<p>China has appointed a new abbot to the Shaolin Temple in central Henan province after authorities at the Buddhist monastery announced that Shi Yongxin, its head monk for more than 25 years, is being investigated for alleged financial and sex scandals. Shi Yinle, 59, who is currently abbot of the White Horse Temple and is also deputy head of the Henan Provincial Buddhist Association will replace Shi Yongxin, said a statement from the Shaolin Temple on Tuesday. “In accordance with the regulations on the appointment of abbots of Chinese Buddhist Temples, after democratic evaluation and approval by the Shaolin Temple and following the relevant procedures, Venerable Yinle was invited to be the abbot of the Shaolin Temple,” the statement said.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Meanwhile, the Buddhist credentials of disgraced former abbot Shi Yongxin have been revoked, and companies linked to him have been deregistered.</p><p>“Shi’s actions are extremely bad, seriously damaging the reputation of the Buddhist community and the image of monks,” the association said. No individual was above the law or the moral standards of their faith, the association added, emphasising its commitment to uphold the discipline and integrity of the Buddhist community.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Shaolin Temple, established over 1,500 years ago in China’s central Henan province, is the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and a Unesco World Heritage site, famous as the cradle of Shaolin kung fu, while the White Horse Temple, also in Henan, was the first Buddhist temple in China established under the patronage of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han dynasty.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>President Xi Jinping visited the White Horse Temple in May as part of an inspection tour to Henan.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The new abbot, Shi Yinle, was born in southern Henan’s Tongbai county in 1966 and ordained at the Tongbai Mountain Temple at the age of 16. After training at the Qixia Temple in eastern China, he went to study at the Chinese Buddhist Academy in 1986.</p><p>After graduating in 1990, Shi Yinle joined the Henan Provincial Buddhist Association. In 2003, the association appointed him to serve at the White Horse Temple, where he was promoted to abbot two years later.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Shaolin Temple also accuses the former abbot of maintaining improper relationships with multiple women for a long time and having children with them, violating the vow of celibacy required of Buddhist monks.</p><p>A vendor near the temple said Shi’s misconduct as a “playboy monk” had “tarnished the image of Buddhism” and added that business had “dipped slightly” over the past few days because of the scandal.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Shi Yongxin, the controversial “CEO monk”, was ordained in 1981 and took full control of the Shaolin Temple in 1999, after which he transformed it from a crumbling monastic compound into a multibillion-dollar global brand. He is known as the first Chinese abbot to hold a master’s degree in business administration.</p><p>Under his leadership, the temple started opening schools outside China and formed a travelling troupe of monks who performed shows of Shaolin kung fu—the temple’s signature style of martial arts.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Shaolin Temple is a globally recognised Buddhist sanctuary and draws thousands of disciples annually, including many from overseas.</p>

The Shaolin Temple also accuses the former abbot Shi Yongxin of maintaining improper relationships with multiple women and having children with them, violating the vow of celibacy. A vendor said Yongxin’s misconduct as a “playboy monk” had tarnished the image of Buddhism.

