A Buddhist monk in Nantou County apologized for disregarding the Buddhist tradition of strict adherence to vegetarianism when he was reportedly caught shoplifting packets of beef jerky at a convenience store last week.
After his arrest on shoplifting charges, the 60-year-old reportedly said: “It was the covetous desire inside me, I am very sorry, I have let Lord Buddha down.”
“I don’t know why, but lately I had this craving for meat,” he reportedly said when questioned by police.
Photo copied by Hsieh Chieh-yu, Taipei Times
In Taiwanese Buddhism, monks and nuns must strictly avoid killing creatures and eating meat. They must also remain celibate and refrain from consuming alcohol or other intoxicants.
According to a police statement, the suspect had visited several monasteries around Taiwan, and in recent months, he took up residence at a Zen Buddhist temple in Nantou.
The police expressed surprise at discovering that the shoplifting suspect had been educated abroad, obtained a master’s degree at a US university and also holds the position of “master” in Buddhist temples.
In total, he is said to have shop-lifted spiced beef jerky three times from a convenience store near the temple.
The store alleged last month that the monk had taken beef jerky that sells at NT$60 a packet. The monk, wearing his cassock, reportedly returned a week later.
A store employee said that when they took the inventory that night, they found that spiced beef jerky packets were missing.
A scan of the in-store surveillance camera footage showed the monk took the beef jerky and ate it while seated inside the store, store representatives said.
Last week, the monk visited again and the store surveillance camera reportedly caught him pocketing the same brand of spiced beef jerky.
Before he walked out, the local police were called.
The monk at first denied having done anything wrong, saying: “I came to the store to buy things, why should I be searched?”
After the store produced the videotape evidence, police said the monk became “flustered” and tried to explain, saying: “I was careless and forgot to pay. I would like to make reparations and pay the store.”
The police said they arrested the monk on a charge of theft.
A spokesperson for the Religion Trade Union of Nantou County said the case should be a lesson for all monks, as the requirement of abstinence from eating meat had been violated and that stealing things is an indictable crime.
He said the first Buddhist precept is “no killing,” requiring monks and nuns to practice vegetarianism to reduce the suffering of living creatures.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS