Thai Buddhism: Much deeper things have gone wrong

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Thai Buddhism: Much deeper things have gone wrong
PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Weeks of front-page scandals involving Buddhist monk Luang Pu Nenkham have left many Thais in dismay and disbelief as more lurid details about the jet-setting monk emerges, allegedly involving drugs, untold wealth, lavish lifestyle and sex with underage girls.

Similarly, the sudden decision by well-known Thailand-based Japanese preaching-monk Phra Ajahn Mitsuo Gavesako, who teaches the virtue of celibacy, to discard his robes and almost instantly marry a Thai woman disciple shocked many of his followers.

Facing such revelations, many Thais wonder: What has gone wrong with Thai Buddhism?

These dramatic letdowns, are, nonetheless, almost insignificant compared to other aspects of collective failure among Buddhists in Thailand. Think, for example, how disturbing it is to realise that most Thai monks and lay people are silent on the spreading of hatred and Islamophobia by Buddhist monks and lay people in neighbouring Myanmar, a country also predominantly and supposedly Buddhist.

This is a much bigger letdown than both Luang Pu Nenkham and Phra Ajahn Mitsuo could ever be, and yet most Thai monks and lay Buddhists, and even the media in general, don't recognise our collective failure as Buddhists to help prevent or mitigate the exacerbation of hate-preaching against Muslims, by sending a strong message to our fellow Buddhists in Myanmar. Sadly, to many parochial Thai Buddhist monks and ordinary folks, this is not even an issue.

If you think it's "too much" to expect Thai monks and lay people to be interested in the state of Buddhism in Myanmar and the plight of the Rohingya and other Muslims there, let us look at how many temples in Thailand are needlessly and lavishly built in poor communities upcountry. This money could go to help build a hospital, school, library or even an agricultural cooperative - but it goes instead into building and maintaining grand, pricey and fancy temples and nothing is being done to condemn it, unlike the fancy lifestyles of monks like Luang Pu Nenkham.

Many Thai Buddhists are also deeply into the habit of donating money for the construction of this and that gigantic Buddha or statues of venerable monks, despite the fact any fairly well-educated Buddhist must be fully aware that the historical Buddha forbade the making of Buddha statues for worship.

Next, there's widespread belief in praying for health, wealth, and whatever you want from monks, Buddha statues, Hindu statues, Buddhist and Hindu amulets by those who are supposedly Buddhists. Never mind if the Buddha himself said one should depend of oneself and not on others.

Such practice is not just un-Buddhist in its thinking, but also constitutes one of the roots of a culture of bribery as people invariably promise to give something in return if and when their wishes are granted. Yet those who cry out so loudly against graft and corruption fail to see the connection as to how the daily culture of bribery is being deeply propagated and nurtured by these supposedly 'Buddhist' practices.

Last but not least, is the inability of many Thai monks and lay people to embrace the Buddha's teaching of forgiveness and abstention from exacting revenge. Many monks and ordinary Thais still support the death penalty as the ultimate form of revenge and punishment for hideous crimes, despite the Lord Buddha stating clearly that revenge has no role in his faith. Activists opposing capital punishment made it clear that a major obstacle to abolition of the death penalty is Buddhist monks and lay Buddhists who see execution as a right.

And so I laugh at the tiny farce surrounding monks like Luang Pu Nenkham - no fancy private jet or Maybach limo, or alleged sex in a cemetery, would shock me. What shocks me most is our collective failure as a society to live up to claims of being Buddhist.

-- The Nation 2013-07-10

[simple1]

Many Westerners have a very romantic view of Buddhism in Thailand. For sure their are many good people in the Sangha, but an article in the other English language newspaper says in brief summary:

- Provide a good education in actual dhamma (not traditional fairy stories)

- Sever the terrifying and toxic links between Buddhism and nationalism

- Retire the ossified leadership of the Sangha

- Toss out the ridiculous rituals and superstitions

Edited July 10, 2013 by simple1

[kermit the frog]

This is very brave of this Thai journalist to so openly criticize Buddhism in his country. I have often felt much the same when observing Thai Buddhism.

