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Hi there,
QiGong, Martial arts and Buddhism has been in the news this week.
In a yucky way, sorry to ruin your summer.
But there is a silver lining - read on.
The world renowned Shaolin Temple (of Boddhidarma, Zen Buddhism and martial art monks) has bought the world's attention to itself... for something which has been hiding in plain sight for ages.
What happened? The Abbot, Shi Yongxin is being investigated for embezzlement, and "improper" relationships with multiple women.
Oh dear. Another guru bites the dust. Yet again, abuse, corruption and predatory patriarchal abusers grab the headlines.
Again.
But this news is deeper than one man. Shaolin temple is not a temple anymore despite what practically anyone who is linked or has a relationship with it says. Shaolin is a huge business, a huge brand (see below), and a financial asset to the town it is in, and for the people at the temple. It has been like this for decades. But very few see this or comment on this because Shaolin is a powerful, official institution backed by big money and bigger agendas.
Yes, Shaolin is a great private martial arts school. But it is not a temple... or a monastery.
Shaolin temple talks about lineages, tradition and 'a path to holistic self-improvement, blending physical, mental, and spiritual growth.' But just like much commercial yoga, the actual practice is massively hidden by the noise and circus of big business and politics.
Some background
- In 1994, the temple registered its name as a trademark
- In the late 2000s, Abbot Shi began authorizing Shaolin branches outside of mainland China in a commercial franchise scheme. Branches are run by current and former so-called monks.
- Shi and the temple operate over forty companies in cities across the world, including London and Berlin.
- The temple/monastery is led by a committee composed primarily of government officials.
- The abbot is a figurehead.
- The monastery splits profit with Dengfeng municipality which takes two thirds of profits, while the monastery retains one third.
Shaolin is a very public, very rude, very icky example of much that is wrong with commercial spiritual practice in the 2020s - yoga, Buddhist martial arts, and meditation.
The harm that this news will do to many in Buddhism, martial arts and meditation practice in general is manifold. We get cynical, depressed, upset and often feel it is all a waste of time and a joke.
How can we feel we have a lineage to rely on when the lineage is clearly messed up.
Physical Skill vs. Spiritual Wisdom
Here’s what we know but often ignore: physical skill doesn’t equal wisdom. We recognize a football player's ability without seeing them as spiritual.
But in yoga, Buddhism, QiGong, we too often confuse technical mastery with spiritual mastery. Too many yogis and Qigong teachers are great at the physical stuff, but terrible Spiritual practitioners. Here's a few examples:
Bikram Choudhury built a global yoga empire, was found to have committed sexual harassment and assault.
Osho - the great Indian teacher at the Rajneeshpuram commune in Oregon during the 1980s lead a bioterror attack, an assassination plot, and other criminal activities.
Eido Shimano - a Zen teacher - was exposed for decades of sexual harassment toward students.
There are many more examples.
The list is long and depressing... and makes us feel rubbish.
But in a weird way they help us.
The Real Work
Guru dramas are a ginormous problem. We need to root our practice in emotional maturity and integrity - not business or physical prowess.
What many call spirituality is too often just performance or business, or both. Too many teachers and master class teachers are great physical specimens or business people - but they are barely halfway up the spiritual mountain.
I’m not enlightened. But I do have a better heart and mind (and a less painful body) than when I started. I hope it shows. When someone tells me I'm just a yoga teacher, I'm no longer so offended. When I get triggered, I am less angry. There’s some space for me to choose how to respond instead of just reacting.
I’m more aware of my avoidance patterns. And my addictions.
This is the real yoga.
And it is unseen.
I wish I could say that yoga, QiGong and meditation have led me to blissful nirvana, but that is not my experience, not yet.
I will say that it has led me to experience life on earth with a more open heart and mind, and to be a little better as a person, a father and a member of the world
Your lineage, your title, your certification grade, or handstand prowess are all amazing.
But they are not a mark of how you are as a person, a yogi.
That is good news.
I hope this helps.
- Dhugal.
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