Abbot scandals

[ShaolinDiva]

Well, at least they're getting tons of top USA media exposure Bad news is exposure nonetheless for Shaolin. I must admit that the NY Times journalism piece is a good piece of journalism!

And most definitely this shall affect the San Fran show if this continues - but they got a couple of months to put out this forest fire.


Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...d37_story.html

NY times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/06/wo...ring.html?_r=0

CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/29/china/...ang/index.html

[GeneChing]

I'm going to C&P it here because hyperlinks expire.

Money, Lust and Kung Fu: Shaolin’s ‘C.E.O. Monk’ Is Under Fire
点击查看本文中文版

By ANDREW JACOBS AUG. 5, 2015


Students practicing kung fu at the Shaolin Tagou School, one of the private academies near the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, China, in November 2014. Credit Adam Dean for The New York Times

DENGFENG, China — Incense drifting through ancient cedars. Saffron-robed monks, limbs a blur of movement, making quick work of imagined enemies. The boing of a giant bronze bell calling the faithful to prayer.

This is the scene at the fabled Shaolin Temple, a cradle of kung fu and Zen Buddhism nestled in the forests of the central Chinese province of Henan, where legend has it monks have trained in martial arts for centuries. But in recent days, another sound has been wafting across its hallowed grounds: the snickering of tourists trading the latest news about the abbot of Shaolin and his reportedly less than virtuous ways.

Over the past week, much of the nation has been transfixed by salacious allegations that the famed abbot, Shi Yongxin, known as China’s C.E.O. Monk for transforming Shaolin into a global commercial empire, is a swindler and serial philanderer who secretly fathered children with two of his lovers, vows of celibacy notwithstanding.

The accusations — new tidbits have appeared almost daily in the Chinese news media — are mostly based on documents released by a self-described former monk at the temple who says the abbot owns a small fleet of fancy cars, has embezzled millions of dollars from a temple-run corporation and has funneled some of the cash to a mistress now living in Australia.


Shi Yongxin in 2005. He faces allegations of embezzlement and breaking his vow of celibacy. Credit Cancan Chu/Getty Images

Beyond the obvious legal repercussions, the abbot’s apparent lust for women, money and bling runs counter to the virtues of chastity and austere living that he has long sought to personify as one of the most prominent figures in Chinese Buddhism. To his growing legion of critics, the scandal has heightened public cynicism about a society in which greed and crass materialism often seem to trump morality, especially among those in positions of power.

The informer, a mysterious figure using a name that translates as “seeker of justice,” has told reporters he is fed up with the abbot’s hypocrisy and wants to see the “grounds of Shaolin purified again.” He declined interview requests and has yet to appear in public, saying he is afraid for his safety following threats from what he called “Shi Yongxin’s henchmen.”

“We want the outside world to know that the Shaolin abbot, using Buddhism as a cloak, is a maniacal womanizer and corrupt ‘tiger’ who brazenly exploits Shaolin’s assets and tarnishes its reputation,” he wrote in a statement last week that pleaded for a government investigation.

Among the evidence he has made public to support his accusations are police depositions and photographs of a woman said to be one of the abbot’s lovers, a Shaolin nun who appears dressed in brown monastic robes while holding the baby she says was fathered by Shi Yongxin. Another supposed mistress claims to have physical evidence of his lechery: semen, collected in a condom, that she sent to a doctor for safekeeping. Over the weekend, she used a social media account to post a photo of the underwear she says she wore during sex with the abbot.

During a visit to the temple last week, the modest gray-brick pavilion where Shi Yongxin lives and works was padlocked, and monastery officials declined interview requests. In a statement posted online, they called the allegations against Shi Yongxin “vicious, groundless libel.”


A monk selling souvenirs and religious trinkets at the Shaolin Temple. The temple's abbot, Shi Yongxin, has helped transform Shaolin into a global commercial empire. Credit Adam Dean for The New York Times

Local police officials say they have opened an investigation, perhaps moved by the media maelstrom and a public finger wag by the powerful State Administration for Religious Affairs, which warned that the scandal threatened to tarnish Chinese Buddhism.

Critics have complained for years that Shi Yongxin has overcommercialized Shaolin through product licensing and overseas franchises, including plans for a $300 million luxury Shaolin kung fu resort and golf course in southeastern Australia.

Like the paying tourists who flock to Shaolin’s hourly “fighting monks” acrobatic show, other controversies have come and gone, including reports that the monastery spent more than $400,000 on “luxury toilets” and an initial public stock offering that was scuttled amid criticism that monks sworn to asceticism should not be playing the stock market.

News accounts have also detailed Shi Yongxin’s taste for Apple products and gold-filament robes — all gifts, he pointed out — and a 2011 Xinhua report said the authorities were investigating claims he managed to escape prosecution after being caught in a brothel raid.

Through it all, the abbot has remained stoic, refusing to respond to allegations of impropriety while brushing off requests to release details of the monastery’s finances, which include those of Shaolin Intangible Assets Management, a corporation that invests in seven Buddhist-themed enterprises and is largely owned by him.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

A History of Shaolin Temple

Founding (495)An Indian monk founded the Shaolin Temple in the Song mountain range in Henan. The monk, known as Batuo, was its first abbot and, some say, introduced martial arts there.
Turbulent 1,400 YearsThe Shaolin Temple was destroyed and restored several times because of conflicts over the monks' political allegiances. In 1928, the warlord Shi Yousan set fire to the monastery.
Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)Red Guards destroyed the rebuilt temple and attacked its monks.
International Fame (1982)A Hong Kong movie starring Jet Li, ‘‘Shaolin Temple,’’ brought the monastery added fame; it spawned a number of sequels.
Going Into Business (1997)The Shaolin Temple set up the first company run by a Buddhist monastery in China — to trademark its name.
Abbot Shi Yongxin (1999-today)In his 16 years as abbot, he has revived ancient Shaolin medicine, set up martial arts schools overseas and pursued other investments, including a failed stock exchange listing and a plan to build a $300 million luxury Shaolin kung fu resort and golf course in southeastern Australia.

