[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22490]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  COMMENDING THE ABBOT SHI YONGXIN OF THE SHAO LIN MONASTERY IN CHINA

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                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 5, 2006

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on November 15th Abbot Shi 
Yongxin of the Shao Lin Temple in China visited Washington, DC to meet 
with Members of Congress and other U.S. Government officials. I had the 
privilege to meet this remarkable man and his traveling companions all 
of whom are expert practitioners of a specialized form of the martial 
arts commonly known as Kung Fu.
  The Abbot leads one of the most ancient and most respected 
monasteries of its type in China, where he and his colleagues teach a 
synergistic philosophy based on the Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 
traditions. Thousands of Americans have traveled to the Shao Lin Temple 
over the years in order to advance their spiritual lives; and upon 
their return to the United States shared what they learned with their 
friends, family, and neighbors. I firmly believe that these types of 
person-to-person exchanges are and rightly ought to be a critical 
component of our foreign policy strategy. These types of exchanges 
inevitably break down old stereotypes and foster deeper understanding 
between the United States and other countries. Although my conversation 
with Abbot Shi Yongxin was all too brief, I was impressed with the 
Abbot's unique insight into China and Chinese culture. As our nation 
struggles to cope with the rising power and influence of China, these 
are the kinds of insights and perspectives we will need in order to 
understand what motivates China's leaders.
  The Abbot's visit to the United States, specifically, Alabama, New 
York, and Washington, DC, was facilitated by Dr. Thomas J. Rosandich, 
the president of the United States Sports Academy. The Academy is a 
unique degree-granting institution of higher education, focused 
primarily on sports management, sports medicine, and sports education. 
In fact, Abbot Shi Yongxin recently received an honorary degree from 
the United States Sports Academy to coincide with the launch of a 
cooperative agreement between the Temple and the Academy to teach Shao 
Lin Kung Fu in various locations around the globe.
  Mr. Speaker, the efforts of the Abbot and the other monks of the Shao 
Lin Temple--as well as the parallel efforts of the United States Sports 
Academy--to use their teachings to help foster international peace and 
understanding deserve our deepest appreciation and respect. I ask all 
of my colleagues to join me in commending Abbot Shi Yongxin and his 
colleagues for their outstanding work, and wishing them a safe and 
pleasant journey back home to China.

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