In the long history of Chinese martial arts, Shaolin Temple has always been known for its profound martial arts heritage and strong monks. However, more than 70 years ago, an incident occurred that shocked the martial arts. It not only unveils a little-known past of the Shaolin Temple, but also provokes deep thinking about martial arts traditions and innovations. It all started with a mysterious figure named the Fire Foreman.
Fire foreman Tuo, a monk who burns a fire in the kitchen of the Shaolin Temple, his name is almost unknown in the martial arts. However, his series of actions can make the former overlord of martial arts, Shaolin Temple, fall into a 70-year decline. How did he unconsciously learn to achieve high martial arts, and finally shocked the entire Shaolin Temple, and even the entire martial arts?
The inheritance and decline of martial arts in Shaolin Temple
Shaolin Temple, the center of ancient Chinese martial arts, has bells, scriptures, and wooden fish in its temple intertwined to create a solemn atmosphere. In such an environment, each monk is committed to refining his martial arts and Buddhism.
However, under the surface of this harmony, more than 70 years ago, an event occurred that was enough to shake the status of Shaolin Temple's martial arts. In a corner of the temple, in a corner kitchen, a fire foreman was toiling a fire. The head had a thin face and was dressed in simple monk's robes, but there was firmness and fortitude in his eyes. He was an ordinary monk in the monastery, but his fate was different.
Every morning, the fire foreman would get up before the morning bell rang and start his daily routine. He was in charge of the fire in the temple and ensured the daily food supply. Although his job may seem simple, it requires a great deal of patience and skill in practice.
On an early summer morning, the fire foreman got up as usual and prepared to start his work. The kitchen keeper of the temple, a middle-aged monk with a tall figure and a stern face, walked in. He looked at the fire foreman and said unhappily, "Your fire is burning too slowly, hurry up!"
The fire foreman did not respond, but silently accelerated the speed of the fire. Seeing this, the kitchen steward snorted coldly and turned to leave. Behind him, the eyes of the fire foreman flashed with an imperceptible resoluteness.
Despite his humble status, he has a keen interest in martial arts. Whenever he had the opportunity, he would secretly observe the training of the warrior monks in the temple, and secretly learn Xi their moves and movements. He is extremely gifted and has an extremely high comprehension of martial arts, and can quickly imitate some basic martial arts movements.
With the passage of time, the martial arts of the fire foreman Tuo became more and more sophisticated. He practiced his Xi while burning a fire in the kitchen, and gradually, his movements became fluid and powerful. In this closed environment, he created a unique martial arts system.
However, all this was done in secret. Under the strict rules of the Shaolin Temple, it is not allowed to learn Xi martial arts without permission. The fire foreman Tuo knew this, so he was very careful not to let others discover his secrets.
Until one day, the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival competition arrived. This is an annual event at the Shaolin Temple, and all the monks in the temple participate to showcase the results of their practice over the past year. The fire foreman Tuo watched the competition in the ring, and a strong impulse surged in his heart.
The revenge and shock of the fire foreman
The Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, also has a special meaning in the Shaolin Temple. On this day, an annual martial arts contest is held in the temple, and all the warrior monks will show off their martial arts. At the beginning of the morning, the temple was already full of people, and the ring was surrounded by monks and spectators from all over the world.
The fire foreman stood in the crowd, his gaze firmly fixed on the ring. At this time, the first Kuzhi Zen master of the Dharma Hall was competing with a young monk. Dressed in a yellow robe and holding a wooden stick in his hand, Kuzhi Zen Master moves vigorously and powerfully, showing profound internal strength with each blow.
After the competition, the fire foreman Tuo suddenly took a step forward and said loudly: "I want to challenge the Kuzhi Zen Master!"
Kuzhi Zen Master turned to look at the fire foreman Tuo and asked, "Who are you?"
The fire foreman replied, "I'm just a fire foreman, but I want to try it too." ”
Kuzhi nodded his head and accepted the challenge.
In the ring, the two stood opposite each other. The movements of the fire foreman are swift and precise, and every move is directed to the point. Although Kuzhi Zen Master was strong in martial arts, he was a little caught off guard in the face of the unexpected attack of the fire foreman Tuo. After several battles, the bitter wisdom Zen master was finally defeated by the fire foreman Tuo.
The crowd around them let out an exclamation of amazement. The fire foreman Tuo did not stop, and he challenged the nine disciples of the Dharma Hall one after another. These disciples were all strong in martial arts, but under the fierce attack of the fire foreman Tuo, they were defeated one after another.
Every move of the fire foreman Tuo is extremely ruthless, and he seems to be not only trying to win, but also to show his understanding and mastery of Shaolin martial arts. His movements incorporate a variety of Shaolin kung fu, and each style shows his in-depth study of these martial arts.
The monks in the audience were dumbfounded, they had never thought that an unknown fire foreman Tuo could have such profound martial arts. This is not only a challenge to the Dharma Hall, but also a provocation to the entire Shaolin Temple.
