"Foreign owners need educating about Buddhist feelings" as Buddha head on beach angers Thais

[webfact]

 

Samui resort removes head of Buddha statue from beach

By Thai PBS

 

 

The management of a resort on Koh Samui island has decided to remove the head of a Buddha statue from the beach in front of the resort following widespread criticism in the social media about is inappropriateness.

 

Cultural experts, accompanied by military personnel and local administration officials visited the resort in Tambon Bo Phud on Friday to investigate following the criticism in the social media.

 

They found the head of a Buddha statue being used as a decorative item positioned on the beach in front of the resort and informed the resort’s management that the positioning of the statue was inappropriate and could be deemed an affront to Buddhism.

 

Full story:  http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/samui-resort-removes-head-buddha-statue-beach/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-02-12

[oldlakey]

43 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

Samui resort removes head of Buddha statue from beach

By Thai PBS

 

 

The management of a resort on Koh Samui island has decided to remove the head of a Buddha statue from the beach in front of the resort following widespread criticism in the social media about is inappropriateness.

 

Cultural experts, accompanied by military personnel and local administration officials visited the resort in Tambon Bo Phud on Friday to investigate following the criticism in the social media.

 

They found the head of a Buddha statue being used as a decorative item positioned on the beach in front of the resort and informed the resort’s management that the positioning of the statue was inappropriate and could be deemed an affront to Buddhism.

 

Full story:  http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/samui-resort-removes-head-buddha-statue-beach/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-02-12

Good to see the Foreign Owners put in their place

[lvr181]

1 hour ago, oldlakey said:

Good to see the Foreign Owners put in their place

You can bet that the Cultural experts, accompanied by military personnel and local administration officials would have no interest in chasing up the owner/s about this matter. Just blame the 'farang', so much easier. As the above 'visitors' would know that it is 99% likely to be a Thai owner (as required by law) and probably a person of influence and connection who they do not want to upset.

 

Classic example (yet again) of cutting off the low hanging fruit! Laziness personified.

[peperobi]

I think that the Junta has more important things to do than follow up a Buddha's head...

[rkidlad]

Everyone knows that Buddha was offended by the female form. Not ugly fat woman. Beautiful and curvaceous ones. They were the most offensive. 

 

I remember when I used to go to Khoa San Road. I used to take this shortcut to another soi nearby. It was a back soi with locals and some backpackers. The was this old lady who would sit there with her top off and boobs out at night. She was old and and overweight. No one seemed to batter an eyelid. I wonder if some attractive and buxom foreign (or local) girl did the same would people also not care? 

 

Amazing how dumb people are. 

[MaeJoMTB]

The only thing I could see wrong was the direction, Buddha would have probably liked a view of the sea.

[DavisH]

On 2/10/2018 at 11:19 AM, canuckamuck said:

The Buddha was famously opposed to bikinis and sand. He has no problem bouncing around on the dashboard of a Bangkok taxi however.

..and being used for LUCK. I'm sure Lord Buddha would approve lol

[hashmodha]

As a Buddhist and a Thai I will agree with this logic because Buddhism is actually a way of life more then a religion in its purest form.  Amulets, statues were all created because human nature has evolved these teachings to believe in a power above but need something to represent it.  
 
A lot of people wear crosses as jewelry and it doesn’t necessarily irk ALL Christians, maybe some.   What one person finds offensive another may not so I think its always better to know the norms in each country and respect it for what it is to them without necessarily having to understand or rationalize it because you can’t from a different value perspective.
 
Best is if both sides chill and not make it a big deal but agree to not agree.

How nicely put !Being a Buddhist...the only thing.....just a trifle insensitive....had the statue been on 2.......3.....4 meters high....no one would have made a such a big deal....Buddhism is far far deeper than most people realize....if any one has time to pop over to Meanam Beach.....next to Bo phut beach the Naparalam temple...on the walls.."Be not led by texts,appearances,inferences,logic.....amongst many others....the "sense doors" creating inflammatory unnecessary comments here...Good Day to all!

Sent from my HUAWEI LUA-L21 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Stargeezr]

Oh for the non Buddhit expats spouting their  great knowledge, on the workings of the Buddhist religion.

  The big Buddha site on Koh Samui is a religious site, with a complete statue, not a severed head.

  Buddhism is more of a lifestyle, than a religion. Many people try to do their best in life, they do not drink,

they are conservative in their manners, and their habits. Granted, there are some who are with lots of faults, just like any other people.  At least the Buddha head was asked to be removed, and things will return to normal. Just imagine what would happen if this were a Muslim country and their religious leader or book was misused,

heads would roll, and death threats would be out in full force. Just try to be happy that you are here in

Thailand with all its flaws, and not in some Arab country with a similar situation happening.

  This is one of my reasons for coming to this country, and not to many places in the world.

Geezer

[ameadi]

On 10/02/2018 at 11:11 AM, PatOngo said:

Must be foreigners! Did anyone care to check and confirm? Thai investigative journalism at it's, well, standard level!

Usually Foreigners are responsible for the management.

 

On 10/02/2018 at 2:17 PM, sitanonchai said:

Selective indignation is mainly the Thai perception towards foreigners.

 

 

On 10/02/2018 at 11:11 AM, PatOngo said:

Must be foreigners! Did anyone care to check and confirm? Thai investigative journalism at it's, well, standard level!

Usually Foreigners are responsible of resorts management....

