Thailand’s National Office of Buddhism to probe conduct of monks prostrating before disrobed former Phra Yantra

[snoop1130]

 

Thailand’s National Office of Buddhism has promised to look into a controversial incident in which several monks were seen prostrating in front of a well known former monk, Phra Yantra, who recently returned to Thailand after 20 years inself-imposed exile in the United States following his disrobement. The incident took place at Luangpho Yok Khao Temple, a monastery in the eastern province of Sa Kaeo.

 

The office’s spokesman, Sittha Moonhong, said that he willconsult senior monks over how to proceed, because the monks who are seen prostrating before the person now known as Vinai La-ongsuwan, mostly came from a monastery in Kanchanaburi province and are thus beyond the jurisdiction of senior monks in Sa Kaeo province.

 

He noted that it is highly inappropriate for monks to prostrate before or pay respects to a lay person.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailands-national-office-of-buddhism-to-probe-conduct-of-monks-prostrating-before-disrobed-former-phra-yantra/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-10-22

 

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[sherwood]

What the? Place is getting sillier every day.

 

[sammieuk1]

Maybe they were just colossally tiered like me prostrate on the sofa most of the time ???? 

[Artisi]

Now we see that Thai soapy TV shows are actually intelligent, based on this little piece of useless "news". 

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

He noted that it is highly inappropriate for monks to prostrate before or pay respects to a lay person.

I find the whole "Buddhist" movement in Thailand largely inappropriate.

Just a ponzi scheme in disguise. 

[Srikcir]

An example for secular government. Rather than using taxpayer funds to investigate alleged religious misconduct, let the faiths care for themselves- or not.

[klauskunkel]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The office’s spokesman, Sittha Moonhong, said that he will consult senior monks over how to proceed, because the monks who are seen prostrating before the person now known as Vinai La-ongsuwan, mostly came from a monastery in Kanchanaburi province and are thus beyond the jurisdiction of senior monks in Sa Kaeo province.

This definitely calls for a committee! Maybe form a Special Monk Unit (SMU) with overall jurisdiction in Thailand, give them some badges!

[Scott Tracy]

Fire them all. I'm sure there's something in the Buddhist faith and mantra about false gods, etc.

 

Or perhaps they view him as the second coming, or maybe someone likely to depose someone else, of high Buddhist rank.

[Scott Tracy]

I am mindful of the statement that says they came from out of Province, but saying they were not under the jurisdiction of the temple abbot smacks of hiding head in sand. Get a grip, abbot. They were at your temple, in your home. You can't tell me it's nothing to do with you.

 

Your authority is effectively undermined. You should be fired too, coward.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Scott Tracy

[Orinoco]

So the office of Bhuddhisum has the Monk on. !!!!!!!!!! LOL.

 

[jdlhalliday]

They were not prostrating themselves out of respect for the man but for his money, as he is not poor if he can commute between America and Thailand  and continue every year on his birthday.  

[Artisi]

4 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

This definitely calls for a committee! Maybe form a Special Monk Unit (SMU) with overall jurisdiction in Thailand, give them some badges!

most importantly, don't forget the parachute wings ????

[Artisi]

3 hours ago, Scott Tracy said:

Fire them all. I'm sure there's something in the Buddhist faith and mantra about false gods, etc.

 

Or perhaps they view him as the second coming, or maybe someone likely to depose someone else, of high Buddhist rank.

or hit the collection plate heavily with the necessary considerations  ????

[taotoo]

This news story was far duller than I was expecting.

[Burma Bill]

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

highly inappropriate for monks to prostrate before or pay respects to a lay person.

Perhaps that is why they were prostrating - a LAY person!!!!

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

This definitely calls for a committee! Maybe form a Special Monk Unit (SMU) with overall jurisdiction in Thailand, give them some badges!

Badges? Badges? We don need no steenkin badges....

[thecyclist]

Yeah, remember that scandal, the venerable Yantra Bikkhu, aka the sex monk. Was one of the few monks revered as enlightened, a status that comes with huge donations from the Sangha eager to ensure good Karma and a more profitable rebirth. The venerable one then spend the alms on prostitutes in Australia, where he was on 'spread the four noble truths' tour. 