By VANESSA PIAO

“If these things are problems, they would have become problems by now,” he told the BBC elliptically during a visit to London last year.

A pudgy, soft-spoken man with a round, shaved head, Shi Yongxin, 50, is alternately lionized in the Chinese media for reviving the 1,500-year-old monastery complex after decades of desecration and neglect and criticized for his mercantile approach to its management.

In interviews, he has described the business deals and his globe-trotting ways as necessary to promote Buddhism, and especially Shaolin’s unique brand of martial arts, mysticism and faith.

“If China can import Disney resorts, why can’t other countries import the Shaolin Monastery?” Xinhua quoted him as saying in March amid criticism over the Australia project. “Promoting culture abroad is a very dignified undertaking.”

Even if officially atheist, China’s ruling Communist Party has come to appreciate Shaolin’s global profile and its ability to generate revenue. Judging from the parade of officials who have visited in recent years, many also evidently believe in the mythological protective powers of Shaolin’s fighting monks, a reputation dating from the seventh century, when, as the story goes, a band of 13 monks saved a Tang dynasty prince from a predacious warlord.


Kung fu students at the Shaolin Tagou School in Dengfeng, China, in November 2014. Credit Adam Dean for The New York Times

Appreciative officials have returned the favor, giving Shi Yongxin a $125,000 luxury vehicle and anointing him as a representative to the country’s ceremonial legislature, the National People’s Congress. His other political sinecure is a top job with the state-run Buddhist Association of China.

Shi Yongxin’s defenders say successful people invariably draw enemies. Li Xiangping, director of the Religion and Society Research Institute at East China Normal University, said the critics had misunderstood his role as a bridge between Buddhism and the secular world, and especially a government that has the ultimate say over religious affairs in China.

“They think monks should just study scripture really hard and sit meditating morning and night,” Professor Li said. “But if you really want to promote Buddhism and influence society, you have to interact with the society.”

Amid a party campaign against corruption and gluttony that has toppled scores of powerful figures, the fact that the story has remained alive in the tightly controlled state news media for so many days does not bode well for Shi Yongxin. On Monday, news outlets gleefully reported that he failed to show up in Thailand over the weekend for a previously scheduled martial arts performance because he was “tied up” with the investigation.

But here at the heart of Shaolin Inc., home to 400 resident monks and where thousands of students study martial arts in private academies that line the main road to town, support for Shi Yongxin remains strong.

Last week, a group of 30 monks released a public letter rejecting the allegations against him, and even the trinket vendors wave away the innuendo. “You won’t find a more virtuous man,” said Wang Daling, 50, a tour guide who has been leading groups through the temple complex for two decades.

Many tourists, however, were not buying the denials. “Just the sight of his fleshy face to me suggests he’s guilty,” said Li Yanan, 24, an engineering student on a visit from nearby Shandong Province. “Monks aren’t supposed to be so fat.”

Still, few thought Shaolin would suffer lasting damage given the temple’s popularity both in China and abroad.

“The more gossip about Shaolin, the more tourists will come,” said Zhang Jianzhen, 32, a snack vendor whose concession sells $1.50 bottles of water, a 400 percent markup over those sold outside Shaolin’s gates. “That can only be good for business.”

Adam Wu contributed research.

A version of this article appears in print on August 6, 2015, on page A4 of the New York edition with the headline: Money, Lust and Kung Fu: China’s ‘C.E.O. Monk’ Is Under Fire.

As this story progresses, just remember that our forum was on top of this last week before it went viral.

[GeneChing]

Revealed: Woman posts pictures of underwear she 'wore while in bed' with scandal-hit (and celibate) head monk of Zen Buddhist kung fu Shaolin Temple

Account belonging to 'Ms Liu Liming' posted a photograph of underwear
Claims she kept the underwear as evidence she slept with Shi Yongxin
The 'C.E.O. monk' took a vow of celibacy - but has reportedly had affairs
Critics question his commercialisation of the famous Shaolin Temple and Yongxin has been accused of embezzling funds
The temple has hit back saying the claims are 'malicious libel'

By Elaine O'flynn and Tracy You For Mailonline
Published: 05:05 EST, 10 August 2015 | Updated: 05:10 EST, 10 August 2015

A woman claiming to be a mistress of China's most notorious Buddhist monk posted a photo of her soiled underwear online, which she claims is proof they had sex.

As well as sharing a picture of the dirty knickers under the 'Ms Liu Liming' account, she claimed she has sent a condom with the sperm of Shi Yongxin - the head of China's Shaolin Temple and known as the 'C.E.O. monk' - to a doctor for safekeeping.

It is the latest scandalous revelation to hit the holy man, who took a solemn vow of celibacy, who has been dogged by allegations of womanizing, embezzlement and claims he has fathered illegitimate children. The allegations have sparked an investigation by Chinese authorities.



Exposed: Under Liu Liming's social media account last weekend, reported to be the woman pictured left, a picture of soiled underwear was posted as evidence she had sex with Shi Yongxin, the head of Shaolin Temple


Investigation: The Denfeng city government has said it will look into the allegations made against Shi Yongxin


Expanding: Under Shi Yongxin the Shaolin Temple - the birthplace of Chinese martial arts and Zen Buddhism - has rapidly expanded and now boasts at least 40 affiliated sites around the world

With millions of followers including celebrities Tina Turner and Orlando Bloom, Buddhism has gained popularity in the West with its focus on personal spiritual enlightenment and triumph over material gain.

