According to the pagoda's announcement on July 27, the accusations against the monk Thich Vinh Tin ( Shi Yongxin) include embezzlement of project money, appropriation of pagoda property and violation of Buddhist laws.
The notice affirmed that the residence of Thich Vinh Tin "seriously violated Buddhist law" and is being investigated by authorities. In addition, the pagoda also accused the monk of having "unpopular relationships with many women for a long time and having children outside of marriage". The pagoda is committed to announcing more information at an appropriate time.
Thieu Lam Pagoda, located in Hunan Province, China, was established more than 1,500 years ago and is the cradle of Zen, and is also the birthplace of Thieu Lam martial arts. This is a World Cultural Heritage recognized by UNESCO and a place that attracts millions of domestic and foreign tourists.
Venerable Thich Vinh Tin, 60 years old this year, was appointed as the abbot of Thieu Lam Pagoda in 1999. He was once known as the " CEO monk" because he strongly commercialized the pagoda's heritage, expanding his influence to fields such as publishing, cinema, medicine and martial arts. Under his leadership, Thieu Lam Pagoda has established more than 50 cultural centers around the world.
Thich Vinh Tin is a controversial character. In 2006, he was criticized for accepting a luxury car from local authorities to "recognize its contribution to the tourism industry".
In 2015, he and the pagoda faced a wave of criticism for the plan to build a $297 million complex in Australia, including a pagoda, a martial arts academy and a golf course.
Also in that year, a former student accused him of having illegitimate children and squandered property. However, the religious agency of Ha Nam province concluded that there was not enough evidence to prosecute for responsibility in 2017.
From 1998 to 2018, Thich Vinh Tin was also a delegate to the National People's Congress and Chairman of the Ha Nam Provincial Buddhist Association. He has had a Weibo account that has been active since 2018 with more than 870,000 followers, but has stopped posting since July 24.
According to the Economic Observer newspaper, he was taken to the Investigation Center by Tan Huong City Police (Ha Nam Province) on July 25.
On Chinese social media, news about the investigation into the head of the government has caused a stir in public opinion. Controversial opinions focus on the fact that he has run the pagoda as a modern enterprise for nearly 3 decades, criticized by many thinkers and martial arts entities as "excessive commercialization of Buddhism".
According to data from Qichacha, Thich Vinh Tin currently has contact with 8 legal entities, of which 3 units are still operating, 5 companies have been dissolved.
In 2010, the historic architectural complex including the National Forest was officially included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list.
