I've got no bad habits
Phila Siu
Monday, October 17, 2011
Rumormongers beware. In a rare move, the Shaolin Temple - famed for its warrior monks - has offered a 50,000 yuan (HK$60,960) reward for information on those making sex and money allegations against its leader.
It has been alleged that abbot Shi Yongxin, 46, has a mistress, a child and billions of dollars stashed in overseas bank accounts.
The offer of a reward came after Shi, who became the monastery's 30th abbot in 1999, became embroiled in scandal when netizens, claiming to be Shaolin disciples, alleged that in May he was caught during a police raid against prostitution.
The 1,500-year-old Buddhist temple, nestled in the Songshan mountains of Henan province, last week issued a statement saying the allegations against Shi, 46, were "slander fabricated maliciously."
An internet blog post alleged Shi's mistress is a Peking University graduate surnamed Li. It also claimed they have a child and that both live in Germany.
The post further alleged that the high-profile Shi has several luxury villas in Germany and the United States and US$3 billion (HK$23.4 billion) in bank accounts.
It added Shi also has also had an affair with a celebrity whose identity was not revealed. The post said the information is from a Shaolin "disciple."
Others claim, however, that dark forces are at work. Shaolin scholar Hao Jiantong told mainland media the rumors were a result of Shi's objection to floating the Shaolin Temple on the stock market.
Rumors of such a float began about two years ago though Shi has frequently stressed the temple has no such plans.
"The abbot has taken a huge risk in preventing the flotation [of Shaolin] on the stock market. This may have enraged some people, or some organizations, or the benefits of some departments," Hao said.
The temple said it reported the case to police and will use legal means to find the rumormonger. "The internet rumors have had a terrible effect on the reputation of our abbot Shi Yongxin. It has inflicted tremendous harm on the reputation of Shaolin that past leaders took years to build."
Its statement also includes a phone number and e-mail address for people to provide evidence of the culprit's identity.
Shi's scheduled appearance at a Dharma gathering on Thursday in Dongguan was canceled, disappointing thousands who braved the rain to meet him.
Some netizens defended the abbot but many others poked fun at him.
"What kind of rubbish monk is he, he is just a ***** monk," one netizen said.
Another added: "I thought Shaolin Temple always says that sex only means emptiness? I can be an abbot."
The business-savvy Shi has changed Shaolin's image around the world and revitalized the monastery. He set up Shaolin martial arts schools across the country to admit both Chinese and foreign students.
Shi sent Shaolin monks overseas to perform commercial kung fu shows and even to take part in movies. He reportedly also has an iPad and a cross- country car that cost 800,000 yuan.
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Originally Posted by GeneChing
