Shaolin Temple & Buddhism

[curenado]

<<<"We hope meditation can incorporate into people's daily life, which help urbanites relieve of anxieties to increase their happiness indexes," Shi said. >>>

Dig it

Chinese have fun festivals. They continue to catch on here. I want to build my peddle-power dragon boat and go cruising around in it this year and see if it doesn't become a thing.

[GeneChing]

To Shaolin's credit, this is the first mention of this disaster on the forum.

Shaolin Temple abbot prays for Tianjin blast victims(1/6)
2015-08-14 14:22Ecns.cn Editor:Yao Lan


Shi Yongxin, the abbot of Shaolin Temple, leads prayers for victims of the warehouse explosions in Tianjin, at the famed temple in Central China’s Henan province, Aug 13, 2015. (Photo/shaolin.org.cn)

[GeneChing]

Laba time again.

People get free Laba porridge at Shaolin Temple in central China (1/2)
2017-01-06 13:49Xinhua Editor:Xu Shanshan




People get free Laba porridge at the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 5, 2017. The Laba Festival, a traditional Chinese festival on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month, fell on Jan. 5 this year. It's customary on this day to eat a special Laba porridge, usually made with at least eight ingredients, representing people's prayers for harvest. Many temples have the tradition of offering porridge to the public. (Xinhua/Feng Dapeng)

[GeneChing]

I'm copying all the Laba Festival posts off the Shaolin Temple & Buddhism thread into an indie Laba Festival and Shaolin Temple thread since this comes up every year now.

Chinese temples give out free porridge on Laba Festival
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-24 15:53:49|Editor: Liangyu

BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Buddhist temples across China gave out free porridge Wednesday to celebrate the Laba Festival.

"Laba" literally means the eighth day of the 12th lunar month. The Laba Festival is considered a prelude to the Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 16 this year.

The Laba Festival is an important holiday in Buddhism. Many temples offer porridge to the public to commemorate the Buddha and deliver his blessings.

Laba porridge is made from glutinous rice, red beans, millet, Chinese sorghum, peas, dried lotus seeds, red beans and other ingredients.

In Beijing, people began to line up for porridge at 3 a.m. at Yonghegong Lama Temple. Elderly residents said they wanted to take a portion for their children because it will bring health and good luck for the coming year.

Monks at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, prepared 300,000 servings of Laba porridge, using 50 tonnes of ingredients. More than 200 volunteers helped hand out the porridge to homes of the elderly, elementary schools and members of the public on Wednesday.

"We selected the best ingredients. The peanuts should all be red-skinned and the ginkgo should be fresh. We began preparation a month ago," said Master Shengwen at the Lingyin temple.

Chefs at Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu in Henan Province, used a specially concocted herbal brew to cook the porridge. The temple also drew a large crowd on Wednesday.

Ci'en Temple in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, brought thousands of servings of Laba porridge to sanitation workers. Calligraphers also inscribed couplets for the people.

[GeneChing]

The decline and fall of Chinese Buddhism: how modern politics and fast money corrupted an ancient religion
Mimi Lau
South China Morning Post 20 September 2018



When filmmakers descended on China’s ancient Shaolin Monastery to make the 1986 box office hit Martial Arts of Shaolin starring Jet Li, they were shocked to find no monks.

The 1,500-year-old monastery, in the Song Mountains in Henan province, is renowned as the cradle of Chan Buddhism but decades of neglect and oppression had taken their toll.

The monastery’s reputation as a centre for kung fu had remained intact but the Buddhist practice behind the martial art had vanished, according to former Hong Kong actress Mary Jean Reimer.

“It was occupied by peasant-style security guards. Even the incense burners were sealed with boards,” said Reimer, a Buddhist devotee who was at Shaolin with her director husband Lau Kar-leung.

Reimer said the monks in the film were all played by martial arts practitioners. Many of them continued performing for temple visitors after the film became a hit, even though few, if any, of them followed any Buddhist discipline, she said.



The hollow core at the monastery reflected the appalling state of Buddhist institutions throughout the country, a decline that continues today as the centuries-old tradition is dogged by corruption scandals and a dearth of internationally recognised spiritual leaders.

But while the religion is ancient, observers say, the roots of the rot are more recent – religious oppression and political interference under communist rule.

SCANDAL

One of the most startling alleged cases of corruption emerged just last month and centred on 52-year-old Shi Xuecheng, the head of the Buddhist Association of China and abbot of the well-known Longquan Temple in Beijing.

He stepped down amid public uproar after accusations surfaced as part of the #MeToo movement that he had sexually harassed female disciples via text messages. A 95-page document posted online also alleged that he built temples without official permits and mishandled temple funds.

