Corruption In The Thai Buddhist Monkhood

[Stephen Cleary]

Check out this column on the sad state of modern Buddhism as published in The Nation.

What do you think?

Counting out the baht at the nation's temples

Published on Apr 28, 2007

It's been very interesting and even rather amusing to see masses of monks demanding that Buddhism be adopted as the national religion.

Many must have been surprised to see them getting their noses stuck in politics, taking to the streets like a flood of Thaksin supporters. But who knows, perhaps some of the protesters in this movement are taking generous donations from some former disgruntled politicians hoping to create even more national turmoil.

On the other hand, it is no great surprise - monks have been involved in politics for donkey's years. In the good-old days in the countryside, some revered ones respected for their worldly advice, would inform their followers on the best choice for village headman in the local election. Maybe the wannabe village headman, while perhaps not slipping cash under the table, might have made a handsome contribution to the donation box. Of course, many villagers believe anything that comes from the mouth of their favourite robed one, and especially some old abbot who spends his days reading the daily newspapers and drinking green tea down at the local corner shop.

I am a little sad that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is in exile as I used to, with coffee in hand, always look forward to reading up on his latest method of using Buddhism to bolster his support. Take his ripping rally at Wat Dhammakaya in Pathum Thani last year, when he invited tens of thousands of people to take part in a wonder of a performance at this very controversial temple - a wise move, especially when this place boasts a few hundred thousand followers. What organisers there were thinking when they allowed this political fiasco to be held in their "flying-saucer" arena beats me! Or perhaps they had come across a passage in some ancient scripture that nobody else had ever discovered that read, "It is a duty of the holy one to afford a political leader the opportunity to voice his ambitions in the shadow of the Lord Buddha".

While Thaksin was notorious for his multimillion-dollar money-making schemes, the land's temples have been involved in raking in wads of cash for decades. Now one of the most tried and tested ways of managing to fill one's revered bank book is the production and sale of supposedly miracle-making amulets. Have a monk say a prayer, spray on a bit of holy water and - abracadabra - you instantly find out that a deceased relative you've never heard of has left you Bt10 million in his will! A police officer concerned about the dangers of the job can visit a monk and ask for an amulet with such power that even if the officer is shot at point-blank range, the amulet, with its stunning powers, will send the bullet back in the opposite direction. For such heavenly protection, however, a nice donation of a few thousand baht is deeply appreciated.

The recent sensational story of the miracle "get-rich-quick" Jatukham Rammathep amulets is a fine example of a highly successful holy-business venture. The amulets grew in popularity following the death of the 106-year-old respected police officer who helped create them. This amulet (not even Buddhist!) is being produced by the hundreds of thousands all over the country.

The business being conducted by temples has become so lucrative that just last week the tax department decided to make investigations into whether or not to tax the holy producers and their billion-baht industry!

Another great technique a lot of monks use to rake in stacks of cash is by predicting the lucky government lottery numbers of the fortnight. Pay a donation to some business-minded monks and - hocus-pocus style with the use of some tea leaves, holy water and a magical Buddha image - they'll be able to conjure up the winning number. Should you be successful, they'll be expecting you to give them some of the prize money. Some of these monks just can't go wrong - predict a two-digit number for two or three draws and it's almost guaranteed that you're going to fluke it once. Should the lucky-number monk fluke it twice in a row, then he's in for the jackpot after villagers inform some national Thai language newspaper and scores of wannabe winners arrive by the truckload from all over the country. Of course, such heavenly forecasting doesn't come free and a donation of Bt20 from each player is much appreciated.

Many monks, especially in rural areas, really take advantage of some folks' beliefs. Some families are poor enough as it is, barely getting by, and yet temples are advising them to "give donations" and "make merit" to secure a better lot in the next life. When it comes to giving alms to the monks, the people are taught that if they wish to have plenty to eat in the next life, then it is mandatory to give plenty of food to the monks in this one. So, while the folk are busy dishing up steamed fish and roasted lobster for the monks, they themselves make do with a boiled egg on rice.

