The Holy land of the Shaolin

In 1963, the Shaolin Temple (少林寺) was officially declared by the state of Henan Province (河南), as a Provincial Historic Monument and is listed by the State Council as one of China’s key national cultural relics (chin.: wewuguji 文物古跡). But for the Revolution that broke up on 1966 there were not historic monuments. So once more the monks were sent back to their homes and no one cared about the temple, until 1979 the PRC Congress declared Shaolin Temple as one of the last remains of the National Treasures (chin.: guobao 國寶) and the reopening of the Temple was decided.

The Shaolin Temple of Song Shan that time had only 8 Buddhist Monks (chin.: heshang 和尚). Most of them were sick and weary (chin.: pibing 疲病). The temple Monks works for their food in the nearby fields, but the crop are not many. There is no income for incense and candles (chin.: xianguo 香火) and everyone is working very hard to protect the dignity of this ancient Holly Temple.

One of them is the Venerable Master Shi Yin Song, which is now the Shaolin Temple’s seat of honour Buddhist Monk (chin.: Shaolinsi de shouzuo heshang 少林寺的首座和尚).

Venerable Master Shi Yin Song, is a native of Nanyang (chin.: Nanyan sheqi 南阳社旗) of He Nan Province in 1946. Because of his family poor economic condition Master Shi Yin Song left home when he was very young. His family are farmers but also they are devoted Buddhists so the Buddhist dogma is not something unknown to him. 

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