Abbot scandals

[LFJ]

wasnt it a gift anyway? it would be extremely rude to not make use of the gift.

right, many people just have the strangest ideas of what a monk should and should not do. (ironically, none of them have the faintest clue of what precepts the monks actually take)

i remember one monk who one day was waiting to cross the street and took a glance at his watch. just then a woman approaching said to him; "monks shouldnt be concerned with time."

[Lucas]

well, monks certainly used horse, or mule, cart to get around before cars...so. ya.

its essentially the exact same thing.


"monks shouldnt be concerned with time."


LOL, as if monks dont have schedules to keep as well.

oh wait i get it, the lady must think that monks should just 'know' what time it is.

[GeneChing]

It's more a question of what is done with those gifts.

I remember going to Shaolin in '96 and several of the monks, Decheng, Xinghao, Deqing, et.al., had just come back from a Europe tour. They were clad in all sorts of gifts and souvenirs - nice clothes, jackets, even some weird jewelry like rings and bracelets. They were flaunting the stuff when they returned, and that received a lot of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the locals, who weren't so exposed to such fashion. It was a bit surreal. However, over the next month, all of those gifts filtered out amongst the locals. You see one of the new jackets on one of the students, a new shirt for one of the local folks - Deqing even gave one of the Americans in my group this weird ring bracelet jewelry piece (it wasn't that valuable - kind of weird, truth be told).

A basic tenet of Buddhist practice is non-attachment. So ultimately, the abbot is at fault if he becomes attached to his car and cassock. But if he puts it to proper use, whatever that might be, there's no conflict.

The car thing was three years ago. The cassock is a bit of a stretch in my mind - media trying to milk that car again. Luxurious cassocks have been traditional gifts for monks for a long time. According to one of Shaolin's most venerated legends, Emperor Li Shinmin awarded the 13 Shaolin monks who helped him with cassocks, and given that he was a founding emperor, I'm sure those were very regal cassocks.

[Shaolin Wookie]

What's a cassock? Is it like, a pair of long underwear or something?

I've got some fancy red longjohns. The buttflap is remote controlled, kind of like a garage door.

[Shaolin Wookie]

Come to think of it, it's pretty spacious in there. Is he looking for a place to park his car? Wait....

Now that I think of it, maybe he should just borrow my longjohns and park his car in his own spacious buttflap.

[Lucas]

robes

.......

[GeneChing]

Ever see those open bottom pants that toddlers wear in China?
kai dang ku

[Lucas]

You mean im not supposed to be wearing those here in Oregon?

[Shaolin Wookie]

You mean im not supposed to be wearing those here in Oregon?

I'm just concerned that Gene can produce pictures of naked boys at the drop of a dime.


Where was that Busted Teachers thread..........

[Raipizo]

lmao i love those toddler pants shouldn't we have those over here for the elderly?

[sha0lin1]

Ever see those open bottom pants that toddlers wear in China?
kai dang ku

We got quite a few laughs out of those. No need for diapers in China. Everywhere we went we saw some toddler taking a squat. China could be a pedophiles paradise for sure.

[LFJ]

Everywhere we went we saw some toddler taking a squat.

sidewalks, train station floors, and not just toddlers....

[Raipizo]

Lmfao that is disgusting, possibly the reason of Sars.

[GeneChing]

Interesting timing with the 1st Shaolin Summit & SANA happening in two weeks.

Kung fu temple dismisses vice rumor
Shanghai Daily, May 10, 2011

Shaolin Temple yesterday rejected online rumors that its abbot was caught by police visiting prostitutes.

The Buddhist temple, which is famed for its links to China's martial arts, said the rumors about Abbot Shi Yongxin were a vicious libel and that it retains the right to take legal action.

The stories hurt the feelings of Buddhists and seriously tarnished the reputation of the abbot, according to a statement the temple posted on its website, China News Service reported yesterday.

Shaolin Temple and the abbot felt deep regret about the claims and retain the right to hold the person legally responsible, the statement said.

Rumors have been circulating online that Shi was caught paying for sex in central China's Henan Province, where the temple is located, during a police raid to crack down on prostitution.

According to the rumors, Shaolin Temple said it heard about the incident before but didn't say whether it was true. It was also claimed the temple later explained that Shi was performing a Buddhist service for the prostitute, rather than having sex with her.

Shi, the temple's 30th abbot, was previously mired in controversy for vigorously promoting commercial development of the ancient temple. He initiated the opening of a Shaolin pharmacy and monks have visited many countries to perform kung fu shows.

