Monks in the Shaolin Temple live and work under strict routine and discipline of Chinese Chan monasteries, detailed in Bai Zhang’s Monastic Regulations (Bai Zhang Qing Gui, established by Master Bai Zhang in Tang Dynasty).

5:00 Arising (Morning Bell)
5:30 Morning Chanting
Every morning, all monks in the monastery gather in the Mahavira Hall to chant two sessions of sutras:
1. The Shurangama Sutra, which can suppress adversity, and
2. The Sutra of Sahasrabhujasahasranetra Avalokite'svara and ten minor sutras.
There are tranquil and pleasant songs of praise before and after each session.
6:30 Breakfast
Before taking breakfast and lunch, monks have to offer the food to Buddha and Bodhisattva, redirecting merits to all patrons, taking vows for all sentient beings according to the Etiquette of Taking the Two Meals. There are singing and chanting before and after each meal. Each monk eats from his or her bowl. Silence is observed, and wasting is prohibited.
11:30 Lunch
16:30 Evening Chanting
There are three sessions of the evening chanting:
1. Chanting “The Buddha Expounding Amitabha Sutra” and Buddha’s name;
2. Homage to 88 Buddhas & Great Repentance;
3. Mount Meng Food Offering Rite.
The first session is for the deliverance of oneself to the Western Paradise World, the second session is for the repentance of the sentient beings, and the third session is to take some grains of rice from lunch and offer these to the pretas (hungry ghosts). The first session is chanted on the odd dates, the second one on the even dates, and the third one daily.
17:30 Medication (Supper)
The original Buddhist rule states that there is no meal after midday. Due to social development and changes in eating habits, the Buddhist monks could eat in the evening, but no chanting is made, and the meal is referred to as “medication” to circumvent the said ruling. They live on vegetarian food.
21:00 Retirement (Evening Drum; Lights-Out after Board Signals)

Monastic life follows a regular schedule. Buddhist monks are woken by a bell at 5 a.m. They then spend one hour chanting sutras before having breakfast, and the rest of the morning is spent doing chores and monastery services until lunch, which consists of simpler dishes. Work continues in the afternoon, followed by the one-hour evening chanting and supper. For the rest of the evening, they can continue their own studies and practices; they may retire to bed on hearing beat of the drum. In addition, the temple offers some cultural courses