Before I came to Thailand, I became very interested in Zen Buddhism. I also frequented a Buddhist center that practiced Tibetan Buddhism. Both of these forms of Buddhism taught me many things about acceptance, patience, love, and kindness. I was actually kind of shocked - and have grown more so by degrees - when I first arrived here. Thai people eat meat, drink alcohol! I was naively thinking that a Buddhist nation would all be teetotal. But that lay people do all these things isn't really a big issue. The fact that many monks smoke, eat meat, openly carry cell phones, drink etc is highly un-Buddhist.

The truth is, Thais have their very own breed of Buddhism that is mixed up with Hinduism and Animism, and I don't know what else...Question I have always asked myself (and I know it's a rather cynical one): Are religions just a cover up for base human desires, a way to control our animal impulses somewhat? Is anyone really capable of being "saintly"?

[lee b]

i think buddhism is a great religion

[Payboy]

What has gone wrong with Thai Buddhism?

Well you can only dilute a concept so much.

[gosompoi]

Honest, true, good job! amen!

[cup-O-coffee]

No one is letting anyone down. This is all part of the act.

Next...

[lostmebike]

Having lived here a fair few years, I've often asked friends, families and girlfriends, what was it that they preyed for inside the temples? Almost all were praying for wealth.

This is Thai Buddhism and maybe the real problem is Thai society and what it perceives this religion can do for them.

[Trentham]

The coins that are dropped into a beggars cup by most Thais are almost never given as charity for the beggar. Those coins are to buy merit for the benefit of the donor. This is completely against what the Buddha taught.

[julemanden]

The coins that are dropped into a beggars cup by most Thais are almost never given as charity for the beggar. Those coins are to buy merit for the benefit of the donor. This is completely against what the Buddha taught.

Maybe the beggars should become monks then

[KarenBravo]

Face it; Thai Buddhism has actually nothing to do with the Buddhas teachings.

[Emdog]

"Next, there's widespread belief in praying for health, wealth, and whatever you want from monks, Buddha statues, Hindu statues, Buddhist and Hindu amulets by those who are supposedly Buddhists. Never mind if the Buddha himself said one should depend of oneself and not on others."

I am a buddhist, and am of the opinion that most know little to nothing of what core ideas of Buddhism are. Doing 'tam boon" here is like buying indulgences from Catholic Church in the old days. People seem to be attracted to the seemingly "easy" fix of donating money etc, rather than changing their way of interacting with the world, which is what Buddhism teaches. Maybe some sort of exam on what the Buddha taught would be in order before allowing these charlatans to wear the orange robes would be in order.....

[Thai-Aust]

Buddhism in Thailand has 1 big mistake, that parents expect their son to become a monk at least once in a lifetime. Becoming a monk is a huge step to transform one's life, to make sacrifices in a material world. Most people enter the monkhood this way find themselves at peace at first then becoming more and more suffocating with the rules even though they know what to expect. They do it because of their parents, society, perception of Thai culture.

Some monks enter a monkhood because they want easy way out such as unemployment, debts, poverty, etc. Once these people have a yellow robe covered their body, lay people will forgive and forget what these monks did in the past, no matter how bad it was.

Thais must change their perception, become a monk only when they want to learn Dharma, not because of their folks want them to be and certainly not because they want to hide their history.

[CrisRMenumate]

I often have these type of discussions with my wife, a Thai Buddhist, about the way Buddhism is practised in Thailand, frankly if there were a global head of Buddhism they should ban Thailand from calling what they practise Buddhism, because its always asking for lottery numbers, to get rich, to get lucky in this or that, and not about finding their own path to enlightenment through the practise of the Buddha's teaching. Her response is pretty much, you practise your Buddhism and Thailand will practise hers.... neither is perfect because neither knows the true Buddha... deep!

[lostmebike]

The coins that are dropped into a beggars cup by most Thais are almost never given as charity for the beggar. Those coins are to buy merit for the benefit of the donor. This is completely against what the Buddha taught.

Maybe the beggars should become monks then

Maybe they are monks, sent from Sisaket!

