A Letter To A Novice Monk

[Guest IT Manager]

From Todays Post

Letter to a novice monk

How can we make sense of such atrocious violence and hate?

Nick Wilgus

Dear Novice Monk Phra Jetsak Maneesak:

The other day, while you were on a morning alms-round with a senior monk, you were attacked by assailants who used machetes to kill you before they sped off on a motorbike.

How sad I was to hear that news. How sad we all were.

You were just 13.

I didn't know you, never met you, and our paths were not likely to have ever crossed, not in this life. Still, since I have lived in your country almost as long as you have, and since I have a son who is almost as old as you are, I feel that I do indeed know you, if only a little bit.

You were a novice monk, and thus you were either exceptionally pious or a poor youth who took the robes as a way to get an education. And it was, perhaps, the only educational opportunity available to you.

I read about many novices such as yourself in Little Angels: The Real Life Stories of 12 Thai Novice Monks, a book written by the farang monk Phra Peter Pannapadipo. That book introduced readers to the many struggles that young novices go through during their time in the robes, and helped me to understand the importance of the Buddhist institutions here _ the temples and monasteries, the monks, the rituals and traditions.

For you, they offered the hope of an education, and a better life. Yet something went horribly wrong, and for reasons which seem impossible to fathom, you were hacked to death one morning while doing nothing more than collecting alms.

My mind is simply bewildered. What to make of this?

Well, Phra Jetsak, I'm sorry to tell you that you were not alone in your misfortune. That same day another monk, 65-year-old Phra Wicha Panbun, was, according to the newspaper, ``almost decapitated'' in a similar attack. Earlier, another monk, Phra Chulladet Chlalakanapawin, 25 years old, was stabbed in the back. Another monk, one of the newspapers said, was ``hacked to death'' in Narathiwat.

In addition, Pol Sgt Mayaki Waesama, 32, a Muslim, was ``chased and killed'' Friday night by yet more thugs who sped off on a motorcycle afterward. He was one of two police officers and four army recruits recently killed. Also, it was reported that an Islamic centre was set on fire for reasons which no one seems to know. All of this followed in the wake of the recent torching of 21 schools and a raid on an army outpost down in your part of the world. And all this, after a long history of violence and strife.

Recently, I read in the newspapers that two students were attacked, and more than 1,000 schools down in the South have temporarily closed because the students and teachers are frightened. As well, some monks asked for permission to leave their monasteries and go elsewhere.

What's going on down there? The government doesn't seem to know, or if it does, it's not saying. Thai friends admit that the situation is confusing, multi-layered, that it could be Muslim separatists _ or perhaps not. Whatever it is _ whoever's behind it _ it amounts to the use of terrorist acts to frighten and intimidate, and it appears to be succeeding.

I'm an American, and we learned (the hard way) about terrorism back on September 11, 2001. Till then, we thought we were safe. After that day, we realised we were not.

I used to think Thailand was safe, too, but now I realise it isn't.

Like so many others, you became an unfortunate victim of a terrorist act designed to make a point. Make a point it did. The point it made to me, and to many, many others, was that those carrying out these atrocities _ whoever they are, and whatever their motives might be _ are nothing more than murderous thugs, and should be dealt with accordingly.

Was your death the work of a Muslim separatist? If so, it was an act of hatred and violence unworthy of a genuine, authentic Muslim, an act that the Muslim scripture condemns, that all the best Muslim minds would be appalled by, that the vast majority of the world's Muslims would condemn and want no part of. Would the Prophet Muhammad approve of such an act? Would any spiritual genius _ Muhammad, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna _ resort to the butchering of a child to get a point across? Do sane, educated people even need to ask?

Your death reminded me of that sad day when I, and so many millions around the world, watched the television screens depicting the events of September 11 _ the planes crashing into the Twin Towers, the round-the-clock news reports and updates, the general bewilderment and fear that was felt by all, the growing sense of unreality that swept over so many of us as we tried to understand how such monstrous things could have happened.

I am faced with similar questions and feelings today. Who killed you? Why? What could you have possibly done to deserve such a fate? Is the world mad? Out of control? How is it that we can hate each other so much that we do such terrible things? How did we wind up in a world like this?

Perhaps in the eyes of those who killed you, you were just an object, a thing, a symbol. But in the eyes of others, you were a person, a boy, a Buddhist, a student, a novice monk. A person. Like our own sons. Our own brothers. Like the boys who play in the street. Like other novice monks that one always sees in the early morning on their alms-rounds.

