A severe sentence has been handed down in China to one of the country’s most renowned spiritual leaders, who for many years headed the legendary Shaolin Monastery, a world-famous center for martial arts and Buddhist culture.
The Intermediate People’s Court of Xinxiang City, Henan Province, sentenced former abbot Shi Yongxin to 24 years in prison, finding him guilty of a series of serious economic crimes. According to Reuters, the monk, who became abbot of the monastery in 1999, was implicated in property theft, embezzlement, and the giving and receiving of particularly large bribes. According to the investigation, the total sum of money that Yongxin obtained through criminal means exceeded 300 million yuan, equivalent to nearly 44 million US dollars.
In addition to the lengthy prison term, the court also ordered the former abbot to pay a substantial monetary fine of 3.5 million yuan (about 517 thousand dollars). Notably, Shi Yongxin pleaded guilty and stated through his lawyers that he did not intend to appeal the verdict. The history of this criminal case has spanned nearly a decade. The first accusations of corruption and living a dissolute lifestyle, incompatible with the status of a Buddhist monk, were brought against Shi Yongxin back in 2015. In 2017, the court acquitted him due to insufficient evidence, but the investigation was later reopened after the former abbot was found to have dual registration under different names. Furthermore, it was revealed that he owned 15 expensive luxury cars, which were registered as monastery property but were actually used by Yongxin and his associates.
In the summer of 2025, it became known that the investigation into Mr. Yongxin was reopened due to newly discovered circumstances, and in November of the same year, he was detained on suspicion of theft, embezzlement, and bribery. In parallel with the criminal prosecution, the Buddhist Association of China decided to strip Shi Yongxin of his spiritual title, which means his complete exclusion from the monastic order.
Shi Yinle has been appointed the new abbot of the ancient Shaolin Monastery. He previously served as abbot of the White Horse Temple in Luoyang and was not involved in corruption scandals. The convicted man himself, commenting on the verdict, concisely remarked that he “brought it upon himself,” thereby acknowledging that his downfall was the result of years of abuse of his position and deviation from Buddhist commandments of non-possession and a modest life.
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