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Thread: Abbot scandals

  1. #151
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    Partial exoneration

    Investigation of Shaolin Abbot Partially Revealed
    2015-11-28 17:38:25 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: WangKun


    Shi Yongxin, the abbot of China's famed Shaolin Temple, addresses the opening ceremony of the 2012 European Shaolin Culture Festival in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 7, 2012. Shaolin Kungfu Test Conference, photo show of Shaolin culture and some other events will be held during the festival. [Photo: Xinhua]

    Details surrounding an investigation into the abbot of the famed Shaolin Temple in Henan have been revealed, which so far appear to exonorate him from the allegations made against him.

    The Buddhist Association of Henan says Shi Yongxin has the proper qualifications to run the Temple.

    At the same time, the Association says all the rules were followed properly when he was elected the head of the famed Temple in late 1996.

    Paternity tests taken from Shi Yongxin's two adopted daughters have also confirmed they are not his biological children.

    Authorities say an investigation into his finances and other allegations against him are still underway.

    Shi Yongxin, who has been dubbed the "CEO monk" for his moves to commercialize the home of Kung-Fu, has been under investigation after a series of allegations were levelled against him by a former monk at Shaolin.

    The accusations made earlier this year have included embezzlement, lying about his true identity and sex with multiple women, which would go against the tenants of being a Buddhist monk.

    The sexual allegations, which were contained in a police report filed by an unnamed woman, were enough to prompt the investigation.


    Photo taken on April 8, 2012 shows Shi Yongxin, abbot of Shaolin Temple, at the inauguration ceremony in of the Henan Buddhist College (HBC) in the scenic Tongbai Mountains in central China's Henan Province. [Photo: Xinhua]


    A photo shows Shaolin Temple at the foot of the Songshan Mountain in central China's Henan Province, Feb. 18, 2014. [Photo: Xinhua]
    For the record, the 4th Shaolin Festival didn't quite happen in the Abbot's absence.
    Gene Ching
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  2. #152

    so far

    The Rise and Fall of Shaolin’s CEO Monk
    Shi Yongxin built the Shaolin Temple into a global business. Now, karma’s catching up.
    December 29, 2015
    Christopher Beam


    ......

    Then, on Nov. 28, the Henan government released partial results of its investigation. The authorities had split their probe into two parts, one focusing on “disciplinary” charges and the other on “economic” ones. Yongxin was cleared of the former. The claims that he fathered two children were false, according to the report: One of them was in fact adopted by the nun with whom Yongxin had allegedly fathered the child, and anyway the woman had become infertile after an operation; a paternity test revealed that the other was the child of Yongxin’s younger brother. The state’s report also rejected the claim that Yongxin had been expelled from the monastery in the 1980s. In an interview with a Henan newspaper, a member of the investigation team said the expulsion had been “a personal matter” and was “invalid” because it was not approved by the proper government authorities.


    The results of the “economic” investigation haven’t yet been released. (Nor have investigators explained their unusual choice to publish in thematic installments.) But the findings so far suggest that Yongxin may be headed for exoneration, or at the most a slap on the wrist. The “disciplinary” results are conspicuously incomplete: They fail to address the rape accusation, as well as the charge that Yongxin slept with the Shenzhen businesswoman. Verdicts on these charges don’t appear to be forthcoming.

    The public response has been predictably cynical. One Chinese netizen spoke for many when he wrote, “He’s a good Party monk, of course he can’t have problems.” The point being, whether he’s guilty or not, Yongxin is too big to fail. If he did, given the gravity of the charges, he would take countless others down with him.

    It’s true that many party leaders have lost their jobs in recent years because of the anticorruption campaign, and those who fight their accusers rarely win. But those officials have been targeted by the upper rungs of the party. The small group that fingered Yongxin included rogue disciples who had axes to grind. From a stability perspective, his ousting would cause more problems than it would solve. Moreover, he’s a powerful symbol for the Chinese government. His success showcases not only China’s tolerance for organized religion but also the country’s soft power. Shaolin has reached new audiences through every manner of pop culture, from Stephen Chow movies to The Simpsons to the Wu-Tang Clan, whose latest album is titled Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. At a time when China can’t seem to win an Oscar or produce literature that travels well, the fact that American teenagers know the name Shaolin is a source of pride.

    During my visit to the temple, I went by the office of Wang Yumin, the head of foreign affairs, and told him I wanted to write about how the temple had become so successful under Yongxin. “Successful?” Wang said. He laughed bitterly and gestured around him as if the allegations dogging Yongxin were physical objects in the room. “We don’t think it’s very successful.”
    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/featur...lin-s-ceo-monk

  3. #153
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    I'm posting the whole article

    Because I'm quoted in it.

    The Rise and Fall of Shaolin’s CEO Monk
    Shi Yongxin built the Shaolin Temple into a global business. Now, karma’s catching up.
    December 28, 2015
    Christopher Beam


    Photographer: Chinafotopress/Getty Images

    His Holiness the Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin would deliver the money himself. Five thousand miles from the Shaolin Temple, the ancient Buddhist monastery and wellspring of kung fu that he oversees in the mountains of central China, a city council in Australia had approved his purchase of some land. Attuned to the power of symbolic gestures, Yongxin wanted to seal the deal in person, so in February the cherubic, saffron-robed abbot journeyed from Henan province to Shoalhaven, New South Wales, and handed the mayor a check for $3 million. Yongxin smiled and pressed his hands together, as if in prayer. “It is destiny,” he said.

    Yongxin had negotiated for the property for nearly a decade. He wanted to build a complex there called Shaolin Village, where Australians and international tourists could learn about Chan Buddhism and the temple’s famed warrior monks. But to think of Shaolin Village as a temple would be like calling Versailles a house. In addition to a monastery and kung fu academy, the development Yongxin envisioned included a four-star hotel with 500 beds, residential villas, and a 27-hole golf course, at a cost of more than $270 million.

    Yongxin, in his 16 years as head of the Shaolin Temple, had presided over many business ventures and was known across China and the world as the “CEO monk.” Since taking his vows of piety in the early 1980s, he had transformed the Shaolin Temple—a picturesque compound of prayer halls, tree-dabbled courtyards, and Buddhist shrines set against a lush mountainside—from a poor and relatively unknown outpost into a global brand. He became a symbol of the successful intersection of church, state, and commerce in China, a kind of anti-Dalai Lama who enjoys political favor as well as spiritual status.

    Yongxin first drew national attention in China in the mid-1990s, when he filed a lawsuit against a company that produced Shaolin brand sausages—a product that was not only unauthorized but also, given the Buddhist monks’ vegetarianism, particularly off-message. To prevent further brand dilution, he created the Henan Shaolin Temple Industrial Development Co. and registered the name Shaolin as a trademark. While abbots had traditionally overseen only the temple grounds, Yongxin got the shabby warren of shops and martial arts schools outside the complex demolished, in the name of preserving its character, and he clashed with the local government over ticket sales to the region. He also created the Shaolin Kungfu Monk Corps, a touring troupe that performs for paying audiences from Thailand to Canada.

    For centuries, the monks of the Shaolin Temple mostly prayed and practiced martial arts, while living off the land and the donations of worshippers. Under Yongxin, their activities expanded to include food and medicine sales, construction, entertainment, and consulting. In 2006 the temple teamed with a Shenzhen media company to produce Kungfu Star, an American Idol-style TV competition. Shaolin announced last year that it would begin developing mobile apps, including instructional kung fu software. The Shaolin Village project in Australia was only the next logical step in the abbot’s expansionist theo-corporate empire. “If China can import Disney resorts,” he said in March, “why can’t other countries import the Shaolin Monastery?”

    Yongxin had a knack for politics as well as business. He was both vice chairman of the Buddhist Association of China and a member of the National People’s Congress, the country’s legislature. He met with luminaries, including Nelson Mandela, the queen of England, and Tim Cook, the head of Apple. Within the temple, he commanded a loyal following among its 400 or so monks. “He’s the person I respect the most,” said Shi Yanlu, one of Yongxin’s most trusted disciples, at one point. “He really dares to dream.”