China has appointed a new abbot to the Shaolin Temple in central Henan province after authorities at the Buddhist monastery announced that Shi Yongxin, its head monk for more than 25 years, is being investigated for alleged financial and sex scandals. Shi Yinle, 59, who is currently abbot of the White Horse Temple and is also deputy head of the Henan Provincial Buddhist Association will replace Shi Yongxin, said a statement from the Shaolin Temple on Tuesday. “In accordance with the regulations on the appointment of abbots of Chinese Buddhist Temples, after democratic evaluation and approval by the Shaolin Temple and following the relevant procedures, Venerable Yinle was invited to be the abbot of the Shaolin Temple,” the statement said. Meanwhile, the Buddhist credentials of disgraced former abbot Shi Yongxin have been revoked, and companies linked to him have been deregistered. “Shi’s actions are extremely bad, seriously damaging the reputation of the Buddhist community and the image of monks,” the association said. No individual was above the law or the moral standards of their faith, the association added, emphasising its commitment to uphold the discipline and integrity of the Buddhist community. The Shaolin Temple, established over 1,500 years ago in China’s central Henan province, is the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and a Unesco World Heritage site, famous as the cradle of Shaolin kung fu, while the White Horse Temple, also in Henan, was the first Buddhist temple in China established under the patronage of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han dynasty. President Xi Jinping visited the White Horse Temple in May as part of an inspection tour to Henan. The new abbot, Shi Yinle, was born in southern Henan’s Tongbai county in 1966 and ordained at the Tongbai Mountain Temple at the age of 16. After training at the Qixia Temple in eastern China, he went to study at the Chinese Buddhist Academy in 1986. After graduating in 1990, Shi Yinle joined the Henan Provincial Buddhist Association. In 2003, the association appointed him to serve at the White Horse Temple, where he was promoted to abbot two years later. The Shaolin Temple also accuses the former abbot of maintaining improper relationships with multiple women for a long time and having children with them, violating the vow of celibacy required of Buddhist monks. A vendor near the temple said Shi’s misconduct as a “playboy monk” had “tarnished the image of Buddhism” and added that business had “dipped slightly” over the past few days because of the scandal. Shi Yongxin, the controversial “CEO monk”, was ordained in 1981 and took full control of the Shaolin Temple in 1999, after which he transformed it from a crumbling monastic compound into a multibillion-dollar global brand. He is known as the first Chinese abbot to hold a master’s degree in business administration. Under his leadership, the temple started opening schools outside China and formed a travelling troupe of monks who performed shows of Shaolin kung fu—the temple’s signature style of martial arts. The Shaolin Temple is a globally recognised Buddhist sanctuary and draws thousands of disciples annually, including many from overseas.

<p>The Shaolin Temple also accuses the former abbot Shi Yongxin of maintaining improper relationships with multiple women and having children with them, violating the vow of celibacy. A vendor said Yongxin’s misconduct as a “playboy monk” had tarnished the image of Buddhism.</p>

China appoints new abbot of Shaolin Temple after sacking predecessor over corruption, sex scandals

<p>Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin temple, made famous by Kung Fu movies of Jet Li, Jackie Chan and others, is under criminal investigation on multiple issues, the Chinese temple and the nation's Buddhist Association have said. Shi was often referred to as ‘CEO monk’ for making Shaolin kung fu globally famous, and the news of the investigation is being received with shock by the Chinese.</p><h2>Why is Shaolin temple chief being investigated?</h2><p>The temple said on Sunday (July 27) that Chinese authorities are investigating Shi for embezzlement, improper relationships with several women and fathering ‘illegitimate children’ with them.</p><p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/14-year-old-martial-art-prodigy-from-chinas-fujian-8839579/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/14-year-old-martial-art-prodigy-from-chinas-fujian-8839579/embed</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shi, the Shaolin Temple's abbot since 1999, has been stripped of his ordination certificate, China's Buddhist association said on Monday.</p><h2>Shaolin temple chief led a lavish life</h2><p>According to reports, Shi is known to have accepted a Volkswagen SUV, a robe with gold thread and several similar expensive gifts from both governments and companies. The Buddhist Association described his actions as extremely bad, seriously damaging the reputation of the Buddhist community and the image of monks.</p><h2>Shi the Shaolin temple abbot is no stranger to controversy</h2><p>Shi has been under the lens in the past too for similar allegations, particularly in 2015 for alleged sexual relations with women and embezzling temple funds. &nbsp;But investigators later cleared him of the charges. In the same year, the temple was criticised for a lavish expansion plan of the complex. The plan worth $300 million included a hotel, a golf course, and a kung fu school.</p><h2>Shi made Shaolin kung fu famous</h2><p>Shi is credited with popularising Shaolin Kung fu, an ancient art form that found a new life through Chinese and Hollywood films. He created a monks' group who performed Shaolin kung fu shows across the world. The Shaolin temple also started schools abroad for teaching martial arts.</p><h2>Shi is absent from his social media account</h2><p>Shi is also popular online, with a Weibo account that has 880,000 followers. Buddhist teachings are regularly posted on the account. But he hasn't posted there after July 24. Shi's legal troubles are now a top discussion point on Chinese internet.</p><h2>What is Shaolin Temple and why is it famous?</h2><p>Shaolin Temple is a 1,500-year-old Buddhist monastery situated in the mountains of Henan province. Thousands of people across the world visit the temple every year mainly to witness the martial arts practices, particularly Shaolin kung fu.&nbsp;</p><p>Shaolin temple was popularised by Kung Fu movies in the late 1970s and 1980s. These include the film <i>Shaolin</i> in 1982 featuring Jet Li. The temple is the inspiration for the video game and film series <i>Mortal Kombat</i>. American music band Wu-Tang Clan and others have referenced the temple in their songs.</p>

