ZHAO Yongsheng: Is commercializing temples justified?

　　Illustration: Peter C. Espina/GT

　　Shi Yongxin, abbot of the renowned Shaolin Temple in Central China's Henan Province, has attracted a lot of media attention in China in recent days. Shi failed to show up on Saturday at a Buddhist cultural exchange in Thailand, triggering speculation that he is under investigation after weeks of online accusations claiming Shi has embezzled money and fathered several daughters out of wedlock.

　　Shi is one of the most famous monks in China and has turned the Shaolin Temple, regarded as the cradle of Chinese kung fu, into a commercial empire. Most of the accusations about Shi involve his own personal morality, but they have also led to debate in China about whether temples should be business ventures.

　　It is reasonable for temples to accept donations and even raise money by promoting kung fu shows, but all of the money raised should be for charities, and the temple should be run as a nonprofit organization, instead of as a company. When temples engage in business, they do not preserve their "holy" nature.

　　Buddhism has had a strong influence in China since the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD25-220). For the past 2,000 years, Chinese Buddhist temples have been able to ensure their general self-sufficiency, partly through accepting food and donations, and they have also helped poor households in the country by offering food and medicine.

　　But that is quite different from the current commercialization of some Chinese Buddhist temples, which are increasingly attracting large numbers of tourists. Shaolin is regarded as one of the most commercialized temples in the country, and Shi has been referred to in the media as the "CEO monk."

　　Shaolin was one of the first temples in China to engage in business and has set up the Henan Shaolin Intangible Assets Management Co and several subsidiary companies that are involved in tourism, cultural promotion, movies and tea.

　　Some people argue that commercialization can help Chinese temples promote Buddhist culture. For instance, the Shaolin Temple has so far built more than 40 Shaolin cultural centers overseas. And according to Xinhua News Agency, Henan Shaolin Intangible Assets Management Co in 2014 signed a cooperation agreement with China Mobile Games and Entertainment Group (CMGE), allowing CMGE to use Shaolin's brand to develop games for both mobile devices and television. The cooperation apparently aims to encourage more young people to take an interest in Shaolin's Buddhist culture and the ancient martial art of kung fu.

　　But more people in China are becoming critical of excessive commercialization of Buddhist temples.

　　The temples are places of worship, and should not be operated purely as tourist sites. It is also unreasonable to charge a ticket fee for people who wish to come in order to worship and burn incense.

　　China's Buddhist temples and monks undoubtedly face challenges in a commercialized society. But amid the commercialization trend, some monks focus on activities such as hosting religious ceremonies for the rich in order to make money, rather than studying and researching ancient Buddhism. There was also a scandal in 2014, when Shi was accused of accepting a student in return for a payment of 1,111 yuan ($179), although this was denied by Shaolin Temple.

　　To avoid the holy nature of a Buddhist temple being spoiled by crass commercialization, new laws need to be drawn up to guarantee that China's Buddhist temples and other religious sites do not operate for profit.

　　According to media reports, the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) said in 2012 that China's Buddhist temples, pagodas and other religious sites will not be allowed to become purely business ventures by floating on the stock market. This was useful, but more efforts should be made to guide China's Buddhist temples away from the desire to make a profit.

　　The author is vice chairman of the Paris-based China-France Association of Lawyers and Economists. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn