On August 11, 2019, “The First Canada International Shaolin Culture Festival” and “The 3rd International Traditional Medicine Conference and Traditional Chinese Medicine Conference” in Vancouver, jointly holding a free clinic kicked off. The free clinic was co-hosted by the international Chinese medicine conference and Shaolin Temple of Canada. Guests present included Master Yandi of Shaolin Temple of Canada, Ms. Tao Yun, secretary-general of the international Chinese medicine congress, Doctor Wu Chenghan and his assistant Lisa, Doctor Situ Zuen, Doctor Song Shiwen, Doctor Mao Zhiming, Doctor Tang Zhenrong, Doctor Danzhu, Doctor Li Songze, Doctor Xue Yu, Doctor Chunyan and her assistant Kim, Doctor Gao Xianru and her assistant Lulu, Doctor Lu Jiaxian and his assistant Magen and so on.
At the opening ceremony, Master Yandi burned incense and worshiped Buddha, which was transferred to guests and attendants. Then Master Yandi delivered a speech. He said, “Chan (meditation), Wu(martial arts) and Yi(medicine) are the core culture of Shaolin Temple. Taking Chan into psyche-nourishing, Wu into morality cultivation and medicine into healing. The unity of Chan, Wu, Yi is Shaolin monks’ disciplined lifestyle. The free clinic of today is fully meaningful. It is hoped that the event can reduce patients’ pain, sharing the healthy lifestyle of Shaolin Temple to everyone.”
Patients attending the free clinic included not only local people but also overseas Chinese totaling nearly one hundred people. Some of them are the whole family, or even a three generations family coming. they all like the traditional Chinese massage, acupuncture and other traditional Chinese medicine culture very much. The free clinic was scheduled to end at 2pm, extending the event to nearly one hour terminating. Chinese medicine doctor Mao Zhiming expressed traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts are Chinese culture treasures. For thousands of years, Yi and Wu are one. Health preserving and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine stress dredging meridians, replenishing vital energy and blood, balancing Yin and Yang as well as stimulating disease prevention and disease resistance, drug use complementary.
Master Yandi led ten people to practice Ba Duan Jin together after the free clinic. He introduced that the great physician Hua Tuo in the Eastern Han Dynasty invented the Five-Animal Exercises, providing elders with fitness. Shaolin monks chose eight moves from Shaolin Yi Jin Jing called “Ba Duan Jin” to popularize Shaolin regimen more than 800 years ago. Ba Duan Jin is not only Shaolin monks’ methods of fitness, but also be more suitable for the people of all ages and physical conditions, which is Shaolin martial arts’ outstanding contribution to life cultivation.
A 1-day free clinic ended successfully along with happy laughters and cheerful voices. People expressed hoping the Shaolin Temple of Canada could often organize similar activities, bring Shaolin Temple’s healthy lifestyle and culture of health preserving to local people, helping them condition body and mind as well as maintain a healthy body. (Edited by Zou Xiang and photos from the Shaolin Temple of Canada)