Monks of the Shaolin Monastery: superhuman abilities that delight and scare

The legendary Shaolin monastery on the Chinese mountain Songshan is a place with which many legends and significant historical events are associated. Founded in 495 by a Hindu monk, the monastery became an important part of Chinese culture, which was both fascinating and scary. Tourists from all over the world still come here to get acquainted with the cult martial art and watch the life of monks.

A lot of films have been shot about what Kung Fu and his warrior-monks are like, but the true face of this discipline, perhaps, can only be seen here in the monastery. In fact, Shaolin is not taught to fight, because the basic principle of religion is not to kill. The techniques practiced here are more a part of meditation than a way of fighting. And most of the time the monks spend prayers and rites, the purpose of which is spiritual and physical improvement, control over their life energy, conscious will, expanding the boundaries of the possible. The path of Shaolin is complex and far, but those who mastered it seem to overcome the laws of physics and demonstrate abilities beyond the logical understanding.

Chan Buddhism is preached in the monastery, according to which enlightenment is accessible to every sincere believer. Through training our mind and body, we gain a different vision of reality, learn our place in the world and gain inner balance. This is precisely the main goal of the doctrine, and this is how the superhuman abilities of the Shaolin warriors are explained.