Shaolin Temple

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    In 539 AD, a holy man named Bodhidharma left his monastery in India to spread his Buddhist faith into China. When Bodhidharma reached the northern province of Henan he came upon the Shaolin Temple. It had been founded forty years before by Buddhist monks and was famous for its translations of Buddhist scripture into Chinese. Bodhidharma sought entrance into Shaolin and was accepted after he diligently proved that he was committed to Buddhism.

    Upon gaining entrance to Shaolin, Bodhidharma observed that the monks were weak and could not complete the demanding meditation routines that they should have been practicing. While the monks were meditating, they often fell asleep due to fatigue and for this reason, could not achieve inner peace. It was Bodhidharma who taught the Buddhist monks how to defend themselves against bandits who occasionally attacked the temples. He integrated martial arts and yoga for both exercise and self defense. The style that originated at the Shaolin Temple with Bodhidharma as the instructor has since been called Kung Fu. Monks of the Shaolin Temple specialized in certain areas of Bodhidharma's Kung Fu and have continued teaching since 539. There have been many Shaolin Temples built in China's history as a result of destruction. Throughout history, bandits frequently attacked the temple in search of treasures depicting the culture of the monks. After they raided the temple, they burned the temple forcing the monks to rebuild the Shaolin temple. Shaolin Temple grew and prospered becoming a center for teaching philosophy and martial arts.