The response from the authorities was swift – Shi Xuecheng faces disciplinary action from the association, the state-sanctioned religious organisation, for “violating Buddhist principles”.

Professor Zhe Ji, of the Paris-based Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, said he welcomed the prompt investigation of the abbot’s case but regretted the lack of transparent and rational discussion in getting to the causes of the chaos in Buddhism in China today.



“It involves questions about the fundamental power structure of religious authority,” Ji said.

“Officially endorsed Buddhist leaders basically control how Buddhism is organised. They are powerful politically but lack religious legitimacy among believers.

“Like Xuecheng [for example], he was the head of the Buddhist Association of China but has not been regarded as a respectable religious figure since his early days in Shanghai. It is hard for genuinely influential religious figures to rise up when the positions of religious leaders are decided by politics.”

According to official data, there are more than 240,000 Buddhist clerics in China, with more than half of them Tibetan Buddhists. About 100,000 Han Buddhist monks live in 28,000 monasteries while the rest are monks from the Theravada school, mostly living in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces in the country’s southwest.



But in recent years, mainland China has not produced Buddhist spiritual leaders of global stature known for their wisdom, benevolence and compassion.

In contrast, Taiwan has many eminent monks such as Master Hsing-Yun and Master Sheng-Yen whose teachings are influential around the world.

According to Dr Tsui Chung-hui from University of Hong Kong’s Centre of Buddhist Studies, the “transitional” problems associated with contemporary Chinese Buddhism are partly due to the legacy of oppression during the Cultural Revolution.

“Taiwan was lucky to be able to preserve the virtuous values of Confucius, Taoism and Buddhism [when the island broke away from the mainland after the civil war], giving Buddhism room to grow,” Tsui said.

That break occurred in 1949, when Buddhism and other faiths were demonised as counter-revolutionary ideologies under communist rule on the mainland.

“After 1949, Buddhism experienced a tremendous crisis on all fronts, from religious doctrine, organisation, to funding. Many of the problems today are rooted in the socialist reforms of the 1950s,” Ji said.

The oppression reached a peak during the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, when there was widespread persecution of Buddhists and destruction of temples.

But while it has since eased, Chinese Buddhism has not flourished, continuously criticised for a series of problems such as commercialisation and corruption.

Observers say political interference still plays a big part in that downfall by undermining spiritual authority and stifling religious freedom.

Under President Xi Jinping, local religions such as Chinese Buddhism receive state support to promote traditional culture and faith as well as China’s soft power.

The mainland’s official religious leaders are endorsed by the party state with a mission to unite believers to be patriotic and disseminate religious teachings along core patriotic values.

All faith-based religious groups in China, including 41 Buddhism studies institutes across the nation, are also monitored by the State Administration of Religious Affairs.

In March the Communist Party further strengthened its control over religion by folding the administrative body into the United Front Work Department.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

CASHING IN

One of the centres accused of commercialisation is Shaolin, which in the past two decades has become a business empire stretching from martial arts schools and performances, to medicine, cultural programmes, tourism and food, according to a report by Prism, an online news site by tech giant Tencent.

The monastery’s abbot, Shi Yongxin, is known as the “CEO monk” and attracted national headlines when he was accused of “cashing in” on the Shaolin brand name.

But Ji said the main beneficiary of this business activity was the local government.

In 2015 alone, the Shaolin Monastery reportedly charged more than 50 million yuan (US$7.3 million) in entrance fees plus incense offerings that cost 100 yuan each.

“Less than a third of that income went to the temple. The rest went to Dengfeng city,” he said.

Like other major monasteries, Shaolin is managed by a committee made up largely of government officials.

“Even the treasurer of Shaolin is appointed by the government so spending must be approved. Temple abbots have no say over the institution’s own finances,” Ji said.



Last year mainland authorities addressed the problem by prohibiting the listing of local Buddhist and Taoist temples on the stock market and in February, amendments to the Religious Affairs Regulation also banned their commercialisation.

While the so-called commercialisation is often led by local governments, with most of the profits going to them, “the monks are always taking the blame”, Ji said.

He said many of the temples lost their land during the socialist reforms of the 1950s and should not be completely banned from seeking legal income now.

Beijing tightens grip on religion with ban on profit-making activities
A businessman and close friend of Shi Yongxin and other senior mainland monks said the Shaolin abbot was a good example of how Buddhist leaders were compromised.

“Years ago, Shi Yongxin told me he objected to charging entrance fees at Shaolin, but was voted down by the local government. He has no say in this,” the businessman said.

Just last month, the Shaolin Temple raised eyebrows once again when its monks raised the national flag there for the first time in its 1,500-year history as part of a patriotism drive at religious establishments, including churches and mosques.



