Training Monk Accused of Obscene Acts Against High School Girls During Overnight Study Trip
A man entered a room reserved for female students
In 1244, during the Kamakura period, Eiheiji in Fukui Prefecture was founded by Dōgen, the founder of the Sōtō sect. As the head temple of Sōtō Buddhism and a historic Zen training center, a scandal has now tarnished its venerable history.
Between June and July of this year, it was revealed that a male trainee monk in his 20s at Eiheiji committed obscene acts, touching the buttocks and other areas of 14 high school girls who were visiting for an overnight training program.
“On the day of the incident, about 100 male and female students from a high school in Aichi Prefecture visited Eiheiji for a one-night, two-day zazen experience. At Eiheiji, female students were assigned to a large room, while male students stayed in the main hall, with guidance provided for setting up and putting away futons. However, that day there was a problem: the key to the large room went missing, so the female students had to sleep in two smaller rooms instead.
Seeing that splitting the rooms would result in a shortage of supervisors, the male trainee monk in his 20s volunteered as a supervisor and entered the girls’ rooms. It appears that 14 female students were touched over their jerseys on their buttocks,” said a source from Eiheiji.
At first, the female students thought, “Maybe it was just an accidental touch,” and did not speak up. However, on the bus ride home, one of the girls said, “Someone at the temple touched me,” and another student also reported, “Me too.” Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the school conducted a survey, which revealed that all 14 girls had been victimized. Some had been touched multiple times.
“Eiheiji has long hosted overnight training programs for high schools and universities nationwide. Male students are strictly prohibited from entering the female students’ rooms before and after bedtime, and even from stepping onto the same floor. It was considered impossible for a trainee monk to enter the girls’ rooms, but when footage from a security camera in the hallway was checked, it showed the monk entering the female students’ room,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs desk.
When Eiheiji officials confronted him, the trainee monk admitted to the obscene acts, explaining, “I was irritated by a colleague’s remarks and touched them out of frustration. After that, I don’t really remember what I did.”
A source from Eiheiji commented on the matter.
A source at Eiheiji said, “Normally, monks are not supposed to be in charge of teaching. However, because of the shortage of staff at that time of the year, an unusual substitute was allowed. The practitioner who committed the indecent act was in charge of another training program, but he offered to take the place of the new instructor in charge of the female students, saying, ‘I’ll teach them,’ and entered the room.
“A trainee monk normally would not serve as a supervisor. However, due to a shortage of staff at the time, an unusual temporary replacement was allowed. The monk who committed the obscene acts had been assigned to other training duties but volunteered to take over for the new supervisor in charge of the female students, saying, ‘I’ll teach them,’ and entered their room.
The monk cited irritation over a colleague’s remarks as his motive. Specifically, he became angry after being teased with comments like, ‘Why are you getting involved in the training when you’re not even a supervisor? Are you properly fulfilling your own responsibilities?’
Eiheiji convened an emergency board meeting and revoked the monk’s training status, imposing the harshest penalty of expulsion and sending him down from the temple. To prevent recurrence, a study session will be held for the approximately 100 monks in training. Even so, following this incident, some schools have already decided to cancel their overnight training visits.”
Truly a case of insufficient training, the wayward monk, consumed by worldly desires, brought shame to Eiheiji, tarnishing its reputation for the first time since its founding.
PHOTO： Kyodo News
