The Expat Who Started "Monk For A Month" In Thailand Now Does 'Muslim For A Month'

[StreetCowboy]

I don't think he's offering conversions. I think he's offering people the opportunity to live in the style of a buddhist monk, or in the style of a muslim, in accordance with the five pillars of islam. Not sure what specific group of muslims he proposes immersion with.

SC

[DickFarang]

Is circumcision included in the “Muslim for a month” programme ?

[StreetCowboy]

Is circumcision included in the "Muslim for a month" programme ?

There's probably cheaper ways of getting it done. Anyway, you could check, I suppose.

Reminds me of a joke... I'll just provide the punch line, to avoid boredom

"That's the word I was looking for!"

SC

Edit: You'll probably want to avoid Ramadan in August this year, if you do decide to go.

[andyko]

Can someone please explain to me why on Earth would someone in their right mind be interested in becoming a Muslim for a month?

I don't get it, I just don't get it.

To get sober. Just an example.

[harrry]

Nobody minds a person making a profit, as long as it is not too much profit, which implies cheating the customer. Profiting from others misfortune is also immoral.

The ideas that 'all's fair in love and war'...and 'to be successful in business it is necessary to cheat the customer' are those of immoral and selfish beings.

Maybe an acknowledgment of receiving benefit or past benifit from involvement in this program by the poster is needed.

[leeh07]

Muslim For A Month!!

Good Idea for people who want to loose weight If they choose the month of Ramadan

[StreetCowboy]

Can someone please explain to me why on Earth would someone in their right mind be interested in becoming a Muslim for a month?

I don't get it, I just don't get it.

To get sober. Just an example.

Or to learn in a practical way about the five pillars of islam.

Or to impress their neighbours.

Or for a bet.

Or sheer devilment.

Or to get away from the wife.

I'm sure the list could go on - perhaps you'd like to start a thread on the topic, if you are interested in an exhaustive list of suggestions.

SC

[balo]

I would like to try this for free when Im in Chiang Mai next month. Maybe a weekend so I can learn more about buddism since I dont know much about it. Thanks.

[devaram]

You’ve faced some criticism in the past for what people say is “selling” or making money out of religion. What do you say to these people?

I’m not open to that kind of criticism. We charge around £600 for a 28-day "Monk for a Month" package, but the stay in the temple is absolutely free. What we’re charging for is facilitating the experience: picking them up from the airport, taking them to Tesco when they need to go, and sightseeing trips to places like the Golden Triangle which are incorporated.

Wow £600 is allot of money just to take them to tesco lotus and pick up at the airport.Sightseeing is the cost of a bus ride.

There are many Wats in Thailand where you can stay for a modest donation for a month or free if you dont have money and you can learn everything you need to learn and there are english speaking monks on hand to help you.

This guy is a clever business man who has found an interesting niche religion business.

[DickFarang]

Is a visit to Mecca and a one day marriage (no prostitution there) included ?

[DickFarang]

Charge ..... for everything in religion. Highest perversion. Money making machine at the nauseous level.

Selling it as a package tour seems to be a Western concept.

There are of course ways to get it cheaper, but nobody forces the participants to join the program.

I agree. Some forum members treat profit as a dirty word, but it is not. Profit is the motivation to meet the needs of others. Profit is what enables us to meet our own needs and that of our family. I seek to MAXIMIZE my profit in business, as well as in the way I spend all of my time. Don't you?

As for trying to get this fellow in trouble by bringing up the matter of having a work permit, it seems petty and cruel. What do you PROFIT by getting him in trouble?

If he has got a work permit seems a valid and relevant question on this forum.

[MUYTHAI]

I wonder what the reception of some tourists will be to the offer of ciccumcision for the males? As an NGO, perhaps this chap is getting a discount from the NGO group providing the service in his area? I don't see some of the Europeans getting too excited over that prospect. Mind you the Australian professor that's running his clinical trial has been snipping at a furious pace, so maybe he can sneak the boys in.

Will men be allowed the option of a temporary marriage with a couple new girls for the sake of compliance with the rules pertaining to sex outside of marriage? And of the women, do they get a burqa and a discount coupon at the shack that rips out the clitoris and labia? I don't think they will have an easy time observing halal where they are going. It's pork for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I want to be an Aztec for a month.

What Australian professor are you refering to and where is this trial? The Aussie circumfetishist Brian Morris?

[fabianfred]

Nobody minds a person making a profit, as long as it is not too much profit, which implies cheating the customer. Profiting from others misfortune is also immoral.

