New head of scandal-hit Shaolin Temple avoids commercial activities, does manual work himself
Successor to disgraced former Shaolin Temple chief vows to follow true path of Buddhism, values ‘agriculture’ and ‘zen’
The successor to the disgraced abbot of the internationally famous Shaolin Temple has shunned the lifestyle that got his predecessor into trouble.
Two days after Shi Yongxin, the former head of Shaolin Temple in central China’s Henan province for more than two decades, was placed under investigation for financial and sex scandals, the temple announced that Shi Yinle, the abbot of The White Horse Temple, would replace him.
Both holy places are located in Henan and are regarded as among the most significant Buddhist monasteries in China.
The White Horse Temple is the first Buddhist temple in China and was established about 2,000 years ago. Shi Yinle, 59, has served as its abbot for 20 years.
But, unlike his high-profile counterpart at the Shaolin Temple, Shi Yinle rarely appears in public, the Xinmin Weekly reported.
Dubbed the “CEO monk”, Shi Yongxin transformed the Shaolin Temple into a multibillion-dollar cash cow.
Not only did all the items inside the temple, like bottled water and incense, come at a price, but monks frequently took part in commercial kung fu performances around the world.
