Why Shaolin Is A Pathway To Zen

Many people ask why is Shaolin a pathway to Zen. When I talk about Zen in this sense, I'm talking about an experience, it's not necessary to be a Buddhist in order to have this experience. Most religious and non religious traditions have practices of focusing the mind in order to calm the mind. The nature of serenity is nothing sacred,  magical or religious. The nature of serenity is nothing more than a one pointed mind. This means a mind focused on one thing.
 

Sitting meditation is the most commonly used method to achieve one pointed mind but after a day's work, it's hard to sit down and settle the mind. Sometimes I feel that it's detrimental. All day we've had to think in order to do our work and now we're demanding our mind not to think. If any of you have young children then you know what happens when you ask them not to do something, they tend to do the opposite. Our untrained mind is like this, so I find that using the body as a way to enter meditation is easier. 

Our Shaolin training gives us an easier access to a one pointed mind.  Through internally working with our body, we learn how the body and mind can balance itself without complication. It's a very simple way of working with our mind and body. So easy and simple that it's easy to overlook.

If you already do sitting meditation then do sitting meditation after Qigong, and check out the quality of your meditation, it's much brighter, more stable and focused. This is why the Bodhidharma prescribed it for his monks at the Shaolin Temple. 

What we do with our mind once it's serene? Most of us will use serenity to have a more focused, peaceful, energetic life. The great masters use the serenity as the first step to enlightenment. 

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