Now you no longer exist, not in this world, not in the same way that you did just a week or so ago. I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry for your parents, for those who knew you, for your friends, your siblings and relatives. I'm sorry for Thailand, my adopted country, that it must endure these confusing and tragic events.

I'm sorry for the misguided who, by some monstrous leap of twisted logic, believe your death was somehow a ``victory''.

What sort of world do we live in?

Part of me thinks you might be fortunate to no longer be here to have to find out.

R.I.P.

The Article

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Fight fire with fire.

[mrentoul]

Perhaps in the eyes of those who killed you, you were just an object, a thing, a symbol. But in the eyes of others, you were a person, a boy, a Buddhist, a student, a novice monk. A person. Like our own sons. Our own brothers. Like the boys who play in the street. Like other novice monks that one always sees in the early morning on their alms-rounds.

Now you no longer exist, not in this world, not in the same way that you did just a week or so ago

That's astonishingly moving.

Grab this guy: I want to see more of his writing!

Thank you for posting it.

[Guest IT Manager]

Dear Mike,

The reason for posting was that in a time when we find it so easy to say eye for an eye, we lose touch with the single most important thing.

When we suggest the destruction of "Muslims" as a group, we become as the few of them who are responsible for this outrage.

The community of Islam needs to take some responsibility for what has happened, because they have not taken stock of their standing in the eyes of the rest of the world. They have failed to tidy up the rubbish in their back yard and in not doing so, has allowed the small minority to guide the views of the world community, of them as a people, a religion, a faith, a way of life; call it what you want to call it.

As a group they are not directly responsible for the monstrosity of radicalism that has been nurtured in the bosom of the whole. However they must accept responsibility for allowing the radical Imams to preach the creed of hate to impressionable youth, thereby allowing the radicalism to spread within the body of the faith like the cancer it has become.

I am not taking a religious stance here. Merely "a rest of us" position. No religion has the gold medal for leading in the no kill stakes. Christianity in its' time has done huge damage. Zionism likewise. Now the Muslims seem to be saying "it's our turn". It isn't. It's time for all religions to realise they don't have the guernsey to lead the world to a and on a path to "enlightenment", meaning in using the word, their own view of whatever it is they use as a guide.

I would like to say a personal thanks to the Author of this piece of journalistic giantism. For giving voice to words we feel in our hearts, but lack the fitness or ability to construct the sentences which so eloquently put our views into the public eye.

I don't know Nick Wilgus, but I sure do wish I did, so I could share my grief with his over the senseless destruction of this child and of his fellow monks. I wish I could hold him as he cried his words onto the keyboard, into cyber space into our eyes, and now, ultimately, into our hearts.

Thank you Nick Wilgus, whoever and wherever you are. It took a giant with tears in his heart and likely his eyes as well, to write that.

[mrentoul]

The community of Islam needs to take some responsibility for what has happened, because they have not taken stock of their standing in the eyes of the rest of the world. They have failed to tidy up the rubbish in their back yard

I agree. I sympathise with the groups that speak for the Muslim community to some extent, because there's only so many times you can say in the media that you condemn this or that outrage - perpetrated by a member of your own group.

But mostly what we get is one line of sympathy for the victim's family, almost as an after-thought, and then a whole lot of grizzle about how the police are harrassing us, how we don't get a say in anything any more, and so on.

All that stuff is better left for the next meeting with the Interior Minister. It shouldn't be aired in public because it looks self-centred, petty and mean.

We'd all like to know that the local Muslim community is cleaning up its back yard. If the Muslim community in the South cares about the way its perceived by the outside world then it will do something about the problem.

The police and military down there also have a foul reputation. Once upon a time it was common for those guys to kill people they didn't like. Healing that breach of trust requires people of courage and leadership, on both sides.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

As you know Michael, the Interior Minister is a Muslim.

[mrentoul]

The Post carried an item two weeks ago about a Muslim guy, a police suspect in the recent spate of violence, whom someone kidnapped, killed and then dumped by the side of the road. Local Muslims suspect the police or military.

Until Wan Nor manages to control the men in uniform down there, his Muslim credentials aren't going to help him settle that dispute.

[The_Eye_Of_Sauron]

Devils advocate ....

If he was a 13 year old school boy it would be just as bad.

