Shaolin Pharmacy - 少林藥局
Shaolin Pharmacy: A Millennium of Medical Heritage
In 1217 AD, Venerable Master Zhilong of Shaolin Temple established the Shaolin Pharmacy, pioneering the tradition of Buddhist monastic medical institutions in China. Yuan Haowen, the renowned literati and historian of the Jin-Yuan period, documented in Records of Shaolin Pharmacy: "The Shaolin Pharmacy was founded during the Zhenyou era (1217), enduring over eight centuries to this day." This historical account affirms the Shaolin Pharmacy's significance as China's oldest monastic medical institution.
The Medical System Rooted in Chan Buddhism
Initially serving to treat trauma injuries sustained by the temple's martial monks, the pharmacy developed a unique medical system integrating Buddhist healing wisdom with traditional Chinese medicine. Sacred texts such as Yijin Jing and Xisui Jing, preserved in the pharmacy, contain not only health-preserving exercises but also profound medical theories. Through generations of clinical practice, monastic physicians developed a comprehensive therapeutic system combining acupressure, medical massage, daoyin exercises, and herbal formulations.
Compassionate Medical Service for All
Expanding its services to surrounding communities, the pharmacy upheld the Buddhist spirit of compassion by providing free treatment to all, regardless of social status. Historical records, including Shaolin Temple Chronicles from the Ming Dynasty, document the pharmacy's epidemic relief efforts. Yuan Haowen particularly praised its rigorous standards in "collecting herbs in proper seasons and preparing medicines with exacting methods," declaring it "a model of medical excellence in drug preparation and application."
Systematic Preservation of Medical Knowledge
Through successive dynasties, the pharmacy established a complete medical heritage system. By the Republican era, it had accumulated over a hundred medical texts and thousands of proven prescriptions. Its medical achievements are manifested in three key areas:
- Unique traumatology treatment techniques
- Systematic health-preserving exercise methods
- Meticulous herbal processing techniques
Among these, the production technique of "Shaolin Black Plaster" was recognized as intangible cultural heritage, requiring strict adherence to seasonal timing and dozens of precise procedures.
Contemporary Inheritance and Development
While preserving tradition, the modern Shaolin Pharmacy actively engages in academic research. In 2004, Shaolin Temple formally restored the pharmacy's organizational structure and systematically collated historical medical texts. In 2011, "Secret Formulations of Shaolin Pharmacy" was inscribed on Henan Province's intangible cultural heritage list. The current abbot, Venerable Shi Yongxin, emphasizes: "Shaolin medicine embodies the Buddhist spirit of compassion, with its core value lying in the bodhisattva mind of benefiting all beings."
The pharmacy's oldest artifact—a Yuan Dynasty herbal mortar—bears witness to over eight centuries of medical heritage. Today, Shaolin Pharmacy continues its dual role as guardian of traditional medicine and practitioner of Buddhist compassion, perpetuating the timeless legacy of "healing with a Buddha's heart."