孔院微课堂 | 天下功夫出少林

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（本文转载自《孔子学院》中英双语对照版2022年第3期/总第73期）

少林寺是汉传佛教禅宗的祖庭，也是闻名世界的功夫圣地，素有“天下功夫出少林，少林功夫甲天下”的美誉。少林武术，作为中华传统武术的一个重要组成部分，既保留了中华传统武术的鲜明特征，又融合了诸多佛教文化元素，从而形成了少林独具特色的综合性武术体系，可谓博大精深、源远流长。

Shaolin Temple is not only the ancestral temple of Chinese Zen Buddhism; it is also a world-famous kung fu landmark, popularised with the phrases “All martial arts under heaven originate from Shaolin, and Shaolin kung fu is the best under heaven”. Shaolin martial arts are an important part of Chinese martial arts. They retain a distinctly Chinese character while incorporating many Buddhist cultural elements to create a unique form of the art that is rich in its diversity and steeped in tradition.

少林寺地处嵩山深处，山林茂密、人烟稀少、猛兽出没。为了生存，僧人们常习武健身，强健体魄。而且，长时间的坐禅容易导致肢体麻木，他们也需要不时地起来活动，久而久之就开创了一些固定套路。另外，少林寺建成之后不久，北魏就陷入动荡之中，连年的战祸让洛阳及其周围地区成为危险之地，僧人们必须习武以防身。随着时间的推移，少林武术逐渐形成体系并走向成熟，成为执武林之牛耳的武学门派，吸引了无数江湖志士前来拜师习武。

Shaolin Temple is ensconced on Mount Song in Henan Province. The temple is surrounded by lush forest, secluded from the world, and wild animals roam the area. In order to survive, the Shaolin monks turned to martial arts to improve their physical and mental health. Long periods of meditation can easily lead to numbness in the limbs; the monks therefore needed to get up and move around. With time, they created certain set exercises for this purpose. Not long after the construction of the temple in 497 CE, the Chinese state of Northern Wei collapsed into anarchy. Years of protracted war made Northern Wei’s capital, Luoyang, and the surrounding area unsafe. It was therefore essential for the monks to learn kung fu to defend themselves. As time progressed, Shaolin martial arts gradually matured into a school of its own that dominated its peers and attracted countless enthusiasts to become students in Shaolin.

少林武术总的特点是刚劲有力、威武勇猛、攻防严密、立足实战。少林武术讲究“拳打一条线”，即练拳时，起、落、进、退、反、侧、收、纵都要在一条线上运动。少林武术还主张“拳打卧牛之地”，擅长近距离搏击，在前后两三步的小范围内决定胜负。因此，少林武术极为重视实用性，很少有花架子，动作行云流水，招式变幻多端。

The guiding principles of Shaolin martial arts are physical strength, aggression, a tight defence, and a solid foundation. Shaolin kung fu emphasizes that one’s actions should have a smooth flow. For example, when practising how to punch, the monk should have an integrated flow of movement no matter what specific direction their hand takes at a given moment. Another important principle in Shaolin is close-quarters fighting, or the ability to win against an opponent at a distance of around three paces. Therefore, practical moves are a key part of Shaolin kung fu. The moves are not flashy; they flow like water and are unpredictable.

少林武术中最为人们所熟知的当属“少林七十二绝技”。这七十二绝技的招式种类齐全，包含拳法、掌法、指法、抓法、擒拿手等招式，剑法、刀法、杖法、棍法等兵械使用招式，以及身法、内功、特殊武功等武林绝学。这些招式名称大多取自佛教经典，例如般若掌、大力金刚掌、多罗叶指、无相劫指、大慈大悲千叶手等等。

The most familiar feature of Shaolin kung fu is probably the “72 Arts”. The 72 Arts are a comprehensive set of moves, including punches, palm strikes, finger movements, and grappling techniques, as well as moves for weapons including swords, sabres, staffs and sticks. The Shaolin school also teaches advanced practices including body movements, internal kung fu, and special moves. The names of many kung fu moves are inspired by classic Buddhist texts, such as the Prajna Palm, Vigorous Diamond Palm, Pattra Leaf Finger, Animitta Kalpa Finger, and Merciful Thousand Leaves Hand.

