BEIJING: Prosecutors have formally indicted Shi Yongxin, the former abbot of the famed Shaolin Temple, four months after his arrest and following a string of financial and sexual scandals.
Prosecutors in Xinxiang, Henan province, have formally charged Shi with embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, non-state official bribery and offering bribes, according to a Friday (Mar 20) report from state news agency Xinhua.
The 60-year-old former abbot led the Shaolin Temple for over 25 years and was ousted in July last year.
The same month, the Buddhist Association of China revoked Shi’s Buddhist credentials, accusing him of “seriously undermining the reputation of the Buddhist community and the image of monks”.
Companies linked to Shi were also deregistered.
Following an investigation, local authorities announced in November the approval of his arrest on multiple criminal charges.
The specific amount of money involved in the charges against Shi has not been disclosed.
Beyond allegations of embezzlement and bribery, Shi was also accused of violating Buddhist principles, maintaining “improper relations” with multiple women and fathering at least one child.
Shi, who holds a degree in business administration, turned Shaolin Temple into a multibillion-dollar global brand with business interests including real estate and entertainment, earning him the nickname “CEO monk”.
He joined the temple in 1981 and became its abbot in 1999, at the age of 34.
Despite facing criticism over the commercialisation of Shaolin Temple, Shi justified his approach as necessary for protecting the monastic institution established more than 1,500 years ago.
The temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is recognised as the cradle of Shaolin kung fu.
Shi’s downfall has dealt a major blow to the reputation of China’s monks, triggering a series of institutional reforms.
In a move to improve oversight of monks’ conduct, China’s official Buddhist association announced in December the establishment of its first supervisory body.
Wang Huning, China’s fourth-ranking official and head of China’s top political advisory body, urged the association to exercise “comprehensive and rigorous governance over the religion” and “intensify efforts to raise awareness of the rule of law and guide clerical personnel to abide by the law”, Xinhua reported in December.
The same month, the Communist Party chief of Henan province, Liu Ning, called for a clear boundary between the temple and business during an impromptu visit, according to Henan Daily.
Liu told the temple’s new abbot, Shi Yinle, that he hoped the new leadership would “return to the true teachings of the religion” and “properly handle the relationship between Shaolin Temple and Shaolin culture, clarify the boundaries between Shaolin Temple and the Songshan Shaolin Scenic Area and cultural tourism development”.
This article was first published on SCMP.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/shaolin-temple-abbot-charged-bribery-sex-scandal-6008301
