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Its part of the 'religion is bad' mythology. Same as saying all cars are blue. Integrating Buddhism into western culture would go better if it wasn't for this idea. Also much of western culture is christian based and some fundamental beliefs from that theology linger. Godhead and soul are the obvious ones. One criticism against religion is that it is the cause of war. But on examination this does not fly. Some wars, yes. The vast majority, no. WW1 and 2, Vietnam, Iraq, Americas civil and independence wars, Boer, Crimea, cold, Napoleonic, punic, Zulu, Chinese provincial, Kadesh, Agincourt/Crecy/Poitiers, and so on. Many people are, without thought or knowledge, accepting the half-baked arguments of others against things they do not understand. Why? Anger at something else. Its easy to vent and ridicule some institution when you yourself feel powerless. Why explore the possibilities yourself when you can use the arguments of 'experts' to justify feeling knowledgeable and superior? Religions set higher moral standards than any other institutions on Earth, so when some clergy act badly the whole edifice is therefore rotten. Ridiculous. Five minutes research would show this as an absurd assumption. Unfortunately most people really are sheep who are happy to bleat whatever clever sounding ideology they're fed. So despite cultural and fasionable resistance it seems that Buddhism is growing in the west, albeit in a slow way, but there it is. Europe, America, Australia, because as Fred says its not a theism. It provides real results from dedicated practice. Meditation alone is popular as an antidote to modern life. The poster from California feels fortunate to have a Buddhist community nearby. All in all, though it may never be the premier western religion Buddhism will always have a presence.

I know exactly what science is and where it came from. You should read its history, it could learn alot from Buddhism. You should try meditation, maybe you'd be less angry.

Since science started over 14 billion years ago, don't you think that anything man-made may have a little bit of catching up to do?

So, in the beginning there was science and it said "Let there be light", eh? The universe may be old but the current scientific desciption is not. Logic is a construct, not natural to life and must be learned. Humans seek an explaination for the cosmos and our place in it. Religion, art, science, even plain intuition. No one of them has supremacy, all have failings. Science is in danger of becoming like the Catholics of the middle ages, blindly dogmatic. Lord Kelvin said "There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement." 5 years before Einstein presents his first paper on relativity blowing Kelvin out of the water. This is typical academic arrogance. It needs to learn humility. There is a trend in unthinkingly espousing other peoples 'rational' ideas about religion and its evils, but religion does not test cosmetics on animals, genetically engineer food, use vivisection, rape the earth for minerals, promote use of petrochemicals, cause global warming, destroy entire species of flora and fauna, invent weapons of mass destruction or hunt whales.

As far as money and vinaya goes one of the last things the Buddha said was that the sangha could choose to adapt vinaya. They chose not to at the time, but times have changed. Most monks would have no access to medical care without money. Internet is a fantastic means of communication and getting information, and without it monks could not respond to naysayers who rarely if ever step foot inside a temple let alone speak to a monk. Temples provide many services to the community, adopting stray dogs, giving shelter to laypeople with mental and physical problems, guidance for those who want it, help for victims of natural disaster. If monks require money it is because the world placed a dollar value on everything including water. They'd tax us all for air if they could. If some money finds its way into a monastery instead of a bar, brothel or betting office then good. Even if it goes to a less than perfect monk its better spent than with politicians or businessmen who percieve corruption and greed as a duty. It also seems that monks are being attacked for things that some posters here are engaging in hourly. I recall a carpenter saying something about those without sin having the right to throw stones.

Yes there are bad monks, that does not dam_n Buddhism. The world is changing due to technology and science, are monks supposed to become an anachronism or adapt to the times? Everybody is entitled to their opinion, even if that opinion is someone elses.

I know exactly what science is and where it came from. You should read its history, it could learn alot from Buddhism. You should try meditation, maybe you'd be less angry.

Religion is the antithesis of science, an anesthetic for the mind that disables critical thinking , common sense and encourages the acceptance of inanity as fact, and wishful thinking as evidence.

Right. And science is a paragon of virtue that never turns a blind eye to obvious mistakes and is always open to new ideas. Technically science is a religion based on a belief in the laws of the universe.

How about getting the dog neutered? That usually calms down rowdy males. There is a dog here I'm considering getting castrated. He's no threat to humans, but he fights all other dogs and we have some new puppies he'll start on when they're old enough. Technically Desi is right, though it is hard to keep the precepts 100% all the time. For example what about euthanasia for a cancer patient who asks for death because their pain is unbareable? Also we eat meat which does not grow on trees. Killing is wrong, and we do get a Kamma debt for it, but outside of a perfect society it is almost unavoidable. Having him neutered would not be an act of violence either as the dog would be anaesthetised. And because he could not father puppies it'll reduce suffering all around.

