Monk Daoci traveled over 10,000 kilometers by bicycle, crossing a dozen provinces and around 200 cities and towns, to visit the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhists. All of them are associated with a bodhisattva, a being of light who, like the Buddhas, has attained the state of enlightenment, wisdom, and compassion, but who does not fully embrace nirvana, nor therefore surpasses the cycle of birth-death. This figure remains in the cycle of rebirths, on earth, to help humans trapped in suffering. It is not a god in the Western sense, but a spiritual archetype and guide honored and invoked.
Daoci explains that he began that journey in 1990 in northern China, in the snowy peaks of Shanxi, where huge temples dedicated to Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, emerge. Then, he headed south to Sichuan province, in the southwest, to pray in front of the statues of Samantabhadra, the being of virtue. On his way east, he made a stop in Anhui, where Ksitigarbha, the savior of hells, is located. The journey ended at Mount Putuo, located on a homonymous island in the East China Sea protected by Guanyin, the bodhisattva of mercy.
Daoci (72 years old) never left that island again, the most famous of those that make up the Zhoushan archipelago. Over the years, this monk became the great abbot of a complex of temples dedicated to Guanyin. A place that these summer days is full of local tourists, mostly from Shanghai, which is about a four-hour drive and ferry ride away.
Let's go to the place where he wielded his power, now that the Chinese government has launched a campaign against temples turned into tourist attractions, investigating that monks do not have secret women and comply with the vow of poverty.
The oldest temples date back to the ninth century. There are pilgrims of all ages carrying offerings such as bags of fruits, lotus flowers wrapped in damp paper, and incense carefully tied with red ribbons. In some corners, engravings can be read with legends about fishermen and sailors who, for centuries, before setting sail for the Pacific, stopped on this island to seek protection from the many statues of Guanyin that stand inside and outside temples and pagodas in the mountains.
The largest and most touristic statue measures 33 meters: a bronze giant who, in his left hand, holds a vase, while his right hand is open in a gesture of blessing. Unlike other ancient sanctuaries dedicated to the same bodhisattva found throughout the archipelago, the one that houses the giant statue, in comparison, has little history as it was erected three decades ago, during the country's economic development, to attract more visitors who would make generous donations. Some of these sacred places have long ceased to be silent places of worship and have turned into amusement parks where merchandising prevails over spirituality.
"Many Buddhist sanctuaries saw the business model set up by the famous Shaolin temple worldwide, with the kung fu brand and movies, and tried to imitate the model," explains Yao Gu, manager of one of the island's hotels.
"Seven years ago, the temple complex of Mount Putuo was about to go public. Putuoshan Tourism is the state-owned company that manages everything, from the boats that bring tourists to the stores that sell incense. They tried to list this million-dollar business on the Shanghai stock exchange, but the stock regulator halted it after a major national controversy erupted and new rules were established prohibiting places of worship from going public." The Putuo company tried to follow the example of other state-owned companies managing sacred mountains that went public, boosting their income and opening more businesses like luxury hotels overlooking the temples.
Two topics that have been the usual gossip in social gatherings in China throughout the summer. The first is the viral story of a character known as Sister Hong, a man who for years disguised himself as a woman and deceived hundreds of men into having sexual relationships. These encounters were recorded with a hidden camera and then commercialized on the internet in private subscription-based groups. The second recurring topic of conversation is the scandal surrounding the grandmaster of the Shaolin temple, expelled after being investigated for leading a misappropriation of funds network and having secret children with several women.
The Shaolin temple, 1,500 years old, located in a forest at the foot of a mountain in central China, is globally known for the martial art of kung fu and Zen Buddhism. The person who transformed this place into a global billion-dollar brand was Shi Yongxin (60 years old), who until the end of July had been the abbot of the complex. Now, he faces criminal investigation for embezzlement of temple funds and assets, as well as the misappropriation of valuable assets from the sacred place.
