In the Unbound Universe, an abbot was head of a Buddhist temple in Hong Kong in 1997. Much like the Time Lords, he believed in a policy of non-interference and letting things run their natural course.
When he had been a novice, he had guarded the same parasites which his predecessors had been guarding for decades - he had fallen asleep momentarily during his vigil, but nothing had happened so he didn't really believe the dangers of the parasites.
When UNIT took over the temple as their field headquarters, the abbot was unphased, remarking to the Doctor and the Brigadier that the soldiers were simply doing their jobs and would soon leave the temple. When the Master arrived at the temple, he took the abbot hostage and forced him to open the soul jar, whereupon he was shot by the Master to force the younger monks in his care to react angrily and become enslaved by the parasite. Surviving the shot, the abbot was left in Ling's care. When both heard the temple bus leaving, the abbot discouraged Ling from following, telling her not to interfere. (AUDIO: Sympathy for the Devil [+]Loading...["Sympathy for the Devil (audio story)"])