Monks should share the faith - not share the Birthday Cake!

[webfact]

Monks should share the faith - not share the Birthday Cake!

 

Image: Sanook

 

BANGKOK: -- Pictures of a group of monks enjoying a birthday party have the Thai public up in arms.

 

Netizens sharing the story have deemed it highly inappropriate behavior saying that the monks should be spreading the Buddhist faith rather than indulging in temporal pleasures like cake and candle blowing, reported Sanook.

 

The monks were reckoned to be somewhere in Bangkok. They were thought to be in monks quarters in a temple.

 

People online said it was not appropriate behavior for monks who are meant to renounce worldly pleasure such as this.

 

And another thing - what time was it? they asked.

 

Monks are only meant to eat before midday.

 

If it was early on they should be out on their alms rounds. If it was later in the day they shouldn't be eating at all...let alone cake, said their critics.

 

The story had been shared more than 8,000 times by yesterday.

 

Source: Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-09-30

[colinneil]

Monks should renounce worldly pleasures  

Best joke i have seen for a while.

[Chris Lawrence]

They should renounce but not get caught pleasuring themselves.

[rkidlad]

Meanwhile, we have people getting dubious construction contracts, but let's all take to the internet to get angry about some cake eating monks.

 

Monks should renounce worldly pleasures? Where do we draw the line? An able bodied monk sitting on the bus or BTS? A seat on a busy carriage would be a pleasure for me. 

 

Easy targets always make me the angriest.

[NongKhaiKid]

Many instances of monks up to all sorts of things they shouldn't be doing and no doubt many of those who criticize are less than perfect example of Buddhism themselves.

Plenty of hypocrisy to go round. 

[Smiles]

Social media . The downfall of many.

[doremifasol]

No mention of the worldly possession that was used to snap the picture.

 

So why focus on the cake?

 

Let them have it, after all it comes only once a year.....

 

 

 

[Sphere]

Times have changed.....it's been 2559 years.....

 

[Sarathi]

There is absolutely no reason for monks not to eat birthday cake. And speculation on what time of the day it was is purely nasty. 

 

Must have been a slow news day.

[Yoram]

 

In the age where temples are a business to generate revenues, expand, by more land

and act just like a commercial enterprise, and monks living the good life with all

the modern trappings of everyone else with the latest gizmos, air travel, sex and drugs

and fancy cars, what do you really expect?? not all though, but enough to give what once

was sacred, a bad name.

[trogers]

This is the result when Buddha has not returned after 2559 years...

[tominbkk]

I'd much prefer them enjoying a little celebratory cake than abusing children and women or fleecing gullible people caught up in religion.

[klauskunkel]

Monks should share the faith, police should enforce the law, judges should be just, politicians should shut up and netizens should get a life.

But if all of that happens, what am i going to post about?

[Moonlover]

I wonder when these 'holier than thou' netizens last sat in meditation and contemplated the Buddhist virtues of loving kindness, tolerance and compassion!

[SOTIRIOS]

...duhh...

[bark]

I feel sorry for these Monks; as all Thai made cakes and desserts taste like sh-t.

Buy only cakes made at foreign owned hotels, or foreign Pastry shops.

Thai dessert, have no taste; and it is better to eat the cardboard box it came in.

[Detectorist]

There are Buddhists and there are Thai Buddhists.

[Keesters]

1 hour ago, tominbkk said:

I'd much prefer them enjoying a little celebratory cake than abusing children and women or fleecing gullible people caught up in religion.

 

The best comment here.

 

Religion should be kept up to date with the times while not losing its core values. Over two centuries since Buddha was born. Did they even have birthday cake then? And not eating after a certain time: why? About as stupid as Ramadan where Moslem's don't eat in the daytime but make absolute 'pigs' of themselves at night. Pretty sure that was not what Mohammad intended.

 

 

[Oxx]

Buddhist monks are required to eat only that which is given to them, and not to pick and choose between different foods donated.  If this cake was donated, then there's no problem.

[UniqueWord]

58 minutes ago, bark said:

I feel sorry for these Monks; as all Thai made cakes and desserts taste like sh-t.

Buy only cakes made at foreign owned hotels, or foreign Pastry shops.