[Neeranam]

The coins that are dropped into a beggars cup by most Thais are almost never given as charity for the beggar. Those coins are to buy merit for the benefit of the donor. This is completely against what the Buddha taught.

I'm sure the Buddha taught not to be judgmental too.

How on earth can you know what most Thai people's reasoning is when giving money to beggars?

[CrisRMenumate]

Face it; Thai Buddhism has actually nothing to do with the Buddhas teachings.

Not quite nothing, but it could be said by some, that the teachings are but a shadow in which the "business" of Thai Buddhism is hidden, IMHO

[klauskunkel]

good article

[Naroge]

This is the best article on the present status of Thai Buddhism I have ever read. I hope he will write it in Thai also, for a Thai audience.

[Neeranam]

This is very brave of this Thai journalist to so openly criticize Buddhism in his country. I have often felt much the same when observing Thai Buddhism.

Before I came to Thailand, I became very interested in Zen Buddhism. I also frequented a Buddhist center that practiced Tibetan Buddhism. Both of these forms of Buddhism taught me many things about acceptance, patience, love, and kindness. I was actually kind of shocked - and have grown more so by degrees - when I first arrived here. Thai people eat meat, drink alcohol! I was naively thinking that a Buddhist nation would all be teetotal. But that lay people do all these things isn't really a big issue. The fact that many monks smoke, eat meat, openly carry cell phones, drink etc is highly un-Buddhist.

The truth is, Thais have their very own breed of Buddhism that is mixed up with Hinduism and Animism, and I don't know what else...Question I have always asked myself (and I know it's a rather cynical one): Are religions just a cover up for base human desires, a way to control our animal impulses somewhat? Is anyone really capable of being "saintly"?

I have been taught by experience never to criticize a monk. Karma has a way of working when one does.

There is no Thai Buddhism. There is Theravada Buddhism.

I spent time in a Mahayana Buddhist retreat in Daramasla, India, where most of the monks are 'Tibetan' - they all ate meat, which surprised me at the time, as did other practices like the Tantric ones.

Tibetans perception of what the Buddha taught are different to Thais, Indians, Japanese etc.

In Scotland some people's understanding of Christianity is totally different from someone in Utah or Rome etc.

Of course Jesus would not advocate the use of alcohol yet many Christian countries drink, a lot!

Live and let live.

[falang07]

Thai Buddhism? A joke from the rich to keep the poor from killing them.

[Thai-Aust]

I wonder why the author from the Nation expect Thai monks/lay people to be interested in Muslims in Myanmar. Thai people in general don't interfere with other people's business, they don't even have actions/thoughts about their own society as long as it doesn't directly hurt them. Have a look at how politics are playing out right now, that the country could go into bankruptcy soon yet only a few people come out to protests and make it known to the public.

Maybe this is not about Buddhism in Thailand but about attitude of materialism that not only infects Thais but almost all of humankind.

[lostmebike]

This is very brave of this Thai journalist to so openly criticize Buddhism in his country. I have often felt much the same when observing Thai Buddhism.

Before I came to Thailand, I became very interested in Zen Buddhism. I also frequented a Buddhist center that practiced Tibetan Buddhism. Both of these forms of Buddhism taught me many things about acceptance, patience, love, and kindness. I was actually kind of shocked - and have grown more so by degrees - when I first arrived here. Thai people eat meat, drink alcohol! I was naively thinking that a Buddhist nation would all be teetotal. But that lay people do all these things isn't really a big issue. The fact that many monks smoke, eat meat, openly carry cell phones, drink etc is highly un-Buddhist.

The truth is, Thais have their very own breed of Buddhism that is mixed up with Hinduism and Animism, and I don't know what else...Question I have always asked myself (and I know it's a rather cynical one): Are religions just a cover up for base human desires, a way to control our animal impulses somewhat? Is anyone really capable of being "saintly"?

I have been taught by experience never to criticize a monk. Karma has a way of working when one does.

There is no Thai Buddhism. There is Theravada Buddhism.

I spent time in a Mahayana Buddhist retreat in Daramasla, India, where most of the monks are 'Tibetan' - they all ate meat, which surprised me at the time, as did other practices like the Tantric ones.

