Latest news with #ShaolinTemple
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'CEO Monk' scandal: Shaolin temple chief under fire for 'bad behaviour & improper relationships'; accused of misusing funds
(Photo: AP) The Buddhist Association of China announced on Monday that the head of the famous Shaolin Temple, known as the birthplace of kung fu, will be removed from his position for "extremely bad behavior. " The decision came on Sunday after the Shaolin Temple revealed that Abbot Shi Yongxin, nicknamed the "CEO monk" for his international business ventures, was under investigation for allegedly misusing temple funds and project money. The temple stated that Shi had gravely violated Buddhist principles, including accusations of having "improper relationships" with several women, AFP reported. A joint investigation involving "multiple departments" was underway, according to their WeChat statement. The Buddhist Association of China, under Communist Party oversight, announced Monday its decision to revoke Shi's ordination certificate. The association stated that Shi Yongxin's conduct was exceptionally poor, severely damaging the Buddhist community's standing and monks' reputation, whilst expressing strong support for legal action against him. Previous accusations by former monks included financial misconduct involving temple businesses, possession of luxury vehicles, and having children with multiple partners. The Chinese government maintains control over religious leadership appointments, with inappropriate behaviour often resulting in dismissal. By Monday morning, social media platform Weibo recorded over 560 million views on the temple controversy hashtag. The abbot's final Weibo post stated: "when one's own nature is pure, the pure land is here in the present". Similar accusations in 2015 were dismissed by the temple as "vicious libel". Shi, aged 59, became abbot of the Shaolin Temple in 1999 and later helped expand its cultural reach around the world. In 2002, he was elected vice-chairman of the Buddhist Association of China and has also served as a delegate to the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body. The Shaolin Temple, founded in AD 495, is recognised as Zen Buddhism's origin and the birthplace of Chinese kung fu.
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China's famous Shaolin Temple gets a new abbot after predecessor removed
China has appointed a new abbot to the country's famous Shaolin Temple, two days after authorities at the Buddhist monastery announced its head monk for more than 25 years had been placed under investigation for alleged financial and sex scandals. The abbot of White Horse Temple, Shi Yinle, will replace him, according to a brief statement from the Shaolin Temple on Tuesday. Companies linked to disgraced former abbot Shi Yongxin, 60, have been deregistered and his Buddhist credentials revoked, the South China Morning Post reported earlier. 'In accordance with the regulations on the appointment of abbots of Chinese Buddhist Temples, after democratic evaluation and approval by the Shaolin Temple and following the relevant procedures, Venerable Yinle was invited to be the abbot of Shaolin Temple,' the one paragraph statement said. Established over 1,500 years ago in Henan province, Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and an Unesco World Heritage site, famed as the cradle of Shaolin kung fu. White Horse Temple is also in Henan. More to follow …
NHK
11 hours ago
- Business
- NHK
Head monk at China's Shaolin Temple under investigation
The head monk at China's world-renowned Shaolin Temple is reportedly under investigation for suspected embezzlement and maintaining relationships with women. The Buddhist temple in China's inland Henan Province revealed in a statement on Sunday that abbot Shi Yongxin is being probed by multiple agencies. The statement said the abbot is suspected of misappropriating temple assets and having maintained improper relationships with multiple women over an extended period, in violation of Buddhist teachings, and fathering at least one child. Chinese media say the abbot has served as deputy head of the Buddhist Association of China, and as a delegate to the National People's Congress. He is also reported to have been referred to as "CEO monk" for setting up affiliated companies and launching a wide variety of businesses, including food services and clothing. Shaolin Temple is famous for its martial arts tradition, known as kung fu.
Wall Street Journal
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- Wall Street Journal
A Buddhist Monk's Alleged Indulgence in Money and Sex Transfixes China
Shi Yongxin rode in luxury cars, traveled the world to meet the rich and powerful, and presided over a globe-spanning business empire. He's also a monk and the abbot of China's Shaolin Temple—perhaps the world's most famous Buddhist monastery, founded more than 1,500 years ago and renowned today as the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and a cradle of Chinese martial arts.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shaolin Temple's 'CEO monk' probed for embezzlement, relations with women
BEIJING (Reuters) -The abbot of China's famed 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple is under criminal investigation for alleged embezzlement, "improper relationships" with women and fathering illegitimate children, religious authorities said. Shi Yongxin, 59, previously a member of China's parliament, is "suspected of criminal offences, misappropriating and embezzling project funds and the temple's assets," the temple said in a statement, adding Shi is under joint investigation by multiple agencies. Shi could not immediately be reached for comment. The temple did not answer a call from Reuters. Nicknamed the "CEO monk" and known for his commercial ambitions, Shi sought to capitalise on the monastery's fame during his decades-long tenure at Shaolin Temple, the fabled birthplace of kung fu and the setting for many martial arts films in the central Chinese province of Henan. Shi has "seriously violated Buddhist precepts, maintained improper relationships with multiple women over a long period of time" and fathered at least one "illegitimate" child, the temple said in its statement released on its social media account on Sunday. In a statement issued on Monday, the state-supervised Buddhist Association of China said it approved the revoking of Shi's ordination certificate, adding that his "behaviours are extremely deplorable in nature, have seriously damaged the reputation of the Buddhist community and tarnished the image of monks." In 2015, a letter circulated online accusing Shi of misconduct and improper sexual relations. The temple denied the allegations at the time. Shi, known as Liu Yingcheng before he became a monk in 1981, has overseen the temple since 1987 and became its abbot in 1999, the temple's website showed. In 2008, the temple opened an online store, offering a range of goods including shoes, tea, T-shirts, and a kung fu instruction manual for 9,999 yuan ($1,395). Its business ventures over the years also included book publishing, medicine, kung fu performances, film production, asset management and real estate. Shi posted daily on his social media account on Weibo with more than 882,000 followers. Shi was a delegate of China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress, for around two decades until 2018. He has also been deputy head of China's Buddhist association. ($1 = 7.1685 Chinese yuan renminbi) Solve the daily Crossword
