Shaolin Life

A typical daily schedule, including the vegetarian diet served at each meal, is up at
5:30 a.m., chanting; 6 a.m. breakfast, which consists of a soup made of beans
called eight treasures; then more chanting and a half-hour break, followed by two
hours of kung fu training. During training, the monks switch what form or style they
are practicing every 10 minutes. After practice, more chanting until at 11:30 a.m.,
lunchtime, which consists of five to six different vegetables, tofu and rice. We do not
drink tea or liquids with our meals to aid in easy digestion. Lunch finishes at
approximately 12:30. Now it is back to chanting, then comes a two-hour break.
During this time the monks may meditate, relax or nap. At approximately 3:00 p.m.,
another two-hour kung fu practice session begins. This wraps up at 5 p.m. There is
no chanting before dinner out of respect for the dead. At 5:30 p.m., noodles are
served for dinner, with bread — the breads we eat are black or yellow wheat; 6:30
p.m., Heart Sutra chanting for one hour — we call the heart the center of the
Universe; 8 p.m., quiet time for meditation; 10 p.m., bedtime.