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Zoey Zhang

A man in China, who spent all his savings over 10 years as a monk, has sued his daughter for 200,000 yuan (US$28,000) for parental support after leaving his monastic life.
However, a court has dismissed the case, ruling that he had not lost his ability to work.
On August 9, the mainland media outlet The Paper reported the case, citing China Judgements Online.
The story has sparked a widespread debate online.
Xie, 54, from Shandong province in eastern China, claimed that in 2010, while overwhelmed by work stress, he took a leave from his job and went to an undisclosed mountain to practise Buddhism.

In 2014, he terminated his labour contract to fully dedicate himself to his spiritual practice.
The same year, Xie divorced his wife, who did not support his decision.
During the dividing of assets between them, he gave his daughter a house worth around 2.2 million yuan (US$306,000) and 500,000 yuan (US$70,000) in cash as child support.
He also provided his ex-wife with an additional 150,000 yuan (US$21,000) as compensation.
Xie saved around 500,000 yuan to become a monk and travelled across the country studying Buddhism.

While some temples provided food and lodging, he had no income and paid all his travel expenses.
During six months in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, he received a small monthly allowance of 2,000 yuan (US$280), but in Shanxi, northern China, he earned nothing for three months.
After 10 years of spiritual practice, Xie exhausted his savings and was forced to live in a cave.
He eventually suffered a mental breakdown and chose to return to lay life.
Xie is currently renting a flat in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, southern China, for 1,500 yuan (US$210) a month, relying entirely on funds from relatives.
He claims he is too old to work, lacks job skills, is unable to earn money, and believes his daughter should support him.
Xie is demanding a one-time payment of 200,000 yuan for parental support, along with a guarantee that she will not be asked for money again.
The daughter argues that the property division during the divorce was linked to her father’s parental responsibilities and is unrelated to this case.
She believes her father had voluntarily chosen not to work and had not lost his ability to labour.

She also said that with a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan (US$1,400), she could not afford such a large sum but was willing to provide a smaller monthly allowance.
However, Xie reportedly spoke harshly to his daughter in court, leading her to withdraw her offer of support.
The court eventually ruled that Xie had not lost his ability to work and that his savings were enough to cover his daily expenses, dismissing his request.
The story has attracted more than 10 million views on mainland social media.
One online observer said: “He gave so much to his wife and daughter during the divorce, yet now he cannot get a penny. His daughter seems heartless.”
However, another said: “This father was absent from the life of his daughter for 10 years, but now demands repayment. It is unfair to the daughter.”


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Former Buddhist monk claims he was forced to live in a cave after his savings ran out while on cross-country spiritual journey


Former Buddhist monk claims he was forced to live in a cave after his savings ran out while on cross-country spiritual journey.


Ex-China monk sues daughter for US$28,000 for parental support after leaving monastic life

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Former Buddhist monk claims he was forced to live in a cave after his savings ran out while on cross-country spiritual journey

Former Buddhist monk claims he was forced to live in a cave after his savings ran out while on cross-country spiritual journey