Chiang Mai Abbot swaps shrine angels' swords with M16s, grenades

[tomyummer]

He left out drones, the internet, and GMO foods. And how do you paint biological weapons?

[UbonRatch]

No news of note for 3 days now. I guess news without <deleted> is just no news.

Prayuths cleaning up all the <deleted> , so get used to no news of note.

I still want to know where Chalerm is. Any whispers?

[boomerangutang]

give 'em a 'football' like prez Obama has. It's the valise he carries with him everywhere, it has all the verification codes for launching ICBMs.

Actually, what the temple did was smart, in terms of garnering more visitors. Thai temples are competing to see who can get the most visitors. Just in my town of Chiang Rai, there are two new temples. One is all white, and inside are paintings of Hollywood action heroes. The paintings were damaged in the recent earthquake, but that's beside the point.

The other is a 2 year old Buddhist complex in my village. It already has a 9 story building that looks like a wedding cake on steroids. It's as attractive as it is impractical. A large temple, now being glossed over with tons (literally) of white embellishments - probably to ape the tourist appeal of the White Temple mentioned above. The 3rd embellishment is a female Buddha being built - so big it will have twin elevators going up in to its head, for observers to look out her eyes and out her crown.

In the competition among temples to garner visitors, those two in Chiang Rai should wax successful. As for Buddhism according to Buddha's example, well..... that's like comparing a daffodil with a McDonald's double cheeseburger.

[claudiacardanale]

It looks ridiculous

A reflection of Thai society over past weeks.

[cnxdefyer]

Being Thai, it saddens me to see this monk's mentality. In a time where the people are so divided, to bring religion and weapons together is sick. This man is in a noble position and he is bringing his establishment to thuggery. I guess I'll have to redefine the term Buddhist.

[bangrak]

Just thought of a punishment for the abbot: during one month no drives in the Mercedes-Benz, no airco nor flat screen TV, and must eat some of the alms, that would be hard, wouldn't it?

[claudiacardanale]

No young boys around. thus the mind gets over creative.

[anon467367354]

why aren't they wearing camo?

[worgeordie]

Maybe he should have gone further and painted them wearing

red shirts !

regards Worgeordie

[TinoThailand]

Lovely! Just what we need. More violent programming of the unconsciousness and total acceptance. Just like the soaps, perfect!

[Thait Spot]

Maybe he should have gone further and painted them wearing

red shirts !

regards Worgeordie

Indeed!

3 fingered salutes next and the motto of the French revolution inscribed

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[Long tang]

Stupid is stupid does!

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Not stupid at all. With a few licks of paint his temple has become an internet sensation and a tourist trap, with a marked increase of visitors and donations I should imagine.

[arjunadawn]

It looks ridiculous

Yes, I agree; this is some absurd, progressive nonsense- nothing remotely Religious or dated about this choice. This is clearly militant theology, not unlike how Christian iconography slowly changed in Latin America art under Jesuit "updating." Many choices for weapons could have been employed by artists during the days such paintings were envisioned or created but invariably the sword was chosen; why? As an archetype the sword represents both the literal and figurative. It represents both the collective and individual warrior state and armament necessary to "do battle" with the forces of maya. See also Christian Ephesians; it's fairly universal.

It has been brilliantly argued that the entire battle in the Mahabarata is an analogy of the individual struggle to reach enlightenment and slay the demons of the senses. What the monk in Chiang Mai has done is inadvertently reveal he hasn't the remotest clue about the simpler- easier- mysteries of "means to alleviate suffering," and he poisons a valuable reflective tool for the lay by polluting icons with militant rubbish. This modern updating, in essence, revises the intent and reduces the angels to the profane.

[PungShoeWrote]

Looks like a a Remington 1100 16 gauge shotgun to me. Nice scope... Delete, Delete. Delete, Delete, Delete... Ballbags...