In addition to this, there is another investigation for what authorities have called "inappropriate sexual behavior" and "serious violations of Buddhist precepts." Apparently, Shi, who allegedly never had much inclination to comply with his vows of poverty and celibacy, would have a harem of lovers. With some of them, as revealed by the Buddhist Association of China, he would have had "illegitimate children." On Chinese social media, Shi has earned the Mandarin nickname equivalent to "playboy monk."
The Buddhist regulator in the Asian giant announced that it had revoked Shi's ordination certificate, the equivalent of a document granting access to the monastic community, and appointed a new abbot earlier this month. Furthermore, due to the scandal, authorities have started a campaign of austerity to reform the management and commercialization manual of the temples.
For decades, there have been many internal debates about how business and Buddhism have coexisted in places of worship. The first pawnshops were managed by Buddhist monasteries, which also leased land to farmers. After the Cultural Revolution, to attract tourism, local governments gave land to monks around temples to open souvenir shops.
After the long closures in China during the pandemic, which ruined many pockets and left numerous traumas, Buddhist and Taoist temples experienced a surge in visitors who flocked to gift shops, vegetarian restaurants, or divination and meditation centers abundant in these places. According to a 2023 report by the Meritco Group, the temple economy in China reached a value of 90 billion yuan (around 11 billion euros). "Some commercial activities are necessary for the preservation of temples, but many sites have turned into tourist circuses, and true spiritual practice has disappeared," acknowledges the monk guarding the entrance to a pagoda atop the sacred mountain dedicated to bodhisattva Guanyin.
In the sacred Mount Putuo, as in many other famous temples throughout the country, officials have visited in recent days to warn the abbots about excessive commercial activities, indicating that the campaign launched from Beijing will oversee the accounts of many sanctuaries following the scandal at the Shaolin temple.
Shi Yongxin, the disowned former abbot of the popular Buddhist sect, had already been plagued by a reputation as a swindler and womanizer for decades. But his tenure had also been widely applauded for taking over a ruined monastery in 1999 and successfully expanding the Shaolin brand globally, building a large conglomerate that encompasses the film industry, traditional medicine, schools outside China, and a successful touring troupe of monks who perform kung fu shows around the world.
Now, the reins of the famous temple have been taken by a new abbot, Shi Yinle, who announced sweeping reforms immediately upon taking office, starting with halting commercial activities, such as the martial arts team's international tours. He also ordered the closure of temple shops, banned "lavish" consecration rituals, and promoted monastic self-sufficiency through agriculture. "Today, some monks have strayed from the spiritual path," the new leader stated in his introductory speech, citing examples such as monks ordering takeout to bring to meditation rooms or those listening to pop music with headphones during prayers.
Chinese media have provided more details about the temple's strict new rules, which have reportedly led to the resignation of around 30 monks: monks must participate in morning prayers at 4:30 a.m., followed by farm work and then Zen martial arts practices in the afternoon. Cell phones must be stored in a warehouse, and all types of entertainment are prohibited. Screen time, whether mobile or television, has been reduced to just 30 minutes a day. Furthermore, the diet has become stricter, primarily consisting of vegetables.
These rules are already spreading to other temples. "If Buddhists, especially monks who have the great responsibility of upholding the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, break with the fundamental precepts, this will inevitably lead to corruption and the decline of Buddhism as a whole," reads a statement from China's Buddhist watchdog. "Shi Yongxin's grave misconduct has served as a wake-up call for Buddhists across the country."
At one of the Putuo temples presided over by an eight-meter-high golden statue of Guanyin, monks are asking worshippers to stop throwing coins into a lotus pond. At another shrine, two shops where small Buddhist figurines and scrolls could be purchased are also closed, as is a food stall selling sausages and other snacks. "This is temporary because, after Shaolin, they warned that government officials would come to monitor commercial activities here. "So the monks decided to close their businesses until the scandal passed," explains a taxi driver taking a couple of tourists to the temple.
The difficult and controversial balance that has long existed in China between spirituality and business at temples is now more questionable than ever.