Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin

[GeneChing]

Last Friday, Shaolin Temple's current abbot, Venerable Shi Yongxin, was elected to the post of Vice Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China during the association's 7th session.

[diego]

i cant remember wich issue you wrote about the shaolin renovation project, but i know it was awhile ago; Whats happenning at shaolin now?.

[GeneChing]

Good question. Looks like I have to go back soon and find out.

[norther practitioner]

I heard a rumor (don't know the solidity) that Abbot Shi Yongxin might be coming to America next year for a visit.

[jun_erh]

Maybe he can open a used car dealership for the time he's here.

[GeneChing]

He has been wanting to visit the U.S. for some time, but he's a very busy man. And now, he is one of the most powerful Buddhists in China.

[Royal Dragon]

Really? That's cool Shaolin running everything is good. Better them telling everyone else what to do than having to BE told what to do.

[GeneChing]

Yes, it's all very intriguing. The role of the wuseng is evolving at a tremendous rate now. I can't even guess what will happen next.

Where did you get that translation, Stumblefist (or did you translate it yourself?)

[GeneChing]

China’s controversial Buddhist abbot of Shaolin Temple turns his back on title of ‘CEO monk’
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 10 March, 2015, 12:55pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 10 March, 2015, 12:55pm
Stephen Chen binglin.chen@scmp.com


Shi Yongxin, abbot of China's Shaolin Temple,was dubbed the 'CEO monk' after being accused of running the temple like a business. Photo: Ricky Chung

China’s controversial Buddhist monk, who earned himself the nickname of “CEO monk” after being accused of running the Shaolin Temple like a business, no longer likes the title.

“Don’t call me a CEO,” pleaded Shi Yongxin, abbot of the temple, during the National People’s Congress parliamentary session in Beijing.

Shi, who is an NPC delegate and was speaking on the sidelines of the meetings, told Henan Business Daily that addressing a monk with secular titles such as “general manager” and “chief executive officer” was “very inappropriate”.

Yet Shi seems to have changed his mind.

In an interview with the Phoenix TV in Hong Kong in 2007, Shi – abbot of the temple since 1999 – said he accepted the “CEO” title because it was “convenient for explanation, convenient for promotion, convenient for communication” whenever he marketed Shaolin Temple, in as a brand of Chinese kung-fu around the world.

Shi is no stranger to controversy in the past, after accepting a one million yuan (about HK$1.2 million) luxury SUV from the local government for his contribution to tourism in 2006, and also saying he believed in aliens in 2013.

This month he and the temple, which has gained a reputation for aggressive commercialism, was again at the centre of fresh controversy over the temple’s plans to build a US$297 million 500-bed hotel complex, including a temple, live-in kung fu academy and a 27-hole golf course in Australia.

The Shoalhaven City Council in New South Wales state said earlier this month that Shaolin Temple Foundation Australia, the developer, had finalised a land purchase at Comberton Grange for what will be known as Shaolin Village.

During Shi’s leadership, the temple’s name has become known around the world and it has developed many business projects, such as renting the temple out for kung fu performances, film productions, reality TV shows – beauty contests.

Its internet sales have also been profitable, with a copy of the Shaolin Kung Fu manual sold for up to 9,999 yuan on the temple’s online store.

However, the temple’s commercial success under Shi’s leadership has drawn more criticism than plaudits from Chinese bloggers, with

the temple’s website hacked several times.

Shi’s personal life was also criticised on discussion forums and on social media.

He has said such comments have not only damaged his personal reputation, but also harmed the Buddhist religion.

Shi said he had urged the government to remove the negative comments on the internet, but said the authorities had ignored his protests.

I should index the major abbot threads on this one someday...

[Orion Paximus]

I know your sort of bros with him and all, and I know that he's "done a lot" for chinese Kung Fu... but Shaolin needs a real Buddhist leader to return it to it's humble roots. Let all of this money making non-sense go. Or at least leave it to the PRC's Tourism General or whatever.

[GeneChing]

...the Shaolin Spin-Doctor, the real 'fake' monk, the Drunk Monk, the Shaolin apologist... and I accept these monikers humbly. However, the one thing I am NOT is the Abbot's 'bro'.

