What are the 36 Chambers of Shaolin?

Answer 1

You mean 36 chambers?

The legendary obstacle course of the old temple; allegedly, it was a lethal obstacle course all graduating Shaolin students had to pass through before the cauldron branding. At the end of the test, the Shaolin of the old temple would pick up a cauldron made out of solid iron, that had been heated for hours with hot coals burning within it. Using the inside of your forearms, the part of the forearm with no hair on it, the flat, smooth side of the forearm where the skin is soft and sensitive, you "grabbed" either side of the cauldron with nothing but your forearms, you lifted it up, and took it to some other place. The cauldron test was made famous in the "Kung Fu" T.V. series.

However the 36 chambers plus the cauldron test are believed to be myths. I believe a Tiger would be branded on your left forearm, while a Dragon was branded on your right forearm.

What did the Dragon and the Tiger symbolize? The Dragon I believe is a symbol of spiritual strength, someone who through meditation has achieved a supreme level of focus and body awareness that goes well beyond merely a "well developed nervous system" and of course someone whose chi is incredibly strong. The Tiger symbolized physical strength, someone whose muscles and sinews were conditioned beyond the levels of the strongest men, and whose heart could withstand vigorous activity beyond that of even marathoners. To have your forearms branded by the Tiger, and the Dragon, meant that you possessed qualities of both.

Also, like I said earlier, the traps and obstacles in the 36 chambers were all lethal, not meant to injure, but to kill.

Although I could have it backwards; I think it was 36 chambers of study, and 12 chambers of obstacles, I mean, a 12 step obstacle course, the final step, was the branding iron cauldron. Again though all that stuff is a myth, far as I know.

Hi Shaolin has only 35 chambers, each chamber specializes in a certain Martial Arts form. I know some of the chambers they are:

1) Chamber of the wrist

2) Chamber of the head

3) Chamber of the sword

4) Chamber of the baton

5) Chamber of the eyes

6) Chamber of the head

7) Chamber of boxing

8) Chamber of the arms

9) Chamber of the body

etc etc. I guess Libraries and sutras and mudras would be individual chambers too