The Dark Side of Shaolin Temple

[mad4dos]

take a look at this news item a new example shaolin money making !


http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index....6,4011,0,0,1,0

mad4dos

[doc]

Reprinted here (these web sites tend to disappear from time to time)

The Dark Side of Shaolin Temple
By Haitien Ludi, The Epoch Times, Apr 24, 2007

Dengfeng, China -- As I made my way up Mt. Songshan, the rain stopped and the sun broke through the clouds. I took this as a good omen on my way to visit a "Pure Land of Buddhism"—the famous Shaolin Buddhist Temple, Dengfeng City, in China.



But after a 4-hour stay at the temple, I realized that the "Buddhist" title it holds has become nothing more than a façade.

As a Buddhist, it's been my custom to burn a stick of incense when passing a temple. Burning incense requires a sense of etiquette and reverence. Good quality incense is preferred, but one should not go to extremes.

I was shocked to see the decadent state of incense burning in the main hall of Shaolin Temple. The thinnest stick was thicker than an arm; the thickest stick wider than a bowl. Each was nearly 4 feet long.

In the past, who could afford to burn such a luxurious stick of incense so casually? It was not difficult to tell that the incense was for making money rather than for showing reverence to Buddha. However, being a Buddhist, I still believed I could see beyond this and burn a stick with a pure heart.

As I stood in line to purchase incense, I observed how the Shaolin monks lured tourists into the main hall to get their money. Three monks sat in front of the hall asking every visitor to sign their name in a "prayer" book.

The monks then told them that Abbot Shi Yongxin would chant scriptures for them to eliminate misfortune, and that they might want to burn a stick of incense in return to show their reverence.

If it wasn't for the person being duped in front of me, I might have been duped as well. When a monk told him that the price of the stick he picked was 6,000 yuan (approximately US$770), he turned pale. Imagine, 6,000 yuan for a stick of incense!

His wife looked as if she were going to faint as she tugged at his sleeve to leave. But the monk standing beside them told him, "But sir, you've already signed your name." And thus, with the Buddha statue before him and others watching, the man reluctantly paid.

After witnessing this, I was disheartened and turned away. Even if I could afford the incense, I would not pay such a price. Taking advantage of people like this in front of the Buddha is disgraceful!

As I made my way through the temple, I saw the door to the last hall was open and people were kowtowing and burning incense there. I thought that perhaps it wouldn't be so expensive there and I could place money in the donation box at my discretion. But I was wrong.

I burned a stick of incense and kowtowed three times. I hadn't even stood up before a monk was already at my side. He said this hall was for visitors to make wishes and I should pick an incense wish bag. Each bag had six lines of poetry on it, with each line beginning with a number. He asked me to pick a number from the bag I chose.

I picked the smallest number, six. The monk told me that each number represented 100 days, so the monks would chant scriptures for 600 days for me to enable my wishes to come true. He said that each day would cost 1 yuan, and thus I had to pay 600 yuan (approximately US$78). I was both shocked and embarrassed. I put the money on the desk and left in a hurry.

Before I left the temple, I overheard a tour guide leading a group of tourists. She said, "Abbot Shi Yongxin has good business skills. If he had not entered into religion, he would have become an entrepreneur or perhaps a high-level Communist Party leader ... "

I was speechless. How could the abbot of a Buddhist temple be so savvy with money and political power?

This experience has led me to believe that the once holy Shaolin Temple has become a faithless place of money worship. Where is the "Pure Land of Buddhism" to be found today?

[Iron Cross]

You dont have to look far to see the dark side of shaolin. In my opinion the dark out weighs the light these days. All very sad...

[mad4dos]

thanks doc

sadly there is no dout that there is more of this type of thing goingon

mad4dos

[jt1]

Gimme that old time religion, sale of indulgences, inquisition, giddy up.

[baiwanxi]

Fortunately for me I was only charged 100 yuan for a regular size stick of incense, but it all happened the same way as described above.

I was also fooled into paying 300 yuan for a golden card that costs 60 yuan in Shaolin village and 15 to 30 yuan anywhere else. They got me in the same manner, asking me to offer incense, folowed by me signing a sheet of paper that ensured prayers to be said for me, and then ending by me being forced to pay the money they had previously not mentioned.

Not to say this couldn't have been avoided ! I, as well as the man in the article above, just didn't have the balls to say, "you can shove your money", turn around and walk away.

