Shi Hengshan commits suicide

[GeneChing]

We'll be watching this case.

Friday, August 07, 2009Last Update: 6:08 AM PT
Temple Allegedly Drove Man to Suicide
By ADAM KLASFELD

QUEENS, N.Y. (CN) - A Shaolin Temple in Flushing imprisoned, beat and starved a martial arts instructor from China and refused to pay him for nearly 5 years - until he killed himself - his survivor says.
The Temple arranged for Ji Mei Wang to emigrate to from China in 2001-02, according to the complaint in Queens Supreme Court. The Department of Labor was told that Wang would teach children to "learn discipline, develop coordination and enhance their flexibility and strength."
The visa application claimed that Ji would be paid $25,000 a year, says his survivor Yan Zhang Shi. Yan says the temple paid Ji nothing for the 4 years and 30 weeks he worked for it, and was imprisoned by it. Yan says it owes Ji's estate $114,000.
Yan says the Shaolin Temple "secreted" his passport, leaving him "imprisoned in the Temple" and "under their control." And Yan says the abuse he suffered included beating and starvation, which drove him "to the point where (he) believed he had no effective escape from his abuser except through suicide."
He was found dead on Nov. 24, 2006. He died intestate.
Yan seeks his Ji's wages and $2 million in punitive damages for breach of contract, conversion and unjust enrichment. Yan is represented by George Clarke with Dai & Associates.

[mengfei]

I know this is old topic but have looked online about it and all I find is the story from then. Anyone know about settlement and what happened to the back story of anything happen about abbot about this suicide and other problems at the temple?

[ngokfei]

Haven't heard anything, it was probably dropped etc. etc. Alot of the shaolin group get some sort of preference from the US Gov't. You can tell that by how easy it is for them to get Resident Visas so easily.

Most are not even "real" monks in the traditional terms. Sure they got names, resided at the temple but the majority are in it for the money etc.

Just look at the recent article in the magazine on Discipleship. I've known many individuals who have become ordained Buddhists and I've never heard of any of them having to give a "Hung Bao/Lai Sai - Money" to their Teacher. This is just a commercial aspect that has been added. Also along the same lines as the receiving of a Shaolin Chan Disciple Name. Unless your a monk in residence I have never heard of individuals receiving such a Lineage name, but yet again its modern times.

They'll eventually run out of Generation Names, LOL.


I trained under Sifu's Guo Lin, Heng Shin and a Lay disicple. Great training but that was back in the late 90's - a much different environment then.

[taichi4eva]

Some time ago, David said that Buddhist monks in Vietnam had a history of self-immoliation to protest French and American in the country.

This was not the case. They burnt themselves to protest the native government's anti- Buddhist stance. The former president was Catholic, and since he represented the minority, he had to suppress the Buddhist majority in order to stay in power.

I know it does not pertain to the monk's suicide, but I just wanted to write that.

[mengfei]

Thanks for reply ngokfei. I do not like to think this has been swept away but seems it has. Shi Hengshan was someones friend,had parents, had dreams and life. All gone. I know this happens all over world many times in a day but this one I think about too much. I remember reading this when it happen and I never forget.