The martial arts probably more often entered monasteries and tem-
ples from the population at large rather than vice versa. The residents of
Buddhist monasteries and Daoist temples and the followers of heterodox
religious groups practiced martial arts to protect themselves. Along with
forms of qigong(cultivation of qi[chi;vital energy]), the martial arts also
served as a form of mental and physical cultivation for those so inclined.
The population in Buddhist monasteries and Daoist temples comprised
a mix of regular residents and transients, some of whom were individuals
seeking to escape the law. For instance, one Ming period official describes
Shaolin monastery as a hideout for rebels, including White Lotus sect mem-
bers seeking to escape the authorities during times of unrest. Two of the
main characters in the early Ming period popular novel, Outlaws of the
Marsh(also known as Water Marginor All Men Are Brothers), known for
their martial prowess, are in this category. One, Lu Zhisheng, a carousing
“monk,” enters a monastery to escape punishment for killing an official. The
other, Wu Song, disguises himself as a wandering monk to avoid detection.The Martial Arts and Buddhism
Buddhism’s earliest adherents in China were the rich and aristocratic (in-
cluding a significant number of high-level military patrons) and, under the
Northern Wei dynasty (A.D. 386–534), it was adopted as the state religion,
with an organized church and bureaucratic structure, and, as such, it was
beholden to the state. Monasteries had large landholdings and, like secular
owners of landed estates, organized to protect their wealth with manpower
from within their ranks. These men came from the local citizenry, some of
whom may have been in the military or have learned the martial arts in
some other way.
Young acolytes also let off steam with wrestling and acrobatics. For
instance, an apocryphal story of one Shaolin monk, Zhou Chan, who lived
during the Northern Qi period (A.D. 550–577), relates how his compatri-
ots bullied him at first because of his frail appearance. According to the
story, he ran into one of the halls, bolted the doors shut, threw himself at
the feet of a guardian image, and prayed for six days that he be given the
ability to defend himself. On the sixth day, the guardian image appeared
with a large bowl full of tendons and told Zhou Chan to eat them if he de-
sired strength. He reluctantly ate them (good Buddhists are supposed to be
vegetarians) and returned to his compatriots, who began as before to ha-
rass him. They were surprised, however, when they felt the incredible
strength of his arms. He then ran several hundred paces along the wall of
the large hall, leapt so high his head reached the ceiling beams, lifted un-
believably heavy loads, and put on a display of strength and agility that
even frightened inanimate objects into moving.456 Religion and Spiritual Development: China