Thai monk upgrades to millionaire by winning THB6 million from lottery

[rebelplatoon]

All jumping on the bandwagon of defaming Buddhism again. Being judgmental is not a fine attitude. There could be loads of reasons. Besides the fact that in Buddhism, as in so many traditions, there are kusala and akusala practitioners. I myself prefer to just focus on the places I KNOW to be right and just and simply avoid where I do not have a good feeling. 

[BSJ]

14 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I am sure as a good Buddhist monk , he will donate his winnings to the poor,

and the Temple.

regards Wrgeordie

When you wake up let us know..........!

[whatproblem]

and where does he get his money ? Donations? Monks are allowed to gamble ? 

[Doc46]

15 hours ago, longtom said:

My Thai partner dragged me a few times to monks who were famous to pick lucky numbers for the people. Went through a short ceremony, payed some cash, never won one baht. I always asked why would the monk not play himself? 

 

Seems I got the answer now! When they play they win! 

 

 

 

The people Pay,,,,The Monks Play,,,,

 

[Winniedapu]

12 minutes ago, rebelplatoon said:

All jumping on the bandwagon of defaming Buddhism again. Being judgmental is not a fine attitude. There could be loads of reasons. Besides the fact that in Buddhism, as in so many traditions, there are kusala and akusala practitioners. I myself prefer to just focus on the places I KNOW to be right and just and simply avoid where I do not have a good feeling. 

 

Criticising the behaviour of buddhist monks who are clearly bad examples of buddhist practitioners is NOT defaming buddhism, no matter how much you would like to wrap yourself in the robe of victim-hood.

 

Being judgmental is the cry when judgments are made, but with respect, that is daft and you need to move beyond mere protesting about it to understanding that making judgments and generalisations is an essential part of human functioning. In fact, despite the fact you cry about it, you have made several in what you yoursel wrote.

 

One of the fist things to achieve in buddhism, as in any spiritual development path, is clarity of thought, and this post hasn't shown very much of it.

 

Winnie

[Briggsy]

Claiming to have won big on the lottery is a time-honoured way of laundering cash in Thailand.

 

Winning tickets are sold by agents or GLO officials usually after the draw (but it is quite possible they are sold before the draw and the draw is fixed) for perhaps 120% of their face value. Your loot is now explicable and appears to have a legal source.

[Mickmouse1]

Good man,am sure he did it to distribute it amongst the poor and needy.

Just to mention, Buddhism is not a religion as some farangs and many  Thai think?

[SABloke]

Why is everyone so cynical. I think it's great that a monk tried to win the lottery (and did eventually) so that he could donate all the prize money to charity.

What's that? He didn't? Ohhhhh.....

[hansnl]

As in all religions, there are good ones that try to live as they should.

And there are the bad ones.

I am not religious, and probably will never be, but I do see a lot of people that find comfort in religion.

As long as that is so, I presume Thai Bhuddism, even with its wrong signals, will be there.

Who are we to allow ourselves to judge?

Religion is about faith, let anyone find out for themselves how strong their faith is.

Who are we to condemn all monks as being bad?

[Rancid]

So in some cases Buddhist monks buy lottery tickets, Catholic priests assault boys, Muslim clerics declare fatwas. In all cases of religion we are relying on another human to interpret very old writings, we are assured are accurate, as an explanation for and VIP entry into the afterlife. Humans just as fallible and ignorant as we all are.

 

Anyone ever wonder if we are meant to figure out life, the universe and everything for ourselves, as opposed to have what is probably an incorrect interpretation handed to us on a plate for a fee. Personally would see actual Buddhism as a pretty good guide, as opposed to the more prevalent business model version.

[JustNo]

55 minutes ago, rebelplatoon said:

All jumping on the bandwagon of defaming Buddhism again. Being judgmental is not a fine attitude. There could be loads of reasons. Besides the fact that in Buddhism, as in so many traditions, there are kusala and akusala practitioners. I myself prefer to just focus on the places I KNOW to be right and just and simply avoid where I do not have a good feeling. 

If you are someone who has studied Buddhism and the dharma, you will know that often things are not black and white; for example in an entire religion such as Buddhism there will be 'bad' practitioners and 'good' practitioners. Pointing out a crooked monk and how this country has fallen a long way off of the path is not defaming it, it is illustrating how one culture / nation has a very skewed idea of the religion. I have been thinking about this a lot in the past week for some reason, and I think it has gone too far for Thailand. They are too stooped in luck, greed and tradition for most of them to resort back to what the Buddha actually taught. It's a shame but it is what it is, no denying that

Edited September 3, 2016 by JustNo

[JustNo]

9 minutes ago, hansnl said:

As in all religions, there are good ones that try to live as they should.