<p><h2>Shi the Shaolin temple abbot is no stranger to controversy</h2><p>Shi has been under the lens in the past too for similar allegations, particularly in 2015 for alleged sexual relations with women and embezzling temple funds.  But investigators later cleared him of the charges. In the same year, the temple was criticised for a lavish expansion plan of the complex. The plan worth $300 million included a hotel, a golf course, and a kung fu school.</p><h2>Shi made Shaolin kung fu famous</h2><p>Shi is credited with popularising Shaolin Kung fu, an ancient art form that found a new life through Chinese and Hollywood films. He created a monks' group who performed Shaolin kung fu shows across the world. The Shaolin temple also started schools abroad for teaching martial arts.</p><h2>Shi is absent from his social media account</h2><p>Shi is also popular online, with a Weibo account that has 880,000 followers. Buddhist teachings are regularly posted on the account. But he hasn't posted there after July 24. Shi's legal troubles are now a top discussion point on Chinese internet.</p><h2>What is Shaolin Temple and why is it famous?</h2><p>Shaolin Temple is a 1,500-year-old Buddhist monastery situated in the mountains of Henan province. Thousands of people across the world visit the temple every year mainly to witness the martial arts practices, particularly Shaolin kung fu. </p><p>Shaolin temple was popularised by Kung Fu movies in the late 1970s and 1980s. These include the film <i>Shaolin</i> in 1982 featuring Jet Li. The temple is the inspiration for the video game and film series <i>Mortal Kombat</i>. American music band Wu-Tang Clan and others have referenced the temple in their songs.</p></p>

Shi was often referred to as ‘CEO monk’ as he helped make Shaolin kung fu popular across the world. The probe against him is being received with shock by the Chinese.

Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin temple, made famous by Kung Fu movies of Jet Li, Jackie Chan and others, is under criminal investigation on multiple issues, the Chinese temple and the nation's Buddhist Association have said. Shi was often referred to as ‘CEO monk’ for making Shaolin kung fu globally famous, and the news of the investigation is being received with shock by the Chinese. Why is Shaolin temple chief being investigated? The temple said on Sunday (July 27) that Chinese authorities are investigating Shi for embezzlement, improper relationships with several women and fathering ‘illegitimate children’ with them. https://www.wionews.com/videos/14-year-old-martial-art-prodigy-from-chinas-fujian-8839579/embed

<p>Shi was often referred to as ‘CEO monk’ as he helped make Shaolin kung fu popular across the world. The probe against him is being received with shock by the Chinese.</p>

‘Sexual relations with several women, fathering illegal children’: Why is Chinese Shaolin Temple's 'CEO monk' being investigated?

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China appoints new abbot of Shaolin Temple after sacking predecessor over corruption, sex scandals

‘Sexual relations with several women: Shaolin Temple's 'CEO monk' under probe