[thecyclist]

2 hours ago, taotoo said:

This news story was far duller than I was expecting.

There are some juicy tidbits behind this story. 

[khaowong1]

4 hours ago, thecyclist said:

There are some juicy tidbits behind this story. 

Give us some of those juicy tidbits. Please. 

[KhaoNiaw]

8 hours ago, jdlhalliday said:

They were not prostrating themselves out of respect for the man but for his money, as he is not poor if he can commute between America and Thailand  and continue every year on his birthday.  

You're quite wrong. He was a huge figure and story in Thailand before he left and these monks are prostrating themselves out of respect for who they perceive and believe him to be. There probably should be an investigation into why it is they still revere him in such a way after all this time. 

[thecyclist]

1 hour ago, KhaoNiaw said:

You're quite wrong. He was a huge figure and story in Thailand before he left and these monks are prostrating themselves out of respect for who they perceive and believe him to be. There probably should be an investigation into why it is they still revere him in such a way after all this time. 

Thais are super superstitious. As one of the real monks (the late Buddhadasa Bikkhu of Surathani's Wat Suan Moke) used to say and write, the average Thai has a total misconception of what Buddhism is all about. Buddhism is for sure not about prostrating yourself. Back in the eighties I spent some time in Wat Suan Moke where devotees would come to prostrate themselves before Buddhadasa, and you could see the dislike and distaste that the great monk had for this 'miscarriage' of the Buddha' s teaching. 

[hotchilli]

22 hours ago, Srikcir said:

An example for secular government. Rather than using taxpayer funds to investigate alleged religious misconduct, let the faiths care for themselves- or not.

A tad like the "shirt-lifters" in Rome used to do, and around the globe?

[brianthainess]

Reminder to self ; get my prostate checked again soon.

[mikebell]

20 hours ago, jdlhalliday said:

They were not prostrating themselves out of respect for the man but for his money, as he is not poor if he can commute between America and Thailand  and continue every year on his birthday.  

'He has been granted refugee status in the United States.'  So how does he support himself in US for all these years & who pays for his air tickets & did he quarantine?  So many questions; so few answers.

[khaowong1]

11 hours ago, mikebell said:

'He has been granted refugee status in the United States.'  So how does he support himself in US for all these years & who pays for his air tickets & did he quarantine?  So many questions; so few answers.

Just guessing here, but probably quite like the jet setting monk, forgot his name, set up a so called "meditation" temple in probably the L.A. area.  Los Angeles has the largest concentration of Thai's outside Thailand.  He could reap quite a nice living there from the Thai people. 

[khaowong1]

I just found this story in the Washington Post printed in the 90's.  

Phra Yantra.

Did he or didn't he father a child in Belgrade, violating his vows of celibacy? Is it true he seduced a Danish harpist and a German disciple, had sex with a Cambodian nun on the deck of a cruise ship and courted female followers in long-distance phone calls? Or is it all a conspiracy by a gang of anti-Buddhist women called the "monk hunters"?

[khaowong1]

I found where he's been staying in the U.S.  ...   Here he is the President of the Board of Directors.  

Sunnataram California Meditation Monastery

9560 W. Lilac Rd Escondido CA 92026 US

 

 

 

Phra Yantra.jfif

Edited October 24, 2021 by khaowong1
trying to open jfif file.

[KhaoNiaw]

14 minutes ago, khaowong1 said:

I just found this story in the Washington Post printed in the 90's.  

Phra Yantra.

Did he or didn't he father a child in Belgrade, violating his vows of celibacy? Is it true he seduced a Danish harpist and a German disciple, had sex with a Cambodian nun on the deck of a cruise ship and courted female followers in long-distance phone calls? Or is it all a conspiracy by a gang of anti-Buddhist women called the "monk hunters"?

He had a lot of female groupies in Thailand, including some rather hiso types. Seemed very attractive to the ladies. 

[Artisi]

22 minutes ago, KhaoNiaw said:

He had a lot of female groupies in Thailand, including some rather hiso types. Seemed very attractive to the ladies. 

Maybe he has a magic "wand" that the ladies love that he puts to good use ????

[MrJ2U]

A pandemic and now monks prostrating to a layman.

 

And you thought things couldn't get worse!