Zen Buddhism and Martial Arts

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Zen Buddhism and Martial Arts

• By Izi ?

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• This seems an unlikely pairing, Buddhism being a
  peaceful practice, tranquil, and martial arts
  being such a deadly technique of hand to hand
  combat. This is stunning proof that opposites do
  in fact attract! This practice has flourished
  within Zen Buddhism.
• When we think of martial arts, films like
  Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon come to mind.
• (trailer clip)
• However, in reality martial arts are more like
  this
• (clip of men fighting)

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• Wiki describes martial arts as systems of
  codified practices and traditions of training for
  combat. While they may be studied for various
  reasons, martial arts share a single objective
  to defeat one or more people physically and to
  defend oneself or others from physical threat.
• Martial arts vary widely, focusing on different
  areas. Some examples include Taekwondo, Karate.
  Judo, Wrestling, Fencing and Kendo.

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• Kendo
• Kendo is a type of sword practice, originally on
  horseback but later on foot. The swords were made
  from bambo. Its aim is to
• To mold the mind and body.
• To cultivate a vigorous spirit,
• And through correct and rigid training,
• To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo.
• To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor.
• To associate with others with sincerity.
• And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself

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• During the samurai government in Japan, during
  the Kamakura period (1185-1233), sword fencing,
  horse riding and archery became the primary
  martial pursuits of the military clans. Kendo
  developed due to its strong influenece from Zen
  Buddhism.
• Jujutsu also originated from Japan. It is the
  collective name for Japanese martial arts styles.
  This also evolved among the samurai of feudal
  Japan.

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• Who were the Samurai
• Aristocratic warrior class, retainer of the
  daimyo. They started to play an important role in
  Japanese society from the 12th-century wars
  between the Taira and Minamoto clans.Zen Buddhism
  spread among samurai in the 13 century and it
  helped to shape their standards of conduct,
  particularly overcoming fear of death and
  killing. Zen Buddhism in Japan took Sakyamuni as
  the principal image and taught to be a living
  buddha with enlightenment by Zen meditation
  training.

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• The History
• The history is based upon many legends and
  stories, complicated by the many names.. The
  dates vary from the 400s to the 500s AD.
  Bodhidharma is always traced back to the origins
  of martial arts.
• Bodhidharma was born a prince in the southern
  regions of India and raised as a warrior to
  succeed his father as king. He had been trained
  in the Kalaprayat technique of martial arts.
  Bored with his training Bodhidharma began to
  study with a Buddhist teacher named Prajnatara.
  On his deathbed, Prajnatara asked him to go to
  China to re-awaken the followers of Buddha. Some
  sources say that almost five percent of the
  population were Buddhist Monks even before the
  arrival of Bodhidharma. Legends vary in the
  method of his arrival, some say he traversed the
  Himalayan Mountains, others say he rode a ship
  around the coast. Regardless, he arrived around
  526 A.D.
• Upon arriving in China, the Emperor Wu Ti, a
  Buddhist himself, requested a meeting with
  Bodhidharma. The Emperor asked him what reward he
  had received for all of his good works.
  Bodhidharma answered that he had accrued none.
  Bodhidharma was unable to convince Wu Ti of the
  value of the new teachings he brought from India.

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• Frustrated, Bodhidharma set out on a northerly
  direction. He crossed the Tse River, and climbed
  Bear's Ear Mountain in the Sung Mountain range to
  where the Shaolin Temple was located. It had been
  founded forty years before by Buddhist monks and
  was famous for its translations of the Buddhist
  scriptures into Chinese. Bodhidharma sought
  entrance into the Shaolin temple. He was accepted
  after he was able to prove that he was committed
  to Buddhism. When he arrived Boddhidharma was
  appalled to find the monks fat, and without the
  ability to even stay awake during his lectures.
  In addition, the monks were unarmed and easy pray
  to bandits when they attempted to go out into the
  world to teach. So they decided to stay in the
  safety of the monastery. This explained one
  reason that Buddhism was no longer as widespread
  as it had been.
• Legend has it that Boddhidharma then went to a
  cave and stared at a wall for seven years. He is
  said to have cut off his eyelids to stay awake in
  meditation, and so is usually depicted with
  bulging eyes. Others say that he cut off his
  eyelashes and that they fell to the ground and
  became tea plants. Recognizing the ability of tea
  to help a person stay awake has made tea a part
  of the practice of zazen.
• Bodhidharma created an exercise program for the
  monks which involved physical techniques that
  were efficient, strengthened the body, and
  eventually, could be used practically in
  self-defense. When Bodhidharma instituted these
  practices, his primary concern was to make the
  monks physically strong enough to withstand both
  their isolated lifestyle and the deceptively
  demanding training that meditation requires. It
  turned out that the techniques served a dual
  purpose as a very efficient fighting system,
  which evolved into a marital arts style.

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• His system involved dynamic tension exercises.
  These movements found their way into print as
  early as 550 A.D. as the Yi Gin Ching, or
  Changing Muscle/Tendon Classic. We know this
  system today as the Lohan (Priest-Scholar) 18
  Hand Movements, which serves as the basis of
  Chinese Temple Boxing and the Shaolin Arts. Many
  of the basic moves of both tai chi chuan and kung
  fu can be seen in the scenes recorded on the
  walls of the temple.
• These skills helped the monks to defend
  themselves against invading warlords and bandits.
  Bodhidharma taught that martial arts should be
  used for self-defense, and never to hurt or
  injure needlessly. In fact, it is one of the
  oldest Shaolin axioms that "one who engages in
  combat has already lost the battle." Bodhidharma
  also taught medicine to the monks and arranged
  for Chinese doctors to come to share their
  knowledge with the Shaolin. In three years the
  monks became so skilled in both the martial arts
  and medicine that they start to be feared and
  respected by the bandits. This went a long way
  toward continuing the spread of Buddhism and Zen
  thoughout China and the rest of Asia.

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• Self Defense Techniques!
• Grab a partner
• Follow the steps
• (link to self defense techniques)

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• Thanks for watching/listening/enjoying?/ taking
  part
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