“禅武合一”是少林武术最鲜明的特点之一，展现了少林禅法与少林武术的完美结合。少林武术并不仅仅是一套套拳术，还包含了由内而外的修炼过程。妙兴大师就曾经把少林武术总结为：“出于心灵，发于性能，似刚非刚，似实而虚。”很好地阐释了少林武术和禅宗的关系。同时，少林武术还十分注重武德修养。少林寺对习武者的规约甚多，其宗旨都是在强调习武者的个人德行以及民族大义。

The seamless integration of Zen and kung fu is one of the most distinctive features of Shaolin. Shaolin martial arts are not just a set of physical moves; they involve a comprehensive process of personal improvement. Master Miaoxing once described Shaolin kung fu as “originating in one’s mind and translated to physical action; it appears inflexible but it is flexible; it appears real yet is not.” This is an excellent description of the relationship between Shaolin kung fu and Zen Buddhism. At the same time, Shaolin has a strong focus on cultivating proper martial values. There are many requirements for practitioners at Shaolin Temple, but all are rooted in the emphasis on personal virtue and concern for the welfare of the nation as a whole.

少林武术总是带给人们正气凛然、高深莫测的印象。中国著名武侠小说家金庸先生在其代表作《天龙八部》中描绘了纷繁复杂、高手林立的武侠江湖，而其中最令人惊艳的形象不是那些各显神通的主角们，而是少林寺藏经阁前一个默默无闻的扫地僧。这个扫地僧能洞察世间万事，武功更是横扫天下，是一个深藏不露、大彻大悟的智者。这一形象的塑造尽展少林武功的深不可测和佛道的永无止境，给读者们留下极为深刻的印象。除了文学作品，少林武功也常见于影视作品之中，并在国内外广泛传播，深受观众们的喜爱。

The common perception of Shaolin kung fu is one of power, seriousness, and an air of mystery. In the classic work Demigods and Semidevils, renowned Chinese martial arts novelist Louis Cha depicted a complex martial arts community filled with expert fighters. However, the most riveting story is not of the main characters with their incredible skills, but a lowly, unknown monk working as a floor-sweeper at Shaolin Temple’s Buddhist scripture library. This monk possesses incredible deep insight into the ways of the world, and his martial skills are better than anyone in the community; he is a sage who remains anonymous to the world. The character of the Sweeper Monk perfectly encapsulates the profundity of Shaolin martial arts and the limitless scope of Buddhist knowledge, leaving a deep impression on readers. In addition to works of literature, Shaolin kung fu is often portrayed in film and television, where it has proved a hit with audiences.

作为中国的优秀传统文化，少林武术不仅在国内广为流传，而且在国外也已生根、开花、结果。例如，根据史书记载，早在明末清初，少林武术就已经传到了日本。当时，深谙少林功夫的陈元赟随日本商船来到长崎经商，后来他罹患痢疾，无法经历海上风浪，于是就滞留在日本并将少林武术传到了日本。这对后来包括柔术在内的日本武术体系的形成影响深远。直到今天，少林武术在日本依然广受欢迎，其境内建有多座少林寺和少林道场，不少日本民众对少林武术十分痴迷。此外，少林武术作为一种民间外交手段，在中日友好往来中也发挥着越来越重要的作用。

As an outstanding part of traditional Chinese culture, Shaolin martial arts have grown beyond China and have established a strong and fruitful community around the world. For instance, historical records show that as early as late Ming or early Qing dynasty, Shaolin had spread to Japan. A Chinese businessman, Chen Yuanyun, who was also an expert in Shaolin kung fu, arrived in Nagasaki on a merchant vessel. Later on, Chen fell ill with dysentery, and was not up to a sea voyage home, so he stayed in Japan and the knowledge of Shaolin thus spread. The arrival of Shaolin had a lasting impact on the development of Japanese martial arts, including judo. Today, Shaolin kung fu remains popular in Japan, where there are many Shaolin temples and dojos; many Japanese are obsessed with Shaolin kung fu. Shaolin kung fu has also played a diplomatic role at the level of people-to-people exchange: it has an increasingly important position in Sino-Japanese friendship.

时至今日，少林武术作为中华传统文化的一部分，依旧是人们心中当之无愧的经典，彰显了中华民族的雄伟气魄。如今，几十个国家和地区都成立了传授和学习少林武术的组织。海外少林弟子也纷纷立碑于祖庭少林寺。历经岁月积淀的少林武术，以更加昂扬的气概诠释着心怀大义、兼济天下的武林精神，向世人展示着气势磅礴的武术魅力和绵绵悠长的中华传统文化。

Today, although Shaolin kung fu is a part of traditional Chinese culture, it is still a classic in many people’s hearts, and is a testament to the greatness of the Chinese people. Shaolin kung fu is now taught by Shaolin organisations in several dozen countries and regions around the world. Shaolin disciples from abroad have continually set up their own tablets at their ancestral hall at the original Shaolin Temple. Today, Shaolin kung fu is even more confident as it continues to promote the martial values of justice and good will to all, showing the world the power of martial arts culture and the rich traditions of Chinese culture.

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