Okay, this is an excuse to index all of the Abbot Shi 'not Gene's bro' Yongxin's threads on this forum here.

Abbot-scandals
Shaolin-Temple-in-My-Heart-(Shaolin-Wo-Xin-Zhong-De)-by-Abbot-Shi-Yongxin
NEW-Shaolin-books-by-Abbot-Shi-Yong-Xin
Venerable-Abbot-Shi-Yongxin-to-visit-SF
Shaolin-Abbot-Shi-Yongxin-s-visit-to-America
New-auction-items-from-the-abbot-of-Shaolin-Temple
Shaolin-Abbot-is-an-*******!

As for my personal feeling on the Abbot, well, keep in mind I do let all of the negative threads here stand. And let my professional perspective suffice - I am a Shaolin layman disciple and Shaolin Temple is Kung Fu Tai Chi's biggest advertiser.

Or at least leave it to the PRC's Tourism General or whatever.

This is part and parcel of the issue. Shaolin is overseen by many powers that be: the PRC, the provincial and municipal governments, the sports commission, the religious commission, the chicoms, the tourist board...They make any sort of move and the Abbot is held responsible. I remember Shaolin prior to the Abbot taking his position and the tourist board had full run of the area. There were all sorts of crazy tourist traps: house of horrors, a roller-coaster simulator, Mao's private jet, a mummy display, so many...if you want a more detailed account, read my book. I loved that cheesiness back then. It was so surreal. But since the Abbot took over, he cleaned a lot of that up and Shaolin has become a much more appropriate setting for such a major historical Buddhist landmark. No mummies. No roller-coaster simulators. Not even a golf course.

[MarathonTmatt]

Well, this is a reality of the modern world, like it or not. I suppose the Chinese government could've just left the Shaolin Temple in a state of ruins, and it would just be history.

But for a modern revival such as Shaolin Monastery to prosper in the modern world, the exchange of money is going to happen.

In Connecticut, not long ago, there were only a few remnant families left with traceable lineage to Mashantucket Pequot heritage. Skip Hayward and his family were one of these families, although their blood quantum (by their own admission) is actually pretty low. His mother was the last person living on the old reservation lands. I know people with stronger Pequot blood who have been excluded from tribal membership (and thus casino money) because their family moved 1 mile down the street off the reservation before a certain date in the 19th century. Anyway, Skip Hayward who was living in relative poverty was eventually elected as chief councilman of the Mashantucket Pequots, and FoxWoods was born. Only on the road to their federal recognition were tribal members assembled from far and wide, some of who knew nothing about their Pequot ancestry, initially. (it is a beatiful thing to bring people back together, though.) The Pequots have a housing development, and now run one of the world's most successful casino's.

I see many paralells with FoxWoods and the Shaolin Temple (or so I perceive.) For instance, there is the Mashantucket Pequot Museum which does a great job of preserving knowledge and information about the NorthEastern Woodlands culture, with exhibits, special lectures, a library of records and information and their cafe serves traditional Native food. They also fund some state archaelogy and research. They also host a killer inter-tribal 3 day Pow-Wow at the end of August each year (the Pequot Green Corn Festival- Schemitzun). However, are some of the council members, such as Skip Hayward (who has stepped down) savvy business-men who run the casino and attractions (or actually, pay others for such things)- You betcha.

From what I can tell modern Shaolin Temple is a lot like this- they seem to retain information on their arts, but also have many commercial endeavors. For anything like it to even exist and "be out there" in the modern world this is going to happen- the good, the bad and the ugly.

If people really need to blame something for these situations, you should carefully research colonialism- the different regimes of Europe such as the cabinet members of Oliver Cromwell, the Bank of Amsterdam- these people were going all around the world around the same time period(s)- they are responsible for the genocide of the America's, they are the same people playing sides in the Orient (such as China) and responsible for the genocide in Ireland (what people have wrongly labelled the "potato famine"). In Massachusetts, there is a town named Hopkinton, which was named for Edward Hopkins, a cabinet member of Oliver Cromwell's. My research shows there was a failed assasination attempt on his life by a Native group. Hopkinton area is also the Echo Lake area, the headwaters of the Charles, Blackstone and Sudbury Rivers, and there are many Native stone-works (in a ruinous state) that remain there today, such as sacred temple lodges, effigy cairns, shrines, chambers, etc. This is what somebody might even describe as a "lost kingdom" (implying greater pre-colonial population densities and sophistication than the current history books tell people). There was a time when people scoffed at the idea of Mayan/ Aztec cities existing in the Yucatan, even into the mid-late 19th century.

