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Thread: Abbot scandals

  1. #106
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    I love being quoted

    Shaolin Temple Rakes In Cash and Controversy
    Rena Gregory

    "An enchanting place, home of the warriors," promises the pop music blaring from a giant screen as excited visitors board buggies fit for a theme park.

    Welcome to the Shaolin Temple in central China, known as the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and world-famous for its kungfu. Instead of inspiring awe and mysticism as it had once done for centuries, the present venue is managed more along the lines of a Hollywood theme park.

    It prompted one European visitor to comment, "The first time I came here, I thought the taxi driver had made a mistake. I thought I'd see a monastery deep in the forest, and I was very disappointed."

    As a well known sage once said, "monks in temples can no longer save themselves, let alone saving others." Well, the report above confirms this comment.

    The Shaolin Temple was established in 495 AD, according to legend, by Boddhidharma. The monastery has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries. A warlord attacked the temple in 1928, which burned for 45 days, destroying many of the buildings, books and records.

    During the days of the Cultural Revolution when religion was banned, many adjacent building, statues and relics were demolished. Since then, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has orchestrated schemes to allow certain religious practices to run as a show; and it is also designed to placate a nation which had deep rooted traditions in faith and morality, which was suddenly replaced by an anti-faith, pro-violence, atheist regime.

    The temple makes millions every year from entrance fees, online sales of Shaolin items such as nunchakus, spearheads, fans and clothing, and its travelling performing troupes. This temple drew 1.6 million people last year who paid 100 yuan (15 dollars) to pass through its Disneyland-style turnstiles in Henan province, watch a half-hour kungfu show and take photos with performers for another 20 yuan. It is nothing but a huge commercial enterprise, and the Abbott possesses a Mercedes, high quality lap tops, female personal assistants and 'friends'.

    The venue's notoriety has been a boon to the neighbouring area, attracting more than 80 mostly private kungfu schools where more than 60,000 people train to be like the monastery's 200 warrior-monks. But why are they training? Certainly not to become virtuous, altruistic people, attempting to raise their morality - instead, training to make money from rituals visitors want to have performed.

    A 24-year-old Henan province visitor recently found the temple more rowdy than she would have expected from the epicentre of Zen Buddhism, but the commercial aspect did not dampen her enjoyment. It prompted her to comment, "When tourists come here, there are so many people that don't feel it's that calm, but I like it."
    CEO of Shaolin



    Screenshots: Shi Yongxin was interviewed by journalists.

    The temple's money-making success may be largely attributed to Abbot Shi Yongxin, who took charge in 1999, but temple monks revealed that some money making decisions were made by Shi Yongxin's lover, Liu Dandan, who is 20 years younger then Shi and lived in the Shaolin temple from 2002 to 2004. Shi Yongxin was busy traveling for his business pursuits,and while he was overseas in 2004, Liu fell in love with Shi's nephew, Feng who also lived in the temple. Liu left the temple after this. It was Liu Dandan who initiated selling one incense stick for 3888 yuan.

    Shi Yongxin is repeatedly criticized for his perceived pursuit of money, his cunning character and his sinister past in getting him to the position of Abbot. This prompted a computer hacker to replace the Shaolin website's front page with a mock letter of remorse in Shi's name. The post accused him of commercializing the 1,500-year-old temple.

    Shi retorted: "I'm not a businessman. I don't hold shares." He sat for an interview wearing a yellow robe in one of the temple's halls. He defended Shaolin's commercial ventures, which he refused to describe as businesses, but rather as ways "of raising the temple's profile."

    "Believers have demands, and we must satisfy and serve them to the best of our ability -- it's a service that provides faith products."


    Screenshot: Why is it always female journalists interviewing Shi?--- the comment at bottom of photo
    Bikini contest

    Parts of a reality TV contest show scenes were shot here in 2006, to find a new kungfu star, with a bikini fashion show! Gene Ching, the US-based publisher of Kung Fu Tai Chi - a periodical devoted to Chinese martial arts - and a former student at Shaolin, defended Shi, saying the Abbot was moving with the times.

