He blogs full-time, owns an iPhone, and wears thick-rimmed glasses. No, I’m not describing myself. I’m talking about 29-year-old celebrity monk Shi Daoxin (释道心), who has stirred up some controversy in mainland China over the past few years. Whereas most Buddhist monks might be applauded for their humility or piety, Shi is known for practicing an entirely different school of Buddhism.

Observe:

A self-styled “singer monk,” Shi Daoxin first entered the spotlight in 2008 after moving to Beijing to launch a music career. He released his first album Samsara Far Over, featuring songs with lyrics from Buddhist texts. They would take China by storm, garnering thousands of hits online and playing on national radio and television. Another album followed.

Here’s an embarassing music video of his:

Though all proceeds from Shi’s album sales are donated to charity, it becomes harder to explain the iPhone he uses to snap his many self-portraits or his trendy collection of spectacles. Responding to orthodox critics and skeptics in the public, Shi told Reuters that ”how Buddhism evolves in the future is very important. Will it remain the same as in old times, with monks preaching at temples, or will it keep up with the modern world by using multimedia or the Internet to reach out to more people? I am the first person to do it.”

Must he fight fire with fire, and resort to teaching people in the only language they seem to speak nowadays? Something seems to be working, as Shi currently boasts over 176,000 fans on microblogging service Sina Weibo. Of course, it probably helps that Shi, who became a monk at the age of 17, also bears a slight resemblance to young Hong Kong pop star (and recent divorcée!) Nicholas Tse.

The smiling lady on the left in the image above is one of many beautiful women that will participate in Shi’s latest venture in the entertainment world: a reality dating series, appropriately titled “Hot Summer Days.” According to The Baidu Beat, Shi will be a special guest commentator on the show, offering his Buddhist perspective to young singles hankering for true love.

Needless to say, we’re not convinced of Shi Daoxin’s intentions, either. Why? He’s too much like us. The photo evidence speaks for itself:

Monk with trendy lensless plastic rims.

Monk with trendy leather bag.

Monk with trendy scarf, trendy vest, and trendy glossy photo.

Monk with trendy Starbucks coffee and trendy scarf #2.

Monk with trendy shades and trendy Bluetooth wireless headset.

Trendy monk.

I might be far from nirvana, but I’d wager a guess that enlightenment probably has little to do with any of these trendy things.

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TAGS: Buddhism • China hipsters • Chinese music • Dating • Hipster Monk • Relationships • Shi Daoxin

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