16-7-2023 (BEIJING) In a bizarre incident, a man was apprehended for stealing money from a donation box at Shuangyan Temple in Yiyang City, China. When questioned about his actions, the thief claimed that he had received permission from the Buddha himself, as indicated by an ‘OK’ sign.
According to reports from Chinese media outlet Jimu News, the local police in Jiangxi province received theft complaints on July 8 concerning the temple’s donation box. Following the reports, officers initiated an investigation and identified a suspicious individual frequently visiting the temple while wearing a black and red T-shirt.
The man would meander around the premises and closely examine the donation box dedicated to the Earth deity. The police traced their investigation to a village where they discovered the residence of a man named Ye Mou.
During questioning, Ye admitted to taking the money from the donation box but justified his actions by claiming that he had sought the Buddha’s permission before doing so. To everyone’s surprise, he asserted that the Buddha had given him an ‘OK’ sign, implying that he could “borrow” the money on the condition that he would eventually return it.
Despite Ye’s explanation, his admission of guilt was sufficient grounds for incrimination. Consequently, he was sentenced to 12 days of administrative detention for stealing other people’s property.
Ye further revealed that he had been facing financial difficulties in June. On weekdays, he would wash his clothes in ponds near the temple, where he noticed that the donation box remained unattended and unlocked. This discovery motivated him to devise a cunning plan to alleviate his financial woes by stealing the donations.
Initially, Ye managed to go unnoticed and returned multiple times to take more money until he was finally caught in the act.
