Shaolin monastery becomes money-making machine

[PizDoff]

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/fea...ures322004.xml

<i>I am very saddened... :icon_sad: </i>

[Wounded Ronin]

I think it's important to take things like this into perspective. Many of the important historical Buddhist temples in Japan are now tourist attractions. But, historically, these famous temples and monastareys probably had their fair share of political involvement, just like the Shaolin temple. Is it so bad that today people who are interested in learning history can give some money to support the historical sites and learn just a little bit about history?

In Japan, I've seen Buddhist monks selling magical charms at tourist stores, and it made me sad. But on the other hand I had been able to see leftovers of history in person. I've even seen recently-constructed buildings and crap like that but if you look closely the remnants of history are still there.

At the very very least, at the Shaolin temple, a tourist might be able to see a real monk meditating or something.

So I really don't think that it's all bad.

[NextGuard]

What interested me was the quote about 15 centuries of meticulously preserved history... I wonder it has ever been translated.

[Shimora]

At least there would be no difference in the fighting abilities of fake monks and real monks. They are good acrobats but that is all.

[PizDoff]

w00t, another one of my articles make the front page!

They come to this remote part of central Henan province in hopes of seeing authentic monks miraculously surviving in some sort of time capsule. But what they find instead is exploitation of the Shaolin myth on an industrial scale.

This was in bold before I do believe.
Just want to emphasize it again.

[Jenfucius]

if you really want to see shaolin, you must enter the 36th chamber

[Edge]

Nice article, it is accurate. I agree with wounded Ronin's point, Shaolin is a beautiful place to visit, just too overcrowded and over exploited.

Shimora, are you saying that a student at Shaolin has no fighting ability whatsoever? In all fairness there is at least some martial value in traditional Shaolin Gong Fu.