China’s Shaolin Temple abbot, Shi Yongxin, was reported for corruption and misconduct ten years later, and he was finally involved in the same issues. The Chinese Buddhist Association of the CCP recently made consecutive statements to distance itself from the scandal. Meanwhile, mainland and Hong Kong media continuously promote the new abbot, Shi Yinle, claiming that he is advocating for the temple to move away from commercialization and transform Shaolin Temple into a place of “pure cultivation.” Scholars believe that under the atheist rule of the Chinese Communist Party, temples like Shaolin without spirituality do not truly provide a “pure cultivation” environment – the authorities are just using this as an opportunity to tighten political control.
On the evening of July 27th this year, the official website of Shaolin Temple released a statement accusing Abbot Shi Yongxin of suspected criminal activities, misappropriating project funds and temple assets, and violating Buddhist precepts by maintaining improper relationships with multiple women and having illegitimate children. He is currently under investigation by multiple departments. The charges against him in 2015 are similar to the current ones, but back then, the official investigation results labeled them as “rumors.”
The Chinese Buddhist Association under the supervision of the State Administration for Religious Affairs of the CCP issued a statement on July 28th expressing strong support for the decision to handle Shi Yongxin. The association agreed to revoke Shi Yongxin’s (secular name Liu Yingcheng) monk credentials.
On August 7th, the Buddhist Association reiterated that Shi Yongxin’s issues serve as a warning to the Chinese Buddhist community to eradicate black sheep among the clergy. They aim to develop Shaolin Temple into a place of “Buddhism supporting the party and loving the country in the new era.” On the same day, another article on the association’s official website criticized figures like Shi Yongxin for bringing shame to the entire Buddhist community.
Taiwanese Democratic People’s Academy board member Zeng Jianyuan told Dajiyuan that Shaolin Temple has turned into a company for many years. The situation of Shi Yongxin is known to the Chinese Buddhist Association, which means the authorities allow monks to engage in business practices. Now the association claims they want to clean up, maintaining the purity of Buddhism, which in itself is a significant scandal.
American Congressional Library writer Jiang Pinchao, a Christian, expressed to Dajiyuan that the change in abbot at Shaolin Temple has strong political implications. Shi Yongxin was reported for corrupt behavior over ten years ago, but the authorities covered it up then. This time, they made the report public as is.
“Shi Yongxin was able to behave corruptly for so long because the Communist Party didn’t care about those actions – he was their protector. Xi Jinping needed him at that time. Now they believe he is of no use and has become a liability.”
Jiang Pinchao said that when Shi Yongxin got into trouble, it was reported that he secretly went to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis, and the authorities saw this as being disloyal to the CCP. Of course, another reason they took him down is that the CCP’s treasury is empty now. “Wherever there is money, the Communist Party’s hand will reach.”
Jiang Pinchao stated that the recent frequent statements from the Buddhist Association essentially show their political alignment. “This Buddhist Association serves as the CCP’s representative in Buddhism, a group of bureaucratic officials. There is no religion in China; each religious association is just a facade for the Party to implement its policies under the guise of religion.”
Current Affairs Commentator Li Linyi told Dajiyuan that Shi Yongxin’s ability to remain in misconduct for years was due to his connections, including former CCP leader Jiang Zemin, Jiang’s faction leader Li Changchun, and Xi Jinping himself. The multiple articles released by the CCP Buddhist Association indicate a high-level cleanup within the association under pressure. Regarding the Shi Yongxin incident, it is likely that some people from Zhongnanhai need to take the blame.
After Shi Yongxin was placed under investigation, the Buddhist community swiftly started erasing his “traces.” Following the official revocation of his monk credentials by the CCP Buddhist Association, Shaolin Temple promptly removed related promotional content, erased inscriptions within the temple, and covered up statues commemorating Shi Yongxin. According to sources in the Henan Buddhist community, temples nationwide simultaneously removed any references, plaques, and related materials associated with Shi Yongxin.
Under the United Front work of the CCP, Shaolin Temple had long become a commercial entity. Shi Yongxin, who controlled the temple for a long time, was known as the “political monk” and “Shaolin CEO.” Due to numerous scandals involving corruption and misconduct, he was mockingly labeled the “flower monk.”