    Can you imagine St. Peter's Basilica in Rome holding a bikini contest? According to Ching, things were even more bizarre at one time at this once sacred temple - the grounds of Shaolin were full of tourist "atttractions," such as a terracotta Buddha with a house of horrors inside, a roller skating rink, video game arcades and karaoke bars, adding "it was more like a surreal circus carnival."
    I think this author is missing the point of my 'surreal circus carnival' comment. That was prior to the Abbot. He cleaned that up, which is a point to his favor given the stance of this reporter. Personally, I miss that ol' Shaolin village, but it was quite an eyesore and had to go.
    Gene Ching
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  2. #107
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    Wow. That was a horrific piece of journalism there.

    Actually, compared to other major tourist attractions I saw in China, Shaolin was pretty toned down and also relatively inexpensive to enter.

  3. #108
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    Societal mirrors

    I would say the state that the Shaolin Temple reflects today, is the result of destructions and pressures from the western society, past and present.
    The collective will seldom embrace it's own reflection.
    This situation is most likely similar to native american history.
    Briefly; Natives were hoarded up onto reservations where they could not survive as they had done, but were forced to receive government supplies, at whim. Sent to schools where they were punished for speaking their language or practicing their culture. Since they could not live as they had, they had to come up with a way to survive as indigenous to the government as possible and still be able to get the resources beyond the pathetic government supplies. Casinos. But by then the western society had built up this idea of the native being in tune with nature and spirituality, very noble and UN-materialistic. They saw the casinos and thought, they have given up their heritage or sold out their culture for material greed.
    In different ways, I suspect the Shaolin culture has experienced a similar timeline of events. Definitely, that idea built up of what a Shaolin Monk is and how they should act and behave.
    What I don't agree with is people from the western society having a judgement of it, for or against.
    As in; it is okay that he got a sedan, or it isn't okay.
    I don't see a lot of Shaolin principles reflected in the communications on these forums. So it is on the outside.

  4. #109
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    Quote Originally Posted by Napitenkah View Post
    I would say the state that the Shaolin Temple reflects today, is the result of destructions and pressures from the western society, past and present.
    The collective will seldom embrace it's own reflection.
    This situation is most likely similar to native american history.
    Briefly; Natives were hoarded up onto reservations where they could not survive as they had done, but were forced to receive government supplies, at whim. Sent to schools where they were punished for speaking their language or practicing their culture. Since they could not live as they had, they had to come up with a way to survive as indigenous to the government as possible and still be able to get the resources beyond the pathetic government supplies. Casinos. But by then the western society had built up this idea of the native being in tune with nature and spirituality, very noble and UN-materialistic. They saw the casinos and thought, they have given up their heritage or sold out their culture for material greed.
    In different ways, I suspect the Shaolin culture has experienced a similar timeline of events. Definitely, that idea built up of what a Shaolin Monk is and how they should act and behave.
    What I don't agree with is people from the western society having a judgement of it, for or against.
    As in; it is okay that he got a sedan, or it isn't okay.
    I don't see a lot of Shaolin principles reflected in the communications on these forums. So it is on the outside.
    I would add to your point that a big issue concerning gaming casinos in Indian Country is Sovereignty rights. Each NDN Nation (First Nations, Native Nations,) is actually a sovereign nation unto itself, and should have the ability to take care of it's own, and should actually deal with the government in dealings as a sovereign nation, and not as a subject to the government. However, due to things such as forced removal of lands and indigenous customs, many have assimilated. Therefore, some nations (tribal governments) petition the federal government for federal recognition, if they do not already have this status.

    It is only the percent of tribes who have this federally recognized status who can open up casinos. For example, many nations are recognized by the state, and have dealings with the state but are not on this federally recognized status. Not all Indian people have casinos. When Foxwoods opened up in Connecticut, and the Mashantucket Pequot gained federal recognition in the 1980's, one of their jobs from the Pequot Council's perspective was to also help out other nations of people in this area who did not have the same status. They also host a 3 day powwow at the end of august each year for the green corn ceremony (harvest.)