So called 'thought' is mostly just internal dialogue. This is learned behaviour, if you think in English for example, you were not born that way. It is a habit and can be changed. A couple of simple tricks, use perhipheral vision. If the eyes are focused on a single point thinking begins. Second, listen don't look. The focus shifts from the habitual tunnel vision with which internal dialogue is associated, to another sensory input which requires more attention and leaves much less 'ram' for the brain to chatter to itself. Remember, silence is golden.

Only one, but the lightbulb must apply effort.

Aussies can be racist without realising it. They don't mean any harm (usually). I have heard countless times Aussies say "Best country in the world, mate" and they never ask themselves what that means. Its a good place to live, but they do say insensitive things without thinking. There again your average Thai thinks Thailand is the greatest thing on earth too. I'm sure the kids will make their own decisions about whats good and whats not.

A monk who has been in robes for a time has been away from the influences of the outside world, studying Dhamma and improving understanding of the cause of suffering and its remedies. Laypeople solely involved in the outside world are invariably immersed in it. A person may have a great deal of knowledge but still make the same bad choices due to feeling. For example, hypothetically, a professor writes a report on his findings. Others disagree and ridicule it. The prof becomes irate and argues that these people are not qualified to critisize his work. They become irate and attack all the profs previous work, and so on. This kind of thing happens a lot. Intelligent seeming qualified people making decisions based entirely on greed, anger, delusion and knowing it is wrong but repeating the behaviour regardless. I have known intelligent people who prefer heroin to their own children, those who resort to violence so often that it becomes their only response, a business partner gamble away his employees wages. So why not meet with those who have given up all and changed, if only to see it is possible. One of our purposes as monks is the liberation of all sentient beings from suffering, but many people do not seek it unless their lives have become unrepairable wrecks. All too often they just give up, commit suicide or go on destroying themselves and usually those around them. Of course there are monks of varying quality and I am talking about some extreme cases, but in this self-obsessed technology driven world isn't it a good thing to have some contact with those who put being human first?

Are you aiming to teach Westerners or Thais?

Interesting!

But then, who can argue with "vipaka"?

Lawyers.

Ironic, the more in the present you are the longer the present will last.

Halving US military expenditure would solve his cash flow problem tomorrow.

If he planned it he'd be better off with the poisoned chicken gambit. The stabbing theory is a bit elaborate, setting up police files and stuff. Stabbing a victim multiple times is rage not premeditation. And rottweilers aren't that tough. They look the part but tend to be cowards. Retrievers that haven't been socialised can be vicious. Poodles, which can be bigger that a retriever, are also vicious if untrained. There was one on an estate in Iselworth London years ago that everyone was afeared of. Attacked anyone on sight. Jack russels are also nasty little pieces of work. Size and appearance don't mean much. If you think all retrievers are nice pooches that help blind people and sell toilet paper, you're wrong.

If you know you're doing something wrong, its wrong. Judging it to be a little or a lot does not change that. Doing something wrong through ignorance is a mistake, once. Having an excuse ready for what you're doing is premeditated wrongness. Doing it because everybody else does it, still wrong and encouraging others to do wrong. Can't feed the family? Don't breed. Adopt a dog. Doing all of the above whilst claiming to be religious? Well, probably has good intentions but its still wrong. Big deal. Its your Kamma, sunshine.

Sadly its one of those situations we are powerless to resolve. The dog does sound very unstable. Killing another dog that has submitted is unusual. I feel sorry for the family, and you Lungmi for your involvement. At least you care and are trying to do what is best.

I don't think you can compare a dog to a human. The reasons for killing are entirely different. Unless the dog arranged the body in a symbolic form then masturbated over the corpse, that is. If it seems the only option is execution, we have failed. There is always another option even if we can't see it. The responsibility for action taken lies with the owners, and a monk should never advise killing though a layman could. To kill or not to kill is a question that will plague us until all humanity are dead. So, next month, according to the Mayans.

I don't compare 100% a dog to a human. A crazy human killer has the support of psychologist, a dog no.

A monk can advise the killing to protect the higher value of human life considering the circumstances.

I don't think so. And if a monk did advise killing it would need to be a certainty that it would save others. The dog killed another dog, perhaps over territory or food. Not likely it was about lack of affection as Thais rarely if ever pet their dogs. They're just fed and left to their own devices. The only dogs I've heard of killing babies did so because the baby came after the dog and the owners switched attention from the pet to the child.