“How can this be Shi Yongxin’s own idea? To promote flag-raising in temples? Shaolin must take the lead … I know Shi Yongxin is ambitious but his limited education background often sees him easily manipulated and the joke is always on him,” the businessman said.

UNHOLY SILENCE

Further north, a monk from Shanxi province said the ongoing political interference and resulting lack of religious freedom had created a culture of silence within Chinese Buddhism, hindering the tradition’s development.

“There are many things we are not allowed to discuss. It’s too complicated and they cannot be investigated. The deeper you dig, the more unwanted details you will find and nobody likes to see that,” the monk said, refusing to reveal further details for fear of persecution.

Beijing-based writer Li Hai witnessed this first-hand. In 2004, Li spent a month studying at a remote temple in central Hunan province only to see the monks and abbot of the temple forced to quit and replaced by those hired by local religious affairs officials.

“The problem is not about Buddhism but about how it is organised … People’s demand for faith-based religion has never been stronger but the way Buddhism is organised has failed to meet their spiritual needs,” Li said.



He said religious affairs should not be dominated by atheist party members “who do not care whether Buddha’s teachings are muddled”.

“All they are concerned about is how much they can control every aspect.”

The corruption among contemporary Chinese Buddhist masters merely mirrors the problems of the contemporary Chinese Communist Party, according to East Asian studies expert Albert Welter of University of Arizona.

“Buddhist clergy are not immune from the impulses and characteristics of human nature,” Welter said, pointing out that monks in imperial China were regularly criticised for moral laxity in sexual behaviour, corruption and economic extravagances.

Welter said also that the influence of Chinese Buddhism on the mainland should be regarded as starting all over again, after the major persecutions suffered during the Cultural Revolution.

It would take time to see whether its influence could once again reach across East and Central Asia, he said.

“Much will depend on how well the Chinese Communist Party is able to manage its internationalisation, how it is conducted and what role Buddhism may be allowed to play,” Welter said.

HKU’s Tsui is optimistic. She said esteemed Buddhist masters might still be found on the mainland.

“I believe there could be many excellent hidden Buddhist talents who are quietly working without asking for fame and reputation in return that we just don’t know about yet,” she said.

Additional reporting by Choi Chi-yuk and Nectar Gan

A bit opinionated but a reasonable overview.

[GeneChing]

Opinion: Chinese Buddhism promotion in the new age
OPINIONS Harvey Dzodin
2018-09-28 10:31 GMT+8 Updated 2018-09-28 11:17 GMT+8



Editor's note: Harvey Dzodin is a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, and a former legal adviser in the Carter administration. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Buddhism likely came to China from India via the ancient Silk Road through Xinjiang in the 2nd century BC, a mere few centuries after it was propounded by its founder, the Gautama Buddha.

It gradually merged with Chinese culture into a unique belief system with Chinese characteristics. Any institution that has survived for so many millennia has had its ups, downs, modifications and revisions. Buddhism is no exception.

Chinese Buddhism is famous throughout the world but not necessarily only as a religion or philosophy. Shaolin Monastery near Zhengzhou, Henan Province, and Longquan Monastery in suburban Beijing illustrate the point.

The Zen Buddhist monks of Shaolin are known for their stunning displays of Chinese martial arts and students from home and abroad spend months or years perfecting their Wushu skills.

Shaolin monks tour the world and perform to the enthusiastic standing-room-only audiences. They were really one of the first strong Chinese global brands.


The Shaolin Monastery, also known as the Shaolin Temple, is a Zen Buddhist temple in Dengfeng County, Henan Province, China./ VCG Photo

I remember when I first came to China, I was pestered by a Shaolin marketing executive who found out that I was recently an executive at ABC-TV. He wanted to make deals with Hollywood to promote his abbot and the temple via motion pictures and TV in those pre-social media days.

It was actually rather shocking in those days before branding had begun to catch on in China. I still wonder if Buddhism or commercialization is the true goal at Shaolin? I suppose it may be both. Not that they're alone.

Too many religions and philosophies the world over have used the cover of some higher power to separate people from their money.

The monks at Longquan, practitioners of Mahayana or Chinese Buddhism, are known for being PhD and other advanced degree graduates from the best universities in China, but “renouncing the world” to live a life of prayer and meditation.

They use state-of-the-art social media, animation, as well as AI and other high technologies, including a now-famous robot, Master Xian'er, to spread ancient Buddhist doctrine and to clarify conflicting ancient texts. They have proven that unlike water and oil, the ancient doctrine can be promoted and advanced using the most updated technology.