In fact, in the countryside many monks don't just eat better than the local villagers, they also earn more money. While a poor farmer has to slave away all day long for a measly Bt100, the local monk is getting paid Bt200 for every wedding, funeral and new-house party he attends, chants and sleeps through. Actually not a bad job! After work in the morning, he is then free to sit around all day, play computer games, go window-shopping in town or read comic books. Then in the evening after a bout of chanting he can lay back and watch a couple of counterfeit DVD movies. Besides the absence of women, much of the monks' daily routines aren't really that much different from our weekend ones upcountry.

In the Thai press, it is guaranteed that there will be at least one juicy story a week of some scandalous goings-on in one the nation's temples, and last week was no exception. With evidence in the form of a handful of photos, it was found that a temple fair in Samut Sakhon was the setting for some saucy stripteases, where the dancers whipped of their undergarments and exposed their private parts.

In fact, temple fairs have for ages been putting on naughty shows of girls bopping away in three-inch skirts and see-through spaghetti tops. The Culture Ministry throws a fit and the girls and event organisers get themselves in trouble. As for the head monks behind the scenes however, they are let off scot-free and left to happily count the profits made.

The current state of organised religion in Thailand is pretty much in shambles and these protesting holy ones are just making it worse. What is needed is a complete revamp from top to bottom.

The education authorities have to take the first step and introduce the young to the essence of the pure practice of Buddhism and not repeat boring tales of Buddhist legends, which put the kids to sleep. Next, monks found to be corrupt ought to be immediately dismissed from the monkhood and brought to justice. As for temples that have been caught scamming their followers, they need to be closed down, just as any old dodgy back-alley company would be.

Stephen Cleary

Edited May 5, 2007 by sabaijai

[meadish_sweetball]

It is interesting to note that the writer, Stephen Cleary, is a Christian missionary.

[toptuan]

Sounds strangely reminiscent of "Life in a Thai Temple"

[toptuan]

It is interesting to note that the writer, Stephen Cleary, is a Christian missionary.

It's interesting that you probably Googled the name, and assumed that the world only has one Steven Cleary (despite 456 references to the name). If this is the case, I would respectfully suggest a little more thorough research would be in order before you jump to posting clearly erroneous information on the forum.

The article is written by Steve Suphan, a respected English teacher in a Thai school and prolific writer about all things Thai. He is also a regular columnist for The Nation. I don't really know where you get the "Christian Missionary" stuff.

This same article is attributed to Steve Suphan over at Thai-Blogs.com under the article name: The Not So Groovy State Of Thai Buddhism.....

Edited May 1, 2007 by toptuan

[sabaijai]

It's not so much an article on the state of Buddhism in Thailand as it is an essay on corruption in the Thai monkhood. Not to deny the facts presented (which are well known to anyone who lives here), but it's also a rather selective look.

While I agree with most of the points touched upon, to say that 'The current state of organized religion in Thailand is pretty much in shambles ...' and 'what is needed, is a complete revamp from top to bottom' might be a bt hyperbolic. There are many monasteries where orthodox Thai Buddhism is scrupulously practiced. Armchair critics abound (in this case, pictured drinking Beer Chang and reading Lonely Planet Thailand), but one way the critics might make a difference would be to lead by example, perhaps even ordain and try to change the system from within. Foreign monks have done an enviable job at places like Wat Pa Nanachat Beung Wai, for example.

Thanks for posting your editorial, Steve. I see from your blog you're not too happy with Internet forums either!

[toptuan]

...but one way the critics might make a difference would be to lead by example, perhaps even ordain and try to change the system from within...

Your argument holds water assuming every critic is a Buddhist. But for a non-Buddhist to "infiltrate" the system to be a model, would be a tad bit unethical would it not?

[sabaijai]

...but one way the critics might make a difference would be to lead by example, perhaps even ordain and try to change the system from within...

Your argument holds water assuming every critic is a Buddhist. But for a non-Buddhist to "infiltrate" the system to be a model, would be a tad bit unethical would it not?

Not really, since Buddhism requires no conversion nor does it have a jealous god ...

[PeaceBlondie]

I've been a student of the Protestant Reformation for a few donkey's years myself, so I'm curious if the condition of Thai Buddhism is at the point where it could use a few examples like Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, Conrad Grebel, and John Calvin. Are there examples in the past of true reformations in Thai Buddhism?

