Fo Guang Shan founder Hsing Yun previously said that no relics would remain after he's cremated. He was cremated on Feb. 13, and photos released by Fo Guang Shan showed that the cremation produced sariras. The photos were immediately misappropriated and used to sell artificial ore online.
These sariras were found among the cremated ashes of Fo Guang Shan founder Hsing Yun following his cremation on Feb. 13. He previously said that he wouldn't leave behind any relics after he was cremated, but he finally left behind numerous sariras. Fo Guang Shan put photos online, and they were immediately misappropriated and used to sell artificial ore online. A lawyer said this is copyright infringement.
Li Mao-tseng, Lawyer: “Fo Guang Shan's photos of the ashes of Master Hsing Yun were misappropriated and used for marketing. This is a violation of Article 91-2 of the Copyright Act and is punishable by a sentence of six months to five years.”
The lawyer also said people who see the images used for marketing, pass them on, and use them to ridicule Fo Guang Shan or Hsing Yun may be in violation of Article 184 of the Civil Code regardless of whether they do it on purpose. Meanwhile, some netizens speculated the sariras were body stones. A doctor who was part of Hsing Yun's medical team said he had no body stones when he was alive.
Wu Chien-hsing, Nephrologist, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Mem. Hospital: “The master's health status is a private matter and our team cannot offer any specific explanations. However, we can clarify that the master did not have body stones.”
Fo Guang Shan confirmed the sariras were found among Hsing Yun's ashes. It also said the reason he said he wouldn't leave behind any relics was so that the world's understanding of Buddhism would return to the fundamentals and stop focusing on relics.
圓潤、顏色不一的舍利子，數量驚人。原本遺囑說自己沒有舍利子的星雲法師，圓寂後於13日火化，最後燒出數十顆舍利子。佛光山也公布照片證實，但照片隨即被盜圖到拍賣網站，標榜販售高仿人工礦石。律師認為此舉已侵害著作權。
律師李茂增指出：「網拍業者盜用佛光山關於星雲法師舍利子照片，而拿來銷售，這已經觸犯《著作權法》第91條第2項的規定，可處6個月以上、5年以下有期徒刑。」
律師表示，若網友看到網拍圖片後，轉發調侃佛光山或星雲法師，無論是否故意，也可能涉及《民法》第184條的侵權行為。另外有部分網友認為，舍利子就是身體結石。對此高雄長庚、之前負責星雲法師的治療團隊表示，星雲法師生前沒有結石問題。
高雄長庚腎臟科醫師吳建興表示：「有關大師的健康狀況，是屬於個人的隱私，我們團隊無法做特別的說明。不過可以澄清的是，大師並沒有結石的問題。」
佛光山以原始檔證實照片為星雲法師舍利子，並解釋星雲法師之所以稱自己沒有舍利子，是為了讓世人對佛法的認知回到根本，所以不願強調舍利子信仰。沒想到還是在他圓寂後，因盜圖事件引發議論。