    Casino gaming is a big issue, and most people have their own opinions on a personal basis. I say, if you can have the benefits from a casino, good for you. But there is greed in some places, with tribal members being kicked out so fewer people can hoard more money. Some people would say we don't need any federal recognition, we know who we are anyway. In other cases, it provides a balance against extreme poverty conditions, suicide rates, and can even counter-balance loss of culture. But like I was saying, the issue is a Sovereignty Rights issue, and casinos (making money) is a great tool to counter-balance.

  5. #110
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    This forum is not officially connected to Shaolin Temple

    Quote Originally Posted by Napitenkah View Post
    I don't see a lot of Shaolin principles reflected in the communications on these forums.
    Apart from the fact that I am a disciple of Shaolin Temple, there is no connection. And about my discipleship slanting my perspectice, well, I started this thread.
    Gene Ching
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  6. #111
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    more online rumors

    Online tabloids take online rumors way too seriously. And so much of Chinese news is propagandist and tabloid. But these things do blow up sometimes.

    Shaolin Temple fights online rumors
    2015-07-27 15:24China.org.cn Editor: Li Yan


    Shi Yongxin, Shaolin Temple's abbot (File photo)

    Shaolin Temple yesterday rejected online rumors criticizing its abbot for his turbulent personal life.

    Since July 25, an online post entitled "Who will supervise the case of Shi Yongxin, the 'big tiger?'" has been spread widely. In the gossip, a so-called Shaolin disciple named Shi Zhengyi reported that the Shaolin Temple Abbot Shi Yongxin has a turbulent personal life and seized the temple's property.

    On the evening of July 26, Shaolin Temple posted a statement on its website saying that the recent online rumors about Abbot Shi were vicious, groundless libel.

    Shaolin Temple also claimed that the rumor had tarnished the reputation of both the Shaolin Temple and the abbot himself, and they have already asked local police to investigate the incident.

    In recent years, online rumors about the Shaolin Temple Abbot Shi Yongxin have appeared frequently. Shaolin Temple has released several statements rejecting the allegations.

    In early May 2010, a widespread online rumor claimed that local reporters witnessed the arrest of Abbot Shi as he visited prostitutes during a police crackdown on prostitution.
    Gene Ching
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  7. #112
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    Call the cops

    Honestly, don't the police have better things to do than catch web trolls?

    Shaolin Temple complains to police about online accusation


    Shi Yongxin, the abbot of Shaolin Temple who has been the subject of an online attack.
    Photo: China Daily/ANN

    Shaolin Temple in Henan province has condemned an online attack against its abbot last week as slander and has turned to the police for help.

    Targeted by salacious accusations in the past that the police confirmed to be false, the abbot, Shi Yongxin, 50, has now been accused of paying for sex with several women, including Buddhist nuns and some of his female followers.

    The accuser, using the name Shi Zhengyi and claiming to be a disciple of the temple, posted an article last week that created an uproar on the Internet, beginning on Saturday.

    But a staff member at the temple's website, who asked not to be named, said there is no disciple by that name.

    "This is absurd," the staff member said. "Someone must have an ulterior motive."

    "Such rumours have come up before, and the allegations have seriously affected the abbot's reputation. So this time the temple chose to report it to the police," he said.

    The abbot was quoted by Southern Metropolis Daily as saying that he would not be defending himself against the allegations.
    Gene Ching
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  8. #113
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    "George never did wake up. And, even all that talking didn't make death any easier...at least not for us. Maybe, in the end, all you can really hope for is that your last thought is a nice one...even if it's just about the taste of a nice cold beer."

    "If you find the right balance between desperation and fear you can make people believe anything"

    "Is enlightenment even possible? Or, did I drive by it like a missed exit?"

    It's simpler than you think.

    I could be completely wrong"

  9. #114
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    Nothing new here, these same accusations seem to be made every couple of years or so.

  10. #115
    but.... previous rumors never made CNN! or did a police investigation follow those rumors. Its sorta a different spin this time it seems.

  11. #116
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    Yeah, but they are the same rumors. So CNN did a little blurb on their website about it, no big deal, it never made the 24 hour T.V. news cycle. Like I said, every two or three years these same exact rumors surface. Let them investigate and we will see if there is any truth to it. If the anonymous person in question has any evidence, he should lay it out there.