On July 29th, the Shaolin Temple administration announced that Shi Yinle would serve as the new abbot.
Shi Yinle was born in July 1966 in Tongbai, Henan. He shaved his head and was ordained at Tongbai Mountain in 1982 and graduated from the Chinese Buddhist Academy in 1990. He worked at the Henan Buddhist Association and later served as the vice secretary-general and vice president of the Henan Buddhist Association. Appointed by the Henan Buddhist Association in October 2003, he worked as the head of Baima Temple in Luoyang and was promoted to the abbot of Baima Temple in November 2005. Looking at his resume, Shi Yinle had several years of overlapping work with Shi Yongxin at the Henan Buddhist Association.
Recently, mainland and Hong Kong media have been boosting the new abbot, Shi Yinle, highlighting that under his leadership, the ‘peace incense’ charging system has been eliminated, and the QR code for alms is no longer in use for the “Fighting Monk.”
Reports praise Shi Yinle for his rigorous Buddhist education, refusal of Buddhist commercialization, promotion of agricultural Zen practices, and transforming Baima Temple into the “prototype of the first pure cultivation in the Central Plains.”
According to mainland media reports, since Shi Yinle took over as the abbot of Shaolin Temple, he has implemented several new rules, including canceling commercial operations, enforcing strict spiritual practices, and restricting external travel. This move has been dubbed as the implementation of “Buddhist 996,” leading to a “resignation wave” at Shaolin Temple, and more.
Jiang Pinchao stated that the CCP runs everything through movements; the new abbot is just a transitional figure. The authorities have turned the temple into a political facade to serve their purposes. Regardless of the superficial changes, it’s just an old trick in a new bottle.
“In China, you can only believe in your God or Buddha under the Party’s leadership. This is contradictory to genuine faith.”
Jiang Pinchao believes that the CCP is propagating the so-called return to traditional Buddhism for misleading purposes. “The so-called ‘pure cultivation’ seems like a return to traditional Buddhism, but it’s just a facade, once the hype dies down, it will return to its previous state. It’s deceiving the people. Whether they engage in business or corruption remains the same.”
Current Affairs Commentator Li Linyi mentioned that the CCP controls religion, and no matter how Shi Yinle performs on the surface, his ability to be appointed by Zhongnanhai to replace Shi Yongxin and become a new star is due to his political loyalty. Shaolin Temple went from the “Flower Monk” to the “Red Monk.” The core of the CCP’s control over religion is atheism; the ultimate goal of communism is to eliminate religion and not allow genuine spiritual practice. The reforms introduced by the new abbot are just technical measures to turn the temple into a politically controlled and managed entity under the guise of “pure cultivation,” serving as a facade for exterior relations and united-front tactics.
Many scandals have surfaced in China’s religious places in recent years. In addition to the Shi Yongxin incident, in 2018, the then-President of the CCP Buddhist Association, Shi Xuecheng, was exposed for sexually assaulting several female disciples. In 2023, reports revealed that Shi Zhaojie, a member of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, former vice president of the provincial Buddhist Association, and abbot of Shixiang Temple in Pujiang County, Chengdu, had an improper relationship with a female anchor named Cai, leading to a blackmail of over three million yuan by Cai’s husband.
In contrast, late last year in Shaoguan, Guangdong, an official video stated that three nuns chanting near Nan Hua Temple were “non-religious professional personnel.” The three nuns later released a video saying they are authentic nuns who never accepted any money from others. They criticized the authorities, saying that within the temple, those monks involved in vices such as drinking, gambling, deceiving, and stealing are considered true monks by the CCP. The nuns directly accused the central leaders of the CCP, stating, “You should have no place in this world.”
Jiang Pinchao stated that genuine Buddhists or people with real faith find it challenging to survive in China. Just like those nuns, when they try to practice their faith, they end up conflicting with the authorities.
Jiang Pinchao further mentioned that during the Cultural Revolution, the CCP eradicated traditional religious and spiritual culture. The CCP is an atheist party that does not allow freedom of belief. If you act according to a genuine belief in good faith, the CCP responds with evil and deceit to rule over the people in such deceptive ways. If you confront them, they will suppress you.