DSI proposes defrocking Dhammakaya abbot



BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has proposed the National Office of Buddhism to defrock the abbot of Dhammakaya temple in Pathumthani province after its investigation revealed that he was guilty of misappropriation and receiving stolen property.

The DSI came out with the proposal after its investigators have probed and gained substantial evidence from several relevant government agencies which include the Court of Justices, the Office of the Attorney-General, the National Office of Buddhism, the Supreme Sangha Council, the Crime Suppression Division, and the Office of the Auditor General.

It concluded in its finding that Phra Dhammachayo, the abbot of the Dhammakaya temple, had committed wrongful acts that are against Articles 147 and 157 of the Criminal Code after he was alleged to have misappropriated the property of the temple for personal purposes, and to receive stolen property.

Although the abbot had returned the misappropriated property (land plot) to his temple, it was not a reason to exempt him from the offences he had committed. Instead his return of the property was made out of confutation to evidences.

The DSI then proposed that the abbot must be defrocked under an earlier order by the former Supreme Patriarch after the Supreme Sangha Council had reached a resolution to defrock the abbot.

Meanwhile Minister of PM’s Office Mr Suvaphan Tanyuwattana said he hasn’t received official proposal but said that the National Office of Buddhism must coordinate with the DSI over the issue.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/149503

-- Thai PBS 2016-02-04

Defrosting then anything else or is that case closed, successfully ?

"confutation to evidences"? Even looking it up, I remain confused as to what the writer was trying to say.

The whole cult should be banned. Do you know how much that temple cost? Over $1 billion, yes dollars!

About time, goddammit!

I've lost count of the number of times DSI have made such moves that don't seem to amount to anything. The truth is it lacks teeth. Unless something extraordinary is done, Dhammakaya is here to stay. Woe is Thailand.

....people say they have billions....and are 'backed' by billions....

The whole cult should be banned. Do you know how much that temple cost? Over $1 billion, yes dollars!

You know that. Do you also know what "that whole cult" really does trying to promote something sinister like world peace and how many are involved world-wide You should really be more concerned if en-mass they all decide to protest or better yet convert to the opposite.

How much do a few submarines cost for instance? Yes dollars and what a crock of nonsense from people that keep their intelligence secret.

Edited February 4, 201610 yr by silent

The whole cult should be banned. Do you know how much that temple cost? Over $1 billion, yes dollars!

How much did say Colgne Cathedral cost in todays dollars, or Westtminster Abbey, or St Marks or the Blue Mosque?

How about arrest and prosecution ... and if found guilty, jail?

If defenders ever happen to watch their station, they would see shameless self promotion and manipulation that rivals American tele evanglists and procession that make Triumph of the Will look like a line at Tesco. A spiritual ponzi scheme. "Your sister was in realm of hungry ghosts, but since you donated to temple, she is now in realm of celestial royalty". That is what I heard one afternoon from this monk in robe only. This organization is dangerous. Do all possible to rid Thailand of them, use assets to perhaps teach what Buddha really taught.... wow what a concept!

Saffron Mafia having a turf war..... which sect temples families will win?

Anyone having no personal opinion about this should have a brief look at Dhammakaya's private TV station (on the cable at our place it's on channel 1...), just to watch in his show(!) two or three of Dhammachayo's (lenghty) 'interpretations' of letters sent in(?) by followers of his personal cult.

With a grain of common sense, it will be at once obvious this is pure manipulation and endoctrination, with that pseudo-monk 'explaining' into details the 'reasons' why every little thing in the believer's present in the letter is happening, as described by the believer, why and how the listed events did happen so in his/her(!) past too, and also that of parents and family!

When you haven't seen and heard it, you can't believe such stuff does exist nowadays! Magical mumbo-jumbo all over the place, with comics-esk illustrations and all to penetrate the weak minds, playing on fears and superstitions, ...and on wanting to be better, more, higher, more successfull, richer than the others!

