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Shaolin Temple: soft power and hard realities

By Harvey Dzodin: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, October 19, 2011

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First, if the Temple ever loses control of its intellectual property, its brand can be seriously eroded. Many people and businesses, even in little Vienna, falsely claim to be part of the Shaolin Temple, but are not. Their actions, especially if malevolent, could be attributed to the Temple and tarnish the reputation it has built in its 1,500 year history.

Others use the Temple's name and its story without permission and can do untold damage. If the Temple fails to control the unlawful use of its name, likeness and image, irreparable damage can be done. While the Temple has a reputation for being litigious, it can only put out so many fires at a time.

Abbot Shi Yongxin [file photo]

More troubling, however, are the unconfirmed reports this year, most recently in the last weeks about Abbot Shi Yongxin. Some of these rumors allege immoral sexual activities and go so far as naming a Peking University graduate as the mistress of the abbot and the mother of his child. Others claim that the 46 year old abbot, who has an MBA degree, has stashed away billions of dollars of the Temple's money among other financial improprieties. Still others take him to task for allegedly franchising a chain of Shaolin-run monasteries and licensing the Shaolin name to films and cartoons and venturing into online sales.

In my opinion, I hope that the personal rumors are not true as it is especially wrong for someone holding a position of high moral leadership to preach one thing and to do another. It's also devastating to the organization with which the leader is affiliated. In America we have had our share of religious leaders who have stolen money from their flocks, been homosexual while condemning such behavior, preached the sanctity of marriage while at the same time personally acting otherwise, etc. In such situations, as the title of one of my favorite movies suggests: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. And unfortunately their organizations often fall with them.

To me promoting the Shaolin Temple by spreading its physical and virtual reach to enrich the Temple's reputation and coffers is to be applauded, not condemned so long as it's the Temple and its followers who are reaping the benefits. If the abbot is using the marketing skills he picked up in business school to expand the Temple's works, jolly good for him. As we say "heaven helps those who help themselves"!

Let's hope that Shaolin Temple can get through these current troubles and focus on teaching Zen Buddhism and the marital arts for which they are so renowned in Vienna and elsewhere. If so, the Temple, China and the world will be the beneficiaries.

Harvey Dzodin currently is a Senior Advisor to Tsinghua University. He was Director and Vice President at ABC Television in New York from 1982 until 2004.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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