Ratchaburi Monk Protests 'Lack of Donations'

[Lite Beer]

Ratchaburi Monk Protests 'Lack of Donations'

By Khaosod Eng.

RATCHABURI — A monk in Ratchaburi province has staged a one-man protest over the lack of out-of-temple trips and donations he has been offered over the past seven years.

Phra Sap Abhitno, 35, drew much attention and bafflement from shoppers at a market in Bhotharam district this morning by explaining his grievance over a loudspeaker in front of a vegetarian charity lunch house.

Some curious motorists also stopped their vehicles to listen to the monk's speech, causing a considerable traffic jam in the area.

Phra Sap said he was ordained at Bhotharam Temple eight years ago (he had been a gangster before he joined the monkhood, he claimed), but over the past seven years he has never been invited to perform religious duties outside the temple. As a result, he has not had the chance to receive any donations from people outside the monastery.

Thais routinely invite monks to bless their new homes and businesses, often giving the monks donations in return.

Phra Sap also claimed that his abbot, Phra Kru Bhodiwaradhorn, has intercepted all of the invitations intended for him, and distributed them to other monks at the monastery instead.

"I am very sad," Phra Sap said through the loudspeaker. "It is as though I am merely a security guard for the temple."

He then announced to onlookers that he has resigned from Photharam Temple out of frustration, and is now looking for a temple that will provide him with more generous donation opportunities.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1399551855&typecate=06&section=

-- Khaosod English 2014-05-08

[edgarfriendly]

just urgh!!

[issanaus]

The Abbot is right not to let him out alone - clearly he is yet to learn anything

Should he chose to disrobe and get a job I would not be upset

[JesseFrank]

Come on, get him a private plane and a Louis vuitton bag, case solved

[JetsetBkk]

Phra Sap said he was ordained at Bhotharam Temple eight years ago (he had been a gangster before he joined the monkhood, he claimed), but over the past seven years he has never been invited to perform religious duties outside the temple. As a result, he has not had the chance to receive any donations from people outside the monastery.

[ezflip]

Maybe he needs a new iPhone...

[JesseFrank]

Phra Sap said he was ordained at Bhotharam Temple eight years ago (he had been a gangster before he joined the monkhood, he claimed),

Thais routinely invite monks to bless their new homes and businesses,

Well, who wouldn't want to have his house blessed by a gangster is beyond me .

[marioc]

I just can't believe it........a monk complaining......

[marioc]

well, to be fair my mom told me that few years back in a church during a mass the priest was complaining because he could receive only coins as offers to the church while he was expecting more notes........

[geriatrickid]

Nice. The abbott perhaps takes the vocation of monk seriously and pays attention to character.

[casindonet]

The abbot made a right decision making him the temple security guard, base on his past as a gangster.

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[winstonc]

should apply to be an mp.....he can make up for lost time threefold..

[BugJackBaron]

I think they need a new approach. Maybe the "monk bar " approach by the Japanese a

little while back? Begging is not cool despite wikipedia.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/new-style-of-temple-the-monks-bar

[beautifulthailand99]

wanting,wanting,wanting

complaining,complaining,complaining

time for him to get a new job which doesn't include thieving.Hats off to the Abott

or he could listen to some of these wise words of Ajarn Chah

[FangFerang]

He should come to Bangkok..he has the same ideologies as "Buddha Issara" it seems.

[stubuzz]

He is one reason i do not, or let my family, give to the temple!

[surangw]

maybe the public is finally figuring out where much of the money really goes

[Pib]

Sure sounds like this monk wants a pay raise.

[Emster23]

Maybe he should spend some time studying Buddhism? Like Buddha said "All life is suffering. And suffering comes from attachments". Amazing Thailand

[Thaiisnotrequired]

I just don't know what happened to Buddhism anymore, as displayed by 80% of monks of nowadays.

They expect payment..... well that is totally against the precepts. They expect people to buy mobile hones for them, including women late at night, and get eveything paid for them, even when they have a wad of cash illegaly taken from wat.

Thailand should be ashamed of its monkhood displays over the last 20 years: accepting criminals, and guys who have no intention but just to hide, because in effect they are rapists, murderers, killers and more! None of these guys study Pali or Theravada, or any papers.... they just clean the loos to be free of prison/jail and avoid what should ahve come to them.