I don't think you can compare a dog to a human. The reasons for killing are entirely different. Unless the dog arranged the body in a symbolic form then masturbated over the corpse, that is. If it seems the only option is execution, we have failed. There is always another option even if we can't see it. The responsibility for action taken lies with the owners, and a monk should never advise killing though a layman could. To kill or not to kill is a question that will plague us until all humanity are dead. So, next month, according to the Mayans.

I think you'll find this is a Mahayana deity. The only female deity I've seen here is Mae Torani, the earth goddess who supposedly protected Buddha at his enlightenment from Mara's armies with water. She's the one with water flowing from her hair, usually braided and over one shoulder. Most Thais don't even know who she is. But you never know what you'll find if you go looking. Good luck on your divine mission

Wow - what an upsetting story

If the account is correct, I hope the authorities deal with this unpleasant individual

Seems to be a number of stabbings in the news recently - I hope the BIB search for concealed weapons during their stop and searches for drugs, traffic violations etc.

why,he was defending his dog from a loose dangerous animal,he should get an award,dogs are a pest at the best of times,though he could have done it the thai way.

Well I think your wrong - one of the reasons I really love living in Hindu and Buddhist locales is their attitude towards animals. IMHO its very well summed-up in this quote from the net:

Buddhism considers all of life to be evolving toward higher consciousness. To the Buddhist, any practice by which man sustains himself at the expense of other sentient beings is considered wrong. Buddhism considers non-human life to be Divine just as is human life. Animals are seen to be an evolving kingdom of living creatures destined in time to attain perfect enlightenment. All of life is seen to be one. According to this conviction, to harm any living thing is to do injury to the One Eternal and Divine Life. Since animals are considered to be traveling towards enlightenment just as man is, neither are they to be harmed, discouraged or hampered in their progress.

Thailand gets close to this - but if you really want to see how to value all God's creatures, on a day to day basis - not in some abstract sense, then go and spend some time in India - coolest place I've ever lived.

Never understood why Thai Buddhists are generally avid meat eaters, whist Buddhists scripture, as quoted above, states don't harm living beings - care to explain?

Its not Buddhist scripture, its someones idea of it. And it sounds Mahayana, Thailand is a Theraveda country. The form you're born in is determined by the Kamma you aquired in another life. If you were in the SS during WW2 and get born as a diseased soi dog or battery chicken then the general Thai reaction will be som nam naa. It is better to show compassion, I'm raising 6 abndoned puppies right now and trainin 'em good. But Buddha himself said you cannot avoid the consequences of your Kamma.

I agree with BIG RICK-I too have had problems with the some of the brain dead and very stubborn Thais(what to speak of deaf possibly) who refuse to keep their useless dogs under control.Give this German man a medal-Chiang mai is overun with flea bitten dogs but they are protected like Royalty-????????Barking all night-defecating everywhere-and no-one gives a dam_n-I agree with the Buddhists about non -violence but here in THailand even the monks have somehow twisted LOrd Buddhas philosophy to allow themselves to eat flesh,so why not eat the dogs then--eat  the dogs and save the cows-at least cows are useful for milk-ice cream-cheese and  such..So all of these non-sense people who make a show of not killing mosquitoes and dogs-but eat everything else --if you are not vegetarian then go and have your head examined because you are most certainly crazy.

Its not against Buddhism to eat meat. Living on alms you accept what you're given. We don't accept things killed specifically for us, are stolen or were previously offered. The Buddhist vegetarian thing is a myth. Non violence is not related to diet as what you're eating is already dead. Hopefully.

My brother is a long time Vajrayana practitioner and he's recently moved to USA. I hear he's involved in something Buddhist over there. Good on him.o

I became a monk about two years ago. One of our rules is Right Speech. We cannot say anything that might cause suffering and really should try to speak positively about people. Now, I'm originally from England and it wasn't until I had to follow Right Speech that it became glaringly obvious just how ingrained it is in our culture to insult and belittle just about everyone and everything. Finding positive comments to make about my fellow humans does not come naturally. Give it a go. Just spend one hour trying to be complimentary and positive, saying nothing insulting or harmful. We are programmed to be negative and we don't even remember how or when it happened. I'm betting very, very few of you will even consider trying.

@Bannok Society; the Japanese killed over 100,000 Thais in WW2. The insults we throw are nothing by comparison. You cannot change a culture that doesn't want to change, you can only change yourself.

Heh. Supacheep. Is that a name or the bribe rate?