Reflections On Modern Monks

[zippydedodah]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/world/asia/thai-buddhist-monks-struggle-to-stay-relevant.html

This article caught my eye ... particularly since last year, a buddy finished building his home and with his thai wife, went to the local temple to seek out monks for the formal ceremony and house blessing. Their local temple is about 100 meters from their home in Sarapi....

Come the day of the event, the hundred or so guests waited around while his van and driver went around to 5 different wats before they could get 9 monks all together! I mean, they had asked locally and were informed there were not 9 monks in that temple... so the head monk said he would recruit monks from other nearby wats in Sarapi and Samkanpheng.... what was unexpected was that it took 5 wats to make up 9 available monks.

and yet all over town right now, there are signs for a 12,999 monk march or something.... are they all from Burma?

[realthaideal]

I do have to wonder if the many lovely wats of Thailand are well on their way to becoming relics for vacation photos and a look at quaint life long ago - just as the heaps of unused churches are across greater Europe. Here it certainly symbolizes a loss of the country's charm and innocence. And then certainly a trend toward modern life and grabbing at iphones and all things material.

When it comes to these bigger and bigger staged events.... it just strikes me as sad on several levels. Mainly that a large assemblage is no better than giving alms to the one monk who walks by your house on any given day. Also, the spectacle of assembling a large amount of monks - is that what it takes to get modern people to get out and give ? How many will it take in 5 more years ? Is it to be a moment of true introspection and meditation on oneself and the Buddhist tennets, or just a chance to feel good momentarily while giving, and then snapping 500 pictures of 'exotic Thailand' for facebook and other internet outlets ?

[just_Elaine]

Thanks for the article. That's what is missing these days - the chimes and the charms of Buddhism in the air. Instead we have much more pollution and noise. I guess it is time for me to play tourist and visit some temples again to see if I can feel that again.

[cmsally]

I do have to wonder if the many lovely wats of Thailand are well on their way to becoming relics for vacation photos and a look at quaint life long ago - just as the heaps of unused churches are across greater Europe. Here it certainly symbolizes a loss of the country's charm and innocence. And then certainly a trend toward modern life and grabbing at iphones and all things material.

When it comes to these bigger and bigger staged events.... it just strikes me as sad on several levels. Mainly that a large assemblage is no better than giving alms to the one monk who walks by your house on any given day. Also, the spectacle of assembling a large amount of monks - is that what it takes to get modern people to get out and give ? How many will it take in 5 more years ? Is it to be a moment of true introspection and meditation on oneself and the Buddhist tennets, or just a chance to feel good momentarily while giving, and then snapping 500 pictures of 'exotic Thailand' for facebook and other internet outlets ?

Crikey its alms offering for 12,999 monks from Thepanya Hospital to Ruamchoke market.!

They even have loudspeaker vans advertising it. I wonder why its called International Alms Offering?