His function, for credence of his past actions, was to live alone and learn about himself and his path to Nirvana. But no, he never intended such a trait, and now complains on the streets. What a <deleted> king waste of space, and embarassment to his colleagues, who've all quietly nestled a few million before leaving in 5 years!

He now wants a new temple, with somebody to give him better gains........ proof tht he doesn't know that being Buddhist is about finding yourself, and not 'holding' on to assets which deplore your character.

I hope he get's a scouse butty for breakfast!

[rreddin]

I just can't believe it........a monk complaining......

What hope is there for Thailand if even monks expect to make money from their calling?

[01322521959]

just urgh!!

Great minds and all that. The exact sound I made after reading this. Very sad reflection of hows attitudes are changing here.

[kkerry]

With his background, instead of protesting over some loudspeaker in Ratchaburi he should be boarding the next bus to Chaeng Wattana Road and meeting up with his fellow monk holding court there who could probably teach him a thing or two about soliciting donations. Always nice to get out for a day trip from the temple.

[axact]

The poor guy, he must feel really left out.

I see quite a few monks staying at our $60 a night rooms. They usually have Ipads, Iphones and the latest digital cameras. Has Louis Vittion designed a monks robe yet as they already have the handbags ?

Show me a religion that isnt full of hyprocrites.

[Thaiisnotrequired]

The poor guy, he must feel really left out.

I see quite a few monks staying at our $60 a night rooms. They usually have Ipads, Iphones and the latest digital cameras. Has Louis Vittion designed a monks robe yet as they already have the handbags ?

Show me a religion that isnt full of hyprocrites.

I thought I was trying to cope with Greek then, until I spotted your intentional mispelling, of course

"Show me a religion that isnt full of hyprocrites", and I'll show you my nostra anus.

Did you really mean 'hyprocites'? Or did you mean 'hypocrites'?

If you did... please send a cover letter to Oxbride, they'll soon discover a new meaning adjacent to Poo's ass.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Thaiisnotrequired

[NeilSA1]

The poor guy, he must feel really left out.

I see quite a few monks staying at our $60 a night rooms. They usually have Ipads, Iphones and the latest digital cameras. Has Louis Vittion designed a monks robe yet as they already have the handbags ?

Show me a religion that isnt full of hyprocrites.

I thought I was trying to cope with Greek then, until I spotted your intentional mispelling, of course

"Show me a religion that isnt full of hyprocrites", and I'll show you my nostra anus.

Did you really mean 'hyprocites'? Or did you mean 'hypocrites'?

If you did... please send a cover letter to Oxbride, they'll soon discover a new meaning adjacent to Poo's ass.

.... did you really mean "Oxbride"? Or did you mean "Oxbridge"? All is well... .

[IMA_FARANG]

I could say that is simply another illustration of how a western Capitalist materialist ideological cancer is spreading rapidly in traditional Thai culture ..... but I guess I won't.

Anyhow, if I did say that my views wouldn't be popular with the expat boozer-loser wh_re chaser crowd on this forum, would it?

[poxy one]

how did he get the loudspeaker?

[thesetat2013]

He must be one of the convicts released early to be a monk. One would think that after 6 years he still has not come to peace as a monk. Maybe he is trying to apply his knowledge as a gangster to monkhood. Or maybe the Abbit wants him to learn humility. At any rate his actions cleary show he is not ready to perform monk duties outside the temple

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[moe666]

The poor guy, he must feel really left out.

I see quite a few monks staying at our $60 a night rooms. They usually have Ipads, Iphones and the latest digital cameras. Has Louis Vittion designed a monks robe yet as they already have the handbags ?

Show me a religion that isnt full of hyprocrites.

I thought I was trying to cope with Greek then, until I spotted your intentional mispelling, of course

"Show me a religion that isnt full of hyprocrites", and I'll show you my nostra anus.

Did you really mean 'hyprocites'? Or did you mean 'hypocrites'?

If you did... please send a cover letter to Oxbride, they'll soon discover a new meaning adjacent to Poo's ass.

you covered it stop acting like a monk