After the joust, the fire foreman did not stop, he turned and left the ring. This series of actions of his not only shocked everyone present, but also quickly spread throughout the martial arts.
The top brass of the Shaolin Temple were shocked by this incident. The behavior of the fire foreman not only challenged the authority of the Shaolin Temple, but also exposed the loopholes in the martial arts inheritance in the temple.
Shaolin Temple's response and internal changes
After the incident, the atmosphere in the Shaolin Temple fell into unprecedented tension. The monks of the temple gathered to discuss how to deal with the impact of the fire foreman incident. At this meeting, the monastery leaders formulated a new monastic rule: any monk who learns Xi martial arts without being taught by his master will face severe punishment.
Subsequently, this new regulation was announced in the temple. The monks gathered in the main hall and listened to the temple leaders announce the new regulations. A sonorous voice sounded in the hall: "From now on, any act of learning Xi martial arts without permission will be regarded as a serious violation of the temple rules." ”
A young warrior monk asked, "Does this mean that we can't explore martial arts on our own?"
The leader of the temple replied: "The inheritance of martial arts must follow the master-apprentice system, which is our tradition. ”
The implementation of the new regulations has made the martial arts inheritance of the Shaolin Temple more strict and conservative. Every monk must follow a strict master-apprentice model when Xi martial arts, and there must be no deviation from it. This model does ensure the pure inheritance of martial arts, but at the same time, it also restricts the innovation and self-exploration of the warrior monks.
In their daily Xi training, the monks were more cautious. They always strictly follow the master's teachings when Xi, and dare not make any attempts beyond the tutorial. On the Xi martial arts field, a group of monks Xi practiced traditional boxing techniques under the guidance of old monks. While instructing, the old monk emphasized: "Remember, every style and trick we practice Xi is a precious heritage passed down by our ancestors and cannot be changed. ”
In addition, the temple has strengthened supervision of the daily behavior of the monks. A special monitoring team has been set up to monitor the daily activities of the monks and ensure that no one violates the new regulations. When night falls, the supervising monks in the monastery begin to make rounds to ensure that all monks follow the rules and are not allowed to practice Xi martial arts privately.
This strict supervision and conservative way of inheriting martial arts, although it maintained the purity of Shaolin martial arts in the short term, gradually affected the development of Shaolin Temple martial arts. Outside, other sects in the martial arts began to explore more innovative martial arts techniques, but the Shaolin Temple lost the opportunity to keep pace with the times because of this overly strict traditional constraints.
Internal division and the dispersion of Shaolin forces
The aftermath of the incident has not subsided, and the atmosphere inside the Shaolin Temple has become more tense and complicated. This incident not only exposed the loopholes in the martial arts inheritance in the temple, but also sparked a heated discussion about the management and traditions of the Shaolin Temple. Under these circumstances, the first Kuhui Zen master of the Luohan Hall began to feel strong dissatisfaction with the current situation in the temple.
Early one morning, Ku Hui gathered his disciples in the Arhat Hall. He stood in the hall with a serious face, his eyes scanning each disciple. He opened his mouth and said, "I have decided to leave the Shaolin Temple and travel west to create a new place of practice. ”
When the disciples heard this, they were shocked. A senior disciple asked, "Master, have you really decided to do this?"
Kuhui nodded and replied, "Yes, I have to." ”
Kuhui's decision caused a huge shock in the Shaolin Temple. Many monks talked about it, and they were surprised and puzzled. As the first of the Luohan Hall, Kuhui Zen Master has always been an important figure in the Shaolin Temple. His departure undoubtedly dealt a major blow to the influence and unity of the Shaolin Temple.
Zen Master Kuhui began to prepare for leaving the temple. He sorted out his scriptures and martial arts materials over the years, and at the same time planned the future path in his heart. Before leaving, he said his final goodbyes to the other senior monks of the Shaolin Temple. In the process of saying goodbye, despite the heavy atmosphere, Kuhui Zen Master always maintained a peaceful attitude.
Eventually, Kuhui Zen Master took a small group of loyal disciples and embarked on the road to the Western Regions. They trekked through the mountains and deserts. Along the way, they faced various difficulties and challenges, but Kuhui always maintained his beliefs.
After a long journey, Kuhui and his disciples finally reached the Western Regions. There, they found a suitable place to practice and began to build new monasteries. This new monastery gradually attracted many local practitioners and martial arts enthusiasts. Zen Master Kuhui taught Buddhism and martial arts here, and gradually formed a new style of martial arts.
Over time, the Shaolin sect established by Kuhui Zen Master in the Western Regions gradually grew and became an emerging force in the martial arts. Although the Shaolin Temple still maintained its position in the martial arts, its influence and unity were inevitably weakened by internal divisions and external competition. This change marks a further decline in the status of Shaolin Temple in the martial arts, and also brings new changes to the entire martial arts pattern.
Reference: "A Brief History of Shaolin Temple"