And the Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Zen Buddhism with its army of fighting monks capable of awe-inspiring athletic feats, has gained an almost mythological image in the West.

The temple has sought to protect its brand, successfully commercialising the holy centre and making it an attraction for people around the world.

In doing so Shi Yongxin has become one of the most famous monks in the world – but gossip of alleged impropriety has surrounded the abbot for years. But in recent weeks it has reached fever pitch.

A whistleblower has stoked the fire by leaking a series of documents and photos to Chinese media about the moral figurehead - including what is claimed to be a deposition document between Liu Liming and Shi Yongxin.

At the same time a social media account under Liu Liming's name shared a picture of the stained underwear, saying it was evidence of Shi Yongxin's womanizing, before later taking it off Chinese social media site Weibo. But by that time it had blazed a trail across Chinese media.

The photos and documents allegedly stem from a little known 2004 case in which the monk accused her of blackmail. She apparently held onto 'evidence' of their relationship, which the New York Times reports included a condom filled with his semen.

The informer, who calls himself 'Shi Zhengyi', claims to be a disgruntled ex-monk of the Shaolin Temple, keen to expose the leader's alleged hypocrisy of preaching moral values while behaving inappropriately.



Leaked: The whistleblower also shared pictures of a Shaolin nun and her baby, who Shi Yongxin is alleged to have fathered. The man said he wanted to expose the 'hypocrisy' of Shi Yongxin with the material


Gossip: Questions about Shi Yongxin's conduct have been around for a decade, including allegations he uses prostitutes, was a 'sugar daddy' to a student, has multiple mistresses and has illegitimate children

SHI YONGXIN: THE 'CEO MONK'

Born Liu Yingcheng in 1965 in Yingshang County, the future abbot became a monk aged 16, where he took the name 'Shi Yongxin' and joined Shaolin Temple.

In 1993 a Chinese company advertised their sausage under the brand of Shalom on TV in China without the permission of the monastery.

They sued the company and won - sparking concerns that the 'brand' of the monastery was not sufficiently protected from people looking to capitalise on its success.

He became the Abbot in 1999 aged 34 - the youngest head of Shalom Temple in its 1,500 year history - and soon began his plans for commercialisation.

As well as abbot of the monastery, he is the Chairman of the Henan Province Buddhists Association, Vice Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China and a representative of the Ninth National People's Congress

continued next post

[GeneChing]

He sent photos of some of the evidence collected at the deposition, to the state-controlled Chinese newspaper Huashang Bao, under the title 'Latest detailed proof of Shi Yongxin's adultery'.

In the document, collected by Zhenzhou Police Bureau, Liu Liming said she and Shi Yongxin had sex in hotels across China up to 20 times after first meeting three years previously.

The record, translated from its original form by MailOnline, also says during that time she fell pregnant, but had a termination.

Liu Liming denied trying to blackmail the abbot by hanging onto her soiled pink panties.

She said in the deposition: 'The answer is I just wanted to use these things to prove the sexual relationship between me and Shi Yongxin, to prevent him denying it. I didn't have another purpose.'

Shi Zhengyi admitted meeting Liu Liming, the papers show, after she contacted him asking if she could set up a branch of the Shaolin Monastery in the city of Shenzhen, but said their relationship was strictly professional.

The case was settled, with Shi Yongxin paying her three million Yuan (£104,000) as compensation.

The real identity of 'Shi Zhengyi' is not known. The People's Daily News reported that the Defeng city government said they had no records of anyone with that name - which roughly translates as 'justice' - and he 'doesn't exist'.

He has said he wanted to to force a government investigation into Shi Yongxin, saying in a statement to the New York Times: 'We want the outside world to know that the Shaolin abbot, using Buddhism as a cloak, is a maniacal womanizer and corrupt 'tiger' who brazenly exploits Shaolin's assets and tarnishes its reputation.'

As well as claiming Shi Yongxin owns a range of swanky cars and has stolen millions from temple's commercial arm, 'Shi Zhengyi' has shared pictures of a Shaolin nun and her baby who the monk is alleged to have fathered.

Monastery officials have denied the allegations against the monk, who has committed himself to a life of celibacy, poverty and upholding moral values.

The 50-year-old has been at the forefront of the transformation of Shaolin Temple, which dates back 1,500 years and is the birthplace of kung fu and Zen Buddhism.

Over the centuries it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over, after being raided by bandits in the 14th century, sacked in the 17th by rebel forces and razed to the ground in the 18th by the ruling Qing dynasty.


Spectacular: Critics of Shi Yongxin have taken exception to the rapid commercialization of Shaolin Monastery
Monks are trained at the Shaolin Temple from a young age


Presents: Shi Yongxin is pictured receiving the gold-threaded robe, which is thought to have cost £5,200

Yet time and time again it has bounced back, and these days stands as the epicentre of a commercial empire, with at least 40 affiliated sites around the world, a global reputation and millions in the bank.

But critics have complained the rapid commercialisation of Shaolin under Shi Yongxin has come at too high a price, amid accusations of 'moral corruption' of its monks, and overspending.

Questions were raised over the monastery reportedly spending £277,000 on toilets for tourists inside the temple, and Shi Yongxin receiving a gold-threaded robe, which craftsmen spent years making and cost a reported 50,000 Yuan (£5,200),The People’s Daily News wrote.

Ifeng.com reported that in 2006, Shi Yongxin accepted a jeep worth one million Yuan (£104,000) from the city of Dengfeng, while on a tourism conference.

He defended accepting the jeep at the time, saying: ‘We attracted a lot of tourists and students, so the local government gave me a present of a car to encourage me to work better.’

The website also reported some of the most explosive allegations in 2011, when rumours swirled on the internet that Shi Yongxin had been arrested for prostitution – prompting him to register at the local police station as a show of his innocence.