    Kung fu students practicing in Shaolin.
    Source: AFP/Getty Images

    Then, on July 25, a message about Yongxin appeared on a Chinese Internet forum. Its authors claimed to be Shaolin disciples and used the pseudonym Shi Zhengyi. Shi is a title taken by all Shaolin monks, and zhengyi means “justice” in Mandarin. Borrowing the language of President Xi Jinping’s ongoing anticorruption campaign, which promises to target both “tigers” (high-level officials) and “flies” (low-level ones), the post asked, “Who will supervise the big tiger Shi Yongxin?” To “protect the hall of our ancestors” and “revitalize Shaolin,” the self-proclaimed whistle-blowers were “bravely stepping forward to reveal the rule-breaking and lawbreaking of Shaolin Temple Abbot Shi Yongxin.” His misdeeds, they charged, included raping a nun, fathering two children, embezzling funds, and generally “staining the reputation of the Shaolin Temple.” The accusers posted photos of a nun and a small child who were supposedly Yongxin’s mistress and daughter.

    Over the next few days, Zhengyi released new material. Side-by-side photos seemed to show that Yongxin had not one but two housing registrations, which is illegal in China. A police report included handwritten notes from the interrogation of a Shenzhen businesswoman who claimed she’d slept with Yongxin and had been threatened by his disciples; one of them “told me he’d let me have a comfortable death,” she told the police. A social media user, posting under the same woman’s name, uploaded a photo of dirty underwear supposedly worn during a sexual encounter with Yongxin and claimed to have saved a condom used by the abbot. Letters bearing the official stamps of former Shaolin abbots said that Yongxin had been expelled from the temple—twice. The documents’ authenticity wasn’t confirmed, but those inclined to believe the charges saw in Yongxin a classic portrait: the outwardly pious religious leader exposed as a hypocrite, abusing his authority to commit sins of the flesh and the purse.

    Yongxin made a show of proceeding with business as usual. On its website, the temple dismissed the charges as “vicious slander” and called for the government to investigate and prosecute the accusers. Yongxin taunted them in an interview with Global Times, a Chinese newspaper, published on Aug. 3. “If I really had a problem, you wouldn’t have to post accusations about me on the Internet,” he said. “You could go directly to the relevant departments.”

    He might have regretted the challenge. That week, six Shaolin disciples traveled north to Beijing and, on Aug. 8, walked into the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the central government agency that handles investigations. The group included a former head of the Monk Corps, several other senior monks, and, leading them, Yongxin’s trusted disciple, Shi Yanlu. Within a week, government investigators were visiting the Shaolin Temple and scrutinizing the Yongxin empire.

    Those inclined to believe the charges saw in Yongxin a classic portrait: the outwardly pious religious leader exposed as a hypocrite

    The Shaolin Temple was founded in 495 A.D. by the monk Buddhabhadra, who had traveled from India to China. It’s considered the birthplace of Chan Buddhism, a precursor of Zen Buddhism. At the foot of Mt. Song, the temple became known for its warrior monks—a contradiction, given their commitment to nonviolence, but an advantage during wartime—when, in the year 621, a group of Shaolin monks came to the aid of the Tang emperor in battle. The temple thrived during the Ming dynasty, as government officials recruited its monks for 16th century military campaigns, including several battles against Japanese pirates. One account describes a group of 120 monks killing more than 100 “dwarf pirates,” while suffering only four casualties.

    The Shaolin fared worse under the Qing (1644-1911), as the new rulers, questioning the monks’ loyalty, tried to curb their military activity. In 1928 the temple was torched by a Nationalist general. The rise of Mao Zedong and the Communist Party caused damage first spiritual—monks were forbidden to wear robes or practice Buddhist rituals—and then physical, when the Red Guards destroyed many of the temple’s relics during the Cultural Revolution.
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  4. #154
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    continued from previous

    A 16-year-old named Liu Yingcheng arrived in 1981. Growing up on a farm in Anhui province, he’d often heard stories about Buddhist monks, and was taken with the idea of, in his words, “living a carefree life, coming and going like the clouds and the fog.” Liu’s parents opposed him becoming a monk, so he waited until they were traveling to take some money and sneak away to Shaolin. He found the place in a shambles. The temple was falling apart, and only two dozen monks lived there, eating little but maize paste and steamed buns. There hadn’t been an official abbot for more than 300 years. Still, Liu sought out the acting abbot, an old man named Xingzheng, who agreed to take him on. Liu cooked and grazed cattle while beginning his studies. He was an unremarkable martial artist, but he was smart, and Xingzheng took a liking to him. During the young man’s vow ceremony, the abbot gave him the dharma name Yongxin.

    Any sense of tranquility was about to end. In 1982 the film The Shaolin Temple, shot on location and starring a 19-year-old kung fu phenom named Jet Li, became one of the first Chinese-made international blockbusters. Inspired by the story of a slave boy fleeing to Shaolin to learn kung fu and avenge his father’s death, would-be monks made pilgrimages to the temple and offered to join its ranks. Children flocked from around the country to study martial arts, and dozens of training schools opened. Tourism spiked from roughly 50,000 visitors per year in the late 1970s to 2.6 million in 1984.


    Yongxin fought the local government over ticket revenue.
    Source: Chinafotopress/Getty Images

    Yongxin watched this explosion with some trepidation, but mostly excitement—it was an opportunity to spread Shaolin beliefs to more people. At the same time, the central government’s grip on religion was starting to relax. Xingzheng took advantage of the “reform and opening” policies of Deng Xiaoping to push for greater independence for the temple, traveling frequently to lobby officials in the provincial capital and Beijing. He would often bring along Yongxin, who became known as Xingzheng’s “walking stick.”

    In his memoir, Shaolin Temple in My Heart, Yongxin remembers traveling on the cheap, eating bread they’d packed themselves and staying in bathhouses. (Yongxin, through a spokesman, declined several requests to be interviewed.) He met officials and learned the importance of political connections. Xingzheng successfully persuaded the government to let the monks wear robes again and to allow ticket sales, which generated an income for the temple. In this radically open economic landscape, Yongxin saw firsthand how the temple could leverage the Jet Li miracle into security, autonomy, and growth.

    Some accounts suggest Yongxin became too keen a student of power. According to a recent report by Sina News, a Chinese news portal, in 1986, as Xingzheng was preparing for a ceremony that would officially make him abbot, he couldn’t find a necessary scroll. Xingzheng accused Yongxin of stealing the sacred object out of a desire to become abbot himself. At first Yongxin denied the charge, then reportedly admitted guilt and gave the scroll back. Xingzheng also learned that Yongxin had been referring to himself as Shaolin’s “second in command,” and sometimes even as “abbot,” according to Sina.

    Xingzheng expelled Yongxin from the temple, according to documents posted by Shi Zhengyi and statements by people who were at Shaolin at the time. But Yongxin refused to leave, even when, per one account, some monks took his bedding and personal items and threw them out of the temple. A year later, documents released by Shi Zhengyi appear to show, a new “honorary” abbot, Shi Dechan, again tried to kick Yongxin out. He wrote a letter to the Buddhism Association of China enumerating Yongxin’s alleged offenses, including inciting monks to beat up an electrician. Again, Yongxin refused to be dismissed. The farm boy who had come to Shaolin wishing to come and go like the clouds and the fog had learned the power of staying put. He built his own base of supporters and, with higher-ranking monks either too ill or too unpopular to take charge, eventually emerged as the de facto leader of the temple, the monk with the clearest ability to continue the modernization that Xingzheng had begun.

