“You want to make a wish with just a bag of rice?” Temple monk drives away worshippers

Some Chinese netizens posted a video claiming that an elderly couple carried a bag of rice to offer at a temple in Mount Wutai, Shanxi Province, but a monk threw the rice out the door, shouting, “You want to make a wish with just a bag of rice? If your heart is not sincere, why worship Buddha?” Despite the elderly couple explaining they were not well-off, the monk insisted they not come to pray again, so the couple had to carry the rice back. The video garnered 37,000 comments in a single day, with netizens angrily criticizing the monk for being materialistic and unworthy of practicing Buddhism.

According to NetEase self-media reports, on the morning of June 26, the elderly couple respectfully placed the bag of rice on the offering table in the temple, only to be berated by a monk in yellow robes as “troublemakers” and told the rice was already spoiled. With smiles still on their faces, the two elders explained to the monk that their family was not wealthy, they were old, unable to work, and had no income. But the monk would not listen.

In the video, the monk in yellow robes holds a foldable mobile phone in one hand and angrily points at the two elderly people with the other. He then picked up the bag of rice and directly threw it out of the main hall. In the end, the disheartened elderly couple left the hall, stooping to pick up the rice from the ground, dusting off the dirt, and carrying it down the mountain.

Temple: Dispute triggered by placement of offerings

In response, the temple staff issued a statement on the evening of the 26th, claiming that the conflict arose from an issue with the placement of the offerings, not dissatisfaction with their value. The temple also expressed deep regret for the monk's inappropriate behavior, stating that disciplinary action had been taken according to regulations, and apologies and understanding were reached with those involved. The temple said it would deeply reflect, take this as a lesson, strengthen rules, and further improve clerical management.

After the incident came to light, many netizens left comments such as "The pure land of Buddhism has been tainted by these fake monks," "Only those with 'yuan' (money) are saved by Buddha," "The temple is vast, but this monk's heart is smaller than the eye of a needle—he can't even accept a bag of rice," "This is rice the elderly can't even bear to eat themselves—what right does the monk have to throw it away?" "Offering even a single grain of rice is a good deed, this monk's cultivation seems lacking," "The temple is not what it once was, as long as there's Buddha in our hearts," and "What should be a purified ground has become so defiled."

Some worshippers have revealed that the attitudes of certain temples clearly correlate with the amount of incense money given: "If you pay high incense fees, they chant in a low voice and offer greetings, but if you sincerely offer rice, you end up being humiliated." Others sarcastically commented, "The temple is vast, but this monk's heart is smaller than the eye of a needle—he can't even accept a bag of rice." Still others questioned whether Foguang Temple has become commercialized, sparking reflection on whether people are worshipping Buddha or worshipping money.