Shi Yongxin was also accused of owning villas in American and Germany, having sex with one Chinese celebrity and being a ‘sugar daddy’ to a female university student, who he has a son with and now lives in Germany.


Historic: Rumours that the historic Shaolin Temple had put thousands into off-shore Chinese accounts appeared on the internet in 2011 - were dismissed by the monastery as 'complete nonsense'


Planned: An artist's impression of the proposed new Shaolin Temple centre in New South Wales, Australia

In October of that year, a statement was published on the temple’s website dismissing the allegations and calling them ‘complete nonsense’, adding it was ‘malicious libel.’

The gossip has continued, as suggestions that $30million (£19million) in the temple’s account was put into bank accounts overseas were also published on Ifeng.com.

And in November 2011, a hacker infiltrated the temple’s website and posted an apparent ‘letter of confession’ in the name of Shi Yongxin – expressing his ‘guilt’ for commercializing the temple, and asking other ‘sinners’ of the temple not to continue pursuing this strategy.

The commercialization has continued regardless - plans were revealed this year to for the monastery to invest £180million in a new complex in New South Wales, Australia, which will include a temple, hotel, golf course and Kung fu academy,News.com.au reported.

He defended himself to the state-run Xinhua news agency in March, saying: 'If China can import Disney resorts, why can't other countries import the Shaolin Monastery?

'Cultural promotion is a very dignified undertaking.'

As a result of the latest slew of allegations, the religious affairs bureau under the Denfeng city government says it was asked by the national body to look into the latest claims against the Chinese abbot.

'Our bureau takes this extremely seriously and will swiftly clarify ... and ensure a correct understanding of the matter,' the bureau said in a one-sentence notice on the city government website.

MailOnline has attempted to contact Shi Yongxin directly for comment.


Under attack: Shi Yongxin defended the rapid plans for expansion as similar to other enterprises, saying: 'If China can import Disney resorts, why can't other countries import the Shaolin Monastery?'

Those panties are really ugly. Just what I wanted to see first thing on a Monday morn...

[ShaolinDiva]

Those panties are really ugly. Just what I wanted to see first thing on a Monday morn...

Right!? You would think they would use some Victoria Secret pair at least to show the world. And the other incriminating evidence is very questionable. I dunno. Where's CSI when you really need them!?

[Siu Lum Fighter]

So...you mean to tell me the Shaolin Abbot is actually more like this guy?

[PalmStriker]

Looks that way so far...Can't fool the Buddha! https://www.google.com/search?q=medi...FQUtiAodk30Lzw

[GeneChing]

Shaolin Temple Abbot Shi Yongxin Controversy Remains Sizzling
Francis Eduard Ang | Aug 24, 2015 06:36 AM EDT


Abbot Shi Yongxin remains a prominent figure in the Shaolin Temple despite accusations linking him to corruption and sexual misconduct. (Photo : Reuters)

Controversy continues to surround Shaolin Abbot Shi Yongxin, as more are coming forward to expose his alleged misdeeds, following accusations made against him by a person aliased Shi Zhengyi since late July, despite the lack of action taken by authorities against the religious leader.

Shortly after the anonymous Shaolin follower forwarded his accusations against Shi Yongxin, the local Dengfeng religious administration announced that they launched an investigation into the claims made by Shi Zhengyi.
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However, it is speculated that more resources are being allocated to finding out who the mysterious Shi Zhengyi is, rather than looking into any of the accusations. Some have accused the authorities of siding with the Shaolin abbot, whose connections in politics and business are well-known.

But several others have come forward, claiming to present evidence against Shi Yongxin.

Earlier this month, a woman whose social media account is named "Ms. Liu Liming" posted two photos, one of herself and another of soiled panties that she claims she wore when having sexual contact with Shi Yongxin. She also claims that she gave a condom full of his sperm to a doctor for safe keeping.

On Aug. 8, six individuals affiliated with the Shaolin Temple, including Shi Yanlu, who some speculate is the man behind Shi Zhengyi, traveled to Beijing to present evidence to show Shi Yongxin's involvement in several issues, both regarding corruption and violation of celibacy.

The evidence includes documents that prove that Shi Yongxin had "inappropriate relations" with Han Mingjun, whose Buddhist name is Shi Yanjie, a former abbess of the Shangqiu Guanyin Temple. Han moved to Australia in 2009 after giving birth to a daughter allegedly fathered by Shi Yongxin.

The documents supposedly also prove that Shi Yongxin paid off women to keep them quiet. They also list down several properties and assets that supposedly belong to the temple but are exclusively used and controlled by Shi Yongxin.

As of this point, no legal action has been taken against Shi Yongxin.

It's all about the bottom line here.

[GeneChing]

Wednesday, 26 August 2015 08:54
10 SINS OF SHAOLIN: ABBOT ACCUSED OF RAPE & SEX SCANDALS
Cetak E-mel Komentar



Beijing - Shi Yongxin has been embroiled in controversies since his name was first heard.

The very famous, or infamous, abbot of the legendary Shaolin Temple has long been accused of over-commercialising a major religious institution.

But now he faces more serious charges: Late last month someone named Shi Zhengyi, came forward with allegations of “10 sins” the abbot has supposedly committed.

Other than “taking over Shaolin assets”, the bigger allegations are “playing with women and fathering children outside wedlock”. Specifically, the abbot was accused of “rape” and “keeping mistresses”.

These figureheads of religious piety are supposed to be voluntarily celibate, aren’t they?

It’s an open secret that Shaolin Temple operates more like a business than a religious entity under Shi’s stewardship. Is this wrong?

Many who trek to the renowned temple in Dengfeng, are tourists rather than pilgrims. In fact, you must pay to enter nearly all China’s religious venues that also function as tourist attractions. There is one aspect to commercialisation that seems to be unique to Shaolin.



The temple has reportedly set up dozens, if not hundreds, of corporations all around the world. Abbot Shi espouses this as a means to promote Shaolin-style Buddhism.

It is totally conceivable that religious institutions have ancillary businesses.

Now, it is up to regulators who should determine, in advance preferably, whether this should be allowed... and to what extent.

Theoretically, whatever isn’t forbidden should be regarded as legal.

It still falls within the realm of differing points of view to see Shi either as a smart businessman whose suit is a bright red-and-yellow robe and who happens to be in the faith business or as a hypocrite who wants to capitalise on the faith and tourism boom with little regard for the sanctity of religion.

The early litany of “wrongdoings” includes Shi taking up as much as 80% of the temple’s equities, which has since been explained by the temple as a mere technicality.



However, a group of seven senior members from the temple travelled to Beijing on Aug 8 and filed a formal report with the State Administration of Religious Affairs, presenting what they claimed to be evidence of Shi’s appropriation of millions of yuan from the temple.

That includes the 2006 purchase of a motor vehicle Shi allegedly got after borrowing 190,000 yuan (RM124,740) from Shi Yanlu, one of the filers. The abbot then allegedly claimed it as a temple expense without repaying the amount borrowed.

Shi “got a free vehicle and 190,000 yuan in cash, which should both be the temple’s assets”, according to Shi Yanlu.

The abbot would probably explain the free vehicle as a business expense, but the cash he allegedly kept is trickier to clarify. The public could probably care less about the intricacies of bookkeeping and number crunching.

It’s usually sex that pulls someone off the pedestal. Of course, one can argue that someone in his position might have used wealth he did not own to bait the women, who in this case did not even dream of becoming his official wife.

But these are separate issues.



One may commit a sin without committing a crime or vice versa. A financially clean person of power may have a secret lover, and the relationship may not necessarily be based on money and power.

But for those growing up on a heavy dose of melodrama, funneling public money into one’s personal boudoir makes the perfectly titillating story with a morally black-and-white message.

The truth, unfortunately, may be more opaque and complicated.

First of all, we should refrain from trying anyone, celebrity or not, only in the court of public opinion.

Now it is the prosecutor’s job to conduct a thorough investigation and sift through the rumours and mud before zeroing in on the facts.

Anyway, both for the abbot’s reputation and for the public’s right to know, authorities should find out whether he overstepped the line... legally, ethically, religiously or otherwise. — China Daily

So the big question is when is the trial? Will there even be one?

[GeneChing]

Nice to be quoted so flatteringly. Thanks Sascha!

A CAT WHO CAN CATCH MICE: A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ABBOT OF SHAOLIN
FIGHTLAND BLOG
By Sascha Matuszak



On August 21st, China’s Supreme People's Procuratorate, the government body which supervises anti-graft wing investigations, formally accepted a claimant’s plea to investigate Shi Yongxin, the abbot of Shaolin Temple. The step came after a group of monks and former monks traveled to Beijing and personally petitioned the central authorities to step in after local officials in the town of Dengfeng, where the temple is located, made little progress in the month since the allegations surfaced on Chinese social media.

The Want China Times identified the petitioners as Shi Yanlu, who previously taught martial arts at the temple, Shi Yande and Shi Yanyong, lay disciples at the temple, monk Shi Yanqin, Shaolin resident Shi Yanren and the former director of legal affairs for the temple Wang Yonghua. Shi Zhengyi, the anonymous whistleblower who cast the first stone on Weibo, China’s Facebook/Twitter hybrid, is either an umbrella name for the group and their supporters, a mysterious figure in the shadows, or a non-person.

Shi Yongxin himself, despite being profiled as the CEO Monk who drives around in flashy cars, is somewhat of a mystery. One of the best profiles of the monk was written by Gene Ching for Kung Fu Magazine back in 2003. Shi Yongxin had been abbot for just four years and a lot of the moves he is famous for hadn’t been made yet. But the younger Shi Yongxin was already taking warrior-monks on tours, establishing associations and research bodies, and lobbying for Unesco World Heritage status for the temple. But he had been active long before he became abbot in 1999:

“In 1986 he helped establish the Shaolin Temple Martial Way Development Association ... [t]he following year he developed a warrior monk demonstration team for Shaolin Temple and became the team leader. ...

In February of 1988, Yongxin founded the Shaolin Red Cross Association to provide medical assistance to the local suburban residents. He also established, nine months later, the Shaolin Calligraphy and Art Research Organization. In June of 1989, Yongxin led the Shaolin Warrior Monk Team on a fundraising demonstration tour across China. They collected money for a large commemorative statue that was erected by the Yellow River in Henan. Later, he lead the warrior monks abroad to Canada, England, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macao, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, in one of the earliest friendship tours to spread Shaolin culture.

By 1993 Yongxin was spearheading a multitude of projects to promote Shaolin culture. In March he was elected into one of Henan's highest political positions as a representative at the People's Congress. Soon after in May, he established the Chinese Zen Poetry Research Center, which published an annual collection of Chinese Zen poems. The following month was truly extraordinary. Yongxin was part of a Shaolin Buddhist Cultural Team invited to Taiwan by the Taiwan Chinese Culture University. It was the first time that Mainland and Taiwanese Buddhists interacted face-to-face in four decades.”

Shi Yongxin the first acting, official abbot of the Shaolin Temple in more than 300 years. Since 1772, no one led the temple, organized tours, disciplined monks, established relations, or expanded research. In fact, following the razing of the temple in 1927, Shaolin lay in ruins until the 1980s. Shi Yongxin’s immediate predecessor, Shi Xingzheng, had some success reviving the name, but when he died in 1986, the temple had a few dozen monks scattered about a rag tag collection of dilapidated ruins in the backwards village of Dengfeng.