  12. #117

    from the South China Morning Post

    No-show by China's Shaolin abbot in Bangkok fuels rumors of investigation

    Reports quote temple official confirming and then denying that Shi Yongxin is under investigation amid questions over his integrity
    by Alice Yan

    The failure of China's controversial Shaolin Temple abbot to make a planned appearance in Thailand on the weekend prompted some Chinese media to speculate that he was under investigation.

    Abbot Shi Yongxin was due to head a delegation to a martial arts exhibition roughly two weeks after a person claiming to be a former disciple made allegations about the abbot's integrity.

    The Bangkok event is part of celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations and the birthdays of the Thai queen and princess.

    China News Service reported that the exhibition's organisers were rushing to delete images of Shi from a video that was to be broadcast at the event on Sunday afternoon.

    An official from the Thai Young Chinese Chamber of Commerce said members had to alter the footage because Shi did not arrive in Bangkok on Saturday as scheduled.

    "We have been planning this event for a few months, and were told Shi Yongxin could not attend the event on August 1 and that we needed to edit the video," chamber general manager Huang Cheng was quoted as saying.

    Quoting Qian Daliang, the general manager of a company overseeing marketing and business development for the 1,500-year-old temple, The Beijing News reported that Shi did not go to Thailand because he was being questioned by the religious affairs authorities in Dengfeng, Henan province.

    But the website of the Global Times newspaper later countered, quoting Qian as saying The Beijing News report was not true and Shi was not being investigated.

    Shi became the abbot of the Shaolin Temple in 1999 and is no stranger to controversy.

    He frequently makes headlines, with most of his critics accusing him of turning the temple, known as one of the earliest centres of Zen Buddhism and Chinese martial arts, into a cash cow.

    With a master's degree in business administration, Shi regularly makes references to "globalisation" and has promoted a strategy of opening institutions overseas and investing abroad. He most recently came under fire last week after an alleged former disciple using the pseudonym "Shi Zhengyi" claimed that Shi Yongxin was kicked out of the temple in the late 1980s, held double identities, had sexual relations with several women and even fathered their children.

    The allegations drew intense interest online and in state media, prompting the religious affairs administration to order its bureau in central Henan province, where the temple is located, to look into the matter.

    In a statement on its website last week, the temple denied all of the accusations, describing them as "groundless, vicious and libellous". It had reported the matter to police, it added.

    The Buddhist Association of China said the matter "had affected the image and reputation of Chinese Buddhism".


  13. #118
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    Made Fortune magazine even...

    ...how ironic.

    Has China's anti-graft campaign reached Shaolin's Kung Fu temple?
    by Geoffrey Smith
    @Geoffreytsmith

    August 4, 2015, 11:33 AM EDT



    Local authorities confirm they’re investigating sex and fraud claims as the “CEO Monk” who aggressively pushed the temple’s brand disappears from public view.

    Has the iPhone-touting, laptop-savvy MBA grad who runs the ‘Kung Fu’ temple at Shaolin become the latest victim of China’s anti-corruption drive?

    Speculation over the fate of Shi Yongxin, who has turned China’s most famous temple into a multi-million dollar brand in his 16 years as abbot, has intensified since he failed to make a scheduled appearance at an international meeting of Buddhists in Thailand, according to The Financial Times.

    The “CEO Monk” has disappeared from public view after a week in which he was denounced online (albeit anonymously) for having children by prostitutes and embezzling monastery funds. A one-sentence statement released Monday by the authorities of the city of Denfeng, near Shaolin, confirmed it was investigating the allegations, saying: “Our bureau takes this extremely seriously and will swiftly clarify…and ensure a correct understanding of the matter.”

    It could be a sticky end for the monk who has angered some in China by his ruthless commercialization of Shaolin, the birthplace of Chinese martial arts and Zen Buddhism, by renting it out for reality TV shows and computer games among other things. Shi is on the verge of what would be a crowning achievement for internationalizing the brand: the construction of a $400 million Kung Fu theme park in New South Wales, Australia (naturally including a hotel and golf course).

    An open letter published under the name ‘Shi Zhengyi’ last week accused the abbot of living the kind of dissolute double life that has become distinctly unfashionable under President Xi Jinping. The author is thought to be a disaffected former disciple of Shaolin, but the name is most likely a pseudonym since it translates (according to CNN) as ‘interpreting justice’.