Thai dessert, have no taste; and it is better to eat the cardboard box it came in.

Better yet, make your own.  Then you know exactly what's in it!

Cheers & bon appetit, UW.

[bark]

4 minutes ago, UniqueWord said:

Better yet, make your own.  Then you know exactly what's in it!

Cheers & bon appetit, UW.

Thanks, but baking would take away from my drinking time :)

Cheers

[Johnniey]

5 hours ago, colinneil said:

Monks should renounce worldly pleasures  

Best joke i have seen for a while.

Strange as I don't find it in the least funny, as it what they should do.

 

Some people love to judge the minority of monks that don't abide by the very strict rules they have. I can only guess these people have never been a monk

 

Maybe suffering from a day of low self-esteem? Better to have some quiet period of contemplation, meditation, read a book about Buddhism or whatever instead of self -righteous judgment of people who have dedicated their lives to a spiritual cause.

 

How many fingers are pointing to yourself when you are pointing at these monks?

 

Maybe self-introspection is something you haven't discovered yet?

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with monks eating a birthday cake.

 

The internet has made a group of people totally sociably inept -  get a life!

[Bluespunk]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Netizens sharing the story have deemed it highly inappropriate behavior saying that the monks should be spreading the Buddhist faith rather than indulging in temporal pleasures like cake and candle blowing, reported Sanook.

 

Get a life you sad sacks.

[Kasset Tak]

People getting upset on the small things, if its before midday and someone (for example the monks family) donated the cake it would be perfectly in order. Just look at all the sweets that people in general donates to the monks when they are out begging, the only difference is that this is a cake.
The second thing is when people say that monks should not have money, that was OK in the past when everything would be given freely to them but in today's society they have to pay for healthcare, medicine and so on so in today's reality its not doable. Hell, I even know a temple that charge the monks staying there for their room, electricity, water and so on.

[Johnniey]

Quote

Netizens sharing the story have deemed it highly inappropriate behavior saying that the monks should be spreading the Buddhist faith rather than indulging in temporal pleasures like cake and candle blowing, reported Sanook.

 

Has anyone bothered to read the article? Well I have and the above is wrong. Netizens are just discussing if it is appropriate or not. Read the replies and you'll find more saying it is acceptable.  How can we know what the people sharing it have said?

Quote

The story had been shared more than 8,000 times by yesterday.

Wow, this is nothing.

Quote

People online said it was not appropriate behavior for monks who are meant to renounce worldly pleasure such as this.

More people said it WAS appropriate.

 

NEWS  SHOULD BE FACT.

[Moonlover]

5 hours ago, Sphere said:

Times have changed.....it's been 2559 years.....

 

 

I like the fact that the beloved Lama is flanked by a Christian, a Sikh and a Moslem. Tolerance, understanding and pragmatism are the key elements needed in this world today. This photo says it all.

[Johnniey]

6 hours ago, Sphere said:

Times have changed.....it's been 2559 years.....

 

I wonder why nobody is criticizing this photo?

 

I went on a retreat in Mcleod Ganj, where His Holiness lives and although I'm not a Buddhist have nothing but respect for this man. It was a highlight of my life meeting this enlightened being.

[nausea]

This is a plant, to take attention away from the rather more serious problems with monks and Buddhism in Thailand. A bit like the guy holding his daughter. The point is Buddhist monks are supposed to be detached from worldly affairs until they reach enlightenment, when they can re-engage from a sort of other-worldly point of view. Personally, I think it's aĺl crap, but I hope I'm wrong. 

[oldlakey]

7 hours ago, trogers said:

This is the result when Buddha has not returned after 2559 years...

If I was Buddha returning would be the last thing on my mind, as it appears to be on his

[oldlakey]

14 minutes ago, nausea said:

This is a plant, to take attention away from the rather more serious problems with monks and Buddhism in Thailand. A bit like the guy holding his daughter. The point is Buddhist monks are supposed to be detached from worldly affairs until they reach enlightenment, when they can re-engage from a sort of other-worldly point of view. Personally, I think it's aĺl crap, but I hope I'm wrong. 

Why, are you a Buddhist