If you go to Shaolin any time in the near future, not that this will change, I advise you to do a small bow from a distance and not to offer any incense. I know you might feel irreverent, but it's better than walking away seething animosity.

[LFJ]

as far as elsewhere,

other places in china they try to get your money too, of course. there are many ways.

such as the old tea house scam, where a pretty young english student comes up to talk to you on the street and after striking up a good conversation invites you for a drink. since she's hot you go along. then you either get tea served to you that you didnt order or you get a menu without prices. either way your small cup of tea comes out to a few hundred dollars.

they try and force you to pay the price, and when you refuse they bring out the big mean guy from the back they call gorilla. sensing trouble, they expect you to pay up at that point. but if you demand to be let go or otherwise threaten with violence, they'll back down and you get out of the situation.

of course i cant imagine doing that at a temple. especially the temple of our masters. but that is why i'd suggest you try going there with blind eyes, deaf ears, (and dry pockets) but a true heart. just dont talk to anyone.

[baiwanxi]

Yep... Got had by that one as well, only in my case it was two pretty girls.
It was Shanghai, the infamous Nanjing rd. They invited me for tea but we ended up drinking super expensive Irish whisky. Of course I had no idea how much the whisky was. I figured, in China it wouldn't be sooooo expensive, right ? wrong ! 24 usd per shot, and we were drinking doubles. After 10 of 'em I decided it was time for the bill. You can say I was a bit blown away at the 4000 yuan tab. Including the gensing tea and fruit plate it came out to over 500 usd..... Oi.... I should have known better. The girls chiped in about 200 yuan and the rest was up to me to pay on my card.

Needless to say, I've learned not to be too trusting of the Chinese. I've been in many other places in the world but never have I had as many people try to rip me off as I have here. It's funny how a country whos culture used to be so concerned with virtue and respect has now become cut-throat and heartless. It's not just the street people or tourist loving temples, you can find this attitude in any buisness situation that deals with Chinese. I don't just mean with foriegners either. I just found out yeasterday that I can't rely on my boss for assistance in a certain matter here at my school, I have to go to the head boss here. Why ? Because a Chinese buisness man only cares about himself, not his company. Asking my boss to stick his neck out for me is worth nothing. However, the head boss's piggie bank is his school, and I help make that piggie fatter with all the publicity photos and other crap we do for him. So if I want something done I go to him. But that's Chinese buisness. Fortunately, being that I'm a foreigner I have the ability to talk with the head master, the other Chinese teachers can't. So if they have a problem, their S.O.L.. They can't rely on their boss and they can't go higher up the chain.

Cut-throat and Heartless. I think that sums it up pretty well. The ideal buisness man !

Damn you China for ever allowing me to fall in love with you.

She's like an evil woman ! Takes me for my money, yet I can't leave her alone.

[doc]

Needless to say, I've learned not to be too trusting of the Chinese. I've been in many other places in the world but never have I had as many people try to rip me off as I have here. It's funny how a country whos culture used to be so concerned with virtue and respect has now become cut-throat and heartless.

Sums up my experience with most of them as well. But you forgot to mention about the lies, deception, and otherwise generally dishonorable behaviour.

I'm getting to the point where I can't stand a lot of them anymore.

And our beloved so called monks are not immune from this devious behavior...

[Uwe]

Thats why I made the decision not to go there anymore for a few years. I plan on revisiting the temple maybe in 2010 but definitely not before anymore. Rather visit some friends in other parts of China.

Uwe

[mad4dos]

The sad thing is the very thing that saved the temple from decay
I.E tourisum and it's world wide fame
Is now set to be it's own undoing and
may well destroy what made it famous in the first place
as to what will happen next only time will tell

shaolin theme park any one? (hope not! )

mad4dos

[doc]

Same thing happens to people. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

It's the way of the world.

[LFJ]

i elect doc as the new abbot of shaolin temple and uwe as the new emperor of china. (or vice versa, decide amongst yourselves- appoint your other officers where needed) its the russbo dynasty, and its about time!

[Iron Cross]

Or he can just start his own shaolin temple and declare himself the abbot of it. ie. yan ming Or he can just say he is the abbot but the paper work was lost in the 1928 fire. Seems to work for alot of these guys.

[mad4dos]

Same thing happens to people. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

It's the way of the world.

all too true

mad4dos