The ideas that 'all's fair in love and war'...and 'to be successful in business it is necessary to cheat the customer' are those of immoral and selfish beings.

Maybe an acknowledgment of receiving benefit or past benifit from involvement in this program by the poster is needed.

I am a monk at the temple this 'Monk for a Month' project uses. I teach the Dhamma to all comers, whether they are from these tours or not. We make no charges and sometimes are given donations towards running costs and to cover electric, water, internet, etc. by those who come and stay.

I would like to try this for free when Im in Chiang Mai next month. Maybe a weekend so I can learn more about buddism since I dont know much about it. Thanks.

please come...all welcome... contact us at the temple direct through our blog... http://watsriboenruang.wordpress.com/

[phrachuntawongso]

I don't think he's offering conversions. I think he's offering people the opportunity to live in the style of a buddhist monk, or in the style of a muslim, in accordance with the five pillars of islam. Not sure what specific group of muslims he proposes immersion with.

SC

I believe it is Sufi.

[khaowong1]

Good idea. Looking forward to his next project. "Infidel for a day."

How about "Ladyboy for a day"...

[cdnvic]

I removed some of the sillier replies. Please control yourselves.

[chmiroau]

<br />

<br />I wonder what the reception of some tourists will be to the offer of ciccumcision for the males? As an NGO, perhaps this chap is getting a discount from the  NGO group providing the service in his area? I don't see some of the Europeans getting too excited over that prospect. <img src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif" /> Mind you the Australian professor that's running  his clinical trial has been snipping at a furious pace, so maybe he can sneak the boys in.<br /><br />Will men be allowed the option of a temporary marriage with a couple new girls for the sake of compliance with the rules pertaining to  sex outside of marriage? And of the women, do they get a burqa and a discount coupon at the  shack that rips out the clitoris and labia?  I don't think they will have an easy time observing halal  where they are going. It's pork for breakfast, lunch and dinner. <img src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/bah.gif" /><br />

<br /><br />That's a very offensive post, as for circumcision, I'm sure you are aware this is practiced by other faiths. <br /><br />Ten days after Rabbi Yitzhok Fischer performed religious circumcisions on twins last October, one died of herpes and the other tested positive for the virus, according to a complaint filed by the health department in Manhattan Supreme Court.<br /><br />www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6898403/ns/health-kids<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Te original post suggests that the writer doesn't know very much about religion. I have had this discussion with an Imam concerning mandatory circumcision. The official story from this particular Imam was that following Islam was far more important that having a circumcision, so the uncut could easily partake in such an experience like Muslim for a month.

The other thing that so many people of both the Christian and Jewish faiths simply don't understand, is that Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all one and the same, they all follow the fundamental belief in the same 'one god'. Their structures of belief are not to dissimilar to each other that for a non theist like myself has great difficulty understanding where all the animosity comes from. Such an experience for followers of different religions could benefit greatly from experiencing different faiths from inside, and maybe, just maybe this will be the start of the end of religious wars that have been raging for the best part of the last two centuries.

Best advice. Follow the Buddhist tradition, if you don't have something good to say about other people, shut your mouth, it causes less problems for all concerned.

[Randee]

crucified for christmas sounds more enjoyable than muslim for a month

[jitenshaman]

Charge ..... for everything in religion. Highest perversion. Money making machine at the nauseous level.

Selling it as a package tour seems to be a Western concept.

There are of course ways to get it cheaper, but nobody forces the participants to join the program.

I agree. Some forum members treat profit as a dirty word, but it is not. Profit is the motivation to meet the needs of others. Profit is what enables us to meet our own needs and that of our family. I seek to MAXIMIZE my profit in business, as well as in the way I spend all of my time. Don't you?

Most tuk tuk drivers in Chiang Mai, Udon, Hat Yai, and elsewhere, who charge 60-80 baht to farangs to take them across town are making a very good profit, providing for their own needs and those of their family. The ones in Phuket who charge 2-300 baht to drive 100 meters down the road are engage in sheer greed, and probably deserve to be boycotted. Similarly, charging 600 pounds to do an airport pickup, visit Tesco, and go up to the Golden Triangle is just maximizing on greed. Especially as a previous poster has informed, the wat stay is free, or donation only, then this is a fairly big misrepresentation of Buddhism. I once worked in Nepal for a year as a volunteer teacher. I found the position by going there, investigating a bit, and getting involved. When I left, the woman who took my place came via a "facilitator" to whom she paid 1000 pounds for "documentation, facilitation, and training." Interestingly enough, the school was the one who trained her, and the school received virtually nothing from the facilitator. No, profit is not a dirty word at all, but greed is.

