Fake News! "Hi-So Monk's" luxury quarters was just a hotel in India

[rooster59]

Fake News! "Hi-So Monk's" luxury quarters was just a hotel in India

 

Image: Daily News

 

Daily News followed up on a story that had Thai netizens up in indignant arms - a monk they dubbed "Phra Hi-So" was pictured enjoying the comforts of a Smart TV and home theater, comfy bed and air-con while he played on his expensive iPhone. 

 

There were claims that these were monk's quarters in Loei in Thailand's north east. 

 

Now the head of a Buddhist association in Loei has come out to say it is fake news. 

 

The pictures were in fact taken when the monk - Phra Buninthorn, 28 - stayed in a hotel in India last year.

 

Someone with malice aforethought had posted them online, it was claimed. 

 

Songphut Charin said that in reality the monk's quarts were run down and dingy, as befitting a man in saffron robes.

 

However, the errant monk was still dragged over the ecclesiastical coals and told to behave himself better in future at Wat Loei Long in Muang district. 

 

Songphut said Buninthorn had accepted that his behavior was short of what was expected of monks and had removed the pictures.

 

Daily News called Buninthorn "Luang Phee Hi-So" in their report. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

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[NCC1701A]

so the iPhone is photo shop?

[Vacuum]

9 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Songphut Charin said that in reality the monk's quarts were run down and dingy, as befitting a man in saffron robes.

Yes, but what about the expensive iPhone? Why does monks need smartphones, or any phones for that matter?

[RotBenz8888]

5 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

so the iPhone is photo shop?

 It's the people with malice aforethought responsible for all this.

[Youlike]

10 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

so the iPhone is photo shop?

No it's a fake from China....

[CGW]

"Fake news" is fast becoming the preferred excuse for those who want only their version of the story to be "true" ????

Least we can be confident that those in power would never lie or mislead us as they are indeed beyond reproach ????

[bluesofa]

48 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Yes, but what about the expensive iPhone? Why does monks need smartphones, or any phones for that matter?

A long distance call is needed when contacting heaven, the after-life, nirvana, etc. I get the impression hell could just be a local call.

[Justgrazing]

Yea but if Bud' is on Facebroke maybe Phra HiSo needed the phone to give Bud' " likes " for the teachings .. 

[VincentRJ]

2 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Yes, but what about the expensive iPhone? Why does monks need smartphones, or any phones for that matter?

Good question. My understanding is that any 'retreat' for foreigners requires that smartphones and cameras be removed. Ordained monks are on permanent retreat, so possession and use of smartphones should not be permitted.

[Jane Dough]

5 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Yes, but what about the expensive iPhone? Why does monks need smartphones, or any phones for that matter?

They need them so they can get a beer delivery from 7/11 after midday when they can't go out.

 

Rooster

[connda]

6 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Yes, but what about the expensive iPhone? Why does monks need smartphones, or any phones for that matter?

Yeah.  Today's urbanized monks are all pretty much outfitted with smartphones and earbuds.  Not quite the Dhutanga Kammathana meditation monks of old, well, unless they are tapping into the meditation apps available on Play Store or App Store. 

[connda]

3 hours ago, VincentRJ said:

Good question. My understanding is that any 'retreat' for foreigners requires that smartphones and cameras be removed. Ordained monks are on permanent retreat, so possession and use of smartphones should not be permitted.

The same monk telling you that you can't use a smartphone or other electronic devices at the retreat probably has a smartphone and earbuds in his pocket and a laptop and sometimes a TV in their room.  What you are saying is true at at forest monastery like Wat Pa Nanachat, but do the circuit of 'Buddhist Meditation Retreats for Foreigners' and you'll end up with cognitive dissonance.  What they say to do, and what they actually practice themselves are worlds apart.  
Retreats are income streams for many of the temples that offer them.  Do one, two, or three weeks of meditation and then you're offered a "Good Luck" as they show you the door and hand you back your iPhone.  

[VincentRJ]

2 hours ago, connda said:

The same monk telling you that you can't use a smartphone or other electronic devices at the retreat probably has a smartphone and earbuds in his pocket and a laptop and sometimes a TV in their room.  What you are saying is true at at forest monastery like Wat Pa Nanachat, but do the circuit of 'Buddhist Meditation Retreats for Foreigners' and you'll end up with cognitive dissonance.  What they say to do, and what they actually practice themselves are worlds apart.  
Retreats are income streams for many of the temples that offer them.  Do one, two, or three weeks of meditation and then you're offered a "Good Luck" as they show you the door and hand you back your iPhone.  

What you write is probably true. Many 'modern' monks do not appear to behave in accordance with the fundamental rules of Buddhism, as written in the Pali Canon, which is why I stated that 'possession and use of smartphones should not be permitted'.

 

The problem with religions in general is that they express certain fundamental principles which seem very admirable, but which are often too difficult for many people to adhere to, because of the dominance of their normal desires and ego, which Buddhism attempts to teach are an illusion.