Serving the Emperor 37
Before they recovered their senses, the Dhyâna Master said, “I will
give you a demonstration,” whereupon he entered the hall and started
walking horizontally on the walls. He advanced first from the east, then
from west, a total of several hundred feet. Then he leaped upwards, his
head hitting the ceiling-beams several times. Finally he lifted several
thousand pounds.^59 His fighting was swift and powerful.
Those who belittled him prostrated themselves on the ground,
their sweat trickling. No one dared face up to him.^60The violence and abuse recorded by Zhang Zhuo seem hardly fit for a Bud-
dhist temple. Neither are the martial exercises he describes appropriate for
Buddhist monks. Still, if his story reflects historical circumstances, then
fighting was practiced in some Tang period Buddhist monasteries. It is possi-
ble, therefore, that medieval Chinese monks—either at Shaolin or in other
temples—not only participated in war, but also trained for it.
Martial Deities and Martial Monks
Zhang Zhuo’s story of monk Sengchou could have been rejected as pure
fiction—neither related to Buddhist practice nor to Shaolin lore—if it were
not for an intriguing motif it shared with both. Vajrapâÿi, whose divine help
Sengchou sought, figured in Buddhist mythology as a military god who be-
stows strength. Moreover, we know that at least in later periods he had been
worshipped in that very capacity at the Shaolin Monastery.
It is striking that a religion as intent on peace as Buddhism would arrive in
China equipped with an entire gallery of martial gods. Buddhist iconography
reveals to us an unexpectedly violent aspect of the faith. The Buddha is usually
flanked by heavily armed, ferocious-looking deities who trample demons un-
derfoot.^61 Vajrapâÿi (Chinese: Jin’gang (shen)) belongs to this category of di-
vine warriors. As indicated by his name, his weapon is the mythic vajra, or
thunderbolt (jin’gang in Chinese). By the time it was incorporated into the
Buddhist arsenal, the magic instrument had enjoyed a venerable history. The
Hindu god Indra had employed the vajra to vanquish the cosmic dragon
V¿tra.^62 The god’s armament had assumed diverse shapes in visual art: the
sword, the spear, the staff, the discus, and two transverse bolts that cross each
other. Most commonly, however, the vajra was imagined as an ornamented
short scepter, sometimes resembling a flower (figure 6).^63
Vajrapâÿi, the vajra wielder, has been worshipped in China either as one
deity or as two fearsome spirits—the so-called “Two Venerable Kings”
(Erwangzun)—that stand guard on each side of temple gates. His iconogra-
phy highlights his bodily strength. Unlike other tutelary divinities, Vajrapâÿi
is not clad in armor. He wears light clothes, revealing his sinewy physique.
His sturdy chest is exposed, and his muscular arms embrace his iconic