Monks at a Buddhist temple stand accused of living lavish lifestyle while "brainwashed" devotees endure harsh ascetic conditions.

Dabei Temple in Haicheng City, in northestern Liaoning Province, became mired in controversy when online posts alleged that its fellow monks lived in luxury — thanks to sums of sometimes several million yuan donated by pious Buddhists, the Yangcheng Evening News reported yesterday.

Web users say that Dabei monks own properties, top-of-the-range cars and expensive electronic goods.

But donors staying at the temple to study Buddhism face hardships, it is claimed.

Among those living there is a woman named Tang Feiyan, from Hunan Province, who is said to have donated two million yuan (US$322,580) to the temple and plans to sell her villa to provide more cash.

Her family asked the temple to stop "torturing" Tang, claiming she only eats one meal and sleeps just four hours a day.

Tang went to the temple in August last year to study Buddhism and her family members claim she returned after a week completely changed, the newspaper reported.

Her family said she seemed brainwashed. She left for the temple again days later with her money and has not returned.

Tang’s younger sister has published a letter online, calling on the temple to give Tang a regular life rather than her current ascetic regime. Tang is said to be frail and have rejected medical treatment.

She is said to have learned of the temple from its website and, according to her sister, was told that she would go hell after she died with more than 300 knives inserted into her body if she did not go to study Buddhism there.

Tang’s sister said devotees get up at 2am every day to perform tasks such as splitting logs for firewood for hours.

Buddhists there were told that if they donated more, they would be richer in the next life, she also claimed.

Abbot Miaorong dismissed the controversy, saying all donations were made voluntarily.

Miaorong added that Tang was not forced to stay at the temple and that sleeping for just four hours is necessary to practice Buddhism.