    In 1995, Yongxin organized a celebration of the Shaolin Temple’s 1,500th anniversary, inviting government officials, Buddhist leaders, and thousands of guests from around the world. In a clever bit of political theater, he put on display a memorial tablet commemorating the 50th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan. The five-day celebration got extensive media coverage and helped establish the Shaolin Temple as the preeminent monastery in China. “It was exceptionally successful,” Yongxin wrote in his memoir. Four years later, he went through the official induction ceremony and was named 30th abbot of the Shaolin Temple. He was 34 years old. “I always persist in things that I am determined to do,” he wrote. “People might not understand for the moment, but everything will become clear at last.”

    I’d heard a lot about the commercialization of the Shaolin Temple, but nothing could prepare me for my first encounter with Buddhism Inc. I paid the steep $16 entrance fee and walked the long, tree-lined path from the front gate of the Songshan Shaolin Scenic Area to the temple. The lilting theme song from Shaolin Temple, the movie, played from speakers in the trees. Tour groups congregated in front of the temple, snapping photos of its front steps, sloping tile roofs, and, despite a rule against it, the occasional monk. A man in a puffy jacket offered to sell me a Photoshopped picture of myself with Yongxin and Vladimir Putin flanking me like bodyguards. I shelled out $30 to see the 400-person nighttime Shaolin Zen Music Ritual, and caught a kung fu performance where the stage was emblazoned with the name of a tire company. In the mall-like gift shop, I bought a toy gun.

    One evening I was sitting in a nearby guesthouse, reading a copy of Yongxin’s memoir, when an old man with a long white beard shuffled over. His son accompanied him and said his father had studied at the temple long ago. The old man stepped to the center of the room and performed an elegant kung fu routine, striking and kicking invisible enemies. Here it was, I thought: living heritage, unsullied by crass commercialism. When the man finished, I applauded and went to shake his hand. “Now give me some money,” he said.

    In his book, Yongxin describes his goal for the temple not as commercialization, but rather the preservation and spread of authentic Shaolin culture. To do that, he argues, requires that monks be engaged in the secular world. “It seems that in people’s minds, monks worthy of respect should do nothing but chant prayers,” he writes. “I do not think that way.” He rejects the CEO Monk nickname, but based on past statements, his aim isn’t radically different from that of a Fortune 500 company: growth. Yet growth requires efficiency, rational management, and creative destruction, which don’t always suit religious leaders.

    If Shaolin is commercial now, it used to be worse—or at least tackier. In the mid-1990s, the area surrounding the temple was filled with souvenir shops selling prayer beads, figurines, swords, and Tasers. There was a roller coaster simulator and a house of horrors with a petrified cadaver. One of Mao’s private planes stood on display. The dirt road to the temple was lined with competing martial arts schools, where students trained to become, typically, kung fu coaches or military personnel, and occasionally Shaolin warrior monks. “They were dazzling, in a weird way,” says Gene Ching, a Shaolin disciple and associate publisher of Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine who first visited in 1995. “My favorite was watching two kids assigned to clean up the street. They got in a fight over a dustpan. At first it was typical push-pull, then one kid trapped the other kid’s hand on the dustpan and put him in an armlock, and the other kid did a tornado kick to disarm him.”


    Yongxin was instilling brand discipline on an ancient faith. But he was also cutting rivals out of the Shaolin economy

    Upon becoming abbot in 1999, Yongxin decided to clear out the dreck. “Who would want to visit this filthy and chaotic place?” he wrote. He lobbied the local government to approve demolition in the area and helped pay for it with what he said was the majority of the temple’s savings. Villagers, whose livelihoods were jeopardized, picketed and held banners denouncing the abbot, but in 2002 the forced relocation proceeded. Yongxin was pleased. “Now it possesses a little bit of the poetic charm that I have long cherished for the Shaolin Temple,” he wrote. The project dovetailed with his trademark-protection litigation, as he sought to control the temple’s image locally and abroad. When Yongxin first tried to lay exclusive claim to the name Shaolin, he found that 57 other parties had already registered the trademark in China, as well as 18 in the U.S. and 228 in Japan. After numerous lawsuits, all rights to the name were transferred to the temple in 2009. Yongxin was instilling the modern tenets of brand discipline on a 1,500-year-old faith. But he was also creating a long list of enemies who had been cut out of the Shaolin economy.
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    continued from previous

    As Yongxin’s fame grew, his critics accused him of living an increasingly extravagant lifestyle—especially for a monk. In 2006 the government of Dengfeng gave him a Volkswagen SUV worth $125,000 as thanks for his contributions to tourism. “I dream of getting a bigger prize next year,” he said at the time. Three years later, he was again denounced for showing off a cloak with gold thread worth $25,000. He said it was a gift from a brocade company in Nanjing as an example of their shared “intangible cultural heritage.” Allegations of more serious misbehavior began to appear in 2011, when someone claimed online that Yongxin had been caught visiting prostitutes during a police raid. The State Administration for Religious Affairs issued a statement saying the report was only a malicious rumor. Whatever controversies surrounded Yongxin, they never stuck. When he addressed them, it was only in koan-like utterances. “If these things are problems,” he once told a reporter, “they would have become problems by now.”

    In November, I visited Qian Daliang, the general manager of Shaolin Intangible Assets Management Co. Ltd., which Yongxin had established to oversee the temple’s many subsidiaries. In his spare office inside the temple walls, Qian—the surname means “money”—turned on a small, ineffectual space heater and made tea while he told tales of the Shaolin monks’ greatest financial battles. “Religions should be independent, and economic independence is the most important part,” he said. One of Yongxin’s most significant stands had been with the local government over the issue of allowing the temple to sell tickets—the campaign Abbot Xingzheng had started. Eventually, Qian said, the government agreed that the temple would receive 30 percent of the revenue from ticket sales to the Songshan Shaolin Scenic Area, in which the temple is the main attraction. Temple insiders suspect the local government is trying to reduce its financial dependence on Shaolin. In 2010 the city of Dengfeng started developing plans for a competing temple, to be called Tianzhong. Construction began but was soon delayed. According to a report in Caixin magazine, although Yongxin expressed outward support for the project, many locals believe he played a role in stalling it by raising objections that the construction would damage old relics. Work was halted in May, two months before Shi Zhengyi launched the public crusade against Yongxin.

    The highway connecting Dengfeng to the Shaolin Temple passes a dozen martial arts schools—tall, gray buildings crowned with almost identical red lettering, most containing the name Shaolin and many run by former monks. Some relocated there after Yongxin’s demolition; others have been erected since, sometimes with temple funds. The schools, which bring in tens of thousands of students every year, including wealthy foreigners, have over the years turned into gold mines for their owners. In 1997, Yongxin reportedly dispatched his disciple Shi Yanlu to found the Shaolin Warrior Monks Training Base and invested 15 million yuan ($2.3 million) in the school. Yanlu, a sinewy specimen, especially compared with Yongxin’s melted-candle figure, had grown up poor in Shandong province and came to Shaolin in 1987. He eventually became a respected warrior monk and one of Yongxin’s loyal aides. During the abbot’s 1999 induction ceremony, Yanlu stood behind Yongxin, holding his umbrella.

    Yanlu’s school became one of the most successful in the region. It maintained close ties with Shaolin: Yanlu would send his best students to perform in the temple’s kung fu shows, as well as in the lucrative Shaolin Zen Music Ritual song and dance show. Yongxin allowed Yanlu alone to maintain a recruitment office inside the temple.