Well, not to get too off topic, but, if the Shaolin Temple didn't comercialize in any way, no one would ever hear of them. The good, the bad, the ugly, I guess. It's sort of the reality of the modern day, it's either "will break bricks for food" hobo mentality, or have a commerical enterprise.

[Orion Paximus]

...the Shaolin Spin-Doctor, the real 'fake' monk, the Drunk Monk, the Shaolin apologist... and I accept these monikers humbly. However, the one thing I am NOT is the Abbot's 'bro'.

Well mostly I meant "You're on friendly terms and probably try not to get too publicly judgey so when he comes to town he's willing to be interviewed for the magazine", but I stand corrected it seems.

*Cover of April Magazine*

This Just in: Gene Ching and Shi Yongshin - NOT BROS

[SoCo KungFu]

It's sort of the reality of the modern day, it's either "will break bricks for food" hobo mentality, or have a commerical enterprise.

The problem for Shaolin, is that for many, this is what is actually expected.

[GeneChing]

China takes its netizen comments way too seriously. Either that, or it's just lazy journalism.

Abbot defends role in temple promotion
Updated: 2015-04-08 07:02
By An Baijie(China Daily USA)



Shaolin's leader has often faced criticism over high profile, business activities
When Abbot Shi Yongxin attended a meeting in early March during the annual session of the National People's Congress, a man came to his desk with two envelopes and asked for his signature on them as a souvenir.
The abbot quickly signed his name, gave the envelopes back and continued with the meeting.
"As a lawmaker, I would rather have my proposals heard than be treated like a celebrity," he said.
Shi, 50, abbot of Shaolin Temple, China's most famous Buddhist monastery, is also a deputy to the National People's Congress.
Unlike other monks, who have always led a reclusive life, Shi has kept a high profile since he became abbot of Shaolin Temple in 1999, and he has often courted controversy. He has been criticized for attending a TV show hosted by a female anchor, using an iPhone, and for the temple's commercialization.
"If a monk often appears on the entertainment page of newspapers, he is not a monk, but just a bald man," a netizen said in a micro blog posted on March 11. The post received 2,600 likes within three days.
Shi was also in the spotlight in February after foreign media disclosed plans by Shaolin Temple to spend $326 million building a cultural center, featuring a luxury hotel, in Australia.
The investment plan met with fierce criticism from some netizens, and many people said the Shaolin culture had been overly commercialized by the abbot's string of business activities.
"Even though setting up a Shaolin Temple branch abroad is good for cultural exchanges, there is no need to establish a luxury hotel," a netizen commented on China Daily's website. "We seldom hear about Shaolin's contribution in poverty reduction or disaster alleviation."
The abbot replied that the money was jointly accumulated by Shaolin practitioners, and what the Shaolin Temple cares about is not money but the promotion of Buddhism all over the world.
He said that the Shaolin Temple has established more than 40 cultural centers abroad, where more than 100 Shaolin monks have worked to promote the temple's culture and teach Shaolin kung fu.
"All of the Shaolin cultural centers overseas were built at the invitation of local government, social organizations, and Shaolin practitioners," he said, adding that the temple will build more cultural centers abroad "if there are proper places".
As one of the first Chinese monks to gain an MBA, he was labeled as "CEO monk" for developing business operations, including lucrative kung fu shows and merchandise.
"It's not proper to call monks a CEO or general manager," Shi said in one of the three proposals he submitted at the NPC session this year. In the same proposal, the abbot also called on the public to respect religion.
Shi said that he had to keep a low profile to avoid making "unnecessary trouble" while attending this year's NPC session.
"As long as I open my mouth, the newspapers could distort my words and mislead the public," he said, adding that he had refused interview requests from numerous journalists.
"I am not afraid of being interviewed, but I don't want to be misunderstood."
anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily USA 04/08/2015 page6)

More on Shaolin Temple OZ here