High-Tech Temple Scandals: The Fall of Abbot Shi Xuecheng

Abbot Shi Xuecheng transformed Longquan Temple into a prestigious, high-tech hub by recruiting elite PhDs from top universities to modernize Buddhism through digital tools and strict asceticism. His leadership collapsed in 2018 after two of his disciples published a 95-page report detailing systemic sexual harassment of nuns through mental control, financial embezzlement, and illegal land use. Although an official investigation confirmed these scandals and led to his removal from leadership, the whistleblowers were expelled and several victims suffered severe mental breakdowns, highlighting the tragic human cost of his spiritual manipulation.