    A Shaolin monk poses for a photograph in London’s Chinatown on Feb. 23.Photographer: Carl Court/Getty Images

    Over time, the relationship frayed. Yanlu began to receive his own high-profile visitors, including the prime minister of Hungary and the king of Cambodia. Temple leaders suspected that Yanlu was no longer sending his best pupils to participate in Shaolin performances, keeping them instead for his own school’s shows. Yanlu further distanced himself from Yongxin when he bought a piece of land and began advertising an ambitious new program called Shaolin Soccer, without involving the temple. Yanlu and Yongxin would squabble over money. According to Yanlu’s report to the government, starting in 2005, Yongxin began asking Yanlu for money. “He was insatiable,” Yanlu’s spokesman told Caixin. Yongxin denied this, saying he “never asked for a cent.” Yanlu also claimed that Yongxin forced him to pay 2 million yuan to the Shenzhen businesswoman with whom the abbot allegedly had sex. “He was the abbot, so I had to do what he said,” Yanlu wrote. “After that, he warned me not to raise the issue of the money or else I’d be kicked out of the temple.”

    Yanlu has faced his own charges of sacrilege. Several years ago, a photo reportedly circulated in the Shaolin community of Yanlu with his month-old son. As Qian Daliang explained it to one news outlet, Yongxin confronted Yanlu and told him to stop wearing the monastic robes. From then on, when they met in person, Yanlu would dress in everyday clothes, but he still wore the robes at school events. His role as headmaster depended on his image as a pious Shaolin warrior monk—without that, he could lose everything. Yanlu didn’t respond to requests for comment sent to his spokesman.

    Tensions exploded one day in 2013, when a group of Yanlu’s students tried to enter the Shaolin Temple without tickets. A fight broke out between the students and the Shaolin monks guarding the gate, and the police arrested two of the guards. After that, Yongxin closed Yanlu’s student recruitment office and, according to reports, officially expelled him from the temple.

    In November, the year’s first snowfall blanketed the monastery. Nearly four months had passed since the charges against Yongxin went viral, and the results of the state investigation still hadn’t been announced. The initial blast of chatter about his fate had quieted to a low hum. No one wanted to talk on the record: Those who had already voiced support for Yongxin had nothing to add, while those who had denounced him didn’t want to say more in case he kept his job after all. As time went on and nothing changed, the locals were beginning to consider the possibility that the abbot, as he had survived past crises, would weather this one. That would be an astonishing anticlimax, given the dynamite nature of the charges, but one that they had to consider—knowing the extent of Yongxin’s power, the thinness of the evidence, the bias of the accusers, and the capriciousness of the Chinese legal system.

    Then, on Nov. 28, the Henan government released partial results of its investigation. The authorities had split their probe into two parts, one focusing on “disciplinary” charges and the other on “economic” ones. Yongxin was cleared of the former. The claims that he fathered two children were false, according to the report: One of them was in fact adopted by the nun with whom Yongxin had allegedly fathered the child, and anyway the woman had become infertile after an operation; a paternity test revealed that the other was the child of Yongxin’s younger brother. The state’s report also rejected the claim that Yongxin had been expelled from the monastery in the 1980s. In an interview with a Henan newspaper, a member of the investigation team said the expulsion had been “a personal matter” and was “invalid” because it was not approved by the proper government authorities.
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  6. #156
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    Yongxin with Jackie Chan.
    Photographer: Donald Chan/Reuters

    The results of the “economic” investigation haven’t yet been released. (Nor have investigators explained their unusual choice to publish in thematic installments.) But the findings so far suggest that Yongxin may be headed for exoneration, or at the most a slap on the wrist. The “disciplinary” results are conspicuously incomplete: They fail to address the rape accusation, as well as the charge that Yongxin slept with the Shenzhen businesswoman. Verdicts on these charges don’t appear to be forthcoming.

    The public response has been predictably cynical. One Chinese netizen spoke for many when he wrote, “He’s a good Party monk, of course he can’t have problems.” The point being, whether he’s guilty or not, Yongxin is too big to fail. If he did, given the gravity of the charges, he would take countless others down with him.

    It’s true that many party leaders have lost their jobs in recent years because of the anticorruption campaign, and those who fight their accusers rarely win. But those officials have been targeted by the upper rungs of the party. The small group that fingered Yongxin included rogue disciples who had axes to grind. From a stability perspective, his ousting would cause more problems than it would solve. Moreover, he’s a powerful symbol for the Chinese government. His success showcases not only China’s tolerance for organized religion but also the country’s soft power. Shaolin has reached new audiences through every manner of pop culture, from Stephen Chow movies to The Simpsons to the Wu-Tang Clan, whose latest album is titled Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. At a time when China can’t seem to win an Oscar or produce literature that travels well, the fact that American teenagers know the name Shaolin is a source of pride.

    During my visit to the temple, I went by the office of Wang Yumin, the head of foreign affairs, and told him I wanted to write about how the temple had become so successful under Yongxin. “Successful?” Wang said. He laughed bitterly and gestured around him as if the allegations dogging Yongxin were physical objects in the room. “We don’t think it’s very successful.”
    Chris Beam interviewed me for a very long time, plus follow-up questions. At least I got one quote in.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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    The Abbot is vindicated

    释永信被举报事件调查结果公布 “私生女”不属实

    2015年11月28日 08:24 来源:大河网 参与互动 



    11月17日消息,河南登封,少林寺一年一度的冬季“精进七”禅七法会,于11月16日即农历十月初五正式 开启,本次禅七共七个七,为期四十九天。少林方丈释永信当日为众开示。 少林寺供图


    视频:释永信被举报调查结果公布 “私生女”不属实 来源:央视新闻
      释永信被举报违反戒律问题调查有果
      ——调查组负责人接受本报专访
      本报记者 屈芳
      7月25日起,一则署名“释正义”、举报少林寺方丈释永信有关问题的贴子开始在网上流传。此后,释延鲁 等人实名举报,引发社会持续关注。

