Thai editorial: Banned for disclosing an uncomfortable truth

[Hawk]

Banned for telling the truth, yes because Thais love telling lies.

[novo58]

Doesnt ANY movie about any religion cause controversy...............................

Jesus christ superstar

Life of Brian

passion of christ

exorcist

da vinci code----------------------------to name just a few

any discussion, movie, song , play about any religion is sure to cause controversy and sure to upset someone.

[MZurf]

Bangkok Post also runs a commentary on the movie that is worth reading too.

In this commentary there is also a very interesting story that the military requested removal of a story on the personal rift between two generals.

It's always worth while to have a look at the Bangkok Post in these junta times as (for some mysterious reason) they cover stories that The Nation won't touch.

[NCC1701A]

I possess supernatural power, what do I get?

[Artisi]

And Mohammed was a man, and Joseph smith was a man

Yes, but they worship a God. Buddhists worship a man.

Wrong, Buddhist's don't worship a man, they might or should pay respect to Buddha - but that isn't worship.

[Shiver]

I've spoken with a couple of Thais who have complained that Buddhism is now getting too commercial, and they're losing interest as a result.

[chilli42]

I wonder, did the senior monks even see the movie or is this a reaction based on rumor ... I think we know the answer to that. Seems to me that this movie is about a wayward man who happens to be a monk. That hardly brings the religion crashing down. I don't think every Catholic priest is a pedophile nor do I think the religion itself is flawed just because of a few bad apples. Finally, it's a movie that a finite and low percent of people will ever see. It simply does not have the potential to drive significant social change. Where is this obsession with controlling everything coming from? The cat is already out of the bag, it's too late. The Internet has changed everything ... perhaps the single gateway can fix that.

[NickJ]

Maybe they should have offered up some of the box in the form of helping the defrocked getting a new start on life....

[seajae]

unfortunately Buddhism has become a joke in Thailand, it is full of corruption and has become a money making concern in many cases or somewhere to practice debauchery and have protection from doing so. How many monks actually live by buddhist rules, not many, they all have mobile phones, personal wealth, the leaders own cars, land, helicopters etc and they control millions of baht. When you cant trust monks to be true to their faith there isnt much left, like the police they need to be cleaned out and the law needs to stop pussy footing around with them, charge them and throw them in jail, they are criminals.

[NancyL]

I saw the trailer for this movie earlier this week ahead of a showing of 'The Martian' and was very surprised a movie with such an explicit story line was going to be shown in Thailand. Turns out I was right -- it's not going to be shown. I suspect that like most trailers, they showed the juiciest parts during that three minute promotional clip.

[English 1]

The comments here about Buddism in Thailand are correct.

It's SUPERSTITION more than a Religion.

Remember they also bow down to the Invisible Magic Man and the little miniature house's.....

which they did LONG BEFORE BUDDHISM came to Thailand.

I know many Thai who wear Amulets but in private say the don't fully believe in it.

As someone said and a well known Thai author stated in an article in The Bangkok Post.......

Thai go to the Temple to pray to win the Lottery Etc.

If you don't mind getting up at 4am and going out to beg for free food, doing Chants, not working and not going to prison then that's the Gravy Train for you.

They know it and the Thai people know it......but choose to go along with the show because they believe what their Grandparents and their Parents did they must do....no thought goes into it.

Edited October 15, 2015 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[FangFerang]

"Men enter the monkhood specifically to abuse its privileges."

The writer was thinking of Suthep.

[FangFerang]

I wonder, did the senior monks even see the movie or is this a reaction based on rumor ... I think we know the answer to that. Seems to me that this movie is about a wayward man who happens to be a monk. That hardly brings the religion crashing down. I don't think every Catholic priest is a pedophile nor do I think the religion itself is flawed just because of a few bad apples. Finally, it's a movie that a finite and low percent of people will ever see. It simply does not have the potential to drive significant social change. Where is this obsession with controlling everything coming from? The cat is already out of the bag, it's too late. The Internet has changed everything ... perhaps the single gateway can fix that.

I don't like liking your post.

But I do.

Sadly.

[Wombat6]

Buddhism in Thailand ain't what it used to be... and it's not the 'Buddhism" that's the culprit it's the Phra Suthep's and Phra Issara's and all the others who make a mockery out of a wonderful philosophy

You just can't help yourself by making a comment without making a political reference. Your flogging a dead horse. Get a life

[GAZZPA]

And Mohammed was a man, and Joseph smith was a man

You really don't have a clue do you..

Very briefly for you,,

Buddhism is a belief system, not a religion. Buddha was a man and his teachings are about being harmonious with the world and universe around you. He did not believe there was a God, he did not pray to a God and he did not preach supernatural powers.

Muslims and Christians (in reference to highlighting Mohammed and Joseph) do believe in God. So these are religions as they follow a system of praying and worshipping an ultimate creator (albeit with differences)

I could go on but it would take too much time.

[Ace of Pop]

Don't go on ,we're tired of bullshit n gods.

[GAZZPA]

The comments here about Buddism in Thailand are correct.

It's SUPERSTITION more than a Religion.

Remember they also bow down to the Invisible Magic Man and the little miniature house's.....

which they did LONG BEFORE BUDDHISM came to Thailand.

I know many Thai who wear Amulets but in private say the don't fully believe in it.

As someone said and a well known Thai author stated in an article in The Bangkok Post.......

Thai go to the Temple to pray to win the Lottery Etc.

If you don't mind getting up at 4am and going out to beg for free food, doing Chants, not working and not going to prison then that's the Gravy Train for you.