[phrachuntawongso]

You've faced some criticism in the past for what people say is "selling" or making money out of religion. What do you say to these people?

I'm not open to that kind of criticism. We charge around £600 for a 28-day "Monk for a Month" package, but the stay in the temple is absolutely free. What we're charging for is facilitating the experience: picking them up from the airport, taking them to Tesco when they need to go, and sightseeing trips to places like the Golden Triangle which are incorporated.

Wow £600 is allot of money just to take them to tesco lotus and pick up at the airport.Sightseeing is the cost of a bus ride.

There are many Wats in Thailand where you can stay for a modest donation for a month or free if you dont have money and you can learn everything you need to learn and there are english speaking monks on hand to help you.

This guy is a clever business man who has found an interesting niche religion business.

The Package in question is not Monk For A Month. I think it is called fang valley experience.

Actually Monk For A Month no longer exists as such. If you go to the website site you will see it links directly to another site that has the package tours.

And before anyone asks, I was not a monk at this temple when the program was running and therefore any questions about how I may have profited are moot points.

With metta Phra Greg

[harrry]

You've faced some criticism in the past for what people say is "selling" or making money out of religion. What do you say to these people?

I'm not open to that kind of criticism. We charge around £600 for a 28-day "Monk for a Month" package, but the stay in the temple is absolutely free. What we're charging for is facilitating the experience: picking them up from the airport, taking them to Tesco when they need to go, and sightseeing trips to places like the Golden Triangle which are incorporated.

Wow £600 is allot of money just to take them to tesco lotus and pick up at the airport.Sightseeing is the cost of a bus ride.

There are many Wats in Thailand where you can stay for a modest donation for a month or free if you dont have money and you can learn everything you need to learn and there are english speaking monks on hand to help you.

This guy is a clever business man who has found an interesting niche religion business.

The Package in question is not Monk For A Month. I think it is called fang valley experience.

Actually Monk For A Month no longer exists as such. If you go to the website site you will see it links directly to another site that has the package tours.

And before anyone asks, I was not a monk at this temple when the program was running and therefore any questions about how I may have profited are moot points.

With metta Phra Greg

But someone who was not a monk then but recieved remuneration for running the course was. I fully accept that it was not you and I do not even question whether the payments were reasonable or not. Just that the interests of posters in this case may be relevent to disclose.

[phrachuntawongso]

You've faced some criticism in the past for what people say is "selling" or making money out of religion. What do you say to these people?

I'm not open to that kind of criticism. We charge around £600 for a 28-day "Monk for a Month" package, but the stay in the temple is absolutely free. What we're charging for is facilitating the experience: picking them up from the airport, taking them to Tesco when they need to go, and sightseeing trips to places like the Golden Triangle which are incorporated.

Wow £600 is allot of money just to take them to tesco lotus and pick up at the airport.Sightseeing is the cost of a bus ride.

There are many Wats in Thailand where you can stay for a modest donation for a month or free if you dont have money and you can learn everything you need to learn and there are english speaking monks on hand to help you.

This guy is a clever business man who has found an interesting niche religion business.

The Package in question is not Monk For A Month. I think it is called fang valley experience.

Actually Monk For A Month no longer exists as such. If you go to the website site you will see it links directly to another site that has the package tours.

And before anyone asks, I was not a monk at this temple when the program was running and therefore any questions about how I may have profited are moot points.

With metta Phra Greg

But someone who was not a monk then but recieved remuneration for running the course was. I fully accept that it was not you and I do not even question whether the payments were reasonable or not. Just that the interests of posters in this case may be relevent to disclose.

A fair point.This is why I felt it important to disclose the point that I had not, as I felt that some people may ask.

I think the main issue I wanted to bring forward is the fact that the reporting in the article not accurate when the program is referred to as M4AM.

As I stated, if anyone goes to M4AM.com, they will see that it takes them to a completely different website, where there is no direct link to a stay in this temple.

As I said earlier, anyone who wishes to stay here are always welcome and we will teach them for free.( Not everyone leaves a donation)

We have a blog site at www.watsriboenruang.wordpress.com if anyone is interested to see what we have to offer here at the temple.

I hope this clears things up for anyone who thinks we are profiting from this particular venture. We do not receive 1 baht from the tour operator, not even towards the cost of electricity. This we pay for from donations.

With metta, Phra Greg

[harrry]

You've faced some criticism in the past for what people say is "selling" or making money out of religion. What do you say to these people?