      记者了解到,根据举报内容,我省有关方面本着公平公正、依法依规原则迅速成立了调查组。调查组通过调阅 历史档案材料、到相关单位核查、约谈询问当事人、走访相关人员等方式展开调查。同时,调查组多次赴北京、山 东、安徽、商丘、登封等地调查取证,获取了证言证词等相关证据材料。
      日前,就释永信被举报涉及违反戒律的有关问题,调查组负责人接受了本报专访。
      释永信当年“被迁单”的说法不实
      释永信被举报涉及违反戒律方面的主要内容之一是“被迁单(即僧人犯戒被摈出门——编者按) ”问题。
      举报称,释永信早已被时任少林寺名誉方丈释德禅迁单,其方丈职务为非法获得,并公布了释永信“被迁单” 的材料:1988年2月1日中国佛教协会教务部给释德禅的《复函》,其中有“法师作为一寺之主,经与主要执 事商议,有权迁单”的内容;1988年4月23日释德禅对释永信的《迁单文书》等。
      释永信真的早被“迁单”了吗?调查组经过调查确认:释永信当年“被迁单”的说法不属实,是个别人的私自 行为,是无效的,此后方丈资格的获得如法合规。
      调查组负责人向记者列出了四点依据:
      一、所谓“被迁单”没有按寺规经过少林寺寺管会集体研究的工作程序。经调查组查阅历史档案、走访当时少 林寺寺管会成员中健在人员、少林寺部分老僧人、当时省市县宗教工作干部和处理少林寺问题工作组成员等,确认 当时对释永信的所谓“迁单”并未开会集体研究,调查组也没有查到相关会议的讨论记录。从查实的释永信“被迁 单”过程看,所说的“迁单”是在当时内部相争情况下个别人的私自行为。
      二、中国佛教协会所发《复函》只是强调处理僧人迁单问题的一般原则,并非专指对释永信迁单问题,此后中 国佛教协会下发的《电报》已就此作出说明。经调查,在1988年2月1日中国佛教协会教务部给释德禅发出《 复函》后,同年5月3日,中国佛教协会又下发《电报》,进一步强调:“我会教务部前致德禅法师函讲的是丛林 处理违反寺规僧人迁单问题的一般原则,对僧人作迁单处理是严肃的事情,应谨慎从事。”《电报》同样强调“迁 单”应经过集体讨论,指出:“在德禅法师病重的情况下,更应在查明情况的前提下,经过寺庙领导成员集体讨论 决定。不可用上述文件(指《复函》——编者按)为依据,对僧人轻率作出迁单处理。”
      三、释永信“被迁单”问题已被当年工作组认定“无效”。1987年8月释行正方丈圆寂,1988年出现 释永信“被迁单”问题后,原登封县组成少林寺问题工作组进行了相关调查,并对释永信“被迁单”问题作出了明 确结论:“个别人私自迁永信的单,是错误的、是无效的,永信仍然是管委会的主要成员,仍要执行自己的分工职 责。”
      四、释永信方丈资格的获得得到了河南省佛教协会的批准并报中国佛教协会备案。调查组负责人告诉记者,1 996年12月经少林寺民主选举,释永信任少林寺寺管会主任。此后释永信方丈资格的获得,也是经过严格的逐 级申报审核。档案资料显示,河南省佛教协会报请河南省宗教局同意并报中国佛教协会备案,于 1999年4月15日向郑州市佛教协会下达批复:“同意释永信法师担任嵩山少林寺方丈,并选良辰吉日举行方 丈升座仪式。”上述程序,符合《全国汉传佛教寺院管理办法》,也符合《汉传佛教寺院住持任职办 法》。
      韩某恩系释某某收养,此前释某某已丧失生育能力
      “释正义”的网帖和释延鲁等人的举报中,都提到释永信有两个“私生女”,其中与释某某生女韩某恩,与关 某某生女刘某亚。这也成为调查组调查的又一焦点内容。
      “释永信与释某某生女韩某恩不属实”,调查组负责人明确说。
      据受访的负责人介绍,经调查核实,2004年10月11日释某某因“多发性子宫肌瘤”入住某医院治疗, 同月做了腹式全子宫切除手术。根据相关线索,调查组在该医院查阅到对释某某的《手术记录档案》。医学结论表 明,自2004年10月手术后,释某某已经丧失生育能力。对释某某做手术知情的李某某、王某某也证实了这一 点。
      韩某恩系释某某2009年收养的弃婴。调查组曾约见知情人曹某某和李某某,经证实,2009年农历4月 的一个夜晚,曹某某外出倒垃圾时,发现了1名被遗弃的女婴(后取名韩某恩),经与释某某联系,第二天曹某某 和李某某一起将该弃婴送到了释某某那里。
      那么,网上晒出的相关户籍信息和韩某恩的出生证明,为何显示韩某恩为释某某(俗名韩某君)2009年所 生、且她俩都落户在释永信的母亲胡某某户头下?
      调查组负责人表示,经调查,出生证明是释永信的侄子刘某委托老家某卫生院原防保科长张某某假借卫生院医 生之名伪造的。刘某曾在少林寺工作过,与少林寺慈幼院负责人释某某较熟悉,为帮助释某某实现收养一个孩子的 愿望,就委托别人开具了该证明。调查组走访了该卫生院原防保科长张某某和“出生证明”中被署名的医生,二人 均证实该“出生证明”系伪造。
      公安户籍信息显示,韩某君、韩某恩户籍确在胡某某名下。经查,这是刘某为保证韩某恩能顺利落户,提前将 释某某的户口,用“韩某君”的名字,以亲属投靠为由,迁至自己奶奶、即释永信的母亲胡某某户头 下。
      亲子鉴定证实,刘某亚是释永信四弟女儿
      就释永信被举报与关某某生有一女刘某亚,调查组也进行了调查取证。
      根据公安户籍信息显示并在调查中了解到,刘某亚是胡某某儿子、释永信四弟刘某彪的女儿。调查组与刘某彪 谈话中,刘某彪表示,刘某亚是自己的女儿,并愿做亲子鉴定。至于刘某亚的户口为何在胡某某户头下,刘某彪向 调查组解释说,他妻子是农村户口,当年是为给刘某亚办“商品粮”,才将孩子户口转到自己母亲那 儿。
      由于刘某亚已24岁,24年前的出生资料调查组已无法在当地卫生院核查到。在等待刘某彪做亲子鉴定的过 程中,调查组走访了其老家两位邻居和其岳母,均证实刘某亚系刘某彪的亲生女儿。调查组又走访了刘某彪妻子陈 某某娘家所在的某某村,该村村委会和村支书也均证实刘某亚就是陈某某与刘某彪所生长女。
      日前,刘某彪、陈某某、刘某亚的亲子鉴定结果出来了。调查组向记者展示了刘某彪提供的相关材料,亲子鉴 定证实,刘某亚确是刘某彪、陈某某的亲生女儿。
      调查组负责人告诉记者,涉释永信被举报的经济和其它问题,正在依法依规调查之中。
      相关报道:
      释永信被实名举报玩弄女性 少林寺:恶意造谣已报案
      7月26日有网友以少林寺弟子名义举报少林寺方丈释永信,称其违规违法、玩弄女人,26日晚少林寺称遭 恶意造谣已报案。少林寺方面回应记者称,少林寺并无实名举报的“正”字辈弟子,此前也无少林弟子举报方丈, 目前方丈和少林寺官方希望以法律途径还以清白。针对不实传言,方丈称“不辩解脱”。
      释永信:还少林寺一个清白 我个人还无所谓
      采取法律手段解决目前的风波,在释永信看来“是唯一的方法”。释永信表示:“这样能以正视听,还少林寺 一个清白,还佛教界一个清白,我个人还无所谓。”他说:“我个人真正有问题的话,不用通过网络这种贴大字报 的形式,可直接到有关部门。”释永信还表示,少林寺的网站每年都被人攻击、瘫痪好几次。
      网传释永信女儿出生证明 当事医院称找不到存根
      释正义在此前的举报中称,释永信与释延洁两人生有一女,名叫韩佳恩,并公布了出生证明。该证明上的签字 医生江如兰对北京青年报记者称,她从没有签署过这份出生证明。江如兰此前已被警方带走调查,目 前尚无结果。
      举报人曝释永信被开除僧籍 少林寺:相信会调查清楚
      举报人“释正义”向记者发来新的“证据”,称释永信早在1988年就被少林寺开除僧籍,并贴出释永信的 两个身份信息证明材料,以及释延洁等网帖中涉及人士的户籍信息。
      探访释永信老家:大哥开武校拥有超市宾馆
      记者来到释永信老家,见到了其母亲、两个兄弟及亲戚,其家人均表示,释永信没有妻女,其中所谓释永信大 女儿刘梦亚其实是老四刘应彪的女儿,但对于小女儿韩佳恩的身份,说法却不尽相同。
    【编辑:李欢】
    I'll post a Goog translation next.
    Gene Ching
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  8. #158
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    Googtrans of the above article

    Shi has been reported event survey results "illegitimate" not true

    At 08:24 on November 28, 2015 Source: big river to participate in interactive 3


    ****November 17 news, Dengfeng Shaolin annual winter "sophisticated seven" Chan Seven puja on November 16 officially open the fifth day of the lunar month of October, a total of seven weeks this Chan Seven, takes 40 nine days. Shaolin abbot Shi Yongxin day for the public disclosure. Shaolin Temple courtesy


    Video: Shi reported findings are published "illegitimate" not true Source: CCTV News
    Shi was reported nonobervant questionnaires there was a fruit
    - Investigation Team Leader interview with this newspaper
    The reporter Qu aryl
    From July 25, the signature of a "release justice" to report issues related Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin postings began circulating on the Internet. Since then, Shi Yan Lu et al report real name, causing continuing concern society.

