A man in China, who chose spiritual practice for ten years due to overwhelming work pressure, eventually reverted to secular life after a mental breakdown and sought 200,000 RMB (about 130,000 MYR) in support from his daughter. However, the court ruled that he does not meet the criteria for 'living in hardship' and dismissed his claim.
According to comprehensive reports from the 'China Judgments Online,' the 54-year-old man surnamed Xie quit his job in 2010 and went to the mountains for spiritual practice. In 2014, he divorced his wife. At that time, he gifted an apartment worth about 2.25 million RMB and 500,000 RMB in cash to his daughter, and also gave his ex-wife 150,000 RMB in compensation, leaving himself only a small amount of assets to continue his practice.
Over the following ten years, Xie moved between many places for spiritual cultivation, living a hard life and reportedly even residing in caves. For a period, he became a monk in Ningbo with a monthly income of only 2,000 RMB; while in Datong, he had no income at all. Ultimately, due to strict religious codes, he suffered a mental breakdown and left monastic life to return to secular society.
Xie claimed that he currently rents a place in Guangzhou, paying 1,500 RMB a month, with living expenses around 2,000 RMB per month. He has no steady income and relies solely on 640,000 RMB provided by relatives in 2023 (of which 550,000 RMB remains invested in stocks). He argued that his adult daughter, who has a stable job, should pay him a lump sum support payment of 200,000 RMB.
However, his daughter, Xiao Xie, countered that her father's spiritual practice was a personal choice, he has not lost the ability to work, and still has savings sufficient to support himself. She stated she was willing to provide monthly financial support within her ability, but retracted this offer due to her father's poor attitude before and after court proceedings.
The People's Court of Xuhui District, Shanghai, pointed out that adult children do have an obligation to support parents who have lost the ability to work or are in financial hardship. However, Xie has 20 years of work experience, and although his post-divorce assets have been spent, he still holds 550,000 RMB in savings, making it difficult to determine that he is living in genuine difficulty. Meanwhile, his daughter's monthly salary is about 10,000 RMB, and after living expenses, she cannot afford a lump sum payment of 200,000 RMB.
This April, the court ultimately dismissed all of Xie's claims and ordered him to pay the 80 RMB case acceptance fee.