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The author shares their journey of going to the Shaolin Temple in China after leaving a banking apprenticeship in Germany. They describe their initial motivation, the challenges they faced in reaching the temple, and the transition period spent at a foreigner-focused school near the temple. Eventually, the author joined the warrior monks at the Shaolin Temple, where they underwent rigorous training, made friends, and gained insights into Shaolin culture and philosophy. The author reflects on the contradictions and mysteries they encountered during their time at the temple, highlighting the importance of the friendships and experiences they gained there. The story also mentions a beloved dog named Bruce who was part of their Shaolin experience.
1. The speaker graduated from high school and started an apprenticeship at a German bank.
2. The speaker had a high GPA and freedom to do anything but chose not to go to university immediately.
3. The speaker worked for a bank near his home but found the commute unmotivating.
4. The speaker considered quitting his job and went to China for half a year.
5. The speaker fell back into his old way of thinking after returning from China.
6. The speaker had always dreamed of living in a monastery.
7. The speaker decided to try living in the Shaolin Temple after much contemplation.
8. The speaker's journey to the Shaolin Temple involved flying to Beijing, taking a fast train to Jeonjo, the capital of Ghanan, and then a long-distance bus to Dengfung.
9. The speaker's first impression of the Shaolin Temple was of its location in a valley of the holy Sunshine Mountains.
10. The speaker's first day at the Shaolin Temple was challenging, but he found the scenery magical and almost overwhelming.
11. The speaker lived in a village called Wangjuko, filled with people mostly children and teenagers who trained in Kung Fu all day every day.
12. The speaker decided to stay at a school exclusively for foreigners.
13. The speaker trained in the Shaolin Temple under the guidance of a senior Shaolin warrior monk.
14. The speaker trained daily for six to seven hours and often acted as a translator for his foreign peers.
15. The speaker's daily routine was unpredictable and varied, with training sometimes being cancelled due to Buddhist ceremonies.
16. The speaker asked his master if he could join the warrior monks and was accepted.
17. The speaker's last year at the Shaolin Temple was the most fun and the most painful, with frequent beatings from his master.
18. The speaker was instructed in several traditional and modern fist forms, swords, whips, chain whips, and the most iconic weapon, the staff.
19. The speaker learned that Shaolin is not merely the name of the monastic order but also a culture, often reduced to the sport but much more than that.
20. The speaker was proud of the friendships he made at the Shaolin Temple and the experiences he had together through blood, sweat, and tears.
21. The speaker expressed gratitude to all his masters for their endless patience with him and thanked them for opening his eyes to many things.