Scandal at the Shaolin Temple: embezzlement and immoral relationships

The Shaolin Temple, once a place of meditation and kung fu, is once again making headlines - but not for any spiritual performance, but for a scandal that would make even a man who rarely goes to church or temple blush. Shi Yongxin, the head of the temple and promoter of the corporate version of Buddhism, is being officially investigated for embezzlement and immoral behavior, AFP reports. When you say "Zen monk", you don't think of car leases, foreign investments and illegitimate children. But at Shaolin, karma comes with amendments.

• The monk who reinvented... the bill

According to the statement posted by the Shaolin Temple itself on the WeChat platform, Shi would have used the temple's funds to enjoy small worldly pleasures. Something between "a new roof for the monastery" and "a German SUV with a panoramic sunroof". The accusations go on and on: multiple relationships, unaccompanied children, repeated violations of Buddhist precepts. As an old Zen proverb says: when Buddhists are silent, the press speaks.

• Inner peace, along with external profit

Since becoming head, Shi Yongxin has transformed the temple into a global empire, with branches in the US, Europe and Australia. Many have praised his "openness to the world"; others have asked if Zen is also sold in installments. As a monk, Shi preaches simplicity. As a manager, he prefers offshore accounts and panoramic thermal panels. Internet users are in digital ecstasy: "Whoever has no sins, throw away the credit card first!" The scandal's hashtag exploded on the Weibo network, with over 560 million views, a sign that even in digital China, no one is immune to the irresistible combination of sex, money and karma. Shi's last post on Weibo, published just before the scandal broke, sounds prophetic: "When the mind is pure, the Pure Land is here, in the present moment." Some say it was a spiritual reflection. Others, that it was an attempt to clear the history on the laptop.

• From kung fu to cash flow

The Shaolin Temple, founded in 495, has been a symbol of discipline, asceticism and spiritual martial arts for centuries. Nowadays, it looks more like a franchise brand, where self-defense lessons can be paid for in three interest-free installments. Against the backdrop of these accusations, a question looms like a side kick: is Shaolin still a temple or a company? And if the leader is found guilty, a "meditation" retreat will perhaps follow... in a quiet place, equipped with bars.