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26 Aug 2010
by Admin

Shaolin Widsom

When a 16-year old boy from Anhui ran away from home to Shaolin Monastery in Henan, one of China’s most backward provinces at the time, asking to be accepted as a Buddhist novice, Shaolin was so dilapidated and so poor that the monks could only afford to have one proper meal a day. Decades later, the novice Shi Yongxin (释永信) has become Abbot Shi Yongxin of Shaolin, and Shaolin has become one of the richest monasteries in China, due to Shi Yongxin's vigorous business venture which neverthless does raise many eyebrows in the community, while Shaolin’s basements are fully packed with grains enough to support the monastery for two years, which lifted even more pairs of brows.

In a recent television interview, the abbot was queried that in a post-industrial era why Shaolin goes back to pre-industrial saving mode. Surely only a fool will waste money on US dollars and bonds, but how about the silver and gold which shall still be hard currency for a long time to come?

“But can you eat silver or gold when food crisis occurs?” the abbot asked back.

The traditional Chinese wisdom believes that to ensure a peaceful and prosperous life, one must “guard against thieves every night and prepare for famine every year (夜夜防盗，年年防饥)”. Mao Zedong, the founding father of PRC and one of the wisest men in Chinese history, also advocated to “dig many caves, store lots grains, never bully other nations,” (深挖洞，广积粮, 不称霸) as a key measure to keep China safe from natural disasters and external threats.

How regret that the head of Shaolin could not take a secular post. Had he led the Agriculture Ministry, Chinese might not become hostage to China’s GM biologists and America's GM multinationals. Sigh.

Shaolin kungfu masters doing sitting meditation

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