And there are the bad ones.

I am not religious, and probably will never be, but I do see a lot of people that find comfort in religion.

As long as that is so, I presume Thai Bhuddism, even with its wrong signals, will be there.

Who are we to allow ourselves to judge?

Religion is about faith, let anyone find out for themselves how strong their faith is.

Who are we to condemn all monks as being bad?

I agree with what you have said for sure, only Buddhism doesn't actually rely on faith if a practitioner conducts decent practice. It is more a development of life skills via wisdom, concentration, insight and compassion.  

[Winniedapu]

19 minutes ago, hansnl said:

As in all religions, there are good ones that try to live as they should.

And there are the bad ones.

I am not religious, and probably will never be, but I do see a lot of people that find comfort in religion.

As long as that is so, I presume Thai Bhuddism, even with its wrong signals, will be there.

Who are we to allow ourselves to judge?

Religion is about faith, let anyone find out for themselves how strong their faith is.

Who are we to condemn all monks as being bad?

 

"Who are we to condemn all monks as being bad?"

 

I don't think I've seen anyone say that. It might be true or it might not - I don't know, so I wouldn't say it, not in those terms.

 

Winnie

Edited September 3, 2016 by Winniedapu

[Winniedapu]

9 minutes ago, JustNo said:

I agree with what you have said for sure, only Buddhism doesn't actually rely on faith if a practitioner conducts decent practice. It is more a development of life skills via wisdom, concentration, insight and compassion.  

 

You;re right, that's what Buddhism should be.

 

A mindless faith and sop to the superstitious is what it is.

 

There is a gulf between the exoteric and the esoteric, same as in all religions.

 

Winnie

[chainarong]

15 hours ago, Prbkk said:

The ragged old reprobates on this forum lead more 'Buddhist' lives than some of these monks.

Now that's a goodun , I like it ................................

[PattayaBoy]

He is not a monk anymore.

Most monks are lazy useless man thats why they become monks, everything is handed to them.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[Stoker58]

Proof, if proof were needed, that interpreting the textures on teak trees really works.

[smedly]

surely the money he used belonged to the temple and therefore so should the winnings

[louse1953]

17 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I am sure as a good Buddhist monk , he will donate his winnings to the poor,

and the Temple.

regards Wrgeordie

Watch the poor flock in to see him and his tree.The donations to this wat are gunna go through the roof.

 

[louse1953]

9 hours ago, smedly said:

well we would assume that he is going to donate that money to a good cause, it is really lovely to see him support some charity for children in need or something similar .....really cool

"He said he would use the money to buy a house for his mother and save the rest to pay for his child’s tuition. He will also donate money to hold a funeral for the temple's abbot who passed away."

Not cool at all,the charity is his own child and the house goes to mum,which he gets when she dies.T he funeral money is just to shut up the present abbott.

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, JustNo said:

If you are someone who has studied Buddhism and the dharma, you will know that often things are not black and white; for example in an entire religion such as Buddhism there will be 'bad' practitioners and 'good' practitioners. Pointing out a crooked monk and how this country has fallen a long way off of the path is not defaming it, it is illustrating how one culture / nation has a very skewed idea of the religion. I have been thinking about this a lot in the past week for some reason, and I think it has gone too far for Thailand. They are too stooped in luck, greed and tradition for most of them to resort back to what the Buddha actually taught. It's a shame but it is what it is, no denying that

I for one would never defame Buddhism as taught by the Buddha,but the men that hide within the robes and pervert Buddhism  are a disgrace and should be disrobed.When i 1st came to Thailand no monks smoked,now many do.I have seen them buy lottery tickets,now they are winning the lottery.Saw 1 driving a car last year.

[sahibji]

19 hours ago, Winniedapu said:

Yet more evidence (if more were really needed) of the quality of the Thai Buddhist monkhood...

 

Winnie

life has changed. traditional values of the monkhood demanded complete denouncing of the material things and control over worldly desires.

[whatawonderfulday]

No such thing as true Buddhism in Thailand,  just state supported scamming in many cases in my opinion.  Unfortunately apart from the poor education system, especially in the rural areas which in turn included a "brainwashing" element in the curriculum in 1952,  those self same people tend to believe I what those "monks" tend to tell them.   It is not as I do, it is what I tell you that rules here not true faith.

