Martial arts birthplace to take orphans as disciples
( 2003-11-12 11:38) (Xinhua)
Warrior monks of China's famed Shaolin Temple are going to take orphans as
disciples.
The temple will select about 50 to 100 children from a total of 1,000 orphans
jointly being helped by the Henan Provincial Consolidated Benevolent Association
and Shaolin Temple.
The temple will provide them shelter and education, as well as its centuries
old martial arts skills and Buddhism.
A non-profit charity organization is being set up in Shaolin to provide
shelters and study opportunities for homeless children.
The temple is now performing a 49-day Buddhist service to raise money and
several distinguished monks have come to Shaolin to preside over the service.
To show their respect to the benefactors, Shaolin has made 2, 547 Buddha
statues with stones and earth collected from China's ten famous Buddhist
mountains such as Mount Tai and Putuo Mountain and water from the Yangtze River
and the Yellow River. The ingredients are believed to bring blessing and wisdom
to the benefactors.
Located in Dengfeng County in central China's Henan Province, Shaolin Temple
was built in the foothills of the sacred Songshan Mountain in AD 495 during the
Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). Shaolin is commonly considered the birthplace of
Chinese martial arts.
|