I'm not open to that kind of criticism. We charge around £600 for a 28-day "Monk for a Month" package, but the stay in the temple is absolutely free. What we're charging for is facilitating the experience: picking them up from the airport, taking them to Tesco when they need to go, and sightseeing trips to places like the Golden Triangle which are incorporated.

Wow £600 is allot of money just to take them to tesco lotus and pick up at the airport.Sightseeing is the cost of a bus ride.

There are many Wats in Thailand where you can stay for a modest donation for a month or free if you dont have money and you can learn everything you need to learn and there are english speaking monks on hand to help you.

This guy is a clever business man who has found an interesting niche religion business.

The Package in question is not Monk For A Month. I think it is called fang valley experience.

Actually Monk For A Month no longer exists as such. If you go to the website site you will see it links directly to another site that has the package tours.

And before anyone asks, I was not a monk at this temple when the program was running and therefore any questions about how I may have profited are moot points.

With metta Phra Greg

But someone who was not a monk then but recieved remuneration for running the course was. I fully accept that it was not you and I do not even question whether the payments were reasonable or not. Just that the interests of posters in this case may be relevent to disclose.

A fair point.This is why I felt it important to disclose the point that I had not, as I felt that some people may ask.

I think the main issue I wanted to bring forward is the fact that the reporting in the article not accurate when the program is referred to as M4AM.

As I stated, if anyone goes to M4AM.com, they will see that it takes them to a completely different website, where there is no direct link to a stay in this temple.

As I said earlier, anyone who wishes to stay here are always welcome and we will teach them for free.( Not everyone leaves a donation)

We have a blog site at www.watsriboenruang.wordpress.com if anyone is interested to see what we have to offer here at the temple.

I hope this clears things up for anyone who thinks we are profiting from this particular venture. We do not receive 1 baht from the tour operator, not even towards the cost of electricity. This we pay for from donations.

With metta, Phra Greg

[harrry]

You've faced some criticism in the past for what people say is "selling" or making money out of religion. What do you say to these people?

I'm not open to that kind of criticism. We charge around £600 for a 28-day "Monk for a Month" package, but the stay in the temple is absolutely free. What we're charging for is facilitating the experience: picking them up from the airport, taking them to Tesco when they need to go, and sightseeing trips to places like the Golden Triangle which are incorporated.

Wow £600 is allot of money just to take them to tesco lotus and pick up at the airport.Sightseeing is the cost of a bus ride.

There are many Wats in Thailand where you can stay for a modest donation for a month or free if you dont have money and you can learn everything you need to learn and there are english speaking monks on hand to help you.

This guy is a clever business man who has found an interesting niche religion business.

The Package in question is not Monk For A Month. I think it is called fang valley experience.

Actually Monk For A Month no longer exists as such. If you go to the website site you will see it links directly to another site that has the package tours.

And before anyone asks, I was not a monk at this temple when the program was running and therefore any questions about how I may have profited are moot points.

With metta Phra Greg

But someone who was not a monk then but recieved remuneration for running the course was. I fully accept that it was not you and I do not even question whether the payments were reasonable or not. Just that the interests of posters in this case may be relevent to disclose.

A fair point.This is why I felt it important to disclose the point that I had not, as I felt that some people may ask.

I think the main issue I wanted to bring forward is the fact that the reporting in the article not accurate when the program is referred to as M4AM.

As I stated, if anyone goes to M4AM.com, they will see that it takes them to a completely different website, where there is no direct link to a stay in this temple.

As I said earlier, anyone who wishes to stay here are always welcome and we will teach them for free.( Not everyone leaves a donation)

We have a blog site at www.watsriboenruang.wordpress.com if anyone is interested to see what we have to offer here at the temple.

I hope this clears things up for anyone who thinks we are profiting from this particular venture. We do not receive 1 baht from the tour operator, not even towards the cost of electricity. This we pay for from donations.

With metta, Phra Greg

I am glad to hear this of your temple. It is as I feel it should be. If you recieve donations freely for your good work this is good too. I just have concerns over the MFM concept.

Best wishes

harrry

Edited June 10, 2011 by harrry

[phrachuntawongso]

I would like to try this for free when Im in Chiang Mai next month. Maybe a weekend so I can learn more about buddism since I dont know much about it. Thanks.

If you are interested then you can contact me via my blog www.watsriboenruang.wordpress.com We will be more than happy to see you, however we are about 150 kms north of CM, or about 3 hours by bus.

With metta, Phra Greg