BILL NUMBER: SR 17 ENROLLED BILL TEXT ADOPTED IN SENATE MARCH 23, 2009 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 19, 1950 INTRODUCED BY Senator Yee MARCH 12, 2009 Relative to Shaolin Temple Day LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST WHEREAS, On March 21, 2009, Shaolin Temple USA will host China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day at Union Square in San Francisco to commemorate 1,500 years of cultural heritage; and WHEREAS, Shaolin Temple USA is an institution for the learning of Shaolin Kung Fu culture and Ch'an Buddhism. The Temple's first place of instruction is the Shaolin Culture Center located in Fremont, California, and a second Shaolin Culture Center is located in San Francisco; and WHEREAS, Shaolin Temple USA is the first North American branch organization of the world famous Songshan Temple which is located in Henan Province, China. Its mission is to share the rich Shaolin heritage with people of all backgrounds and ages by teaching and promoting Shaolin Kung Fu as a unified form of physical and spiritual culture; and WHEREAS, Shaolin Temple USA teaches Shaolin Chan (Zen) Philosophy through the core Shaolin disciplines of martial arts or action meditation: Kung Fu (Gongfu) and Chi Kung (Qigong); and WHEREAS, Shaolin Kung Fu is more than martial arts; it is a discipline that helps people achieve better physical and spiritual balance and wellness; and WHEREAS, Students go to Shaolin Temple USA to learn and grow from traditional Shaolin training and culture. "Heart to Heart" and "Mind to Mind" are the essence of Shaolin Ch'an Philosophy and this system of training spans the differences between language and culture as a direct form of growth and understanding; and WHEREAS, Shaolin Temple USA is the only Shaolin Kung Fu institution in the United States where all of the instructors are Buddhist monks from the Shaolin Temple of Song Mountain; and WHEREAS, California cultural diversity provides a perfect environment to share our differences and enhance our communal likeness. The Shaolin teachings are reflective of this same diversity, enabling many Californians to find a common ground in our diversity; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate hereby recognizes March 21, 2009, as Shaolin Temple Day in California; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate provide copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.