    The letter, headed–“Who is to inspect this Big Tiger?”–consciously channeled Xi’s promise to go after both ‘flies and tigers’ in cleaning up China’s leadership. Shi is perhaps an unlikely target for action by state agencies, which have focused so far on corrupt Communist Party officials like former Chongqing governor Bo Xilai. However, the abbot is also member of China’s rubber-stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress. He’s also a vice-chairman of the state-backed national Buddhist association, which collaborates with the State Administration for Religious Affairs in monitoring all of China’s recognized religions. And 16 years as abbot makes him part of the Establishment, whichever way you cut it.

    ‘Shi Zhengyi”s letter, which went viral across China, accused Shi of having been expelled from the monastery in the past for the distinctly non-Zen practice of fiddling his expenses (what would Blind Master Po have said?). Once reinstated and having risen to the rank of abbot, Shi then entertained prostitutes at the monastery, going so far as to keep them there as mistresses and even fathering their children (another viral post claimed to show the birth certificate of one of them), according to the claims.

    The monastery has denied the allegations as “malicious insults”, while Shi last week said he had nothing to hide.
    Gene Ching
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  14. #119

    Nice work there TELEGRAPH.

    China launches investigation into allegations against Bruce Lee temple abbot
    Shi Yongxin, the “CEO monk” who heads China’s famed Shaolin kung fu temple, fails to turn up at martial arts performance in Thailand amid sexual and financial allegations

    China has launched an investigation into allegations of financial and sexual misdeeds by the so-called “CEO monk” who heads the famed Shaolin temple, the birthplace of kung fu and inspiration for Bruce Lee’s films.

    The investigation was made public amid intense speculation that Shi Yongxin, the controversial abbot, failed to lead a delegation of his warrior monks on a martial arts tour to Thailand because he was being questioned.

    There had been rumours that Mr Shi would use the long-arranged trip abroad to flee China to escape the explosive allegations that he embezzled funds and fathered children out of wedlock with female followers, including nuns.

    Officials at the 5th Century temple, the home of Zen Buddhism which the abbot has transformed into a multi-million dollar commercial enterprise, have vigorously denied the online claims.

    The abbot’s aides have reported the accuser, a purported former disciple writing under a pseudonym, to police for "fabricated and malicious insults and libel".

    But in China, where religious activity is regulated by the communist state, officials in the city of Denfeng in Henan province, have now revealed that they have been asked to investigate the claims by their national bosses.

    “Our bureau takes this extremely seriously and will swiftly clarify ... and ensure a correct understanding of the matter,” the religious affairs department said in a one-sentence notice published on the city government website on Monday.

    Despite the controversies that he has faced since becoming abbot in 1999, Mr Shi has previously operated with the blessing of the authorities and served as member of the National People’s Congress and vice-chairman of the state-backed Buddhist Association of China.

    Shaolin temple has a history as dramatic as its forested hillside setting. It was twice emptied and left on the brink of survival last century, the second time by the Red Guards of Chairman Mao after the communist chief denounced the practice of kung fu as a religious decadence.

    But in his enthusiastic embrace of the commercial spirit of 21st century China, Abbot Shi has steered the temple down lucrative new paths, establishing the Shaolin “brand”, setting up foreign outposts and dispatching touring display teams of highly choreographed warrior monks.

    In photographs, the chubby-faced robed monk is often pictured with an iPhone clasped to his ear as he negotiates deals. He made international headlines earlier this year when he announced plans for a splashy $297 million Shaolin complex in Australia – including not just a temple and a kung fu academy, but also a theme park and a golf course.

    He was previously criticised for renting out the temple site to film-makers, accepting a luxury car from the local government for his contribution to tourism and a plan to list the Shaolin complex on the stock exchange.

    Mr Shi’s no-show in Thailand only deepened speculation about his whereabouts. The Beijing News reported that he did not turn up in Thailand because he was being questioned by the religious affairs authorities in Dengfeng, although temple staff denied that.

    In a letter of apology sent to the Thai organisers that did little to end the intrigues, the abbot explained that he became too busy with work to make the trip.