If Wilgus wants to make a religious point though, then he needs to think further, as I would imagine that being hacked down while in Monk's robes is just about guaranteed to earn you the best possible reincarnation.

Perhaps a Buddhist scholar here could opine on that.

[Guest IT Manager]

Mike can you locate Mr Wilgus, and pass our thoughts onto him for his work, and our appreciation of his abilities. I am certain I speak for everyone.

It would be nice also to have some contact with Phra Jetsak's community, who I suspect will also be in a state of bewilderment.

Perhaps Nick or someone else with a journalistic streak could do a background on him for us, maybe contact his family as well. In Buddhism there are no Martyrs. Only in Islam and Christianity. It would not be a fine thing for this child's life to go unremarked apart from a few lines in a Newspaper.

Anyone interested in doing some follow up on this PM me, maybe we as a group can do something to assist his family if they are poor, which as Nick surmised, is quite likely.

[The_Eye_Of_Sauron]

I also think a collection for the family is a nice gesture.

[Guest IT Manager]

Any members in Narathiwat can undertake this please? PM me if you are willing and able to assist.

I will need details of an account to send donations to so we can get it happening.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I'll pay IT.

[mrentoul]

Mike can you locate Mr Wilgus, and pas our thoughts onto him for his work, and our appreciation of his abilities. I am certain I speak for everyone.

It would be nice also to have some contact with Phra Jetsak's community, who I suspect will also be in a state of bewilderment.

Perhaps Nick or someone else with a journalistic streak could do a background on him for us, maybe contact his family as well. It would not be a fine thing for this child's life to go unremarked apart from a few lines in a Newspaper.

I will ask the guy who does that page at work for contact details for Mr Wilgus, and ask one of the news editors if we can get in contact with the boy's family or someone who might know them.

Sending something to the family or the monk's community is a terrific gesture.

Unfortunately he is not the only one, as Mr Wilgus pointed out. A schoolgirl in the South was killed senselessly a couple of weeks ago. That shocked her community and persuaded teachers to stay away from school.

[Roger13]

I too was moved by Nick's Article.

I support all the suggestions

- to contact Nick & the Novice's Family

And I am ready to contribute to a donation.

The Article is in the Outlook Supplement

and the Printed version has a photo of Nick Wilgus.

Roger

[Guest IT Manager]

OK guys:

Action Plan:

Mike R contact Nick Wilgus

Need someone down south to locate the Wat and make contact with the Abbot and the family.

Need someone to do a support write-up

Mike R need you to have the post cover it please. Talk to your guys.

Be pleased to see movement by tomorrow afternoon.

Still need someone there to do an on-site assessment of needs of the family.

Thaivisa just got socially respectable big time.

Thanks guys. Appreciate.

IT

[wilgus]

Hello,

Fellow Postie Michael Rentoul was inquiring about how to contact this novice's family ... working on that, and will pass that info on when I have it.

BTW, thanks for the nice comments. Writers always appreciate knowing they have been read!

Shameless plug, and while we're on the subject of Buddhist monks: My first book was recently published. It's called "Mindfulness and Murder". It's about a Thai Buddhist monk who solves a series of murders that occur at his temple in Bangkok. It was published by Silkworm Books (Chiang Mai), and is available in most book stores.

With regards-

Nick Wilgus

PS-Your idea (to contribute money to the boys' family) is a good one. Please count me in.

I was just told that the Thai government will pay the family 70,000 baht in compensation.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

It was a very well done piece and very moving too. Keep it up Nick.

[Guest IT Manager]

A personal thank you Nick. My son had it translated for him. He wept. He asked why.

[Roger13]

IT

Have you given any thought as to how

our Contibutions would be collected and

to whom we should send them?

Roger

[Guest IT Manager]

Roger I am working on that at the moment.

Anyone have any high level contact in a Thai bank who can organise a fee-free transfer between Changwats?

[Dove]

IT,

You are a good man, I pray that there are many out there like you.

God Bless you.

[wilgus]

Hello,

Here's what I heard:

"To donate to the novice's

family, pls contact his

temple Wat Muang. Tel.

o73-247265. The abbot's

name is Phra

Rachapanyasopon."

Perhaps someone with a Thai partner could call and get more info?

-Nick

[Guest IT Manager]

Can someone with good Thai language contact the abbot and ask about contacting the boys family. I personally am more inclined to walk that path, than to direct a little to the Wat initially.