That's not all though, Dhammachayo also reads in the future! When the believer(s) do(es) more merit (financial contributions to Dhammakaya) as he tells, brings in other believers, related or befriended, he does say how much better it will go for the believer(s) in this life, and in the next ones too, ...and also for the deceased ones mentioned in the letter in their (now of course very painfull...) after-life!

IMO, this is a, very, dangerous man, and cult, not only for the gullible Thai people, but even for the Thai country!

It should have been disbanded tens of years ago, as soon as it became clear what this Dhammachayo was doing, ...but isn't it the ugly caricature of what Thai Buddhism is becoming, has become, maybe(?) explaining why the SSC did ignore, or even does protect, it...?

When you know Dhammakaya has an estimated 1.4million dedicated followers in Thailand, getting control of more and more temples here, and that it holds the immense majority of the Thai Buddhist temples outside of Thailand in its grip (the Thai 'expats'...!), you will understand better how dangerous it can be, the more so Dhammakaya's core business doesn't consist of the poor or modal Thais, but of the better-off, 'educated'(?), yes, the rich and influential ones too.

The cult owns thousands of rais of good land, and an estimated 'treasure chest' above 1 Billion ...of USD.(!), ...in Thailand, and is said to be 'even more rich' abroad (donations abroad and transfered money)...!

Oh, and the links (common interets?) between Dhammachayo and Thaksin/Shins being another matter to seriously worry about for the future...

The whole cult should be banned. Do you know how much that temple cost? Over $1 billion, yes dollars!

You know that. Do you also know what "that whole cult" really does trying to promote something sinister like world peace and how many are involved world-wide You should really be more concerned if en-mass they all decide to protest or better yet convert to the opposite.

How much do a few submarines cost for instance? Yes dollars and what a crock of nonsense from people that keep their intelligence secret.

I do not think I would ask the people who lost their life savings and it just happen to appear at this Wat as a donation something like several billion baht, buys a lot of world peace.

Department of Special Issara, the mad monk who tried to oust the US ambassador for lese majeste and now wants to oust the abbot of this temple in Pathumthani because of its link to the Shin clan and its links to the next Supreme Patriarch. Is it really the money, corruption that is at play here or is there more to the story? Remember the donated money was returned.

Edited February 5, 201610 yr by Wilsonandson

Look, it's fine to dislike the Dhammakaya setup - but there is religious freedom in Thailand. They do teach keeping Buddhist precepts, practicing meditation; all the supporters I have met are very decent sorts.

If the DSI want the leader de-frocked, they should press a genuine court case.

What if the DSI issued a statement that the CEO of Estee Lauder should be removed from office? Unless they have a real case they want to prosecute, they have no right.

The land issue was dealt with by the courts and ended in 2006 without a guilty sentence. The Sangha Council issue was dealt with by them 10 years ago. And the financial scandal did not relate to Dhammakaya to any degree further than the guilty parties offering large donations (presumably to clean up some of their bad karma). Though the temple was not involved in the scandal, they re-payed the funds they had received.

Move on - there are real bad guys out there.

Department of Special Issara, the mad monk who tried to oust the US ambassador for lese majeste and now wants to oust the abbot of this temple in Pathumthani because of its link to the Shin clan and its links to the next Supreme Patriarch. Is it really the money, corruption that is at play here or is there more to the story? Remember the donated money was returned.

You remind me of the 'but, but Suthep' reaction of yore every time a finger was pointed at Thaksin's wrongdoings... So now it's 'but, but Issara', because Dhammachayo can't be pointed at? Come on!

And how can a 'serious poster' (IMO) like you come up with 'the donated money was returned' (and the 1,500rais of land too actually) to excuse and absolve the fact(!) that the 900,000,000Baht(!) and the landplots were, knowingly, accepted by, taken by, Dhammachayo, in person, in the first place?!

Like another poster elsewhere wrote, I summarize, stealing money from a bank and, after being identified(!), (I add: reluctantly!) give the money back, should make one innocent of the crime, is it, really so, for you?

