The Ten Shaolin Laws
 The
Ten Shaolin Laws are non-religious, and transcend cultural
and lingusitic differences. These simple laws promote
values that are worthy and desirable in any culture.
Laws, in the Shaolin tradition, are not meant to be
restrictive; they are meant as a practical means to
help followers achieve set aims and objectives. In this
case, the laws to help us to attain the best possible
results in practicing Shaolin Kung Fu and Chi Kung.
It may be tempting
for Westerners to dismiss these laws as old fashioned,
but that would be a mistake. It is not without good
reason that my teacher, Grandmaster Wong, wrote the
following:
"The Shaolin
Laws are meant for the student’s interest –
a fact not many people may appreciate. Following the
Ten Shaolin Laws is an excellent and practical way to
help him in his cultivation – irrespective of
whether the cultivation is for health, combat efficiency,
daily performance as well as spiritual development.
Take, for example, the first Shaolin Law.
"Some students
practice an exercise not according to what the master
has instructed, but according to what they think is
right. This is being disrespectful to the master, tacitly
implying that he is not as smart as they themselves.
Not only they may not get any benefits from the exercise,
they may get harmful side-effects.
"The moral
way refers to the Chinese concept of 'wu de', or high
moral virtues traditionally accepted by ancient warriors.
If a student goes against the moral way, like lying
or being brutal towards others, then he will inevitably
bring harm to himself.
"Basically,
any actions that go against the moral way start with
evil thoughts. The evil thoughts of that student, irrespective
of whether he is consciously aware of them or not, and
irrespective of the length of time involved, will generate
events that will be evil to him – just as a film
that has been imprinted with ugly images will result
in pictures that are ugly when the film is developed."
Thus, we can begin
to see why my teacher is adamant that all of his students,
and all of his student's students, understand and practice
the Ten Shaolin Laws:
| The
Ten Shaolin Laws
1. Respect
the master, honor the moral way, and love fellow
students as you would your brothers and sisters.
2. Train
the Shaolin arts diligently, and strive towards
physical, mental, and emotional health.
3. Be filial
towards your parents, respectful towards the elderly,
and protective of the young.
4. Uphold
righteousness, and strive to be both wise and
courageous.
5. Do not
be ungrateful or unscrupulous.
6. Never
rape, molest, steal, rob, abduct, cheat, or lie.
7. Never
associate yourself with evil or wicked people;
never do any sort of wickedness or evil yourself.
8. Never
abuse power, be it official or physical; never
oppress or bully people.
9. Be
humane and compassionate; strive to spread peace
and happiness.
10. Be
chivalrous and generous, nurture talents in others,
and pass on the Shaolin arts to deserving students. |
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