The bird's-eye view of Longquan Monastery, a Chinese Buddhist monastery, located in the suburban area of Beijing, China. / VCG Photo

They have perfected blending ancient Chinese culture with today's cutting-edge technologies and can share their awesome achievements through the fifth pillar of the Belt and Road Initiative: people-to-people exchanges.

I first visited Longquan more than five years ago at the invitation of a European ambassador's wife and have written about this special community and hosted two videos about this place of enlightenment.

I was particularly struck by how peaceful it was. Until that time I thought most Chinese only worshiped money, but here I found bigger and bigger crowds of people on a higher spiritual plain.

Unfortunately, Longquan has been in the news lately for a sex scandal involving its now former leader. Somehow it's not peaceful chanting I am channeling, but the lyrics of the famous 1972 Jimmy Cliff song: “As sure as the sun will shine, I'm gonna get my share now of what's mine. And then the harder they come, the harder they'll fall.”

However, this only goes to prove that ancient Buddhism had this behavior nailed over 20 centuries ago when it opined that life is suffering, and that suffering is caused by attachment to have and control, to crave sensual pleasures and so on. These behaviors prevented people from being enlightened.


The character in the picture means Zen /VCG Photo

It just shows that despite all the good he did and still inspires, ex-Abbot Xuecheng didn't practice what he preached and was a long way from becoming “enlightened.” At the end of the day, however, Longquan, Buddhism and China will be stronger because of this experience.

Although many people in China and around the globe were let down, this story provides a teachable moment upon which to reflect and from which to learn. That's why the Fifth World Buddhist Forum in Fujian at the end of October provides an invaluable opportunity for the 800 overseas and Chinese attendees to learn from Shaolin's and Longquan's experiences, positive and negative.

In addition, Chinese Buddhism, which owes so much to its Silk Road roots, will focus on the positive roles of religious people in social and economic development, the Belt and Road Initiative and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Its timing couldn't be better!

This reminds me of our Zen/Buddhist brand names thread, but not enough to copy this there.

[David Jamieson]

I hold to the idea that there is a light shining.
We can look toward it or not.
Those who do look toward it are not those who walk toward it.
All who see the light are not able to describe it in the same way.
Except to say it's a light.

That is the nature of the union with the devine from my point of view.
The explanations given in any tongue are never completely accurate and all of them are about a peculiar light
that shines figuratively speaking.

I'm just happy that there is a light!

[GeneChing]

So tragic. Hopefully the ceremony offered some comfort to the families.

Malaysia abandons search for MH370, families vow to carry on
By Liu Caiyu Source:Global Times Published: 2018/11/30 22:43:40
Relatives of missing passengers vow to continue to resolve mystery


People hold burned incenses to pray for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane on a Buddhist ceremony in Fushan Park in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, March 12, 2014. The ceremony was specially held by Shaolin monks of the Yandong Kongfu Troupe. (Xinhua/Fan Minda)

Relatives of passengers on board flight MH370 said on Friday they won't give up their efforts to resolve the mystery of the missing jetliner even though the Malaysian government has disbanded the search team.

Jiang Hui, the representative of Chinese families of passengers on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, told the Global Times on Friday that the call to disband the search team shows the Malaysian government's "passivity" in solving the mystery.

"Relatives will not give up searching for the flight and the missing passengers even if they stop searching for us. We may find a solution ourselves, but it will be complicated," Jiang said.

"No matter how hard it is we will continue to search for our family members," another relative surnamed Hu said.

Many of the relatives called on the Chinese government to make an official statement supporting the continued search.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang had said on August 3 this year that China hopes that the Malaysian side can respect the legitimate rights of the families of the Chinese passengers onboard, take their legitimate demands seriously and continue to properly handle the follow-up matters.

Jiang said disbanding the search team violates clauses of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and some of the relatives will seek a consultation with the ICAO.

During its 42nd meetings with relatives of the missing passengers in Beijing on November 14, the Malaysia Airlines Flight representatives set Friday as the date the search team would disband. As of press time no official confirmation was released.

According to the Star Online, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke, said that the government may at sometime resume the search for MH370. "If there are credible leads, we are open to resuming the search," said Loke.

Relatives on Friday handed over debris consisting of five small parts of the plane found off Madagascar to the minister at his office in the administrative capital Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur, according to an AFP report on Friday.

Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found so far, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-meter wing fragment, the AFP report said.

Flight MH370, which was carrying 239 passengers most of whom were Chinese, disappeared on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. It triggered the largest hunt in aviation history.

Other than the few fragments, the jet was never found in the 120,000-square-kilometer Indian Ocean search zone. The Australian-led search was suspended in January 2017.