[seajae]

well it is red central so I suppose they want the locals to feel at home with their own personal weapons of choice being pushed by the good abbott. He obviously knows what the people in the area really want

[chinostar]

This abbot = a bot floundering. I'd love to listen to his Dharma speeches, must be outmost entertaining, although probably nothing to do with Buddhism.

[chinostar]

The City Pillar Shrine will become the major tourist attraction in Chiang Mai! Thank you abbot for making this city look more and more like Pattaya.

[chinostar]

Is this abbot ripe for the lunatics' asylum, or is it something worse? Aren't the Buddhist authorities going to undo this madness, asap?

They will probably 'like' it.

[Gandtee]

Perhaps the good Abbot should stop wearing old fashioned robes. Like weapons , modem clothes are more convenient. My brain hurts!!

[Seastallion]

The Abbott is obviously not aware what the spears and swords depicted being held by the ancient ones are. Perhaps instead of trying to modernise his religion, he should spend more time meditating and understanding the underlying message and concepts of the teachings. Although I respect that he has spent many more hours than me learning certain aspects of Buddhism, I fear he has much to learn on the true meaning of Bhuddism and its' interlinked message alongside various other belief systems which have not been tampered with throughout time.

Sounds a bit presumptuous and pretentious to me.

[belg]

by the looks, that is a sniper rifle and not an m16

[Fullstop]

The abbot of the City Pillar Shrine in Chiang Mai has ordered local artists to alter the angels painted on the shrine’s walls by swapping their traditional swords with modern weapons.

Do we need any further evidence that Thais, generally.... are flaming stupid?

Yeah ... why not. Keep it coming. Good for a laugh.

[thaimat]

It go's without saying that this is the type of person Thailand needs to lead them into the future , I am very disappointed some one else never thought of this sneaky maneuver , then again I guess Thaskin is busy forming anew government in ?????

Coincidence that this is in CM, Thaksin's "home-away-from-home"?

[invex]

I don't get it. Sure something wrong with me.

"by swapping their traditional swords with modern weapons."

Why then not swapping the traditional uniforms with modern uniforms? Why not just hang a photo of some military men over the paintings? Much more efficient.

[RubbaJohnny]

Our priest used to drone, drove us away in droves, perhaps they are being ironic and encouraging people to reject adornement,gold,materialism and follow the forest path of Gutama Siddhartha if they have ever heard of his non violent message.

Theravada mixed withnaga Lanna and Cambodian black magic,the "Green man" are allpart of stores used to suppress rational thought and scientific method,seems to be working.This unquestioning top down knowledge may lead to a realm of compliant morons who belive in pie in the sky when you die along the lines of the 3 semitic fairy tales that go down so well amongst the mentally cahllenged elsewhere.To be fair to the Thais they have all been brainwashed ,Americans Europeans and Antipodeans have no such excuse where you can reject the status quo,

[FangFerang]

My mind is boggled entirely. Red plus cube equals seventeen.

Of course! Amazing Thailand!

[FangFerang]

It go's without saying that this is the type of person Thailand needs to lead them into the future , I am very disappointed some one else never thought of this sneaky maneuver , then again I guess Thaskin is busy forming anew government in ?????

Coincidence that this is in CM, Thaksin's "home-away-from-home"?

Ah, cheap jab. Has nothing to do with him.

[GentlemanJim]

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Why doesn't he future proof them and give them phasers

Go the whole nine yards and make one of the Angels a Wookie.

I think light sabres would have looked really fetching.

"There are only two things that may be considered infinite, the Universe, and man's stupidity, and I am not that sure about the Universe"..........Einstein.

[ScreamingEagle101]

Just a suggestion. Check the Abbott's social calendar and birth records to peruse for who his friends and relatives are.

It would probably be helpful for the Abbot to go on a one month meditation retreat during the rains so as to get back in touch with the Dharma.

[Thait Spot]

I hope they have stout locks on the doors at the Sistine Chapel

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