    Reporters learned that, according to the report content, the parties in a fair and equitable province, according to quickly set up an investigation group in accordance with regulations in principle. Investigation team history through access to archival material, relevant units to verification, interviews questioning the parties, visits, etc. related personnel investigation. Meanwhile, the investigation team repeatedly went to Beijing, Shandong, Anhui, Shangqiu Dengfeng, etc. investigation, access to relevant evidence and other testimony of testimony.
    Recently, it was reported about the issues involved Shi nonobervant investigation team leader accepted the newspaper interview.
    Shi then "be moved to a single" false statement
    Shi has been reported involving one of the main aspects of the violation of the precepts is "to be moved to a single (ie monks Fanjie be champagne out - Ed.)" Problem.
    He reported that Shi had been appointed honorary abbot of Shaolin Temple Shi De Zen single move, the abbot of duties illegally obtained and published Shi "was moved to the single" materials: Chinese Buddhist Association Senate February 1, 1988 Ministry to release de Zen "reply", including "master as a temple of the Lord, through negotiation with the main deacon, the right to move a single" content; April 23, 1988 release of Shi de Zen " move a single instrument, "and so on.
    Shi has long been really "move list" yet? After investigation, the investigation team confirmed: Shi year "is a single move," the claim is not true, individual human behavior without permission, is not valid, then the abbot qualifications obtained, such as law compliance.
    Head of the investigation team, told reporters a list of four points by:
    First, the so-called "single move was" not according to regulations Temple Shaolin Temple Management through collective research work program. After the investigation team access to historical archives, visited Shaolin Temple was alive staff member of the Commission, the Shaolin monk part of people, when cities and counties deal with religious cadres and members of the Working Group on issues Shaolin Temple, Shi Yongxin confirmed at the time of the so-called "single move "no study group meetings, the investigation team found no record of the discussions related to the meeting. Verified from the Shi "was moved to a single" process, the term "single move" is the unauthorized acts of individuals at the time internal quarrels situation.
    Second, the Chinese Buddhist Association issued a "reply" but stressed that the monks moved to the general principle of a single problem, not specifically refer to a single issue Shi moved, after the Buddhist Association of China issued the "Telegraph" had this clarification. After investigation, the Buddhist Association of China Educational Ministry to release De Zen issued a "reply" February 1, 1988, the same year on May 3, the Buddhist Association of China has issued "telegram" and further stressed: "I would Educational Ministry de Zen Master caused before talking about the letter of the general principles of dealing with violations of the jungle temple monks moved to the single issue of regulation of the monks moved for order processing is a serious matter, should be careful. "" telegraph "also stressed that" a single move "should be subject to collective discussion, noted: "in the case of the German Zen Master sick, should identify the situation under the premise of the temple after leading members of collective discussion above documents is unavailable (refer to." reply "- Editor's note) as the basis of monks hasty move a single treatment. "
    Third, Shi "was moved to the single" The problem has been the year of the Working Group that "invalid." August 1987 release row n abbot passed away in 1988, Shi Yongxin appeared "to be moved to a single" problem, the original composition of the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng County Working Group on the related investigations, and Shi "has been moved to a single" problem made a clear conclusion: "individuals secretly moved Winson single, is wrong, is invalid, Winson is still the main members of the management committee, still perform their functions and duties."
    Fourth, the abbot Shi Yongxin was approved qualifications obtained in Henan Buddhist Association of China Buddhist Association and report filing. Investigation team official told reporters that in 1996, 12 menstrual Shaolin democratic elections, any Shi Shaolin Temple Management Officer. Thereafter Abbot Shi Yongxin qualifications obtained, also undergo a rigorous audit reporting progressively. Archives show that the Buddhist Association of Henan Province, Henan Province, reported to the Bureau of Religious Affairs agreed to report to the Buddhist Association of China for the record, on April 15, 1999 issued a reply to the Zhengzhou City Buddhist Association: "Agree Songshan Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin as Master, and choose auspicious abbot enthroned ceremony was held. "The program, in line with the" National Chinese Buddhist temple management approach ", in line with" Chinese Buddhist abbot serving way. "
    Hanmou En Department release certain adoption, after release has a certain loss of fertility
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
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    Continued from previous post

    "Release of justice," the net posts and Shi Yan Lu et al report, the Shi mentioned there are two "illegitimate", where a girl with a certain release Hanmou En, a girl with a certain Liu Guan a sub. It has also become another focus of the content of the investigation team investigation.
    "Shi Shi and certain daughters Hanmou En not true," said the survey team leader clear.
    According to the person in charge of the introduction of the respondents, after investigation and verification, October 11, 2004 release because of certain "multiple uterine fibroids," a hospital stay, do the same month a total abdominal hysterectomy. According to clues, the investigation team at the hospital to consult on a certain interpretation of the "operation log file." Medical conclusion shows that, since the October 2004 operation, has been releasing certain loss of fertility. Surgery to release certain informed Moumou surname Wang also confirmed this.
    Department release certain Hanmou En 2009 adopted abandoned baby. Investigation Group had met and insider 曹某某 Moumou, was confirmed in 2009 Lunar night in April, when Cao Moumou out the trash, found an abandoned baby girl (named after the Han Mouen ), by contact with a certain release, and the next day 曹某某 Moumou together the abandoned children sent there a certain release.
    Well, the Internet was born out of the sun and the household registration information related 韩某恩 proof, why show 韩某恩 To address certain (common name Hanmou Jun) born in 2009, and both she settled in Hu Shi's mother under an account?
    Investigation team official said, after investigation, the birth certificate is the nephew of Liu Shi home a commissioned original Fang Baoke hospitals hospitals under the guise of a doctor long Moumou fake name. Liu worked in the Shaolin Temple, Shaolin Temple Salesian School and head of a certain interpretation of the more familiar, to help achieve a certain interpretation of desire to adopt a child, it is entrusted to issue the certificate. The investigation team visited hospitals and primary Fangbao Ke Moumou long "birth certificate" was signed by a doctor, the second person confirmed that the "birth certificate" forged.
    Public household information display, Han Moujun, Hanmou En Hu Moumou household registration in the name indeed. The investigation, which is to ensure the Hanmou En Ryu can successfully settled in advance will release certain account, with "Han Moujun" name, to join their relatives grounds, moved his own grandmother, that Shi's mother Hu Moumou next account.
    Paternity test confirmed that Liu Shi Asia is the daughter of four brothers
    Shi has been reported on and off certain birth to a daughter Liu Ya, the investigation team also conducted a survey of evidence.
    According to the public security household registration information is displayed and learned in the investigation, Liu Hu Moumou son is Asia, Shi four brothers 刘某彪 daughter. Liu Moubiao conversation with the investigation team, Liu Moubiao said Liu Asia is his daughter, and is willing to do a paternity test. As for the sub-account of why Ryu under Hu Moumou account, 刘某彪 explained to the investigation team, his wife, rural areas account for the year to Liu sub do "grain", it will go to his mother where the child account .
    Liu has been 24 years since the Asian, birth data investigation team 24 years ago, has been unable to verify the local hospitals. Waiting for Liu Moubiao do paternity testing process, the investigation team visited the home of its two neighbors and their mother, confirmed Liu Liu Moubiao subline daughter. Investigation team also visited the 刘某彪 wife Moumou certain village where her parents, the village party secretary and village committee also confirmed that Liu Moumou Asia and 刘某彪 grown woman.
    Recently, the paternity test results Liumou Biao, Chen Moumou, Liu out of Asia. Investigation team showed reporters the 刘某彪 provide relevant materials, paternity test confirmed that Asia is indeed 刘某彪 Liu, Chen Moumou daughter.
    Investigation team official told reporters, Shi involved in the economic and other problems are reported, according to the law are under investigation. Related reports:
    Shi Yongxin, the Shaolin Temple was philandering real name: malicious rumor has been reported
    July 26 netizen to Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin report on behalf of his disciples, saying violations of law, womanizer, 26th Shaolin Temple said was a malicious rumor has been reported. Shaolin Temple to respond to reporters that the Shaolin Temple is not the real name reported "positive" character generation disciple of Shaolin disciples had also reported no abbot, the current abbot of Shaolin Temple, and officials hope to have the legal means to innocence. For false rumors, the abbot said, "no excuse off."
    Shi: Shaolin Temple is also an innocent I personally still do not care
    Take legal means to resolve the current crisis, it seems in Shi "is the only way." Shi said: "This can set the record straight, but also an innocent Shaolin Temple, a Buddhist community also innocent, I personally still do not care." He said: "I personally have a real problem, not the network that put up a poster in the form of directly to the relevant departments. "said Shi Yongxin, the Shaolin Temple site are attacked each year, several times paralyzed.
    Chuan Shi Network Hospital, said her daughter was born to prove the parties can not find the stub
    In the previous release of Justice report said, and Shi Shi Yan Jie two life with a woman named Han Jiaen, and announced his birth certificate. The doctor signed the certificate on 江如兰 of Beijing Youth Daily reporter, she said she had not signed this birth certificate. Jiang Rulan had been taken away by the police investigation, there are no results.
    Shi was expelled from informants exposed Shaolin monk membership: I believe the investigation will clear
    Hair informants "Release justice" to reporters to new "evidence", said Shi Yongxin as early as 1988 it was expelled from the Shaolin monks membership, and posted two Shi identity proof material, and Shi Yan Jie Net household registration information people post involved.
    Shi home visit: Big Brother has opened military school Supermarket Hotel
    Reporter Shi came home, saw his mother, two brothers and relatives, their home per capita, said Shi Yongxin not his wife and daughter, in which the so-called sub-Lew Shi eldest daughter is actually the fourth of Liu Biao's daughter, but for small Han Jiaen daughter's identity, saying they are not the same.
    [Editor: Li Huan]
    Googtrans are getting better.
    Gene Ching
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  10. #160
    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    Googtrans are getting better.
    Really?

