Material-Monk

by Constantine

Ok, ok. I've got a good one for ya'...What do you get when you cross a Buddhist monk with a luxury car?

A lot of people judging you, that's what.

Seems that a monk brought controversy down on his head by accepting a luxury car as a gift for his work as a tour guide.

"I will try my best to promote martial arts to the world in an attempt to boost local tourism. I dream of getting a bigger prize next year," Shi said when he received the car a week ago, according to the Xinhua news agency.Tens of thousands of Internet users reacted variously to this gift and the abbot's remark, with anger and support.

Is this a sign of the times? Buddhism is moving towards materialism and all the corruption that it brings. Or is this a sign that an ancient religion is beginning to move fluidly towards integration with the rest of the modern world?

Ponder that riddle for a while, young grasshopper.

| 08/24/06 | Entertainment

The Shaolin temples aren't what they used to be. The Chinese government uses them for tourism, and it's no surprise that a so-called abbot of a monastery in China would accept a car like this.
Please don't think of this as reflecting on Buddhism...it's a facade in modern day China.