Representatives from one of the nation's most important Buddhist temples admitted Thursday that a high-ranking monk hit a young trainee, rupturing his eardrum and earning a suspension.
In a rare announcement, Enryakuji Temple, an institution dating back to the eighth century, offered an apology to its followers and pledged to guide its monks and staff "so they will live up to their position as servants of Buddha."
According to the temple on Mount Hiei in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, a 40-year-old monk who works as deputy chief of a lodging facility on the temple premises, punched a 25-year-old monk several times in the face at the facility on April 9.