    "Shi was reported nonobervant questionnaires there was a fruit"

  11. #161
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    What? You didn't see the fruit?

    What about the "12 menstrual Shaolin democratic elections"

    Quote Originally Posted by rett2 View Post
    Really?
    I was being sarcastic. I should have added the emoji.

    Gene Ching
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  12. #162
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    Innocent

    Official investigation denies serial allegations against Shaolin abbot
    1 2017-02-05 08:35 CRIENGLISH.com Editor: Li Yan

    An investigation into allegations against Shi Yongxin, famed abbot of the Shaolin Temple and also referred to as China's CEO monk, has determined that the abbot is innocent of the many accusations that were made against him, reported Henan Daily.

    A report on the now-completed investigation was released on Saturday, February 4th.

    Early in 2015, authorities received anonymous tips claiming that the abbot was a womanizer, owned a small fleet of fancy cars, embezzled millions of dollars, and illegally possessed the assets of Shaolin Temple, a cradle of Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism nestled on Mount Song of Henan Province.

    The official investigation found 15 fancy cars, including 4 imports and 11 domestic models, all registered to the Shaolin Temple, and determined the vehicles were used for daily work involving the temple.

    Regarding a claim that Shi had asked for millions of yuan from his apprentice, investigators determined that the apprentice had given the abbot money ahead of Spring Festival in 2010 and 2012, but that was described as a tradition of Buddhism. Investigators say Shi used the money to develop the temple and to support the study of apprentices.

    No evidence was found to support claims that Shi stole money that was raised by providing incense sticks to pilgrims. Revenue made from that practice are managed by the financial section of the temple, reports Henan Daily.

    The official investigation also cleared Shi of the allegation that he illegally raised money under the name of building Century Bell on the top of Mount Song. There is no evidence of personal accumulation of money by unfair means, according to the investigation.

    However, the allegation that the abbot had a second Hukou, China's household registration, under a different name turned out to be true. Investigation found that Shi's second Hukou under the name Liu Yingcheng had been canceled.

    The investigation also found that the Shaolin Temple needs to improve its internal administration and financial section, reported Henan Daily.
    Shaolin Temple monk found with two IDs: report
    By Zhao Yusha Source:Global Times Published: 2017/2/5 15:18:39

    To most of the world, Shi Yongxin is the abbot of the world famous Shaolin Temple in Central China's Henan Province.

    But an investigation into the abbot revealed Saturday that the 52-year-old monk still possessed his original hukou, or household registration, under his birth name, Liu Yingcheng, the Henan Daily reported.

    Shi Yongxin's newest hukou, listing him as a Shaolin Temple resident, was issued in 1985, soon after he received his full precepts. His original hukou was issued in 1965.

    Public security officials have cancelled his first hukou, according to investigators, adding that the abbot never used his original hukou since receiving the second bearing his Buddhist name, the report added.

    Shi Yongxin, dubbed by media as the "CEO monk," has courted controversy for overly commercializing the Shaolin Temple by promoting lucrative kung fu shows and expanding the temple's brand globally.

    In 2015, authorities received anonymous tips claiming that the abbot was a womanizer, personally owned a number of expensive cars, embezzled millions of yuan from the Shaolin Temple, and took bribes from an apprentice, news site china.com reported Saturday.

    Shaolin Temple gained huge earnings through its commercialization, as well as donations from pilgrims, which appears excessive for a temple, said Xiong Kunxin, a professor of ethnic theory and policy at the Minzu University of China.

    Investigators found 15 cars, including four imported and 11 domestic models, all registered to the Shaolin Temple, the Henan Daily reported.

    The newspaper added that Shi Yongxin asked for millions of yuan from his apprentice Shi Yanlu between 2010 and 2012. Investigators said Shi Yongxin used the money to develop the temple and to support the studies of apprentices.

    But investigators found no evidence to support claims that Shi Yongxin stole money raised from pilgrims, the report said.

    Investigators also claimed that the temple had certain "management and financial issues that needed to be 'rectified,'" the report added.

    Shi Yongxin's scandals tarnished the reputation of the Shaolin Temple and even Buddhism, said Xiong, adding that authorities should strengthen their supervision over religion affairs.
    At least he doesn't have to deal with 'fake news'...
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  13. #163
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    Some more on the Abbot's innocence

    No Evidence Shaolin Temple Abbot Shi Yongxin Stole Money from Pilgrims, But Temple Has Issue than Must be Corrected
    Vittorio Hernandez | Feb 06, 2017 07:42 PM EST


    Chinese Kungfu Star TV Contest Held At Shaolin Temple (Photo : Getty Images)

    Although Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin appears to live an affluent life with 15 cars registered to the temple, there is no evidence to back up accusations he stole money from pilgrims, investigators said. However, the probers said in their report that the temple has some financial and management issues that need to be corrected.
    The investigation was triggered by anonymous tips in 2015 that besides owning a lot of expensive vehicles, Shi Yongxin allegedly is a womanizer, stole millions of yuan from the Shaolin Temple and accepted bribes from Shi Yanlu, an apprentice, between 2010 and 2012. However, the probe found that Shi Yanlu gave the money before the Spring Festival of 2010 and 2012 which was part of Buddhism tradition, ECNS reported.
    Donations as well from pilgrims and the big money from commercializing operations of the Shaolin Temple seems excessive for the temple, Xiong Kunxin, Minzu University of China professor of ethnic theory and policy, said. But investigators found that the money from the apprentice was used to develop the temple and fund the studies of other apprentices, China.com reported.
    China & Iran Co-Produce ‘Way of Shaolin’ to Satisfy Iranian Movie Fans’ Love for Kung Fu Movies
    Also an issue that surfaced when the investigation occurred was that Shi Yongxin had two identification cards, according to Henan Daily. The first card, issued in 1965, is the original hukou, or household registration of the temple’s abbot under the birth name of 52-year-old Liu Yingcheng. The second hukou was issued in 1985 with his Buddhist name Shi Yongxin in which the Shaolin Temple was listed as his address. Public security officials just cancelled his first ID since he stopped using it since he got his Buddhist name, Global Times reported.
    For promoting money-making kung fu shows in the temple and expanding Shaolin Temple’s brand globally, Shi Yongxin has been called by media “CEO monk.” Xiong proposed that because of these scandals which tainted the temple’s reputation and Buddhism, authorities need to strengthen their oversight over religious affairs.