Thanks to Stephen Supan for the article.

[Stephen Cleary]

It's not so much an article on the state of Buddhism in Thailand as it is an essay on corruption in the Thai monkhood. Not to deny the facts presented (which are well known to anyone who lives here), but it's also a rather selective look.

While I agree with most of the points touched upon, to say that 'The current state of organized religion in Thailand is pretty much in shambles ...' and 'what is needed, is a complete revamp from top to bottom' might be a bt hyperbolic. There are many monasteries where orthodox Thai Buddhism is scrupulously practiced. Armchair critics abound (in this case, pictured drinking Beer Chang and reading Lonely Planet Thailand), but one way the critics might make a difference would be to lead by example, perhaps even ordain and try to change the system from within. Foreign monks have done an enviable job at places like Wat Pa Nanachat Beung Wai, for example.

Thanks for posting your editorial, Steve. I see from your blog you're not too happy with Internet forums either!

You are not the first person to use the excuse of me 'drinking beer Chang' to put me in the bandwagon of 'armchair critics abound'. I don't feel it just to criticize ones writing just cause he drinks alcohol! If you had read a little deeper you would have read that that pic was 'a gimmick'.

Ive resided at many a decent monastery in Thailand such as Wat Pa Nanachat and Wat Suan Mokkhe etc... and have written before on some of Thailand's greatest like Ajarn Buddhadasa and Ajarn Cha. Even Ajarn Santhikaro has posted on my site thanking me for helping to spread the teachings of Buddhadasa.

"Steve, i see from your blog that you're not too happy with Internet Forums too"

(Well, the published article headlined abut Forums but in fact very little of that article mentions them. I think it was a ploy by the Sub-Editor to attract more readers. I just said that Internet forums are often a source of unreliable information and concluded that we should not believe everything that someone else took ten minutes to write. I think it's pretty difficult to disagree with that.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read, i am always open to discussion. In fact, that article was intended to create a bitta discussion.

Thanks.

Edited May 2, 2007 by stevesuphan

[Grover]

An unbalanced and one sided article but does highlight some important issues that the Sangha needs to address.

To counter the dramatic "many monks are ... " theme of the article,

I would like to add that many monks are genuine, sincere and spiritually advanced and inspiring and make a valuable contribution to the community.

[toptuan]

Sabaijai, I also react somewhat negatively to your denigrating of the author to an "armchair critic," which implies an arm's-length, if not somewhat detached view/analysis of a subject. If you peruse Suphan's prolific writings on Thai culture and customs, most of which are autobiographical in nature, you'll come to the realization that he is an avid participant in a broad spectrum of Thai life. He "Boldly Goes Where [few Expats] have Gone Before." (Thank you, Star Trek). Check out the major success of Thai-blogs.com (thousands of hits daily) of which he is a co-founder and major contributor. His views and analysis have a wide following and seem to mesh with reality the more I compare them to what I observe here, and to what I read in other literature written by anthropologists and similar.

I think it's to his credit that he has been willing to even delve into subjects not talked about by Thais, and expats who are trying to be "politically correct" (lady boys, corruption in the education system, cheating as a way of life in Thai society, etc.).

I don't know Steve personally, but I have come to respect his insights tremendously, and he has explained many conundrums and solved a number of dilemmas I have faced in trying to understand the host culture over my four years of living and working in this country.

Don't let Sabaijai's pooh-pooh attitude about the author fool you into thinking that he's not simply trying to "poison the well" to dissuade you from the central issue discussed.

Edited May 2, 2007 by toptuan

[camerata]

Are there examples in the past of true reformations in Thai Buddhism?

I think one could say that Ven Buddhadasa was a true reformer but Thais weren't interested in a reformation (according to the preface of one of his books). The Thai Forest Tradition is also something of a reformation in its "back to basics" principles. But while Thais venerate the monks of high attainments in the Forest Tradition, it hasn't become very popular with monastics.

[sutnyod]

I think I do the right thing by sticking to Wat Pa's. What I want I cannot find in "Disneyland Pagodas" anyway.

[Brucenkhamen]

Are there examples in the past of true reformations in Thai Buddhism?

