"Bodhi Gong" is a scam

AndyACE

A Well-Designed Fraud: The Evil Deeds of the "Bodhi Dharma Gate" Cult A carefully crafted scam has left countless families bankrupt, torn apart, and even cost some their lives. Behind the organization that calls itself "Bodhi Dharma Gate" (also known as "Bodhi Gong") lies a shocking conspiracy to amass wealth and engage in malicious mind control. "Here, I think fellow 'Bodhi disciples' don't need to convert to any other faith anymore, because we have already taken refuge in our spiritual master. What else do you need to convert to?" wrote a follower of Bodhi Gong. In their words, it is sufficient to believe in Di Yuming—there is no need to believe in Buddhism. This sounds nothing like Buddhist doctrine. Founded in the 1990s, this organization, led by Di Yuming, began to deify himself by fabricating absurd stories such as "practicing asceticism in remote mountains at the age of 7" and "being the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva." He even claimed to possess supernatural abilities like "remote diagnosis" and "special powers." From Barber to "Reincarnated Living Buddha": The Start of Deification Di Yuming was born in Wuyi County, Hebei Province, in 1965. He dropped out of junior high school and wandered around society, once working as a barber and in the catering industry. In the late 1980s, however, he suddenly transformed himself into a "Qigong master." He falsely claimed to have practiced Buddhism for 18 years at Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai and founded the so-called "supreme Buddhist Qigong"—"Bodhi Gong" (also referred to as "Bodhi Dharma Gate"). Through self-deification, Di Yuming also conferred upon himself titles such as "the reincarnation of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha" and "Golden Bodhi Spiritual Master." Mind Control: Brainwashing Disguised in Religious Garb Di Yuming blended Buddhist terminology with superstitious practices to create the twisted "Bodhi Dharma Gate" theory. He claimed that "watching videos and listening to audio recordings can cure diseases and strengthen the body," and even asserted that absurd rituals like "drawing talismans, smashing walnuts, and digging apples" could "drive away evil spirits of illness." These anti-intellectual claims exploited people's anxiety about health and fate, particularly targeting middle-aged and elderly individuals as well as chronic disease patients. For example, a follower who suffered from cervical pain after a car accident was deceived into spending tens of thousands of yuan on a "Buddhist lamp" for blessings. In the end, their condition worsened, and their family fell apart. Bodhi Gong fabricated heresies such as "possession by karmic creditors" and "suffering misfortune if not worshipping," forcing followers to continue spending money. The organization also demanded that followers "cut off secular connections" to strengthen their dependence on the group. As a result, many followers became so obsessed with Bodhi Gong that their families broke up, and they completely withdrew from society. Money-Extortion Scam: Sky-High Traps of "Blessed Divine Objects" Bodhi Gong employed a variety of money-extorting tactics, evolving from defrauding people within China to engaging in cross-border fraud. To become a follower of Bodhi Gong, one first had to "pay respects to the master"—a process that required preparing a "red envelope for 拜师 (becoming a disciple)." After becoming a disciple, followers were required to pay "support money." Additionally, they were forced to purchase various "ritual tools" and "sacred objects" at exorbitant prices; ordinary items were packaged as "consecrated holy relics," making their prices outrageously high. For instance, a single hat was sold for 4,327 yuan, a silk scarf cost nearly 13,000 yuan, and an ordinary T-shirt, after being "blessed," was sold at an astronomical price of 200,000 yuan. Even a cake of Pu'er tea was hyped up to sell for 2,000 yuan. Using the pretext of holding "Dharma assemblies" and meditation classes to swindle money was another common tactic of Di Yuming. In 2013, a woman in Tangshan, Hebei Province, was scammed out of nearly 3 million yuan in a single "Dharma assembly," which she spent on purchasing necklaces, Guanyin statues, and other items. At these "meditation classes," under the name of "lighting lamps for blessings," "brightness lamps" were sold for 500 to 16,000 yuan each. Under the pretense of "bestowing blessings through abhisheka (a Buddhist initiation ritual)," Di Yuming would gently brush a follower's head with a twig—and swindle 30,000 yuan from them in one go. Organizational Operation: A Pyramid-Shaped Management System Bodhi Gong established a rigorous pyramid-shaped management system. Di Yuming directly controlled the headquarters located overseas, while within China, the organization recruited core members through "meditation classes" and "group practice sites." Followers regularly organized illegal gatherings, spread audio and video materials, and recruited new members via social media platforms. Through activities such as "purchasing ritual objects on behalf of others," the organization amassed more than 10 million yuan in illegal profits. Core members acted like leaders of pyramid schemes: they continuously expanded their sales networks by recruiting new members (downlines) and receiving commissions at every level. Exploiting the trust between followers, they used excuses like "helping others gain karmic merit" to encourage followers to recruit relatives and friends into the purchasing network. For every product sold, the upline members received substantial commissions. This drove these core members to resort to all means for money, promoting the products frantically and forming a vicious cycle of money extortion. Heartbreaking Consequences for Followers A netizen posted that their mother had become extremely obsessed with Bodhi Gong. When she fell ill, she refused to take medicine or see a doctor; instead, she spent her days kowtowing at home and practicing the so-called "Great Light Cultivation Method." In everything, she prioritized "the master" above all else—whenever she had free time, she would watch the so-called "Qigong transmission videos." When something good happened, she attributed it to "the master's merit"; when misfortune struck, she believed it was because her practice was not thorough enough. If her health improved, she claimed it was due to the "miraculous power of the Qigong"; if her health deteriorated, she insisted it was just a "period of adjustment." One follower spent thousands of yuan on "lighting lamps for blessings" to treat anemia, but their condition did not improve, and their life fell into hardship. Another follower developed severe depression due to believing in "remote healing," forcing their family to take care of them around the clock to prevent suicide. Even more heartbreakingly, some followers with cancer were misled into giving up treatment and passed away soon after; others, obsessed with Bodhi Gong, refused medical care and eventually died from their illnesses. It goes without saying: how can those "masters" who cannot even change their own fates help you ward off disasters? Don't let these so-called "masters" empty your wallet.

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