Tibetans perception of what the Buddha taught are different to Thais, Indians, Japanese etc.

In Scotland some people's understanding of Christianity is totally different from someone in Utah or Rome etc.

Of course Jesus would not advocate the use of alcohol yet many Christian countries drink, a lot!

Live and let live.

Sort of understand what you are getting at but what's your take on the 'jet-setting monk' from Sisaket? Open for criticism?

[sixlegs]

This is just a part of the general problem that exists in the Thai society. Everything is oversimplified in the Thai minds and they just do their buddhist religion as they do all of their stuffs (such as the hitler burger). And most likely this is the result of the flawed and underdeveloped education system - and they way people are being rewarded for what they do or not do - that does not teach them the fundamentals that are necessary to develop reasonable way of thinking.

But probably this just serves the purpose to create the childish subordintates in a paternalistic system, because stupid people don't ask themselves smart questions, just go to a temple when a problem arises and burn a few sticks and everything will be fine. That's why you build a temple instead of a new school in the middle of a poor village where electricity is a luxury and everything stinks because the lack of basic canal system.

[gosompoi]

The coins that are dropped into a beggars cup by most Thais are almost never given as charity for the beggar. Those coins are to buy merit for the benefit of the donor. This is completely against what the Buddha taught.

Maybe the beggars should become monks then

Maybe they are monks, sent from Sisaket!

Maybe if they were driving luxury cars!

[gosompoi]

This is very brave of this Thai journalist to so openly criticize Buddhism in his country. I have often felt much the same when observing Thai Buddhism.

Before I came to Thailand, I became very interested in Zen Buddhism. I also frequented a Buddhist center that practiced Tibetan Buddhism. Both of these forms of Buddhism taught me many things about acceptance, patience, love, and kindness. I was actually kind of shocked - and have grown more so by degrees - when I first arrived here. Thai people eat meat, drink alcohol! I was naively thinking that a Buddhist nation would all be teetotal. But that lay people do all these things isn't really a big issue. The fact that many monks smoke, eat meat, openly carry cell phones, drink etc is highly un-Buddhist.

The truth is, Thais have their very own breed of Buddhism that is mixed up with Hinduism and Animism, and I don't know what else...Question I have always asked myself (and I know it's a rather cynical one): Are religions just a cover up for base human desires, a way to control our animal impulses somewhat? Is anyone really capable of being "saintly"?

I have been taught by experience never to criticize a monk. Karma has a way of working when one does.

There is no Thai Buddhism. There is Theravada Buddhism.

I spent time in a Mahayana Buddhist retreat in Daramasla, India, where most of the monks are 'Tibetan' - they all ate meat, which surprised me at the time, as did other practices like the Tantric ones.

Tibetans perception of what the Buddha taught are different to Thais, Indians, Japanese etc.

In Scotland some people's understanding of Christianity is totally different from someone in Utah or Rome etc.

Of course Jesus would not advocate the use of alcohol yet many Christian countries drink, a lot!

Live and let live.

Sort of understand what you are getting at but what's your take on the 'jet-setting monk' from Sisaket? Open for criticism?

Do not forget in Sisaket not only are our monks rich with child wives but we have highest amount of registered luxury cars and the best test cheating scams. Sisaket voted the most corrupt area in Thailand and where our roads cost twice as much but only last a few months.

Edited July 10, 2013 by gosompoi

[lostmebike]

The coins that are dropped into a beggars cup by most Thais are almost never given as charity for the beggar. Those coins are to buy merit for the benefit of the donor. This is completely against what the Buddha taught.

Maybe the beggars should become monks then

Maybe they are monks, sent from Sisaket!

Maybe if they were driving luxury cars!

And smelling of French Cologne. The cleanest beggars ever seen!

[Frank James]

A fine article, and almost dangerously subversive. Kudos to the author.

[Kilgore Trout]

i think buddhism is a great religion

The hate buddhists in burma have been holding signs saying it is not a religion, are they right? I don't know

Sent from my GT-S5660 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MacWalen]

Religion is a good business too. Those who run religion have good life. Has been like that for thousands of years.