They know it and the Thai people know it......but choose to go along with the show because they believe what their Grandparents and their Parents did they must do....no thought goes into it.

Scary thing for you to say. You are insinuating that the whole country is blindly bumbling through life pretending that they believe something they dont and that they go and pray for material gain and thats about it..

I suspect this could offend a lot of Thai people,, but I have to say I do see some truth in what you say.

i have asked with genuine interest who they are praying to when they pray? The reason I ask this is because buddhists do not believe in God, they believe in becoming one with the Universe at sometime during one of their lifetimes. So, when they pray who is listening and how is a man answering their prayers? I genuinely have asked this question and never received a reply, not once.

However, who I am to criticise. If someone wants to believe something that potentially makes them think about being a better person in society then I am all for it and say each to their own.

[LannaGuy]

Buddhism in Thailand ain't what it used to be... and it's not the 'Buddhism" that's the culprit it's the Phra Suthep's and Phra Issara's and all the others who make a mockery out of a wonderful philosophy

You just can't help yourself by making a comment without making a political reference. Your flogging a dead horse. Get a life

Hey you Wombat what political reference? or are you lying again? this threads about Buddhism now try and concentrate

[Jonmarleesco]

'In this case, the ministry feared that "Arbat" could damage the country's majority faith, in line with critics' complaints that it insults Buddhism and invites viewers to denigrate the religion. It has been charged that the movie seeks to undermine the faith of Buddhists​ ...' Well, truth is even stranger than fiction.

[MESmith]

Shouldn't the OP read

Thai editorial: Banned for disrobing an uncomfortable truth

[T_Dog]

I find banning it hypocritical at best. Lets continue to put our heads in the sand and pretend that things like the film is reputed to address doesn't happen, although it does. A good article in my opinion

Thailand has no shortage of uncomfortable truths. At least you can talk about this one.

[JAG]

I find banning it hypocritical at best. Lets continue to put our heads in the sand and pretend that things like the film is reputed to address doesn't happen, although it does. A good article in my opinion

Thailand has no shortage of uncomfortable truths. At least you can talk about this one.

For now. ..

[HerbalEd]

An insult to Buddhism?

It's an insult to Buddhism when, every day, millions of people go to a temple to 'make merit' in return for winning the lottery.

Buddhism certainly has no monopoly on such practice. Billions of people from all religions world-wide pray for such things as money, their home team winning, getting laid, cancer cure, etc., etc., etc..

Edited October 15, 2015 by HerbalEd

[tbthailand]

Hmmmm, ....

reading this part of the editorial carefully...

The readiness to defend one's religion against perceived threats is laudable

and re-reading it, ... the question comes to mind, why is being ready to defend's one religion against perceived threats laudable?

Rather I would say that this sentiment is the root of all religious violence, today, and for many many centuries.

Edited October 15, 2015 by tbthailand

[kimamey]

And Mohammed was a man, and Joseph smith was a man

Yes, but they worship a God. Buddhists worship a man.

But since he died over 2500 years ago he's no longer a man so is more like a god. It seems that's how many see him. Not that it makes any difference to the story.

[kimamey]

And Mohammed was a man, and Joseph smith was a man

You really don't have a clue do you..

Very briefly for you,,

Buddhism is a belief system, not a religion. Buddha was a man and his teachings are about being harmonious with the world and universe around you. He did not believe there was a God, he did not pray to a God and he did not preach supernatural powers.

Muslims and Christians (in reference to highlighting Mohammed and Joseph) do believe in God. So these are religions as they follow a system of praying and worshipping an ultimate creator (albeit with differences)

I could go on but it would take too much time.

If it's as simple as you say why are there different forms of Buddhism?

I'm not sure you have much idea either.

The problem seems to be not what Buddha did or didn't do or believe. It's about what people believe and do now. In that sense it's very much the same as most religions in that regardless of how it started a group of men (it always seems to be men) realise that if they put themselves forward as understanding the true meaning of the religion they can gain power and influence and in many cases won't have to work ever again.

In the case of Buddha he didn't have statues of himself but Buddhists do. They pray to him and the whole thing seems more like a religion than anything else.

I could go on but it would take too much time.

Edited October 15, 2015 by kimamey

[Toknarok]

Yet another Thai film director (a winner of the Palm D'Or) has decided not to release one of his films in his home Country. This time it involves the Thai Army so with the present Government it's not surprising that the Thai public wont get to see it. Link...http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34540734

[JMWPACIFIC]

Banning this movie will just put the public's head further into the sand and allow the corrupt ilk feel comfortable in their misdeeds.

[Basil B]

I think any film based on Thai real life would depict the Thai Nation in a bad light... therefore would be banned.

Or more to the point you could make a documentary on life in Thailand, but to make it acceptable to the authorities much of it would end up on the cutting room floor.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Basil B

[freedom4life]

People are still stuck in the prison-like state of the mind and persona that religions have to offer. Some on those on this forum have it right...Buddhism, like many other religions, were created by men after the fact (Buddha is a state of being) For the most part , religions are a way to keep people immobilized and socially/mentally contained within a controllable environment e.g. countries, cities, towns. Anyone can see that governments and big religious sects work hand-in-hand e.g. Catholicism, Evangelicalism-Protestants-Christians. Money, control and manipulation benefits both the former and latter. I gather that people have been too conditioned to self-govern or be Christ-like/Buddha-like on their own. In addition, their handlers, religions and governments, would not be able to tolerate such a transition.

As long as money is the key focus in this archaic-system...real change will not occur.Therefore indecision, uncertainty and insecurity will continue.

Edited October 16, 2015 by freedom4life