Public outrage as China monk berates elderly couple for ‘too small’ rice donation
Buddhist monk accused of ‘worshipping money’ after throwing bag of rice out of temple hall, telling pair not to return for prayers
A monk at a sacred temple who rejected an offering of rice from an elderly couple because it was too small has sparked widespread public outrage.
On June 26, an elderly couple respectfully placed a bag of rice on the offering table inside a temple on Mount Wutai, one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in China.
The religious venue is located at the headwaters of the Qingshui River in Shanxi province, northern China.
However, the couple were harshly condemned by a monk in a yellow robe, who accused them of “causing trouble” and even claimed that their rice “smelled bad”.
The monk scolded them: “How dare you make a wish with just a bag of rice? If your heart is not sincere, what Buddha are you worshipping?”