The Shaolin Wahnam Logo | The 10 Shaolin Laws
| Shaolin Wahnam Lineage
One essential condition is required
for participating in the courses is to uphold and practice the Ten
Shaolin Laws. Please read and understand the 10 Shaolin Laws carefully.
Application for the courses is taken to be an indication that you have
accepted this condition.
The design of the logo is red in colour and the
background yellow. These are the colours of our school. Red represents
courage and righteousness, and yellow represents compassion and wisdom,
manifesting the ideals of a scholar-warrior as well as the ideals of a
warrior-monk.
The design of the trident and three-sectional
soft-whip makes the letter W and N, indicating "Wah Nam", named after
Grandmaster Lai Chin Wah and Grandmaster Ho Fatt Nam, the two sources
from which our school developed.
The trident and soft-whip also represent "kong"
("gang" in Mandarin) and "yow" ("rou"), indicating both the "hard" and
"soft" dimensions of our training.
The inner and the outer circles represent both the
internal and external approaches of our cultivation, and also signify
that we pay importance to both our mind as well as our body. The inner
circle reminds us of the importance of internal unity, and the outer
circle our universality, i.e. we spread our arts to deserving people
irrespective of their race, culture and religion.
In addition,, note that "Shaolin" is a Mandarin
translation, whereas "Wahnam" is Cantonese. "Shaolin" was chosen over "Siu
Lam" (which is in Cantonese) because it is universally known, whereas "Wahnam"
was chosen over "Huanan" (in Mandarin) because the names of our
grandmasters, "Lai Chin Wah" and "Ho Fatt Nam" are generally known in
Cantonese.
This shows we can be both idealistic and practical at
the same time -- the non-dualistic characteristic of Zen. We are
idealistic in our aspiration, but practical in our application. It also
reflects that while our origin (Shaolin) was from the northern Shaolin
Temple, our development (Wahnam) was from the Shaolin Temple in the
south.
Joan points out that the number three, as suggested
by the trident and the three sectional whip, is important. It reminds us
of the three treasures of Shaolin, namely chi kung, kungfu and Zen, and
that our training involves all the three dimensions of form, energy and
mind.
(Editorial Note: Joan is Sifu Joan Browne of Shaolin Wahnam Ireland.)
The Ten Shaolin Laws are non-religious, and transcend
all cultures and races, i.e. people of any culture and race would agree
that they promote values that are worthy and desirable. Laws, in the
Shaolin tradition, are not meant to be punitive or restrictive, but as
practical means to help followers achieve set aims and objectives; in
this case to help them attain the best possible results in practising
Shaolin Kungfu for combat efficiency, joyful living, mind expansion, and
spiritual fulfilment.
There is no legal binding on the Ten Shaolin Laws;
one cannot be prosecuted in a law court if he breaks these laws. The
binding is moral. But they are not forced upon the follower; the
follower accepts them because he chooses to, because he believes they
are helpful to him in his physical, emotional, mental and spiritual
cultivation. If he breaks the laws, despite sufficient warnings, he may
be asked to leave the Shaolin training, not as a punishment, but because
the training is not suitable for him.
The Ten Shaolin Laws
- Required to respect the master, honour the Moral Way and love
fellow disciples as brothers and sisters.
- Required to train the Shaolin arts diligently, and as a
pre-requisite, to be physically and mentally healthy.
- Required to be filial to parents, be respectful to the elderly,
and protective of the young.
- Required to uphold righteousness, and to be both wise and
courageous.
- Forbidden to be ungrateful and unscrupulous, ignoring the Laws
of man and heaven.
- Forbidden to rape, molest, do evil, steal, rob, abduct or cheat.
- Forbidden to associate with wicked people; forbidden to do any
sorts of wickedness.
- Forbidden to abuse power, be it official or physical; forbidden
to oppress the good and bully the kind.
- Obliged to be humane, compassionate and spread love, and to
realize everlasting peace and happiness for all people.
- Obliged to be chivalrous and generous, to nurture talents and
pass on the Shaolin arts to deserving disciples.
THE LINEAGE OF SHAOLIN
WAHNAM
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