Shaolin temple, the sacred symbol of Chinese martial arts, is facing an unprecedented earthquake when the former abbot Thich Vinh Tin is investigated for serious allegations. Very quickly, the new abbot was appointed and made many changes.
The information was confirmed by officials of Ha Nam province (China), where Shaolin pagoda was located, and immediately shocked public opinion.
According to sources from the Ha Nam Discipline and Supervision Committee, Thich Vinh Tin is being investigated due to “serious discipline violations”, a phrase often used to refer to criminal misconduct such as corruption, abuse of power or improper relationship.
Chinese media simultaneously reported that this monk was suspected of criminal offenses, defense and appropriation of the temple's property through projects; Seriously violating the Buddhist precepts, for a long time, there was an indecent relationship with many women and had a stepchild. He is currently being investigated by many interdisciplinary agencies and has been recovered, which means being deprived of all positions and titles in the mainstream Buddhist system.
The abbot of Thich Vinh Tin was once considered a great character in bringing the image of Shaolin Pagoda and Shaolin Martial Arts to the world. Under his leadership, the temple became a famous destination, attracting millions of tourists, students and martial arts researchers every year.
However, he has many times controversial when criticized to turn Shaolin into a “commercial tool”, organizing too many events to perform, sign a movie contract, or open martial arts teaching centers abroad for profit.
This incident caused the Chinese martial arts community. Many people are concerned that the prestige of Shaolin, which is considered the cradle of Chinese martial arts, will be severely damaged. Especially in the context of recent years, Chinese traditional martial arts has been constantly suspected of the effectiveness of the battle and entangled in many ethical scandals, this shock is like “a drop of water overflow”.
Chinese social networks are filled with mixed opinions. Some people were disappointed and thought that this “tarnished thousands of years of Shaolin”. Meanwhile, there are also voices that require clarifying everything in the spirit of law, not for reputation but ignoring the mistake.
While public opinion stirred up, Shaolin pagoda has not made any official statement. However, many veteran monks in the Chinese Buddhist Church believe that this is “the time when Shaolin needs to reflect on himself” and “internal cleansing to preserve the sacred martial arts heritage”.
After Thich Vinh Tin was investigated, Zen Master Thich An Lac, 59, was appointed as a new abbot of Shaolin Pagoda. Zen master Thich An Lac is the abbot of Bach Ma pagoda and Vice Chairman of the Buddhist Association of Ha Nam province. The appointment takes place after the evaluation and approval process according to regulations.
Only a little right after changing the abbot, Shaolin Tu had great changes. Sina newspaper said that according to the actual recognition of the reporter at the scene, toll -collected services were criticized such as “incense incense”, “family incense” that had previously no longer appeared at Shaolin Temple. The scepter area (the abbot room) has been gathered with iron corrugated iron. Previously, the abbot of its predecessor – Venerable Thich Vinh Tin – once welcomed international guests, artists and businessmen here.
No matter how the final survey results, this incident will surely leave a great shock in the hearts of the public, and especially for those who always see Shaolin as an inviolable symbol of morality, discipline and martial arts.