Blogger’s Note: In the early 1950s (c. 1952-1953), Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) was very concerned about the spread of Japanese (Zen) attitudes spreading through the Ch’an community in China. This was to do with the Japanese idea that ordained monks and nuns do not have to follow the Vinaya Discipline. In Japan, a Buddhist monk or nun can get married, produce children, eat meat, and drink alcohol. In other words, these people are lay-people in robes – practicing dishonesty. A group of Chinese Ch’an monks had been following the Vinaya Discipline when they travelled to Japan to spread the Ch’an Dharma – but returned with Japanese wives and children – wearing lay-clothing – eating meat and drinking alcohol. In front of Xu Yun – these “monks” petitioned the post-1949 government of China to permanently abolish the Ch’an requirement for monks and nuns to be celibate and vegetarian. Xu Yun is said to have loudly slapped the table – stating that the Chinese government should do the exact opposite – that is, integrate the Vinaya Discipline into the fabric of China’s secular law. If a man or woman wants to be an ordained Buddhist monk or nun, then it should be a legal requirement – punishable by secular law – if they fail to uphold the rules and regulations of the lifestyle they have chosen to follow. Being a Buddhist monastic is a “job” that requires a strict form of lifestyle. If the rules are broken, then the individuals concerned should be arrested, tried in a secular Court, and punished according to the severity of the crime. For a start, as practitioners of traditional Chinese martial arts – we have nothing to do with the “modern” incarnation of Shaolin “Wushu”. It is a sport where lay-people around the world wear Buddhist robes they are not entitled to wear (they take these robes off when not training). This seems like the Japanese convention – in contradiction to the requirements of Xu Yun. Many believe they are real monks and nuns – when it is merely sport and dressing-up. It is a form of dishonesty which requires complete and total honesty as an antidote. Now, having said all this, I know from my Ch’an contacts in China that the real Shaolin Temple exists in isolation with a few hundred dedicated (traditional) Ch’an monastics living there. No one ever sees them and the martial arts they practice are not premised upon gymnastics. What you see in the West emanates from the so-called “Colleges” that surround the broad area around the Shaolin Temple. These are centres for lay-practice which teaches a watered down form of martial arts – for money, and so on. This is a reliable Chinese language text translated into English: Shaolin Temple Officially Announces Arrest of Shi Yongxin! ACW (28.7.2025)
China Daily 2025-07-28
Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple in Henan province, is suspected of criminal offenses, including embezzling and misappropriating project funds and temple assets, according to a notice released on the temple’s official website on Sunday.
He has seriously violated Buddhist precepts by maintaining improper relationships with multiple women over a long period and fathering at least one child. He is currently under joint investigation by multiple authorities. Relevant updates will be disclosed to the public in a timely manner, the notice said.
The temple is a world-famous Buddhist sanctuary and the birthplace of kung fu.
Previous reports said Shi is an influential figure in the Chinese Buddhist community, known for promoting the internationalization of Shaolin culture. His impact extends beyond religion to culture, diplomacy, and business.
Born in 1965, he became a monk in 1981 and has served as the 30th abbot of the temple since 1999.
Previous reports also noted that he is known for managing the temple using modern management practices and has faced controversy over its commercialization.
Editor: Mo Honge
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 