Shaolin abbot Shi Yongxin resurfaces at Chinese temple, months after claims of misconduct
Scandal-plagued Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin made his first public appearance in months on Saturday, addressing 30 pilgrims at the temple in Henan province amid allegations of fraud and sexual misconduct.
Shi told the pilgrims to focus more on spiritual development and less on physical indulgence because "human bodies are temporary but the spirit is immortal", China News Service reported on Sunday.
"Those who have faith are the happiest," he was quoted as saying.
Those who have faith are the happiest
In July, Shi, the "CEO monk" who heads the famed temple, was accused by a former disciple of fathering several children out of wedlock and embezzling money.
Under the pseudonym of "Shi Zhengyi", the accuser claimed the abbot was kicked out of the temple in the late 1980s, had multiple identities, had sexual relations with several women and even fathered their children, offering copies of documents as evidence.
A week later, the State Administration for Religious Affairs ordered its Henan bureau to conduct "checks" into the matter.
