NRC panel focused on monks and money
NITIPOL KIRAVANICH
THE NATION


Paiboon Nititawan

Case of Wat Dhammakaya being reviewed, Paiboon says

BANGKOK: -- THE CHAIRMAN of the reform committee on the protection of Buddhism has said the purpose of his committee is to seek an answer on whether monks can spend money, so the matter can be regulated with sincerity.

"We are focusing on the case of Phra Dhammachayo, the abbot of Dhammakaya Temple, because there was a report indicating he has been involved with money matters, including the source of the money, that has been handled without transparency," Paiboon Nititawan told The Nation.

Paiboon, whose committee was set up earlier by the National Reform Council, sparked uproar when he said at a recent meeting of the committee that according to a 1999 statement by the then-Supreme Patriarch, Phra Dhammachayo had been automatically defrocked.

This created tension between the NRC panel, the monk and Buddhist groups.

Dhammakaya Temple is believed to be the wealthiest temple in Thailand, but some Buddhists view it as a temple that has distorted Lord Buddha's teachings in relation to money matters.

"Our goal is to protect religion by scrutinising the temple's budget or financial status, with Dhammakaya Temple the main case study we have to look into," Paiboon said.

He said the study's findings could result in the public realising what the real problems were and how they could be regulated.

He said that along with investigating whether monks could spend money, his panel wanted to determine if monks can collect money if they are allowed to spend it.

If they were, it needed to be determined how much they could collect and whether they had to declare assets like non-monks had to.

"All these questions have been frequently asked by many people, and if the monks can use and collect money do they have to pay taxes too? This is one of the important questions we have to search for facts [to reach a conclusion]," he said.

Paiboon said another legal question that needed answering involved a dead person's assets being transferred to an entity.

When a monk died, he said, it had to be determined if the money should be transferred to the monk's temple or elsewhere.

Also, if a monk transferred money before he died, can an entity that gets the money spend it anywhere or only within the religious realm?

The chairman also said some observers had suggested that monks could not hold money themselves. If they received money it must be registered under the temple in the form of a cooperative or credit union.

However if a monk wanted to spend money it must come from his share of temple money and could only be used for religious matters. "Our religious principles state that monks should be prohibited from greed and desire, with [obtaining] money or property [for personal use] prohibited under the Buddhism religion," Paiboon said.

Another panel member Mano Laohavanich, who was a monk at Dhammakaya more than 20 years, said he left the temple because its ideology had shifted and it was in essence a business corporation in the form of a temple.

According to the Tripitaka, the main Buddhist teaching, there are reasons why a monk cannot have and spend money, Mano insisted.

Paiboon said there were many recent cases in which individuals including monks had used religion as an agency for their own benefit.

Furthermore, he said Buddhism's teachings, principles and practices had been eroded, resulting in many Buddhists losing faith.

"If we do not prevent this issue from happening again, or find a method to reform religious measures, it will lead to bigger problems later which will affect the whole religion," he said.

In another blow to the standing of the faith, a monk named Luang Pu Nenkham was charged with rape and embezzlement two years ago.

Paiboon pointed out that the reform process now underway was yet to study and scrutinise the main issues Buddhism faces and how to solve them. When that was done it could see a strengthening of existing laws governing religion and the drafting of new laws.

When asked to comment on Phra Dhammachayo's financial issues and the source of Dhammakaya Temple's money, Paiboon said there was a report suggesting the abbot had been involved with embezzlement at Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative and had distorted Buddhist teachings.

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) found a large sum of money embezzled from Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative went to Dhammakaya Temple and its monks including Phra Dhammachayo.

Also, Paiboon said many complaints had been levelled against the temple and its abbot. But this time there was strong evidence against Phra Dhammachayo that must be scrutinised seriously. This was the job of the DSI and the Anti-Money Laundering Office, while his committee's objective was to study the case closely.

The study needs to enact regulations to prevent something similar happening again, Paiboon said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/NRC-panel-focused-on-monks-and-money-30255141.html


-- The Nation 2015-03-02

There is also a question that as many enter the monkhood in later life when they have already accumulated assets, what happens to the assets they had before they became monks ?

There are some who only enter a temple for a short time, how does these things apply to them ?

There is also ones like the one on the panel who said he left the monkhood after 20 years, do they leave with no assets ?

