A Case of Sexual Misconduct by an Ordained Chinese Buddhist Monk

Abstract

Xuecheng, a prominent Buddhist institution in contemporary China, was accused of sexual misconduct by an ordained Chinese Buddhist monk in the late Qing Dynasty. This case highlights how the state and Buddhist clergy collaborated to establish a tripartite legal system with the introduction of hybrid laws and courts beginning in the fourth century to replace dichotomous lay and monastic courts and laws. The case in 2018 provides a unique opportunity to examine the extent to which theories on the state-religion relationship in late imperial times apply to contemporary China.