Shi Yongxin changed all of that. He moved the temple into its current location, at the foot of Songshan Mountain, and set up reclaiming and rebuilding Shaolin. He revamped and organized the tourism industry—jumpstarted by the 1970s film industry out of Hong Kong—and put people to work. Warrior monks were expelled and replaced with martial artists. By the time Matthew Polly entered the temple as a student in 1992, the ruinous hulk of the 80s had been replaced by offices and courtyards with monkish teachers, not-so-monkish drinkers, a rapidly developing bureaucratic apparatus, and foreign relations with everyone from the lowly 98lb weakling searching for meaning to curious heads of state.

The abbot made Shaolin. Unfortunately, not everyone is pleased with what he made Shaolin into. But that, in a nutshell, is the story of China at the turn of the century. A bunch of crooks and thieves made China into the juggernaut it is today on the world stage. They had little to work with, were starting from scratch, and there were few time-places which provided as much opportunity to get rich and be naked than China during the 1990s and 2000s. A fantastic look at the absurdity of one billion people released into the wild west is Yu Hua’s novel, Brothers, which tells the tale of a rich, unscrupulous pervert and his impossibly (for Western society) upstanding brother during the end of the Cultural Revolution and the decades that followed.

Shi Yongxin grew up in that world, perhaps as an upstanding and dedicated monk, and was in a position to resurrect a dead icon of Chinese culture. He was the one who took pilgrimages to Buddha’s birthplace in India, organized collections of Zen poetry, and marshaled the leaderless monks of Shaolin into an internationally renowned force for modern Chinese Buddhism and lucrative kung fu.

His accomplishments obviously do not absolve him of guilt. An abbot of the Shaolin Temple needs to keep his pants on. But the man who Opened China up to the world in 1979 famously said, “Black cat, white cat. Doesn’t matter as long as it catches mice.”

Shi Yongxin is most definitely a cat who can catch the mice, and now he’s paying the price for his success.

Even better that he linked the article to that 2003 Shaolin Special cover story: THE WORLD HERITAGE OF SHAOLIN
INTERVIEW WITH VENERABLE SHI YONGXIN, ABBOT OF SHAOLIN TEMPLE

[GeneChing]

杨宁：释永信可能要出事
9月12日大陆曝出的两则新闻都与一直处于舆论漩涡中的嵩山少林寺方丈释永信有关。（网络图片）
【字號】大 中 小
更新: 2015-09-13 05:47:57 AM 標籤: 释永信 , 李长春 , 善恶有报


【大纪元2015年09月13日讯】9月12日大陆曝出的两则新闻都与一直处于舆论漩涡中的嵩山少林寺方丈 释永信有关。一则说的是当日在河南省登封市正式开幕的嵩山论坛2015年年会上，并未见到释永信的影子，嘉 宾名单中也没有他的名字，而在以往三届，释永信均有出席。会议负责人没有解释其未出席的原因。另一则说的是 郑州市公安局及其所辖公安业务系统担任领导职务的警官，因涉嫌泄露“释永信报案”询问（讯问）笔录被上级作 出“停止执行职务”处分，目前相关责任人正在接受进一步调查。

而在此之前，少林寺一些弟子进京向最高检察院、中国佛教协会和国家宗教局三家单位递交材料举报释永信。国家 宗教局称8月10日已收到关于释永信的举报材料，并已按相关程序转交河南省宗教事务部门核实情况。上述两则 新闻透露出的信息或许与调查的进展有关。

应该说，此时的释永信已是身不由己，他不出席年会，并非本人的意愿，而是来自官方的决定，这也似乎印证了此 前的某些传闻不虚，释永信已不太适合在重大场合露面。而涉嫌泄露“释永信报案”询问（讯问）笔录警官被处分 的消息，则在暗示众人，释永信的确曾被警方讯问过，笔录是真实的存在。

这份曾在8月1日被“释正义”发送给新闻媒体的2004年的笔录，透露了释永信与刘某某的瓜葛，证明当时前 者正被后者“敲诈”。按照“释正义”的说法，二人存在不正当关系，释永信不仅违反佛教戒律、玩弄女人，而且 还有情妇，有私生女。显然，证实笔录的真实存在，是揭开释永信玩弄女人真面目的第一步，而这样的释永信自然 不适合出席在国内外有一定影响的嵩山论坛了。

结合以往的一些迹象，如释永信被禁止前往泰国参会；大陆媒体无所顾忌地刊登释正义乃至释延鲁举报释永信的举 报材料，并深度挖掘，甚至以调侃方式，暗示带头大哥释永信的N种结局；释永信的子女、情妇名字被相关人员证 实；中共佛教界对其的撇清关系……这一切都似乎在表明，释永信快要有麻烦了。

此外，根据此前的分析，释永信背后的一大靠山是曾主政河南的原政治局常委李长春，其与少林寺的渊源也颇深。 有着江派背景的李长春迄今仍在明里暗里与习近平较劲，如在日前的纪念抗战阅兵式上，喜好摄影的李长春就手拿 日本生产的相机拍照，引起网民热议。因此，释永信这个“小苍蝇”被持续两个多月烧烤，应还是意在其背后的靠 山。而随着江派势力的日渐颓势，存在贪污、道德缺陷的释永信被祭出也是迟早之事。

责任编辑：尚一
相关文章

Here's the Goog translation:

Yang Ning: Shi likely to happen
September 12 exposed the continent's two news have been in the vortex of public opinion and in the Songshan Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin related. (Internet photo)
[Size] Large Medium Small
Update: 2015-09-13 05:47:57 AM Tags: Shi, Li Changchun, good and evil has been reported

WASHINGTON September 13, 2015] On September 12 the continent's two news are exposed and has been in the vortex of public opinion in the Songshan Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin related. One says that the day of the official opening in Dengfeng City, Henan Province Songshan Forum 2015 annual meeting, did not see the shadow of Shi Yongxin, the guest list is also not his name, but in the past three sessions, the permanent release letter were present. Meeting people in charge did not explain why they do not attend. Another said that the Zhengzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau under the jurisdiction of the public security service system and in leadership positions of police officers, on suspicion of leaking "Shi Yongxin report" Ask (interrogation) transcripts were made "to stop carrying out their duties," punishment superiors, currently responsible People undergoing further investigation.

