Most Venerable Thich Truc Thai Minh, the abbot of the Ba Vang Pagoda in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam, has been fined VND7.5 million (US$305) for his failure to inform local authorities of the pagoda’s highly-controversial display of a relic said to be the ‘Buddha hair sarira’ in late December last year.

A local official told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday that the administration of the province’s Uong Bi City imposed the administrative fine on the head monk, whose birth name is Vu Minh Hieu.

The pagoda was found to have exhibited the so-called ‘Buddha hair sarira’ during a grand celebration organized between December 23 and 27 last year without giving any notice to local authorities of the display of the object.

The object was said to have originated in Myanmar, drawing much attention from Buddhists and curious people.

The public voiced their suspicions over the authenticity of the object.

Following the exhibition, Most Venerable Thich Truc Thai Minh was warned by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and did penance before the VBS Executive Council.

The disciplinary actions against him have been made known to all VBS standing management boards in Quang Ninh.

He must pledge to refrain from engaging in similar activities in the future.

Otherwise, he would be stripped of his titles and expelled from the monkhood, according to the VBS, which said that the display of the object provoked public controversy, led to erosion of trust and faithfulness to Buddhism, and tarnished the VBS’ reputation.

The Ba Vang Pagoda was also asked not to organize any international exchanges over a course of one year.

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