Shi De Li

Infobox Buddhist biography
name = Venerable Shi De Li


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denomination = Ch'an, Shaolin
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website = Venerable De Li (德立法師) is the current martial abbot of the Shaolin Temple Da Mo Martial Arts Academy, the 31st generation successor in lineage from Bodhidharma, who is the traditional first patriarch of Ch'an (or Zen)Buddhism, and is attributed to have founded Shaolin Temple.

De Li was born in Anhui Province of China. He began his study of Chinese martial arts around the age of 6 or 7. De Li became a monk at the Shaolin Temple at the age of 19. His parents did not wish for him to go to Shaolin Temple and especially they did not want him to study Tóngzigōng, an exercise that emphasizes flexibility in which practitioners often do not marry. He learned both martial arts and aspects of Chan Buddhism as a disciple of Grand Master Hsu Yun. De Li ascended the abbotship in 1999.

As martial abbot, De Li's primary responsibility is to teach martial arts. He teaches about sixty of the top students at Shaolin, who in turn go and teach their students. De Li is proficient in a range of martial arts, including Plum Blossom Fist (Meihuaquan) and Crane Fist (He quan). He also practices Qìgōng, Iron Palm, Meditation, and, of course, Tóngzigōng.

De Li wears the robes of the abbot, a yellow robe with a red sash, called a patriarch's robe. It is strictly forbidden to wear if one is not a high ranking monastic, which is applicable in all Chinese Buddhist sects. Though it is not illegal, wearing such a robe without proper training is considered offensive towards the Buddhist community.

He also possesses a small Buddha idol that represents his status as the abbot, an item that is passed down through the generations of abbots of Shaolin. Also, De Li wears a mala necklace and two bracelets of beads that come from Mount Song; the monks believe that the beads are good for their Qì. De Li's beads are either clear or coffee-colored and are engraved by local craftsmen with symbols such as the Buddha and the lotus.

De Li is world famous and has traveled to many locations such as Taiwan, Malaysia, and Europe. He has been featured on Chinese television. As Shaolin's abbot, he so important that he is sometimes considered a National Treasure, and therefore, before he can leave the country, he must receive permission from the Chinese government. His most recent trip to the United States was in September 2006; he one day hopes to build a Shaolin branch temple in the Delaware area.

ee also

* Shaolin Temple
* Chan Buddhism
* Chinese Martial Arts
* Shaolin kung fu
* Qi Gong
* Tóngzigōng