Expert: Joe McSorley - 10/13/2003

Question
Greetings,
I have looming curiosity about the Shaolin Philosophy.  I was Christian, until I realized I need something with a little less religion and a lot more spirituality.  After researching many other religions/faiths, Shaolin seemed to spark more interest in myself than others so far.  My main request is an instruction towards the right direction in a) to get more information, which could lead to b) possibly joining.  The reason I came to you regarding this matter, is because the only information I collected about Shaolin is that it is related to Buddhism, and your knowledge in Buddhism is impressive.  I am just asking for titles of any literature that I may peruse, or any websites I can look up.  Any information in the matter is greatly appreciated, thank you in advance for your time.

Cordially,

Cliff

Answer
Hi Cliff,
  There is no Shaolin Philosophy per se though there are lots of people parading around the US saying they teach such a thing.  Oddly, before the TV show “KungFu” there were no such teachers around.  Chinese temples are a curious thing in that they will incorporate almost anything into them.  There are some strictly Buddhist temples but for the most part they are a mishmash of Taoist Deities and Buddhist mythology.  What is generally thought of as a ‘shaolin' philosophy would fall under Taoism and Taoist practice.  The foundations of Taoism are the books “ Tao Te Ching” by Lao Tzu and ‘ Inner Chapters' by Chuang Tzu though what is taught today strays far from these teachings into superstition and alchemy.  Taoism is not something you join.  Most Oriental religions are not really communal religions but those of self practice and awakening.  Western religions are entirely different this way.  I'll try to give you a little summation of Taosim.
  To try to define Taoism or the Way  immediately creates a problem.  It's a problem because it is not a particular thing or way.  There are no tenets, dogma, belief or laws and no central authority.  Tao is often understood as the way nature works or the natural order of things but its meaning is really deeper than that.  I would say that the central theme of Taoism is the ‘interpenetration' of things.  Many might say harmony with nature but this would be a superficial understanding. Many talk about following the tao (way) which is the natural order of things but that is an anthropomorphic concept.  Taoism has many articulations but if you look into the heart of Lao Tzu and Chuang tzu  what you find is the emphasis on interpenetration.  What this means is that things are co-originating, intertwined and mutually defining.  This is the meaning of the yinyang symbol which I am sure you have seen.  The black and white swirls in the circle with the dots of opposite colors in them.  What this icon symbolizes is that opposites actually define one another.  That the foundation for darkness is light and vice versa.  Thus in the dark field you have a white dot and in the white field you have a black dot.  Each is the foundation for the other and cannot be separated from the other.  All being is defined by non-being.  Life is life precisely because you can die and without life there is no death.  It is mutually defining and existing.  This is the heart of Taoism.
 So all nature is an expression of the Tao and Tao is the expression of all nature.  In the West we have a split that is God/Man/Nature, all separate but in the East it is Man=Nature=Man, not split so this is why nature is integral to Taoism.
  There is no particular place of worship for Taoist though there are temples and monasteries such as the famous Shaolin temple that kung fu supposedly comes from.  You don't need a building or a place to be one with nature.  For the individual the everyday practice is everything from eating a good diet and exercise to practicing kung fu, chi qong ( breathing exercises) and  meditation.  For the most part it is trying to still the mind so that one may see ‘what is' and thus live harmoniously.
  This is what most people think of when they speak of Shaolin but today there is a huge emphasis on the alchemy of Taoism which is concentrated breathing exercises (qi gong) to establish what is known as the ‘diamond body'.  I think it misses the mark for it is an attempt to escape from death and not an overcoming of the dualism of life and death.  Qi Gong is most commonly used for building health and well being and is central to real Tai chi and kung fu.  There are many books on this topic but I favor the teachings of Mantak Chia.  You can find him on the web easily.  These are technique books and not philosophy books.  For those you should go to the ones I first mentioned.  Be forewarned that there is a huge amount of bogus teachings out there, more than you can imagine.
  Good luck and don't hesitate to write back.
                 Joe