The famous Shaolin Temple, cradle of kung fu and zen Buddhism, which embraces the legend of having been a martial arts training ground for over a century, is nestled in the forests of the province of Henan, in central China. It is a sanctuary of global pilgrimage, where thousands of faithful burn incense sticks, curious onlookers watch the procession of monks in saffron robes, and the most devout attend prayer with the sound of a giant bronze bell.
Many tourists, especially locals, are currently wandering around Mount Songshan, where the temple is located, and have been astonished by the recent news regarding the unvirtuous and unmonastic customs of the Shaolin abbot. This figure, who has been involved in several scandals over the years, already had a reputation as a swindler and womanizer. But now he is being investigated for a misappropriation of funds network.
Shi Yongxin (60 years old) initially gained the respect of the Chinese atheist authorities for revitalizing the entire 1,500-year-old Shaolin monastery and turning it into a global commercial empire that has had a significant impact on the region's development. Under his leadership, the temple began to open schools outside of China and even formed a successful itinerant company of monks who perform Shaolin Kung Fu shows worldwide, the characteristic martial arts style of the temple.
All this grandeur led many in the Buddhist community to overlook the evidence of Shi's lack of willingness to adhere to his vows of poverty and celibacy. There were many rumors suggesting that he had amassed great wealth and had secret children with several lovers. Now, a statement from the sanctuary published on Sunday revealed that the monk is under investigation for criminal offenses, including misappropriation of temple funds and assets, as well as the misappropriation of valuable assets from the sacred place.
But that's not all. According to the statement, Shi is also under scrutiny for "serious violations" of Buddhist precepts, such as maintaining "inappropriate relationships with several women over an extended period and being the father of illegitimate children".
The scandal emanating from the renowned monastic institution has gone viral on Chinese social media, starting because the protagonist is not just any Buddhist leader. Shi, the temple's leader since 1999, was also a member of the National People's Congress, the annual meeting of the Chinese Parliament, until 2018. He has also maintained a very active profile on Chinese social media, with nearly one million followers on Weibo, equivalent to X in the West.
It has not been officially reported whether the monk is currently detained. Rumors about his possible whereabouts have escalated in the past hours. His last public appearance was on July 8th. Some local media outlets have reported that the police arrested him last Friday.
On Monday, the Buddhist Association of China announced that Shi had been stripped of his ordination certificate, which is equivalent to a document granting access to the monastic community. "His actions seriously damage the reputation of the Buddhist community and the image of the monks," they stated in their release.
Within Buddhist groups themselves, there have been years of complaints about the "ostentation" of the Shaolin leader, accused of turning the temple into a multinational corporation involved in all kinds of commercial interests, from tourism to the publishing and film industries, as well as traditional Chinese medicine.
A decade ago, the monk was embroiled in a scandal involving an alleged fraud. It was related to a failed project that aimed to build a luxury hotel complex in Australia, which would include a temple, a kung fu academy, and a golf course. At that time, one of his disciples accused him of embezzlement and having secret children with several women, but the religious authorities in the province of Henan dropped the charges citing lack of evidence.