This is what happens when a bunch of unelected politicians have a sense of moral authority, and want to legislate the nation into being 'good'.

They are not consulting the Sangha on these issues.

There is also a question that as many enter the monkhood in later life when they have already accumulated assets, what happens to the assets they had before they became monks ?

There are some who only enter a temple for a short time, how does these things apply to them ?

There is also ones like the one on the panel who said he left the monkhood after 20 years, do they leave with no assets ?

This is what happens when a bunch of unelected politicians have a sense of moral authority, and want to legislate the nation into being 'good'.

They are not consulting the Sangha on these issues.

There is also a question that as many enter the monkhood in later life when they have already accumulated assets, what happens to the assets they had before they became monks ?

There are some who only enter a temple for a short time, how does these things apply to them ?

There is also ones like the one on the panel who said he left the monkhood after 20 years, do they leave with no assets ?

Ah the usual, when you have no answers resort to bashing.

No they are not legislating anything they are investigating a legitimate complaint.

I had hoped that someone like yourself who purports to know about Buddhism may be able to answer my questions for they are genuine questions as I dont know.

The NRC are going to have to tread very carefully indeed here unless a deal has already been done, which in light of recent events is very possible.

I suggest people look a little deeper, ask yourselves who has sponsored and favoured Dhammakaya Temple et al for many years that it has become so wealthy ? This temple has been linked to donations of very large sums,Blue diamonds and much much more regarding a certain topic and those involved, both directly and indirectly.

The cover story is its about corruption in the Sangha and theres no doubt there is a lot of it going on but its also politically motivated as much as anything else. The weight the SCC carries as the religious voice of Buddhist approval is an important role and piece on the chessboard. Like a certain police chief and family recently some are finding their previously cast iron patronage is proving to be not so impenetrable now.

It would seem that rackets - riches - corruption and money laundering are not far from this story

It exists in every institution on the planet in one way or another

This is particularly nasty as it emanates from what is supposed to be a pillar of society

Ah I have not much time for monks For I know that in some European countries the monks are self sufficient ,having farms running/ breeding cattle,making cheese,making Beer,They don't get money or food from the people ,,unlike the lazy buggers here.

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No more questions Your Honor

The NRC are going to have to tread very carefully indeed here unless a deal has already been done, which in light of recent events is very possible.

I suggest people look a little deeper, ask yourselves who has sponsored and favoured Dhammakaya Temple et al for many years that it has become so wealthy ? This temple has been linked to donations of very large sums,Blue diamonds and much much more regarding a certain topic and those involved, both directly and indirectly.

The cover story is its about corruption in the Sangha and theres no doubt there is a lot of it going on but its also politically motivated as much as anything else. The weight the SCC carries as the religious voice of Buddhist approval is an important role and piece on the chessboard. Like a certain police chief and family recently some are finding their previously cast iron patronage is proving to be not so impenetrable now.

I certainlly agree with you and I hope a deal has not been made.

I especially like the credit union setup. Say I'm one of the sheeples and I borrow 100,000 Baht, which is the temple's money, I give it to the temple (back to the temple) to make merit for my deceased relatives and to have good luck. Then I repay the loan to the credit union (temple) plus interest. Thus the temple doubles their money plus intrest. David Hannum got it tight, "there's a sucker born every minute."

It would seem that rackets - riches - corruption and money laundering are not far from this story

It exists in every institution on the planet in one way or another

This is particularly nasty as it emanates from what is supposed to be a pillar of society

Including the military!! ?

Government regulation of religion. What could possibly go wrong?

It would seem that rackets - riches - corruption and money laundering are not far from this story

It exists in every institution on the planet in one way or another

This is particularly nasty as it emanates from what is supposed to be a pillar of society

pillar of society , yea kinda like the "hub" of goodness. what a monk should be and what some are, there exists wide range of grey area. thailand people hold the dollar in a much higher place then it should be. imo :-)

Government regulation of religion. What could possibly go wrong?

They don't appear to be able to regulate themselves, from another topic :

Thailand's 37,075 Buddhist temples are meant to file an annual financial report with the National Office of Buddhism

In 2011 only 1,321 obeyed that rule.

Corruption is endemic in Thai society. OK, if you want to call it patronage. The thing is, it should come as no surprise that it can be found in the Santa, as well as, the military. Make attempts at changes too rapidly and you gain too many in opposition. Where will it end up?