And when they've dealt with him they can head up to Phrae.

Look, it's fine to dislike the Dhammakaya setup - but there is religious freedom in Thailand. They do teach keeping Buddhist precepts, practicing meditation; all the supporters I have met are very decent sorts.

If the DSI want the leader de-frocked, they should press a genuine court case.

What if the DSI issued a statement that the CEO of Estee Lauder should be removed from office? Unless they have a real case they want to prosecute, they have no right.

The land issue was dealt with by the courts and ended in 2006 without a guilty sentence. The Sangha Council issue was dealt with by them 10 years ago. And the financial scandal did not relate to Dhammakaya to any degree further than the guilty parties offering large donations (presumably to clean up some of their bad karma). Though the temple was not involved in the scandal, they re-payed the funds they had received.

Move on - there are real bad guys out there.

Are you saying 'the Dhammakaya setup'(sic) is about 'teach keeping Buddhist precepts'?

Then whether you know more than the late Patriarch, who obviously strongly disagreed about that with you, or you are a dedicated follower of Dhammachayo's personal cult (...of power and money)?

'Religious freedom' is not about tolerating the existence of dangerous cults, like this one, created by a... real bal guy, who's still out there!

Department of Special Issara, the mad monk who tried to oust the US ambassador for lese majeste and now wants to oust the abbot of this temple in Pathumthani because of its link to the Shin clan and its links to the next Supreme Patriarch. Is it really the money, corruption that is at play here or is there more to the story? Remember the donated money was returned.

You remind me of the 'but, but Suthep' reaction of yore every time a finger was pointed at Thaksin's wrongdoings... So now it's 'but, but Issara', because Dhammachayo can't be pointed at? Come on!

And how can a 'serious poster' (IMO) like you come up with 'the donated money was returned' (and the 1,500rais of land too actually) to excuse and absolve the fact(!) that the 900,000,000Baht(!) and the landplots were, knowingly, accepted by, taken by, Dhammachayo, in person, in the first place?!

Like another poster elsewhere wrote, I summarize, stealing money from a bank and, after being identified(!), (I add: reluctantly!) give the money back, should make one innocent of the crime, is it, really so, for you?

If IMO people listened to posters like yourself, then the Pope would be arrested for similar issues. You talk of Suthep and your right if he was the abbots friend things would be different. I didn't come up with anything. I'm not Buddhist, I don't know much about the temple, only a little bit on this corruption e and previous ones at the temple. I can see the real reasons for why these scandals are brought out for all to see in the national press and media. Temples have political alliances it seems, IMO. An opinion of an arm chair internet surfer. I have written no books on the ins and out of Thai Buddhism. Mr Bangrak, if anything I enjoy being replied to. Not many posters reply to my rambling, trolling, bs. I just enjoy the social gathering on TV and join in now and again.

Look at this: the Dhammakaya Cult gives award to the vitriolic Burmese monk Ashin Wirathu

http://prachatai.org/english/node/5944

Anything that has to do with monks and Buddhism in Thailand isn't worth the read.

You know that. Do you also know what "that whole cult" really does trying to promote something sinister like world peace and how many are involved world-wide You should really be more concerned if en-mass they all decide to protest or better yet convert to the opposite.

I've been hearing a lot about "that whole cult" promoting world peace. I suppose you know that too. Can you give us some examples of how it has brought about world peace? I know it's making friends with Wirathu and all; you know, giving his organisation money to setup a radio station to promote his vision, but how does that, or anything else, actually promote world peace?

Who 'frocked' him?

The whole cult should be banned. Do you know how much that temple cost? Over $1 billion, yes dollars!

How much did say Colgne Cathedral cost in todays dollars, or Westtminster Abbey, or St Marks or the Blue Mosque?

Yes, self serving and corrupt institutions have always abused their positions of influence with ostentatious displays invariably funded by others.