Before that, some of his disciples to Beijing Shaolin Temple to the Supreme Procuratorate, the Chinese Buddhist Association and the State Bureau of Religious Affairs to submit material to report three units Shi Yongxin. National Bureau of Religious Affairs, said on August 10 has received reports about Shi material, and has been referred to the religious affairs department of Henan Province, according to the relevant procedures to verify the situation. The two news revealed information about the progress of the investigation may be related.

It should be said, at this time we are involuntarily Shi, he did not attend the annual meeting, not my will, but from the official's decision, which also seems to confirm the rumor had some not true, Shi Yongxin has It is not suitable for major appearances. The suspected leak "Shi Yongxin report" Ask (interrogation) Notes officers were disciplined message, suggesting all, Shi had indeed been questioned by police, taking a real existence.

This was in August 1 was "Release justice" to the news media in 2004 transcript, revealed Shi and Liu XX of connection, to demonstrate the former being the latter "blackmail." In accordance with the "interpretation of justice," saying that the presence of two of improper relationship, not only in violation of the Buddhist precepts Shi, playing a woman, but also the mistress, there are illegitimate daughter. Obviously, it was confirmed real record is the first step to uncover the true face of Shi womanizer, and this does not fit naturally Shi have some influence at home and abroad attended the Songshan forums.

Combined with some signs of the past, such as Shi participants are prohibited to Thailand; mainland media published cynical interpretation of justice as well as to report Shi Shi Yan Lu's report material, and the depth of excavation, and even ridicule way, suggesting that the lead brother Shi Yongxin of N kinds of outcomes; Shi children, mistress name was confirmed relevant personnel; CPC Buddhist community to stay out on them ...... It all seems to indicate that Shi soon in trouble.

Moreover, according to the previous analysis, Shi Yongxin is behind a major backer has ruled the former Politburo Standing Committee Li Changchun, Henan, its origins and the Shaolin Temple is also deep. Jiang's faction has so far background of Li Changchun and Xi Jinping are still overtly or covertly rivalry, as in the parade commemorating the war a few days ago, Li Changchun preferences photography camera on hand to take pictures produced in Japan, causing hot Internet users. Thus, Shi Yongxin this "little fly" was continued two months barbecue, or intended to be backing in behind it. With Jiang's faction increasingly decline, corruption exists, Shi moral defect is resorted to sooner or later things.

[GeneChing]

两个最新信号 释永信不妙了
2015年9月14日 | 文章分类: 真象挖掘



少林寺方丈释永信涉嫌经济问题、男女关系等诸多问题一度卷入巨大舆论漩涡。此前几界都未缺席嵩山论坛的释永 信，日前被证实不在嘉宾名单中；此外，郑州一警官因涉嫌泄露〝释永信讯问笔录〞被停职，从侧面证实了此前释 正义指证释永信诸多问题的真实性。这两个最新信号均显示，释永信或面临不妙。

澎湃新闻报导，嵩山论坛始于2012年，过去3届年会（每年一次），释永信均出席。而今年嵩山论坛释永信不 在嘉宾名单中，登封市委宣传部新闻科有关负责人进行了确认称〝这两天都不会出席〞。对为何前三届都出席今年 缺席，该负责人没有透露。

此前在8月27日，国家宗教局宣传处工作人员陈超称，国家宗教局8月10日收到关于释永信的举报材料，并已 按相关程序转交河南省宗教事务部门核实情况，他说：〝国家宗教局将按程序严格处理。〞

7月25日，自称〝代表所有对释永信不满者〞的〝释正义〞，在网上发帖称〝少林寺方丈释永信违反佛教戒律、 玩弄女人〞，释永信有两个身份证，有情妇，有私生女。紧接着，曾为释永信弟子、少林寺四大金刚之一的释延鲁 ，以及多名曾在少林寺生活、工作者，8月8日在京实名向最高人民检察院、中国佛教协会和国家宗教局三家单位 递交材料举报释永信。

此外，法制晚报报导，郑州市公安局及其所辖公安系统担任领导职务的警官，因涉嫌泄露〝释永信报案〞询问(讯 问)笔录被上级作出〝停止执行职务〞处分。目前有关责任人正在接受进一步调查。

8月1日凌晨1时47分，〝释正义〞向新闻媒体发送多份包括释永信和另外一名女性公民接受警方讯问(询问) 的笔录材料，公开披露了多年前公安机关接受释永信报案以及相关当事人接受调查的内部资料。

〝释正义〞公开笔录后，相关媒体曾公开报道：北京京师律师事务所王殿学律师表示，针对〝释正义〞曝出的这些 笔录，首先应该确认真伪。如果询问笔录是真实的，那么刑事笔录一般属于国家秘密，如果是郑州公安机关相关人 员泄露，该人员就涉嫌故意或者过失泄露国家秘密，应受到行政处罚，如果后果严重，可能还会涉嫌犯罪。而非国 家工作人员也可能会涉嫌故意或者过失泄露国家秘密，还可以涉嫌非法获取国家秘密。