    The scandal has provided ammunition for critics of the monk in China. The People's Daily, the official newspaper of the communist party, was notable pointed in its comments.

    "It is not enough for Shaolin Temple to complain to the police about the accusation or calm the heated online discussion about the scandal,” it wrote. “A thorough investigation should be conducted to investigate the accusation and determine whether they are true.”

  15. #120
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    I wanna train at the Bruce Lee temple!!!

    Corrupt religious leaders may inspire welcome spiritual crisis in China
    Staff Reporter 2015-08-05 09:11 (GMT+8)



    Shi Yongxin appears with a necklace of coins around his neck alongside the Chinese characters for "Shaolin Temple," with gold coins replacing the dots in the characters. (Cartoon/CFP)

    Religious figures in China have run into trouble one after another over recent months, from the murder charges leveled at Qigong master and darling of celebrities and business leaders Wang Lin to the alleged sexual antics, illegitimate children and embezzlement of Shaolin abbot Shi Yongxin, according to Duowei News, a US-based political news outlet run by overseas Chinese.

    These scandals have led to a crisis of faith among many religious people in the country and accusations that the majority of religious leaders in the country are charlatans out to make a quick buck out of the country's faithful.

    There are advantages and disadvantages to the secularization of Chinese society and its move towards utilitarianism. The advantages are that people are less likely to fall prey to superstition and religious fervor but the disadvantages are the moral and spiritual voids left by a lack of faith. However, some commentators have said that China's current spiritual crisis could inspire a more profound kind of faith taking form in the country, the piece said.

    Utilitarian Faith

    Shi Yongxin is sometimes criticized as resembling the CEO of a company more than a Buddhist abbot. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the commercial way that Shi, who holds an MBA, has packaged the Shaolin brand and whether this fits in with the core concepts of the Buddhist faith. Even those who have come to his defense, have limited themselves to defending his business prowess, rather than his moral virtue.

    However, some commentators have questioned whether the allegations against Shi — that he engaged in sexual relations with devotees of the monastery and fathered children against monastery rules while embezzling huge sums of money — turn out to be true or false, if anyone is really convinced that he is anything but a sales manager? Or indeed that Shaolin Temple, made famous by a series of kung fu films, is anything but a glorified martial arts performance troupe? Some people have even compared Shi's claim to be a senior religious figure with the administrator of a university claiming to be a professor.

    One analyst cited by the website stated that the Shaolin monastery had been endowed with a profound symbolic meaning by film and television culture in the country. The temple's status as a symbol is why there was such controversy over Shi's alleged dodgy dealings with the local government, as this was seen as a betrayal of the monastery's symbolic significance.

    As for Wang Lin, it seems he served more as a curiosity and a networking platform for celebrities and business leaders, rather than pulling off a massive scam of which they were the target. When Qigong was at the height of its popularity, renowned Chinese scientists and national leaders also met with him in person and took photographs with him. Many of those who took photographs with him, however, did not likely believe in his powers, but approached him purely as a curiosity.

    As renowned author and translator Lin Yutang once said, when Chinese people are feeling proud, they believe in Confucianism; when they are frustrated they believe in Daoism and Buddhism and when these doctrines go against their interests, they say "human wisdom prevails over nature." This has led to a series of religious fads and the rapid restoration and decline of different schools of religious thoughts according to whatever is most convenient for the current zeitgeist, which one scholar cited by the paper described as "spiritual adultery." He said that in China, religion is widely conceived of in the utilitarian terms of transactions with a deity or deities, not as a responsibility to that deity.

    The website stated that it is likely that these kind of scandals are not a new phenomenon, but rather that the party has slackened its censorship rules to allow the media to report on them for some reason. It's not certain whether this suggests increasing press freedom or the targeting of religious groups which could pose a threat to party loyalty.

    References:

    Wang Lin   王林

    Shi Yongxin  釋永信
    More on Wang Lin on our Busted-Qigong-Masters thread.

    I'm beginning to wonder how this will affect the upcoming 4th-Shaolin-Cultural-Festival-San-Francisco-CA-Oct-8-11-2015
    Gene Ching
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