It is reported that after the abbot changed at the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, China, known as the birthplace of Chinese martial arts kung fu, the number of monks escaping has increased as disciplines have been tightened. Following the arrest of former abbot Xiong Xin for embezzlement and personal issues, the Shaolin Temple has been strengthening its disciplines while excluding commercialization with the appointment of a new abbot.
According to local Chinese media outlets, including the Interface News on the 7th, following the incident involving former abbot Xiong Xin (释永信), the previous abbot of Baima Temple, Yin Le (釋印樂), was appointed as the new abbot on the 29th of last month.
Yin Le has halted all commercial activities responsible for the Shaolin Temple's revenue, such as the sale of expensive incense, performances, and souvenir businesses. It has become possible to light incense without payment, and electronic donation boxes using QR codes have disappeared.
Additionally, he strengthened the rules of practice, including early morning wake-up, labor in the fields in the morning, a ban on mobile phone use, and restrictions on outings during weekends. This has applied the principle of practice from the Tang Dynasty, meaning 'if you don't work, you shouldn't eat,' to the rules.
As a result, rumors spread online that over 30 monks and staff at the Shaolin Temple, unable to endure the strengthened rules, left the temple collectively. The temple's side stated that they 'have not heard' of this.
While some evaluations in China regard this as an opportunity to filter out fake monks, concerns have also been raised that it could disrupt the operation of the Shaolin Temple.
Earlier, the Shaolin Temple Management Office announced on its official website on the 27th that Xiong Xin is being jointly investigated by several ministries on suspicion of embezzling and occupying temple assets.
Xiong Xin is accused of seriously violating Buddhist precepts and maintaining inappropriate relationships with several women for a long time, resulting in illegitimate children. His monk status has been revoked.
Born in 1965, Xiong Xin entered the Shaolin Temple in 1981 and rose to the position of abbot in 1999. He engaged in various revenue-generating activities, including kung fu shows, film shoots, and the establishment of kung fu academies and meditation centers both domestically and internationally, earning him the nickname 'the CEO of Shaolin.'