The creation of Dhammayut by King Mongkut and then the forest tradition out of that by Ajahn Mun is an excellent example.

[bkkandrew]

My own two pennies worth was that, some years ago, I witnessed for the first time the 'carousel' of providing gifts to monks (bowls of everyday basic items) at the end of some event for the bowl and contents to be then carried to a nearby shop for resale and the dosh handed over to - the monks!. I was the only felang at present, so kept my own counsel, but clocked the scam and have seen similar at every temple orchastrated event since...

The Thais, by contrast, simply lap it up and believe that they are providing basic items for the robed lot to make merit for themselves!

[solo siam]

What a poor article, all hearsay, gossip and claptrap. What exactly should Thai religion aspire to? TV evangelists who fly about in lear jets? Clergy abusing young children? Suicide bombing? Land grabs?

Shock Horror, there are some bad grains in the sack of rice!!! quick get the tar brush.

[sabaijai]

It's not so much an article on the state of Buddhism in Thailand as it is an essay on corruption in the Thai monkhood. Not to deny the facts presented (which are well known to anyone who lives here), but it's also a rather selective look.

While I agree with most of the points touched upon, to say that 'The current state of organized religion in Thailand is pretty much in shambles ...' and 'what is needed, is a complete revamp from top to bottom' might be a bt hyperbolic. There are many monasteries where orthodox Thai Buddhism is scrupulously practiced. Armchair critics abound (in this case, pictured drinking Beer Chang and reading Lonely Planet Thailand), but one way the critics might make a difference would be to lead by example, perhaps even ordain and try to change the system from within. Foreign monks have done an enviable job at places like Wat Pa Nanachat Beung Wai, for example.

Thanks for posting your editorial, Steve. I see from your blog you're not too happy with Internet forums either!

You are not the first person to use the excuse of me 'drinking beer Chang' to put me in the bandwagon of 'armchair critics abound'. I don't feel it just to criticize ones writing just cause he drinks alcohol!

You're absolutely right and that was just an ad hominem meant in jest. Everyone's welcome to their opinion no matter what brand of beer they drink or what they read (and I'm a longtime fan of LP Thailand )

[meadish_sweetball]

It is interesting to note that the writer, Stephen Cleary, is a Christian missionary.

It's interesting that you probably Googled the name, and assumed that the world only has one Steven Cleary (despite 456 references to the name). If this is the case, I would respectfully suggest a little more thorough research would be in order before you jump to posting clearly erroneous information on the forum.

The article is written by Steve Suphan, a respected English teacher in a Thai school and prolific writer about all things Thai. He is also a regular columnist for The Nation. I don't really know where you get the "Christian Missionary" stuff.

This same article is attributed to Steve Suphan over at Thai-Blogs.com under the article name: The Not So Groovy State Of Thai Buddhism.....

My mistake - I apologize if Steve Suphan and the Stephen Cleary I found are not the same person.

In general, I find myself much at the same point as sabaijai in this, acknowledging that what the article states has truth to it, but that some of the conclusions made are hyperbolic (which is probably to create debate and stir things up - fair enough. These issues do need addressing.).

[rahu07]

I still maintain that NOT ALL monks are like that. There are always black sheeps around. We can't stop them since nobody in the higher authority is doing anything. At the same time, we shouldn't deny the fact that there are genuine monks who is doing all the good deeds too.

[RedQualia]

I still maintain that NOT ALL monks are like that. There are always black sheeps around. We can't stop them since nobody in the higher authority is doing anything. At the same time, we shouldn't deny the fact that there are genuine monks who is doing all the good deeds too.

Yes, you're right of course. And at the same time, I've been wondering for some time at the economics of Thai temples, and where all the money from the amulet making business (among others) goes. I'm in no way condemning that business. Just seems that there's gotta be some big bucks floating around. Do the monks get any? How much? Does it have a corrupting influence? And speaking of corruption, might monks or even temples be being shaken down in the same way tuk-tuk drivers were/are? And the possible candidates for those who shake down the monks/temples would include whom?

I have only questions. Can't help but think that snagging the bank books of say, one particularly decent sized temple would be interesting for the forensic possibilities. Don't have any temples in mind. Any at random, I suppose.