I got the old Kung Fu tv series on DVD recently. It got me thinking as to how closely it represents life in a real Shaolin monastery. My guess is “not very closely at all,” but I’d like some info on what the reality of this life was/is. For instance, questions including, but not excluded to:
Did such monasteries actually exist? Why? How were they funded?
Were the young candidates required to wait outside in the weather waiting to get selected?
Were they taught all kinds of practical, military, philosphical, and mystical skills which made them at least somewhat legendary among the general populace?
Were there certain large rooms with candles all over the place?
Might “Time for you to leave,” really be based on something like being able to snatch a pebble from a Master’s hand?
Did they really have that one, last, huge series of trials at the end of their stay, culminating in moving a red-hot urn a couple of feet with their forearms, resulting in life-long scars which inspire awe in all who know what they mean?
Are there still such monasteries in China?
Are there any direct accounts by people who actually were Shaolin monks?
The monasteries existed. There are still such monasteries in China. Whether the abilities of the monks were exaggerated depends on which movies you saw. Shaolin Soccer, for example, is not very accurate But they really are quite awesome.
The monks are actual Buddhist monks. I’m not sure if this is just legend but the story is that they were getting fat from sitting around meditating all day so this guy came up with a form of martial art to keep them fit. The monasteries have opened up a lot lately and some allow tourists and/or foreigners who want to train with them. Some seem to have gone commercial and offer martial arts classes. That’s all I know.
I saw the Fighting Shaolin Monks tour several years ago here in SF, it was very cool. Their ages ranged from about 6 to 80-something (the senior monk could still do standing vertical splits). I’d compare the martial arts demonstrations to what you’d see done by groups like the Peking Acrobats or Chinese Magic Circus (if you ever get the opportunity to see one of those shows, go. It’s incredibly entertaining).
Lots of sparring, acrobatics, demonstrations of strength and flexibility, all dressed up for the stage. No carrying red-hot iron vases around or anything like that.
What they said at the show is that hundreds of people show up applying to train and that only a small number are actually accepted to the monastery. Looking at some of the links it appears that they also teach traditional classes that are pretty much open to anyone.
Nothing to base this on but I have a feeling that their monastic life is very similar to the life of other monks in other countries - lots of prayer, meditation, physical work.
Wikipedia has a good write-up on the main Shaolin temple.
Unfortunately, a lot of the precise details of temple life and history in the past are based on oral tradition and history, much of it unverifiable, and need to be taken with a grain of salt. The Cultural Revolution erased a lot of writings (and people) that would have held the traditions intact.
The generalities as depicted in the Kung Fu series could be considered reasonably accurate, I think.
This is probably not entirely what you’re looking for, but there was a first-person travelogue story in Slate from a Western guy who studied kung fu at the Shaolin temple, and then came back years later to see the temple again.
But they really are quite awesome.