China probes celebrity monk over embezzlement, sexual misconduct claims
Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple until he lost his ordination, was under scrutiny for allegedly misappropriating temple assets, the 1500-year-old monastery said in a notice on its official WeChat account on Sunday.
The institution also accused Yongxin of violating Buddhist precepts by having long-term relationships with several women and fathering illegitimate children.
The announcement raises questions about timing that have dominated Chinese social media. Many users wondered why authorities acted now, nearly a decade after disciples first publicly accused Yongxin of similar behaviour in 2015.
Yongxin, the dharma name he is known by, emerged largely unscathed from allegations, including of rape, embezzlement and fathering children, at the time.
Henan provincial authorities cleared him of a claim of having an illegitimate daughter that year and accusations of financial wrongdoing in 2017, citing insufficient evidence.
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Bloomberg News has been unable to reach Yongxin. The Shaolin Temple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The China Buddhist Association moved swiftly to distance itself from Yongxin, announcing on Monday that it had cancelled his ordination certificate.
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The Australian
12 hours ago
- The Australian
Head of China's Shaolin Temple removed over embezzlement claims
The head of the Chinese temple known as the birthplace of kung fu will be disrobed for "extremely" bad behaviour, Beijing's top Buddhist authority said Monday, after allegations of embezzlement saw him placed under investigation. The Shaolin Temple said on Sunday that Abbot Shi Yongxin, known as the "CEO monk" for establishing dozens of companies abroad, was suspected of "embezzling project funds and temple assets". The monastery said Shi had "seriously violated Buddhist precepts", including by allegedly engaging in "improper relationships" with multiple women. "Multiple departments" were conducting a joint investigation, it said in a statement on WeChat. In response, the Buddhist Association of China, overseen by the ruling Communist Party, said Monday it would cancel Shi's certificate of ordination. "Shi Yongxin's actions are of an extremely bad nature, seriously undermining the reputation of the Buddhist community, hurting the image of monks," the association said in an online statement. The association "firmly supports the decision to deal with Shi Yongxin in accordance with the law". Shi had previously been accused by former monks of embezzling money from a temple-run company, maintaining a fleet of luxury cars and fathering children with multiple women. China's government exercises authority over the appointment of religious leaders, and "improper" conduct is often grounds for removal from office. A hashtag related to the temple scandal had been viewed more than 560 million times on social media platform Weibo as of Monday morning. The last post to the abbot's personal account on Weibo declared: "when one's own nature is pure, the pure land is here in the present". Shi faced similar allegations in 2015 which the temple called "vicious libel". Shi, 59, took office as abbot in 1999 and in the following decades expanded Shaolin studies and cultural knowledge overseas. He helped the temple establish dozens of companies -- but received backlash for commercialising Buddhism. The temple, established in AD 495, is known as the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Chinese kung fu. Shi was first elected vice-chairman of the Buddhist Association of China in 2002 and has served as a representative to the National People's Congress, the country's top lawmaking body. mya/oho/mtp Breaking News Thailand and Cambodia agree truce after five days of fighting Breaking News Stock markets, dollar rise on EU-US trade deal
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Temu accused by EU regulators of failing to prevent sale of illegal products
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Sydney Morning Herald
16 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
China probes celebrity monk over embezzlement, sexual misconduct claims
Beijing: China has accused the former head monk of its most famous Buddhist temple of embezzling funds and sexual misconduct, beginning a new investigation more than a decade after similar allegations surfaced. Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple until he lost his ordination, was under scrutiny for allegedly misappropriating temple assets, the 1500-year-old monastery said in a notice on its official WeChat account on Sunday. The institution also accused Yongxin of violating Buddhist precepts by having long-term relationships with several women and fathering illegitimate children. The announcement raises questions about timing that have dominated Chinese social media. Many users wondered why authorities acted now, nearly a decade after disciples first publicly accused Yongxin of similar behaviour in 2015. Yongxin, the dharma name he is known by, emerged largely unscathed from allegations, including of rape, embezzlement and fathering children, at the time. Henan provincial authorities cleared him of a claim of having an illegitimate daughter that year and accusations of financial wrongdoing in 2017, citing insufficient evidence. Loading Bloomberg News has been unable to reach Yongxin. The Shaolin Temple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The China Buddhist Association moved swiftly to distance itself from Yongxin, announcing on Monday that it had cancelled his ordination certificate.
