Shaollin Buddhist perform in Bangkok, Aug 2, 2015. (Photo/Chinanews.com)
Monks from China's Shaolin Temple gave a performance of Chinese kungfu here on Sunday night as part of their six-day visit to Thailand to promote Buddhist cultural exchanges.
Shaolin Abbot Shi Yongxin, who is embroiled in a scandal, had been due to lead the delegation to Thailand but failed to show up at Sunday's performance. The abbot has now been accused of paying for sex with several women, including Buddhist nuns and some of his female followers.
In a letter of apology sent to the Thai organizer, the abbot explained that he got too tied up with work to come in person.
Shi Yongfu said that Shi Yongxin would arrive in Thailand later during the visit but did not disclose the exact time.
The delegation will also visit northern Chiang Mai province for some Buddhist ceremony.
The Shaolin Temple, built in the late fifth century and located in central China's Henan province, is the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and the cradle of Chinese kungfu.
A spokesperson with the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) said it has "paid great attention" to reports about Shi Yongxin, abbot of Shaolin Temple in central China's Henan Province and vice-chairman of the Buddhist Association of China (BAC).
SARA has asked Henan provincial religious department to verify the accusations against the abbot.
Shi Zhengyi, the accuser, posted a series of allegations on the Internet and said Shi Yongxin was an "embezzler and womanizer" with illegitimate children.
The list of accusations included documents purportedly showing that Shi Yongxin was kicked out of Shaolin in the 1980s following a theft.
The monastery denies all the allegations and has reported Shi Zhengyi to the police for "fabricated and malicious insults and libel."
Meanwhile, the BAC called for "the truth as soon as possible."
The accusation "concerns the image and reputation of Chinese Buddhism," the BAC said in a statement.
The latest scandal put the business model of the temple under spotlight.
"Perhaps Shaolin Temple should reflect on its business model and accounts management, and if it is not an institution capable of making proper independent decisions, then a competent authority should take the responsibility instead," said Xiamen Daily.
"Controversies concerning the abbot, which involve not only his private life, but also the business-oriented development path he has guided Shaolin Temple along, give the impression it is more being commercialized than any other religious body. Since such scandals damage the image of both the abbot and the temple, the accusation this time has offered an opportunity for Shi and the temple to clear their names, if indeed they can," the Beijing News wrote on July 29.
People's Daily called for a thorough investigation over the accusations.
"It is not enough for Shaolin Temple to complain to the police about the accusation or calm the heated online discussion about the scadal. A thorough investigation should be conducted to investigate the accusation and determine whether they are true. If it is proved false, it would not only return innocence to Shi Yongxin, but also mean the accuser can be held accountable by the law for the false accusation," said the newspaper.
