The hold of zen

A centuries-old tradition survives in the mystical world of Shaolin-and extends its influence to a modern society beyond

Inside a large hall of the lush Shaolin establishment in Central China, the stage is set on a recent afternoon. The arc lights are switched on and a few chairs laid out in a neat row. The place echoes in the collective hum of people's voices. Young monks in shaven heads and gray robes gather in a corner of the room.

The heavy rains outside lash at the trees of a compound that is thought to bear a 1,500-year-old history. A stream noisily gushes out to meet a river in the foothills of the Song Mountain.