GrahamB wrote:Cool. Does anybody know how old that famous painting with the indian and chinese monks fighting in is?
Boris Layupan wrote:
Murals of martial arts at the Shaolin Temple depicting a dark-skinned Indian (possibly Bodhidharma).
The dhayana master Bodhidharma, who transmitted Ch'an Buddhism to China and was China's first Buddhist patriarch, also began the physical training of the Shaolin monks and nuns. This physical training led to the formation of Shaolin martial arts or Shaolin quan (少林拳; Shàolín quán), including the Northern Shaolin style of Yue Chia or Yuejiaquan (岳家拳, literally Yue Family Fist, alternately Yue Ch'uan). This style of Yue Chia developed from the first Shaolin temple founded by Buddhabhadra in Henan province during the 5th century AD, distinct from the style created by Yue Fei, a Song dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝; pinyin: Sòng cháo; 960–1279) era general. . . .
Mural #1 of Baiyi Hall in the Shaolin Temple of monks at practice.
The exact date for these two frescos has not been determined, however they were likely done sometime between the late 1700 's and the 1800 's during the early part of the Qiánlóng Emperor 's reign (1735-1796) or possibly earlier during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1661-1722). The two emperors were of the Manchu Qing dynasty (清朝; pinyin: Qīng cháo). It was founded in 1636 and ruled China from 1644 to 1912. The murals suggest two things. The first conclusion is that a significant part of martial art training and practice at Shaolin involved two or more persons sets known as Shuang Yan (雙演; Double Play) Dui Da (對打; Playing) and Dui Lian (對練; Practice). The second observation is that the Shaolin monks believed that both Ch’an Buddhism and their system of quan fa, or martial arts, came from India and that Bodhidharma was instrumental to both. The above fresco of Baiyi Hall in the Shaolin Temple shows sixteen pairs of monks practicing Dui Lian of which ten pairs are practicing weapon sets and six pairs involved in barehand sets. There are also three monks in protective positions placed just to the left and right of Buddha in the upper pavilion, who are practicing single sets, two of the monks with weapons (練兵器 ; pinyin: liàn bīngqì; Training Weapon) the other monk practicing a barehand set (練拳套; pinyin: liàn quán tào; Training Gloves). This weapons dominated mural is painted in the style of Qing artists of the early to mid Qing period specializing in large-scale decorative works. They were employed to produce documentary, commemorative, and decorative works for the imperial palaces, which suggests that it may have done with the support of Kangxi Emperor, who was a supporter of Shaolin Temple. These master artists drew upon the representational styles of the Song dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝; pinyin: Sòng cháo; 960–1279). In the fresco, Bodhidharma is enshrined at the center in the lower base pavilion. The placement symbolizes Ben (本; root), the qualities of a sage ruler” and Men (門; gateway, doorway), the opening to the Tao or “Emptiness.” We know that this figure is Bodhidharma because above him are the characters, 本諦 源祖 (Ben Di Yuan Zu) which means, "The Root of Truth's Origin is Bodhidharma" or alternately "Bodhidharma is the Method's Origin." On the pavilion's right it is written 法力無邊 (Fa Li Wu Bian) which means: "The Power of the Way has no Boundary" and on the pavilion's left it is written, 佛恩廣大 (Fo En Guang Da), which means, "Buddha's Benevolence is Vast." Emerging from the left door of the pavilion is a bearded monk, who may depict Bodhidharma holding a mace. The mace is a weapon for crushing and symbolizes the smashing of the ignorance and emotional defilements created by karma (因果). His position by the side of the center gate symbolizes the "defense of the gate."
Mural #2 of Baiyi Hall in the Shaolin Temple of monks at practice.
The second fresco titled "Methods of Martial Arts" in Baiyi Hall is rendered in a more realistically style in imitation of Western naturalism. The mural has less ornamentation, influenced by the Western technique of linear perspective and realistically painted trees. The second mural was likely done more recently during the 1800s. It shows sixteen pairs of monks practicing barehand Dui Lian (對練.) and conspicuously lacking weapons, which may indicate the political climate of the period in which the Shaolin monks and nuns were banned by the Qing dynasty from wielding weapons.
The large non-Chinese dark skinned monk in the center likely depicts Bodhidharma. The composition is intentionally symmetrical and the positioning of the figure marks Bodhidharma's centrality to the Shaolin Temple's belief system. By the 18th century, it was a convention that Bodhidharma be depicted with a beard and it is very likely him as the figure is the only one, who is bearded.
Significant numbers of dark skinned monks and masters, likely representing Indian masters training with and teaching Chinese monks, is not about documentation but the idealization of the belief of the Shaolin monks that the source of martial arts and its reason for being – cultivating Enlightenment and offering protection – was India. During the Ming (大明; pinyin: Dàmíng; 1368–1644) and Qing periods there were very few remaining Buddhist communities in India and the movement of monks between India and China suggested in these Qing dynasty era frescos, occurred much earlier. By the 11th century, Buddhism was in decline in India and at the end of the 12th century when invading Turkish Moghul (Mongol) Muslims had conquered Magadha, the heartland of Buddhism in India, and wiped out Buddhism. By then movement of monks between China and India had largely stopped and no records exist of important monks journeying from India to China.
GrahamB wrote:The mural uses single point perspective, which is not usually found in Chinese art, so it's probably a 19th century or even early 20th century picture.
Users browsing this forum: wayne hansen and 6 guests