Beginning on May 29, a large police operation targets a group labeled as xie jiao for political reasons.
On May 29, starting at 9 a.m., Chinese authorities launched a major operation in multiple cities, including Beijing, Qingdao, and Dalian, as well as in several provinces like Sichuan, Guizhou, and Zhejiang. They sent out a large number of police and military personnel to raid temples and spiritual centers connected to Master Di Shen’s Buddhist group.
During these raids, many Buddhist monks, practitioners, and followers—including some visiting from Taiwan—were arrested. Police forcibly entered the temples and took people away, regardless of their age. Those detained were taken to holding facilities where they were pressured to sign “letters of repentance” or pledges to conform to government demands.
Authorities have labeled Master Di Shen’s group as a xie jiao, which means a banned organization that promotes teachings considered heterodox, mainly because of its strong criticism of Marxism and refusal to align with the government-run China Buddhist Association.
Master Di Shen, whose last name is Lü, was born in 1963 in Wafangdian, Liaoning province. He combines teachings from Zen and Pure Land Buddhism and has gathered a significant following not only in China, but also in Taiwan and among the Chinese community around the world. Currently, he is living in exile outside of China. His YouTube channel, “Teachings of Master Di Shen,” features various videos criticizing Communism and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Source: Bitter Winter