The abbot says he uses these activities to spread Buddhist culture and revitalize the monastery.

Shaolin Temple was built in the fifth century and nestles in the Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng City.

Shaolin must meet moral challenges on new path
Source: Global Times
[02:49 May 10 2011]

An online rumor that Shi Yongxin, Shaolin Temple's abbot, was found soliciting a prostitute and taken away by local police during a recent crackdown on pornography has spread like wildfire on the Web. The temple issued an online statement Sunday, saying their abbot was hosting activities in the temple these days and the message was "pure slander."

This is not the first time that the 46-year-old abbot has witnessed attempts to tarnish his public image. Last year, the temple's website was taken down by a hacker attack, and a letter purportedly written by the abbot was posted there, proclaiming Shi a sinner ashamed of setting the temple on a path of no return to commercialization.

Meanwhile, Shi's photos, taken while being awarded a luxury sports car by local government for his contributions to GDP or toting an iPad to a meeting of the National People's Congress, have been transferred to various online forums and stirred up huge controversy.

In China, it is widely believed that a Buddhist temple should be a tranquil, detached sanctuary where people can seek peace of mind. This may be what people wish for, but the reality is quite the opposite – in this bustling and dazzling era, an insular temple usually struggles to survive and may fall into a desolate condition.

Shi believes that the Shaolin Temple should be integrated into modern society. Over the past few years, he has used his business acumen to enhance Shaolin's reputation as a cultural treasure. He has improved the destitute sight of his temple and publicized Shaolin's name awareness abroad. He deserves some respect for developing the temple into a world-famous landmark and helping Shaolin prosper.

At the moment, Shi needs to take a break from his tight schedule and think more about his role as abbot. Shi is a high-profile figure and he must be aware that some of his deeds have cast doubt on the spiritual essence of Shaolin.

News reports on Shaolin staging global kung fu performances, building luxury tourist lounges, holding bikini fashion shows and even planning "chain stores" make people worry that the temple may be facing a moral crisis.

After removing economic pressure, shouldn't there be a bottom line under the feet of the Buddha?

Religions have never been separate from "secular" monetary and material support. The public needs to be more tolerant of Shi's promotion of the Shaolin brand name and avoid relating everything he does to capitalist impulses.

In the meantime, Shi must find the subtle balance point between the secular and the spiritual. He must manage the age-old cultural gem in a way that society can accept. This poses a real challenge to the abbot's future strategy.

[GeneChing]

Shaolin Temple deny abbot caught with prostitute
China Daily/Asia News Network
Wed, May 11, 2011
By Gao Qihui

The Shaolin Temple's 30th abbot, Shi Yongxin, has been involved in an online rumor claiming that he was caught soliciting a prostitute by police.

Shi is the temple's 30th abbot and is known as the "CEO of Shaolin" for his pursuit of commercial development since taking over as abbot a decade ago.

The temple said in a statement posted on its website on Sunday that the rumors were vicious libel that hurt the feelings of Buddhists and tarnished the reputation of both the Shaolin Temple and the abbot.

"Shaolin Temple and Abbot Shi feel deeply sorry for this and reserve the right to take legal action," the online statement said.

"As the rumors are very vicious libel, the temple is forced to publish such a statement," the head of Shaolin Temple Communications Office, Zheng Shumin, was quoted as saying on Tuesday by dahe.cn, based in Henan province, where Shaolin Temple is located. Shi, the 46-year-old abbot, will not respond to the rumors, said Zheng.

Qiang Daliang, general manager of Shaolin Intangible Assets Management Center, said "it will depreciate ourselves if we make too many explanations." If it is time for the abbot to come out, he will, Qiang added.

Zheng also denied the rumor circulating on the Internet, saying that the abbot visited the prostitutes to bless them.

There are more than 170 surveillance cameras installed at Shaolin Temple, making it easy to confirm whether the abbot is inside the temple, said Zheng.

The abbot's schedule is also published on its website and it is available for public viewing, said Zheng. The abbot met with visitors from The Guardian on May 7 and 8, Zheng added.

The abbot does not need to respond, as this is a very extreme case, said Qiang. "Ordinary people with common sense will not question it."

Police in Central China's Henan province said Tuesday that they are investigating the online rumors.

The Buddhist temple, which is a UNESCO world heritage site and the birthplace of kung fu, reported the case to police on Monday and said the rumours are false.

I ever tell you about the time I snuck into Shaolin Temple? It's in my book. That was before the surveillance cameras...