    Hold the phone...if a temple can't make money through donations, how does it make money? Someone's gotta pay the rent.

    China clears Shaolin temple’s ‘CEO monk’ of corruption
    Abbot was accused of embezzlement and fathering children out of wedlock


    Shaolin Temple Abbott arrives at last year's session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing © Getty

    YESTERDAY by: Tom Hancock in Shanghai

    The “CEO monk” who turned the kung-fu Shaolin temple into a sprawling commercial empire has been cleared by local officials of allegations that he funnelled money from religious businesses to fund a lavish lifestyle.

    Saffron-robed Abbot Shi Yongxin disappeared for several months in 2015 after he was accused of embezzlement and fathering several children out of wedlock. The allegations created a storm in China, where a religious revival in recent decades has been accompanied by the commercialisation of Buddhist sites.

    Mr Shi had been a high-profile promoter of the 1,500-year-old Buddhist institution on Song mountain, whose monks once created elaborate fighting systems and worked as mercenaries. He created a travelling troupe of performing monks that performs for paying audiences around the world, and travelled to Australia to present a $3.8m cheque for land for a kung-fu theme park, complete with a hotel and golf course.

    As he travelled the world, he rubbed shoulders with luminaries including Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook, the late South African leader Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II and Henry Kissinger, while securing a place in China’s rubber-stamp legislature the National People’s Congress, a position generally reserved for business elites. A plan to list Shaolin on the stock market was mooted in 2009.


    Monks attend a ceremony last month at the Shaolin Temple in Henan © AFP

    But his rise was met with suspicion about an apparently indulgent lifestyle after he was gifted a Volkswagen SUV and spotted in an expensive cloak threaded with gold. He went to ground after an anonymous tipster claiming to be a temple monk posted allegations online that the official Buddhist Association said “affected the image and reputation of Chinese Buddhism”.

    A government investigation team in the central province of Henan where the facility is located combed through the temple’s accounts and determined that Shi Yongxin’s stakes in companies were being held on behalf of the institution, the Henan Daily reported this week. A fleet of 15 automobiles were registered to the temple rather than Mr Shi, according to one of the investigators.

    Several million renminbi donated by one of Mr Shi’s disciples between 2010 and 2012 were used to develop the temple and to support the studies of apprentices, the report said. “In the survey, we did not find the use of shareholdings to obtain dividends or other personal gain, and found no transfers of shares, forged accounts or personal invasion of Shaolin Temple assets,” an investigator said.

    The investigation follows an earlier probe that dismissed Mr Shi’s alleged fathering of two children, but he did not emerge completely unscathed. It found that he was one of several monks who more than a decade ago had profited from selling incense, and that he had illegally held two household registrations.

    The report added that one of the companies connected to the temple had taken on Rmb4m of debt to fund expanded facilities for visitors, who often expect free food when visiting Buddhist sites. Mr Shi could not be reached for comment.

    Twitter: @hancocktom
    CHINESE 'CEO' MONK HAS BEEN CLEARED OF EMBEZZLEMENT
    The head of the temple transformed it from a place of worship to a tourist destination.
    BY ELEANOR ROSS ON 2/7/17 AT 4:42 PM

    A Chinese monk who turned his 1,500 year-old temple into a commercial empire has been cleared by government officials of charges that he used temple funds to finance a luxury lifestyle.

    The officials found that Abbot Shi Yongxin’s investments were carried out for the benefit of the temple and not for his personal gain, the FT reports.

    Yongxin went into hiding in 2015 after a former disciple accused him of fathering children and embezzling money meant for the Shaolin Temple in Henan. The temple is widely regarded as the birthplace of Kung Fu, and features in many martial arts movies.

    The abbot invested a lot of time and effort promoting the Shaolin Temple internationally and was nicknamed the CEO monk. According to the FT, he met Tim Cook, Nelson Mandela, and Queen Elizabeth II on his travels and in 2015, Yongxin went to Australia to establish a Kung Fu theme park.

    The FT also reported that as the temple’s prestige grew, so did Yongxin’s luxury lifestyle, to the extent that he was given a car worth 1 million yuan ($145,000) for his services to tourism and bought a cloak made with gold thread, valued at around 160,000 yuan ($23,000)

    However, government investigators—in China religious institutions are regulated by the state— cleared him of corruption, after finding that several million yuan donated by disciples, was used for renovation, repair, and other temple purposes.

    The FT quoted the investigators telling the Henan Daily newspaper : “In the survey, we did not find the use of shareholdings to obtain dividends or other personal gain, and found no transfers of shares, forged accounts, or personal invasion of Shaolin Temple assets.”

    Investigators did find the Abbot guilty of profiting from selling incense ten years ago but it was not clear if he faced any punishment.
    Gene Ching
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  14. #164
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    Sugar Babies

    There's a big difference between "exposed by Chinese media" and actually busted. Despite accusations, the Abbot has yet to be found guilty on any charges. Note that this is Epoch Times, the publication from Falun Gong, which is in direct opposition to Shaolin.


    Shi Yongxin, abbot of the Shaolin Temple, walks out of the monastery premises in in Dengfeng City, Henan Province, China, on April 7, 2005. (Cancan Chu/Getty Images)

    Chinese Monks Become ‘Sugar Babies’ for Wealthy Women
    BY FRANK FANG, EPOCH TIMES
    February 15, 2019 Updated: February 16, 2019 Share

    In ancient China, monks lived a celibate spiritual life and devoted their time to Buddhist studies.

    But in modern-day China, some monks have led a sordid life at night while pretending to be religious practitioners during the day.

    Song Zude, a well-known Chinese entertainment critic, recently wrote on his Sina Weibo account, a platform similar to Twitter, that some Chinese temples have begun contracting out a unique service.

    A group of businessmen make special arrangements for monks—only those who are good-looking—to become male “sugar babies” for wealthy Chinese women.

    Song wrote that some of these monks have come to earn as much as several million yuan a month (1 million yuan equals $147,650) from money and gifts that their female clients give.

    Some monks have bought expensive sports cars and houses, while some have amassed enough wealth to become “sugar daddies” themselves and engage in relationships with younger women.

    These monks continue to put on their monastery robes during the day, but put on a suit at night to meet with women.

    On WeChat, a social media account with the name “Tian Ya Lian Xian” put up an article in response to Song’s claims.

    The WeChat article stated that Song’s claims were not surprising, as it is widely known in China that businessmen take out such contracts with temples. In other words, monks are simply hired by these businessmen to provide sexual services.

    According to the WeChat article, the businessmen also hire the monks to do fortune telling and carry out fake religious rituals to generate income for themselves.

    Several well-known Chinese monks have engaged in similar promiscuous behaviors.

    Shi Yongxin, abbot of the famous Shaolin Monastery and vice president of China’s state-controlled Buddhist Association of China, was exposed by Chinese media in 2015 to have fathered two illegitimate children. He was also accused of having illicit relationships with several women, including nuns and believers, as well as embezzling funds from the monastery.

    According to Chinese state-run media The Paper, Shi was also a former member of China’s rubber-stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress, from 1998 to 2018.

    In August last year, Xue Cheng, president of the Buddhist Association of China, quit his position after he was accused of sexually assaulting his female disciples and psychologically manipulating them. According to Reuters, he was also allegedly involved in a corruption scheme involving 10 million yuan ($1.64 million).

    Xue was a Communist Party member who was part of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body.

    On Weibo, some Chinese netizens were stunned upon learning about Song’s claims.

    A netizen from coastal China’s Zhejiang Province sarcastically wrote, “You can sign a contract with a temple? What a strange country.”

    Meanwhile, a netizen from Beijing had a suggestion: “Let’s get some pieces of evidence and drive these monks out of the temples.”
    THREADS
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