In 1832, for example, a Dengfeng-County magistrate issued a strict warning to the Shaolin Monastery concerning the behavior of its subsidiary-shrine monks, whom he accused not only of dietary, but also of sexual, offenses. Shaolin-affiliated monks, magistrate He Wei (fl. 1830) charged, engage in drinking, gambling, and whoring:
"Since ancient times, the Shaolin Monastery has been a famous temple. Everywhere, there is not a monk who does not look up to it. Its resident clerics should strictly adhere to the Buddhist code and carefully follow the Pure Regulations, thereby displaying their respect to the monastic community, and their reverence to its laws.
"Now, we have been hearing recently that [Shaolin's] various subsidiary-shrines monks have been regularly interacting with the laity, and have been sheltering criminals. Some invite friends to drunken parties, other gamble in groups, or even gang together to bring over prostitutes. They collude secretly and collaborate in all sorts of evil. This is extremely hateful."
Even though he politely refrained from condemning the Shaolin monks themselves - reserving his criticism for their subsidiary-shrine colleagues - one gets the impression that the magistrate had the former in mind as well. After all, He Wei addressed his admonition to the Shaolin monks - not to their affiliates. It appears, therefore, that his opening allusion to "subsidiary-shrine monks" was meant to save the Shaolin monks face. Indeed, as the letter unfolds, the distinction between "monastery-monks" and "subsidiary-shrine monks" blurs. The magistrate forewarns all Shaolin monks - residents and affiliates alike - that they will be severely punished for their religious transgressions:
"After the monks in the entire monastery read our order and are informed of its contents, they should all purify their hearts and cleanse their minds. Each one of them should burn incense, cultivate the way, and chant the sutras, as well as plough and weed the land. As to all the various types of lay people, the monks are forbidden to secretly collude with them. Nor are the monks allowed to interfere in outside matters, harboring criminals, and instigating trouble. If they dare purposely disobey, and [their crimes] happen to be exposed, we are sure to consider them more serious and punish them accordingly.
As to lay people, they should not be permitted into the monastery...Tenant farmers should reside elsewhere. They should not be allowed to live near the monks."
The magistrate's warning suggests that he was primarily concerned with public order, not monastic law. His edict is replete with references to hidden criminals, which he claimed were sheltered at the Shaolin Monastery. In this respect, He Wei resembled other officials who were concerned with violations of Buddhist law only so far as they proved that their perpetrators were fake monks, and as such prone to sedition and crime. Throughout the Qing Period the government was apprehensive - with some reason - lest graduates of Shaolin's military program would join sectarian rebels. In 1739, for example, the high-ranking Mongolian official Yaertu (?-1767) memorialized to the Qianlong Emperor (reigned: 1736-1795) that "...the sturdy youths of Henan are accustomed to violence, many studying the martial arts. For example, under the pretext of teaching the martial arts, Shaolin-Temple monks have been gathering worthless dregs. Violent criminal types willfully study evil customs which become a fashion. Heterodox sectarians target such criminals, tempting them to join their sects, thereby increasing their numbers."
Originally Posted by ngokfei
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