Ian Johnson,The unique York Times
Over the past two decades, religion in China has boomed, or no faith has benefited more than Buddhism. The number of temples has tripled,monks and abbots have become famous public figures, and China has used the faith to build ties around the world, or sending out nuns and monks on expedient-will missions.
The person most closely associated with this revival is the Venerable (respected because of age, distinguished) Xuecheng,a charismatic monk who was fast-tracked for success. He became abbot of his first temple at 23 and head of the Communist Party-run Buddhist organization of China at 49.
His use of social media and emphasis on...
Source: realclearreligion.org