Shaolin Sect


The Shaolin Sect or Shaolin School, sometimes also referred to as Shaolin Monastery or Shaolin Temple, is a fictional martial arts sect or school mentioned in several works of wuxia fiction. It is commonly featured as one of the leading orthodox sects in the wulin and based in Shaolin Monastery.

History

The Shaolin Sect was founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma, who wanted his followers to practise martial arts to improve their health and develop self-defence techniques, as well as for more altruistic purposes such as protecting the weak and vulnerable. Members of the Shaolin Sect are required to practise Chan Buddhism in addition to having a good mastery of martial arts.

Organisation

The Shaolin Sect is led by an abbot, who also oversees Shaolin Monastery. Shaolin members are ranked by generation; each member of a certain generation has a prefix before his Dharma name to indicate his position in the hierarchy. For example, in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, the most senior generation is the Xuán generation. The abbot is Xuanci and the senior monks such as Xuanji, Xuannan, Xuandu, and Xuanku have a Xuán prefix in their Dharma names. One of three protagonists in the novel, Xuzhu, is from the Xū generation, which is two generations after the Xuán generation.
The sect is subdivided into several groups, which take charge of different parts of the monastery or different aspects of the sect's daily activities. They include:
  • Abbot's Vihāra, the abbot's quarters.
  • Bodhidharma Hall, the martial arts training grounds for only Shaolin martial arts.
  • Arhat Hall, the meeting grounds with challengers from other sects.
  • Prajñā Hall, another martial arts training grounds, where other sects' martial arts are also practised.
  • Discipline Hall, the group in charge of maintaining law and order in the sect.
  • Bodhi Hall, where the Yijin Jing is kept.
  • Bhaishajyaraja Hall, the hospital wing where the sick and injured are attended to.
  • Śarīra Hall, the crematorium for cremating deceased members.
  • Guest Hall, the reception grounds for guests.
  • Library, where Buddhist scriptures and martial arts manuals are kept.

    Martial arts

The Shaolin Sect is hailed as the origin of all Chinese martial arts and as a leading orthodox school in the wulin. In Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, it is said to house 72 powerful forms of martial arts and no one has managed to master all of them since the founding of the school. These martial arts have Buddhist names, such as "Bodhidharma's Palm" and "Arhat's Fist".
It is also home to the Yijin Jing, a manual instructing the user how to master a certain technique that improves the user's prowess in all types 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 bitten by venomous creatures. The sutra also increases his inner energy and stamina, allowing him to deliver an ordinary palm stroke with force several times the original impact. In The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Linghu Chong uses the skills in the manual to heal his internal wounds.

Discontinued use of the name "Shaolin" in television series

The term "Shaolin Sect" was not used in two television series adapted from Jin Yong's wuxia novels. In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, a 2009 television series adapted from the novel of the same title, the Shaolin Sect is referred to as the Monks' Sect. In Swordsman, a 2013 television series adapted from The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Shaolin Monastery is referred to as Divine Eagle Monastery.
Although some viewers have expressed dissatisfaction over the changes, the reasons behind the renaming are not made clear to the public. Some people believe that the producers wanted to avoid trademark infringement, since the real-life Shaolin Monastery has officially registered "Shaolin" as a trademark and has been involved in lawsuits with commercial companies over the use of "Shaolin" as a brand name or trademark.