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Buddhist monk and his Weibo

People travel to Tibet must know the culture is quite different from China mainland. Tibetan Buddhism is the main religion in Tibet. Monks in Tibet seems devout and sacred and full of mystery. But here is a story about a special Buddhist monk. Like all Buddhist monks, Yancan spends most of his day seeking enlightenment.


But unlike most monks, Yancan sometimes stays up until midnight using Sina Weibo, a popular Chinese micro blogging site, to spread the word of Buddhism among his million-plus followers.
 

local Tibetan

Yancan is the abbot of the Shuiyue Monastery in East China's Hebei province. For over 20 years, the Zen monk has passed his knowledge on through sermons and lectures. But now, the power of the Internet has given Yancan a new avenue through which to spread his wisdom.
 

Yancan first rose to online prominence last week, when a video of him being harassed by monkeys near E'Mei Mountain, a sacred Buddhist site, was uploaded to the Internet.
 

Yancan quickly amassed a large following on Sina Weibo, with his posts forwarded thousands of times over since the video's debut, helping him to bring his thoughts on Buddhism to a much larger audience.
 

"I only hope to shore up positive energy on the web, where people vent too much anger and frustration," Yancan said.
 

Yancan has written more than 11,000 posts since opening his Sina Weibo account two years ago. Most of his posts reflect a Buddhist interpretation of common life issues, ranging from the pains of growing up to dealing with the national college entrance exams.
 

"Life inspires me, and then I write what comes to my mind," the monk said.
 

Yancan's positive approach stands out among the extreme displays of anger and verbal abuse that are common to Sina Weibo and other social messaging sites. His humorous demeanor and laid-back approach have charmed the public as well, as his attitude is not like that of most monks.


"Life itself is too serious, so I try my best not to be," Yancan said.
 

Yancan recently conducted an online interview on Sina Weibo, inviting netizens to ask him questions about his life and work. He received about 30,000 queries, responding to many in typically witty fashion.
 

According to one of Yancan's disciples, the master has received numerous interview requests, as well as book offers from about 40 publishers, since the video was uploaded.
 

Yancan has not been spared from doubt or criticism. Some have described him as being "ignorant of his proper duties" and even accused him of lacking "Buddhist purity."
 

The criticism has confused the monk. "Isn't it a good thing? Everybody laughs and no one gets hurt," he said. "I am duty-bound to propagate Buddhism. The new age needs us to change."
Yancan said he hopes his popularity will give a boost to his temple's charitable work.


"But I have set no goals. I follow karma," he said. 

Master Catherine Jigme

About the Author - Master Catherine Jigme

With exceptional passion and outstanding leadership, Mrs. Catherine has dedicated herself to Tibet inbound tourism and China tour for 15 years. As one of the handful females who see great potential of Chinese inbound tourism, Catherine has made great contribution to promoting Tibet tourism and enhancing the employment of Tibetans and prosperity of local Tibetan community.

Over the years, she travelled overseas with Tibet Tourism Bureau many times to promote Tibet tourism. Currently, Catherine works as the marketing director of Tibet Vista, an opinion leader behind the whole team of Tibet Vista.

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