Nation exploring ways of halting commercialization of religion
Print Edition
CHINA has been exploring numerous ways, including information disclosure and lawmaking, of tackling increasing commercialization in places of worship across the country, an official told a meeting of the Buddhist Association of China.
New forms of infringement of religious rights and interests have sprung up, making it more urgent to protect and promote these rights, Jiang Jianyong, deputy head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, told the meeting in Changsha in central China’s Hunan Province last week.
Among those attending were delegates from 14 provinces and municipalities.
According to some delegates, companies and individuals in some regions were increasingly exploiting Buddhism for commercial interests under the guise of Buddhist cultural parks or theme parks, and even eliciting donations to support false applications for world heritage status.
Some religious figures had illegally accumulated wealth using Buddhism as a cover to rent out temples for commercial use, delegates said.
A prominent monk in Hunan’s Hengyang arbitrarily approved a 5 million yuan (US$730,000) procurement of 18 pine trees from Japan, said Huai Hui, secretary-general of the provincial Buddhist association
Another monk in Loudi, also a city in Hunan, raised more than 8 million yuan in the name of temple construction, which was actually for personal use, he said.
“Some ancient temples have been encompassed by so-called ‘cultural parks,’ with non-religious buildings constructed around them for commercial use,” said Sheng Hui, deputy director of the association. A number of “fake Buddhists” have been carrying out illegal religious activities, extorting money and luring followers, harming the reputation of the religion, he said.
A living-Buddha authentication database was launched last year to confirm the identity of living Buddhas.
With roots traceable to the 13th century, the reincarnation of Buddhas is a unique inheritance system within Tibetan Buddhism.
The association has issued certificates to living Buddhas since 2010.
“To protect religious rights and uphold dignity, Buddhist associations across China have been asked to tighten their management of personnel and strictly prohibit any commercial activities,” Sheng said.
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