Saintly sinner of Shaolin temple_其他_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Saintly sinner of Shaolin temple

I must admit, Shi was steadfast in the face of such cyber-age adversity. Had he flown into a rage he would have vindicated his enemies by proving himself un-Buddhist. Yet his composure was not a sign of detachment from worldly troubles, but rather a diplomatic coup in defending the practices for which he had been vociferously criticized.

Shi added his salary is between 100 and 200 yuan a month ($14.60-$30), while some monks, supported by secular donations, may earn up to 1,000 a month.

This is a typical case of partial truth. It's like the recently revealed salary list for some of China's biggest stars, which range from 1,000 to 3,000 yuan a month. It defies logic. I know of some junior monks in my hometown who make 10 times as much as the abbot. What he referred to might be the base salary, but it accounts for a negligible fraction of his real income.

On the other hand, I must add that cyber-attacks are wrong. Rumor-mongering is worse. The Internet story that Shi wines and dines and keeps mistresses has not been independently corroborated. His lavish new robe (the gold thread alone costs 50,000 yuan, or $7,300) could be seen as a work-related expense. And the government award three years ago of a Volkswagon worth over 1 million yuan seems fair enough, in view of what he has achieved for the county.

Shi, arguably China's best-known Buddhist, is loved and hated in equal measure. As a business executive, he is among the best in the country, and probably wildly underpaid. But as a religious leader, he has an image problem because of his secular activities.