Читать книгу Zen Shaolin Karate. The complete Practice, Philosophy and History онлайн

15 страница из 27

The Shaolin monks were not intending to fight as such, though their methods were undoubtedly effective. However, their intentions could easily have been misconstrued by lay members of the community, non-Buddhists, or anyone with a wish to fight. To all intents and purposes, this kind of moving meditation between pairs of trainees was never meant to be a way of overcoming anything other than the aspirants' own delusions. Bias, fear, and aggression were left behind as one learned to break free from the trap of self-limitation. By transcending both virtue and vice, one was put in harmony with the great Void.

From the Zen point of view, when aggression and fear arise in the mind and we act upon them, we are being controlled by our emotions and the urge to fight and dominate others will replace the watercourse way. Although Shaolin training began with the programming of prearranged drills, during the more advanced stages of study free practice was used. Experienced monks and nuns must have presented an impressive, even formidable appearance as they neutralized and countered all manner of attacks during their martial arts practice.