 

The best one of course is the encouragement to believe that what you give in this  life you will get back in the next.

 

Well in the meantime considering possibly 30 million "followers say give 200 baht each per month to a temple then in one year nationwide that equates to 72,000,000,000.   A nice little earner even by Thailand's standards of corruption.  So until the next life people should check on what they are giving actually provides.

 

 

In this case it provide income for a so called Monk to win 6 mill.  something he should not have been doing in the first place.

Edited September 3, 2016 by whatawonderfulday

[sahibji]

35 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

I for one would never defame Buddhism as taught by the Buddha,but the men that hide within the robes and pervert Buddhism  are a disgrace and should be disrobed.When i 1st came to Thailand no monks smoked,now many do.I have seen them buy lottery tickets,now they are winning the lottery.Saw 1 driving a car last year.

should some relaxation be accepted as long as they are serving in the house of God.

[sahibji]

10 hours ago, smedly said:

well we would assume that he is going to donate that money to a good cause, it is really lovely to see him support some charity for children in need or something similar .....really cool

to him looking after his family is a good cause.

[sahibji]

19 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Like most religious people I wish he'd read what his religion was all about. Maybe then more people would do away with the selfish and deluded BS and get busy living. 

 

Hang up those orange robes, boy. You're not a monk and you never were. 

maybe he thinks he is modern monk

[Fookhaht]

17 minutes ago, sahibji said:

should some relaxation be accepted as long as they are serving in the house of God.

They are not serving in the house of God, especially by their own definition/beliefs. 

Thai (Theravada) Buddhism does not believe in a god or the supernatural.  That's why Theravada Buddhism is more accurately described as a philosophy, not a religion.    So, you need to bring down your elevated perception of where they serve.  

IMHO, the lack of belief in a supernatural being dilutes one's sense of accountability.   The often-corrupt, greedy western TV/Radio preachers who rake in the million$, fleecing the flock, only profess belief in a god, but their deeds show otherwise.  

Edited September 3, 2016 by Fookhaht

[Basil B]

18 hours ago, Winniedapu said:

 

Really?

 

I am sure as a good Thai Buddhist monk, he won't.

 

But I could be wrong...

 

Winnie

 

I am sure as a good Thai Buddhist monk, he won't.

[Golden Triangle]

I was going to say that the vast majority of monks are hypocrites, but even before I press the send button I feel the rage and anger of other members, so maybe that's a bit strong, I am though allowed to have my own opinions on the monk hood in general.

 

Where my Mrs family live the majority are fruit farmers,most have lost the pot to piss in yet they regularly donate to the local temple, the monks live the life of Riley, drive around in brand new cars, no doubt smoking, drinking and playing the lottery on the back of the poor farmers donations, what do the folk get in return ? the square root of diddley squat, except the vague promise of a better "Next life'.

 

My Mrs goes to the temple where we are at least 4 times a month which  costs me 200 THB every time, she regularly prays at home in the evenings, I don't object, it makes her happy, she believes in her faith or whatever you want to call it.

 

I honestly believe that the Thais use the monk hood as a way of escaping from something for a period of time and not too many are actually devoted to Buddhism.     

 

[Winniedapu]

5 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

I was going to say that the vast majority of monks are hypocrites, but even before I press the send button I feel the rage and anger of other members, so maybe that's a bit strong, I am though allowed to have my own opinions on the monk hood in general.

 

Where my Mrs family live the majority are fruit farmers,most have lost the pot to piss in yet they regularly donate to the local temple, the monks live the life of Riley, drive around in brand new cars, no doubt smoking, drinking and playing the lottery on the back of the poor farmers donations, what do the folk get in return ? the square root of diddley squat, except the vague promise of a better "Next life'.

 

My Mrs goes to the temple where we are at least 4 times a month which  costs me 200 THB every time, she regularly prays at home in the evenings, I don't object, it makes her happy, she believes in her faith or whatever you want to call it.

 

I honestly believe that the Thais use the monk hood as a way of escaping from something for a period of time and not too many are actually devoted to Buddhism.     

 

 

I don't think they are hypocrites so much as delusional or cowards. Don't be afraid of expressing your views because some folk may not like them - publish and be damned. Otherwise, I think you're pretty much on signal.

 

Winnie