Gymnastics 161
most popular tutelary divinities of Chinese Buddhism. Originally a Hindu
warrior—Weituo is a mistranscription of the Sanskrit Skanda—he has been in-
corporated into the Buddhist pantheon as the guardian of monasteries, where
his image is usually stationed opposite the Buddha Šâkyamuni’s. Facing his su-
perior, Weituo presses his palms reverently, his club lying horizontally across
his elbows, just as in the exercise that bears his name.^78
Despite their undeniable connection to Buddhist mythology, Weituo’s ex-
ercises are also related to Daoist gymnastics. The twelve-form routine features
the common daoyin aspects of breathing, swallowing the saliva, circulating the
qi, and gathering the body’s internal spirits. Indeed, like the entire text of the Il-
lustrated Exposition, the twelve exercises did not originate at the Shaolin Temple.
As betrayed by their title, they derived from the late Ming manual Sinews Trans-
formation Classic. The latter survives in quite a few editions (manuscript and
Fig. 33. Shaolin statue of
Weituo (Skanda).