Thai Buddhism May Not Be What You Expect

[fabianfred]

[rockyysdt]

Very humbling to watch Fred.

I can see how it can be rewarding both for the Monks and those who make donations.

Do you continue your set round even if you have more food than you need?

What happens to the excess food?

Is it also offered to the Monks back at the Wat who don't make the rounds?

As those donating can be quite poor it's extremely important Monks are genuine in their endeavors. Anything less I'd imagine would attract considerable karma.

Edited July 2, 2011 by rockyysdt

[Brucenkhamen]

In Thai terms though, any international travel is more than equivalent.

The 54 year old cab driver I chatted with has never flown in his life, even from Bangkok to Udon Thani using Nok Air.

He said he just can't afford it.

Unfortunately it comes with the job of establishing monasteries all over the world.

What are they supposed to do? walk?

If monks couldn't get to various locations because lay people considered the travel to do so the equivilent of sunning it on the riviera and didn't donate then we'd have no Theravadin monasteries outside of SE Asia.

Edited July 2, 2011 by Brucenkhamen

[rockyysdt]

In Thai terms though, any international travel is more than equivalent.

The 54 year old cab driver I chatted with has never flown in his life, even from Bangkok to Udon Thani using Nok Air.

He said he just can't afford it.

Unfortunately it comes with the job of establishing monasteries all over the world.

What are they supposed to do? walk?

If monks couldn't get to various locations because lay people considered the travel to do so the equivilent of sunning it on the riviera and didn't donate then we'd have no Theravadin monasteries outside of SE Asia.

Initially my response to Bankei's experiences:

Now the Forest tradition, especially that of the Chah sect, is a vast global corporation with huge wealth and control. Ascetic monks fly around the globe for meetings with their only concern being whether they can eat their airline meal because of the change in time zones.

Directed only to those who might be abusing their position, my response was probably unnecessary and not mindful.

[fabianfred]

Very humbling to watch Fred.

I can see how it can be rewarding both for the Monks and those who make donations.

Do you continue your set round even if you have more food than you need?

What happens to the excess food?

Is it also offered to the Monks back at the Wat who don't make the rounds?

As those donating can be quite poor it's extremely important Monks are genuine in their endeavors. Anything less I'd imagine would attract considerable karma.

Excess is given to the needy who are abundant. Schoolkids from the village often ask for any milk or cookies etc.

We do not stop collecting when our bowls are full because the aim is not to go and get food, but to make ourselves available to those who wish to give. We do get food as a result but that shouldn't be the main concern. Imagine how they would fel if we refused their offerings.

Very little is wasted, as there are always many stray animals wanting fed too.

Those monks back at the temple who do not go on rounds still get food brought into the temple by some faithful lay followers who prefer to bring it in as they live nearby.

When Ajarn Chah was alive he used to tell his monks..." mai bin....mai gin' (you will not eat if you don't go out on alms-round).

[Xangsamhua]

Very humbling to watch Fred.

I can see how it can be rewarding both for the Monks and those who make donations.

Do you continue your set round even if you have more food than you need?

What happens to the excess food?

Is it also offered to the Monks back at the Wat who don't make the rounds?

As those donating can be quite poor it's extremely important Monks are genuine in their endeavors. Anything less I'd imagine would attract considerable karma.

Excess is given to the needy who are abundant. Schoolkids from the village often ask for any milk or cookies etc.

We do not stop collecting when our bowls are full because the aim is not to go and get food, but to make ourselves available to those who wish to give. We do get food as a result but that shouldn't be the main concern. Imagine how they would fel if we refused their offerings.

Very little is wasted, as there are always many stray animals wanting fed too.

Those monks back at the temple who do not go on rounds still get food brought into the temple by some faithful lay followers who prefer to bring it in as they live nearby.

When Ajarn Chah was alive he used to tell his monks..." mai bin....mai gin' (you will not eat if you don't go out on alms-round).

Thanks for posting this Fred.

[chutai]

I used to have quite a lot of contact with someone who was a monk in Thailand for around 15 years ; Peter Robinson aka Phra Peter Pannapadipo, or pen name "Phra Farang". He was highly critical of many of the non Buddhist aspects of Thai Buddhism and when last he wrote to me , he had de-robed and told me that he no longer knew what Buddhism was. From a Buddhist existential perspective that is perfectly understandable and even healthy - although I think it was more to with the fact that much he had learned about Buddhism was in fact in conflict with his experiences as a respected Thai monk.

[Expatwannabee]

Are there any good english language books or movies about the forest tradition? I've read the book "The Buddha in the Jungle" by Kamala Tiyavanich, which is an interesting collection of stories. Anything else?

One of my favourites is "Still Forest Pool" by Paul Breiter and Jack Kornfield about the teachings of Ajahn Chah. The reading of these teachings is in itself amazingly calming. Paradoxically the thing that makes these teachings so difficult is their very simplicity.

[beautifulthailand99]

Two anecdotes

1. A temple just outside Hat Yai on the way to the airport. There was a solitary vociferous nun at the temple that kept interjecting with the monks during alms blessing - the older monk indulged her with a fixed smile whilst the younger monks look a bit irritated by her carping which seems to be a regular occurence. She looked quite sad when she went to sit alone in a corner to eat her food after all the male monks had been given and had started to eat her food. I felt for what seemed to be her rejection at not being part of the monks who sat together - one monk even befriended a cat who shared his food - sadly the women isn't on par with the cat. After eating the Abbot started pitching to my wife for a 18,000 baht donation.

Cat at the Thai temple

2. A forest temple just near to the waterfall about 25km outside Hat Yai . An Abbott who seemed ill and did a water blessing for my wife and cousins. The atmosphere was very spiritual and had a sense of goodness. The Abbott was not interested in money in fact he said the locals were very poor and he didn't want to impose upon them and we should give what we wanted but it wasn't important. My wife was keen to find out the bank account for the temple but he said not to bother but to come back if we felt the need. The temple also housed an old man and a young girl with a baby who seemed to love our visit and the Abott watched the child with joy. There was a very pleasanrt smiling nun from Bangkok who was full of the joy of life and expressing calm contentment.

Forest temple

It seems in Thailand the whole gamut of spirituality is on show - all I know is I want to go back to the second temple and maybe even help build a little - it was the most moving temple (any religion) that I've ever been to.