geez! Sounds like an old guy. Not as lofty as the wisdom of the ancients, but there’s some truth here too I think.
First, a rhetorical question: “Does anyone recall what it’s like to be a newborn baby?” Newborns have no idea how legs really work so mommy seems to just float in and plug us into a wondrous warm soft delicious milk machine that satisfies all of our physical and spiritual needs at that time. Daddy too can float in and with a few pats on the back help us burp and presto like magic mysterious pains disappear!
Of course as we get older we figure out how legs work, and see the darker side of parents. For example if we do something naughty mom might say: “Wait till your father gets home, he’ll teach you a lesson!”
Thus we learn the meaning of true incalculable fear.
It’s possible the respect we carry with us throughout life may derive from the fear we learn as children.
And then come the wonderful teen years; hormones kick in and the brains kick out, as the age based IQ tests stop at age 14 and one must take the adult test forever after as no measurable differences can be found after that age.
And, we also learn that our parents are complete idiots and wrong about everything. We can take some great satisfaction in knowing that they are far from the realization of the god-like perfection we originally attributed to them and that we and our friends are really much smarter and more perfect. This blissful state usually lasts until we become parents ourselves and suddenly we realize mom and pop may have had more brains than we had previously thought.
After 25 to 30 or so years of parenting we always hope the kids eventually unplug from the ol’ money nipple and we can start to pursue the dreams we left behind when we first heard those immortal joyful words: “I’m pregnant!”
In this stage one again has time to ponder the meaning of it all, and wait for grandkids to play with that we can send home with their parents after some relatively short time.
And so the wheel turns. Are we the gods and devils our parents and children were and are? Though seen as both we were and are just human. Growing up includes learning that parents are nothing more or less than human. As parents we see our children look like little angles but know that's not true for sure when they're two and three years old. When we can forgive them, ourselves and our children for errors along that road of life, perhaps we can extend that understanding to the hubris and fallibility of all humankind.
Geez! Sounds like an old guy. Not as lofty as the wisdom of the ancients, but there’s some truth here too I think.
“My heart can take on any form:
A meadow for gazelles,
A cloister for monks,
For the idols, sacred ground,
Ka'ba for the circling pilgrim,
The tables of the Torah,
The scrolls of the Quran.
My creed is Love;
Wherever its caravan turns along the way,
That is my belief,
My faith.”
Ibn Arabi
A meadow for gazelles,
A cloister for monks,
For the idols, sacred ground,
Ka'ba for the circling pilgrim,
The tables of the Torah,
The scrolls of the Quran.
My creed is Love;
Wherever its caravan turns along the way,
That is my belief,
My faith.”
Ibn Arabi
Afterthought 2 - Why?
Some people might wonder why I include all this stuff about ancient religions on a site about fighting arts in Asia. The answers are simple enough. It started with my research on martial arts and culture along the Silk Road.
Also, an internet site on fighting arts should include something about moral codes. My masters always taught some moral/ethical code of conduct. I learned - a long, long time ago - from Chinese and Japanese friends that martial artists should also know about medicine.
Study of Chinese medicine strongly reinforces the need for balance and harmony, so I thought I'd try to re-center the whole religion business by looking for common roots and branches of which there are many because we are all of one human family. I also strongly urge all people to take up sports, martial arts or otherwise to exorcise their demons, and unify body and spirit. This world can and should be a paradise. We have the wisdom to show us the way, if only we can awaken to the realities of today and have the vision to plan a positive road forward. When surrounded by darkness look for the light; move towards it and it will grow. Then, reach out and take someone with you, if they have the courage to follow.
The new Silk Road Development Plan is one such positive avenue I think. Instead of "fighting evil" so much, there are times it's just better to work on something positive. (Keeping in mind it's possible that one day we'll look that evil in the eye and only see ourselves looking back.) The Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank is another very positive direction. When we build positive things, most of the negative things will fall by the wayside. Most humans all want the same things after all.
Killing and hatred breed more killing and hatred. Building something positive is a much better investment.
Helping the needy is recommended by all wise people:
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c347.html
And, as every fighter knows, the more it hurts, the more you gotta smile!
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/01/411260984/a-92-year-old-ran-her-16th-marathon-and-broke-a-record
Also, an internet site on fighting arts should include something about moral codes. My masters always taught some moral/ethical code of conduct. I learned - a long, long time ago - from Chinese and Japanese friends that martial artists should also know about medicine.
Study of Chinese medicine strongly reinforces the need for balance and harmony, so I thought I'd try to re-center the whole religion business by looking for common roots and branches of which there are many because we are all of one human family. I also strongly urge all people to take up sports, martial arts or otherwise to exorcise their demons, and unify body and spirit. This world can and should be a paradise. We have the wisdom to show us the way, if only we can awaken to the realities of today and have the vision to plan a positive road forward. When surrounded by darkness look for the light; move towards it and it will grow. Then, reach out and take someone with you, if they have the courage to follow.
The new Silk Road Development Plan is one such positive avenue I think. Instead of "fighting evil" so much, there are times it's just better to work on something positive. (Keeping in mind it's possible that one day we'll look that evil in the eye and only see ourselves looking back.) The Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank is another very positive direction. When we build positive things, most of the negative things will fall by the wayside. Most humans all want the same things after all.
Killing and hatred breed more killing and hatred. Building something positive is a much better investment.
Helping the needy is recommended by all wise people:
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c347.html
And, as every fighter knows, the more it hurts, the more you gotta smile!
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/01/411260984/a-92-year-old-ran-her-16th-marathon-and-broke-a-record