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Martial Arts Of The World - Webs

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<strong>The</strong> exercise value of martial arts practice as part of daily routine was<br />

recognized and described by the monk Dao Xuan (A.D. 596–667), in his<br />

Further Biographies of Eminent Monks. His description, however, is not of<br />

monks but of a devout Buddhist Indian prince, of warrior caste, who practiced<br />

after dinner.<br />

<strong>The</strong> monasteries were powerful institutions—sometimes considered<br />

dangerously so. In a persecution in A.D. 446, Emperor Taiwu is reported to<br />

have personally led a raid on monasteries in and around Changan (now<br />

Xian), which uncovered various activities such as moonshine production,<br />

weapons caches, and even prostitution. Emperor Xiaowu (532–534) is<br />

recorded as having a contingent of Buddhist monks fight for him during his<br />

retreat as the dynasty collapsed.<br />

A Chinese Daoist<br />

monk, ca. 1955.<br />

(Hulton Archive)<br />

Religion and Spiritual Development: China 457

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