有分析指出，这个信息等于从另一个侧面证实了释永信贪钱、淫乱等传闻的真实性。而释永信这么一个小苍蝇，能 够经历两个多月的烧烤而不倒，说明其背后或有很硬的靠山后台。

8月8日，大陆财新网发表题为《释永信：一路风波中的佛门晋升路》的文章。文章披露了释永信在少林寺起家的 一些内幕，并罕见直接点名中共前政治局常委李长春。时政评论员杨宁分析称，释永信背后的一大靠山就是曾主政 河南的李长春，其与少林寺的渊源也颇深。随着江派势力的日渐颓势，存在贪污、道德缺陷的释永信被祭出已是迟 早之事。

【新唐人2015年09月14日讯】

Again, the Goog translation:

Shi Yongxin, the worst of the two most recent signals
September 14, 2015 | Article Category: Mining truth

Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin alleged economic problems, many problems in the relationship between men and women was involved in a huge vortex of public opinion. None had a few circles absence Shi Songshan Forum has recently been confirmed is not on the guest list; moreover, Zhengzhou, a police officer on suspicion of leaking "Shi interrogation record" was suspended from the side of justice, confirming an earlier release to testify Shi the authenticity of many problems. These two signals are the latest display, Shi or face bad.

Surging News, Songshan forum began in 2012, over the past 3 annual meeting (once a year), Shi Yongxin attended. This year, the guest list is not Shi Songshan forum in Dengfeng Municipal Propaganda Department Public Information Section of the responsible person was confirmed, he said "these two days will not attend." Why were present for the previous three year absence, the official did not disclose.

Prior to the August 27, the State Bureau of Religious Affairs, said Chen Chao propaganda department staff, the State Bureau of Religious Affairs on August 10 received the report material on Shi Yongxin, Henan Province, and has been referred to the religious affairs department to verify the situation in accordance with relevant procedures, he He said: "The State Bureau of Religious Affairs will be treated in strict program."

July 25, claiming to be "on behalf of all of Shi malcontents" and "release justice", posted on the Internet called "Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin violation Buddhist precepts, womanizer," Shi Yongxin has two identity cards, there are mistress, there are illegitimate daughter. Then, the disciples who Shi, Shaolin Temple Shi Yan Lu, one of the four King Kong, and more than once in the temple life, workers, the real name to the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Chinese Buddhist Association and the National Bureau of Religious Affairs in Beijing, August 8 three units report to submit material Shi Yongxin.

In addition, police officers in leadership positions Legal Evening News reported, Zhengzhou City Public Security Bureau and under the jurisdiction of the public security system, on suspicion of leaking "Shi Yongxin report" Ask (interrogation) transcripts were made "to stop carrying out their duties." Punishment superiors. Currently the responsible person is under further investigation.

At 1:47 on August 1, "Release justice" to send multiple copies include Shi and another female citizen police interrogation (ask) the record material to the news media, public disclosure of years ago, the public security organs to accept Shi report as well as the relevant parties to accept the internal data of the investigation.

After "Release justice" public record, the relevant media have publicly reported: Beijing Capital Law Firm lawyers said Dian school for "Release justice" exposed these transcripts should first confirm the authenticity. If the inquiry transcripts are true, then the criminal record is generally classified as state secrets, if it is related personnel leaked Zhengzhou public security organs, the person suspected of leaking state secrets intentionally or negligently, should be subject to administrative penalties, if the consequences are serious, may also be suspected of crimes. Rather than national staff may also be suspected of leaking state secrets intentionally or negligently, it can also suspected of illegally obtaining state secrets.

Some analysts pointed out that the information from the other side proved equal to Shi Yongxin greedy for money, fornication and other rumors of authenticity. And Shi such a small fly, can undergo two months of grill to fail, indicating that the background behind or backing very hard.

August 8, mainland Caixin entitled "Shi: one storm in the promotion of Buddhist path," the article. Article revealed some insider Shi started in the Shaolin Temple, and rarely directly named former CPC Central Committee Political Bureau Standing Committee Li Changchun. Yang Ning analysis of current affairs commentator, said Shi Yongxin is behind a major patron who ruled Henan Li Changchun, its origins and the Shaolin Temple is also deep. With Jiang faction's growing weakness, the presence of corruption, Shi Yongxin was resorted to moral defects is a matter of sooner or later.

[NTD September 14, 2015 Reuters

[wiz cool c]

I don't see a problem with it. The abbot recieved a fancy ride. Good for him. It doesn't make him a greedy person.

o they’re greedy alright ,that is why i prefer to train with the schools surrounding the main historical site. if you go there as a tourist you won’t understand all this. When i first came to china about 9 years ago for a training trip in Beijing i trained with a famous tai chi master. thought he was the sweetest human alive, when i returned to live there i met him ,saw the real guy, he was nasty mean and very greedy, wanted to charge me 6 times what his Chinese students pay, even i explained i live here now.[he could care less]

first trip we made to the shaolin temple, met a teacher living near us in shenzhen city,he is a shaolin brother of my teacher here]. he told us to contact his teacher, he will train us for free cause we know him give us special treatment, just need to give him the old [hong bao] sure enough when we talked to him on the phone he tried to give us the whole package deal with sight seeing included. again if you are visiting and want a nice experience it might be worth it, but as someone who lives in china believe me it is a big racket.


And yeah there is a problem with a monk driving a Rolls Royce. The whole concept of Buddhism is freeing yourself from desires of this world and living a simple life, not ot mention the example this shmuck is setting to the world as a representative of Buddhism and shaolin. If he was for real he would sell the car and use the proceeds for charity

[rett2]

Maybe the questions to ask yourself about a monastic or abbot are:

Would it feel like a beneficial and wholesome deed to support this person’s buddhist practice?

Would you turn to this person for spiritual advice?

I can think of many people who have chosen to become monastics who I can say yes about on both counts.