[lvr181]

6 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Buddhism is more of a lifestyle, than a religion.

Agreed, but unfortunately there are those adherents (for their own purposes) who 'pervert' the original teachings such as they do with Christianity and Islam, just to name two others. 

[carmine]

When i read about the level of gun crime in this Buddhist country perhaps there should also be some education about this being totally against Buddhist belief.  

[Airbagwill]

Buddhism doesn't have a god, some would argue it isn't a religion.

[oldhippy]

Buddhism would not be all that bad (but still not very usefull...) if only the followers would concentrate on the philosophy, rather than making the monks the centre of it.

 

 

[oldhippy]

1 minute ago, Airbagwill said:

Buddhism doesn't have a god

Someone who provides lucky numbers and leaves his footprints everywhere is a god!

[Airbagwill]

1 minute ago, oldhippy said:

Buddhism would not be all that bad (but still not very usefull...) if only the followers would concentrate on the philosophy, rather than making the monks the centre of it.

 

 

...and what particular part of or school of Buddhism are housing that assumption on?

Or are you now the final arbiter of belief?

How do you relate this to the OP?

[oldhippy]

2 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

...and what particular part of or school of Buddhism are housing that assumption on?

Or are you now the final arbiter of belief?

How do you relate this to the OP?

I base my opinion upon what I observe around me. It is called "Thai buddhism".

 

Funny that you accuse me of being off topic, but yet you reply.... that makes you off topic too, no?

 

[Airbagwill]

Just now, MaeJoMTB said:

I'm a Buddhist (and so is my wife and our family), yet none of us can see any fault in the positioning of the head.

I assumed the complaints were  'head in the sand', but no it's placed at a suitable height above anyone standing ..... so what was the problem?

I grew up in a Buddhist environment and decided it wasn't for me.

When I came to Thailand I encountered Theravada Buddhism for the first time and found the Thai mix of animus and this conservative form of Buddhism cute or a joke. The only joke bigger was the average expats total ignorance of the subject. They mostly look at it in terms of Christianity and disdain, with a tint of racism

[oldhippy]

Just now, Airbagwill said:

I grew up in a Buddhist environment and decided it wasn't for me.

When I came to Thailand I encountered Theravada Buddhism for the first time and found the Thai mix of animus and this conservative form of Buddhism cute or a joke. The only joke bigger was the average expats total ignorance of the subject. They mostly look at it in terms of Christianity and disdain, with a tint of racism

I like contrarian people, especially if they have something usefull to say.....

[owl sees all]

16 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

When I came to Thailand I encountered Theravada Buddhism for the first time and found the Thai mix of animus and this conservative form of Buddhism cute or a joke. The only joke bigger was the average expats total ignorance of the subject. They mostly look at it in terms of Christianity and disdain, with a tint of racism

Try Jedism. Very enlightening. Only space-travellers need apply.

[Rimmer]

An off topic troll post has been removed

[Orton Rd]

Most Thais need educating about Buddhism, it's not about statues, merit making, magic, fortune telling and flogging amulets

[Airbagwill]

1 minute ago, Orton Rd said:

Most Thais need educating about Buddhism, it's not about statues, merit making, magic, fortune telling and flogging amulets

I'd suggest they need educating how religion is used to control and manipulate the populace.

This of course is by no means a preserve of Thailand or Buddhism

[metisdead]

Inflammatory insulting posts and replies have been removed.  

[oldhippy]

20 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

Yet another.meaningless post.....If you have a point of view why not try to express it in a coherent manner; ....or are you just using a cryptic comment to hide the fact you have no idea what the OP is about?

I think I have made my point very clear.

In many posts about buddhism and other religions (and other isms: what I say also applies to political or economic systems).

You seem to think that ridiculing buddhist nonsense implies thinking that christian, muslim, communist, free market, whatever nonsense is superior?

 

 

 

[Orton Rd]

I did go to one very nice Wat in Ubon last week set up by Ajarn Chah what I call more like real Buddhism. They had nothing on sale at all, not infested with dying soi dogs and spotlessly clean. I saw just one donation box, and even that was covered up. No silly statues of zebras, cows and chickens or Hindu 'gods' either. 

[BEngBKK]

Religion is the opium of the people

 

[oldhippy]

43 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

I did go to one very nice Wat in Ubon last week set up by Ajarn Chah what I call more like real Buddhism. They had nothing on sale at all, not infested with dying soi dogs and spotlessly clean. I saw just one donation box, and even that was covered up. No silly statues of zebras, cows and chickens or Hindu 'gods' either. 

Sounds good.

These monks do not indulge in idolatry, formalities, superstition and other sillyness, and that is a very good start.

 

But next the question is: What do these monks actually do?

Do they explain the buddhist principles, do they counsel people with problems?

Or do they concentrate only on themselves, hoping to personally reach enlightenment, every man for himself?

 

[oldhippy]

42 minutes ago, BEngBKK said:

Religion is the opium of the people

 

I suppose you know who said this.....

Back in the sixties we (...) used to add:....and marxism is the opium of the intellectuals.

[Orton Rd]

Chah died in 1992 but he was one of the first to take Thai Buddhism to the west and his wat was a center for foreign monks from the 50's onwards

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g656472-d2173667-Reviews-Wat_Nong_Pah_Pong-Ubon_Ratchathani_Ubon_Ratchathani_Province.html