Buddhist monks may be banned from receiving huge sum of donations

[webfact]

Buddhist monks may be banned from receiving huge sum of donations
By The Nation

 

BANGKOK: -- A National Legislative Assembly (NLA) working group is studying a proposal to ban monks from accepting large amounts of money, Pichit Kuandechakupt, chairman of the NLA committee on religious affairs, arts, culture and tourism, said Wednesday. 

 

Pichit, however, added that there would be no amendment of the relevant law at the moment. He also maintained that the proposal had nothing to do with the ongoing Dhammakaya controversy.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30306999

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-02-23

[PatOngo]

Welcome to Wat Dhammakaya Inc...........merit for sale!

[rkidlad]

This is not fair. Why can't monks receive large sums of cash? Also, why can't they lie, take drugs and fornicate with women? I'm just looking through the first page of 'Buddhism for dummies' and..........oh! Now I see. This is all against the teachings of Buddha. 

[colinneil]

How is anybody going to stop it?

 

[Wilsonandson]

Great news! Too many temples anyway. What Thailand needs is more churches and mosques.

[ratcatcher]

5 minutes ago, Wilsonandson said:

Great news! Too many temples anyway. What Thailand needs is more churches and mosques.

I trust that was said with tongue firmly in cheek?

Temples, churches and mosques adds up to a spicy concoction as being seen in Europe these days.

[jaltsc]

"...ban monks from accepting large amounts of money..."

 

It appears that the first thing Buddhist monks renounce once they are ordained....is Renunciation. 

 

This ain't your grandfather's...or Buddha's...Buddhism. 

[Wilsonandson]

I trust that was said with tongue firmly in cheek?
Temples, churches and mosques adds up to a spicy concoction as being seen in Europe these days.

It's me being sarcastic.
As far as I can see Buddhism has been dragged through the mud ever since the coup. Every religion has some problems but in a country where 95% of the populace is Buddhist you'd think bad publicity would be in small print at the back of the newspaper and not front page news nearly everyday. Not just the ufo temple but the negative reports on many other monks and temples.

Not long ago it was the new year holiday. Everyone I know living near me went to make merit at their local temple. Thais are very religious and many upset by this temple seige. Whether the abbot is guilty or not, I think many think sending in thousands of police and soldiers into a Buddhist temple is the wrong way to go about things. Many I guess are scared to voice their disaproval due to fear of the junta.

[impulse]

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Buddhist monks may be banned from receiving huge sum of donations

Good luck with that one...

[maoro2013]

Good luck with that one. Another unenforcable law.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Wilsonandson said:

It's me being sarcastic.
As far as I can see Buddhism has been dragged through the mud ever since the coup. Every religion has some problems but in a country where 95% of the populace is Buddhist you'd think bad publicity would be in small print at the back of the newspaper and not front page news nearly everyday. Not just the ufo temple but the negative reports on many other monks and temples.

Not long ago it was the new year holiday. Everyone I know living near me went to make merit at their local temple. Thais are very religious and many upset by this temple seige. Whether the abbot is guilty or not, I think many think sending in thousands of police and soldiers into a Buddhist temple is the wrong way to go about things. Many I guess are scared to voice their disaproval due to fear of the junta.

 

"As far as I can see Buddhism has been dragged through the mud ever since the coup." And more...

 

You never miss an opportunity, no matter whether it's got logic or truth.

 

Most of my Thai colleagues and family friends, 99% are Buddhist have pretty much the opposite attitude to what you claim. 

 

One of the family units in my extended family have generated a local investigation into the funds / funds management of their local temple with a lot of local open support and the locals are aiming to prevent anything like the space ship set up and it's 'buy a good spot in heaven' happening in their local temple.

 

And they're aiming to ensure all funds are under proper and completely transparent management.

 

My own adult Thai son and his Thai wife changed to another temple when they were alerted to very lavish spending in the abbots' quarters. They, and some friends, asked to see the monks quarters and initilly were refused. A local senior police guy, part of this group demanded to see their quarters and took photos. Five star accommodation, big western style kitchen, fridges full of food and a female chef, lavish bathrooms, air conditioned throughout and more. All build some 15 years ago.

 

And this is another case of the local poor basically ignored my the monks from this temple.

 

Seems this set-up is repeated all over the country.

 

Many other local folks have now abandoned this temple.

 

None of this has any connection whatever to the junta. 

 

Please don't give an attack the poster response.

[smedly]

no organisation (no matter WAT) should be exempt from financial scrutiny - accounts need to be kept and disclosed - no exceptions, and stiff penalties for those that don't comply with prosecutions applied under criminal codes - regulation were at the moment is doesn't exist

[smedly]

29 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

"As far as I can see Buddhism has been dragged through the mud ever since the coup." And more...

 

You never miss an opportunity, no matter whether it's got logic or truth.

 

Most of my Thai colleagues and family friends, 99% are Buddhist have pretty much the opposite attitude to what you claim. 

 

One of the family units in my extended family have generated a local investigation into the funds / funds management of their local temple with a lot of local open support and the locals are aiming to prevent anything like the space ship set up and it's 'buy a good spot in heaven' happening in their local temple.

 

And they're aiming to ensure all funds are under proper and completely transparent management.

 

My own adult Thai son and his Thai wife changed to another temple when they were alerted to very lavish spending in the abbots' quarters. They, and some friends, asked to see the monks quarters and initilly were refused. A local senior police guy, part of this group demanded to see their quarters and took photos. Five star accommodation, big western style kitchen, fridges full of food and a female chef, lavish bathrooms, air conditioned throughout and more. All build some 15 years ago.

 

And this is another case of the local poor basically ignored my the monks from this temple.

 

Seems this set-up is repeated all over the country.

 

Many other local folks have now abandoned this temple.

 

None of this has any connection whatever to the junta. 

 

Please don't give an attack the poster response.

what you are saying is all fine and good but you are describing ordinary people - this current situation is not about ordinary people, it is about people of influence abusing that position and being corrupt and greedy - there is nothing right about that - the problem is that a few people can't see what is going on - these Monks are supposed to be leading by example and living a humble life - unfortunately it has (like everything else in Thailand) succumbed to excessive greed, deception, corruption and abuse 

[kamahele]

No religion is without corruption. Rather than putting the monks in a position to accept money, perhaps donations should be made to the temple only through a local temple board. Let the monks worry about religion and the temple board about how to spend the money. Just a thought.

[wirat69]

No large sums of money, but Mercedes, airplanes and Gucci bags are fine. Thank you. Sadhu

[Lupatria]

They may as well ban cops and officials from taking bribes 

[IMA_FARANG]

I call myself a Buddhist, but not a Thai Buddhist.

Among other things I disagree with is the idea of giving money to a temple or Wat  for merit   making as that in my opinion is not part of traditional Buddhist principles, but some thing introduced into Thai Buddhism from outside.

That is ne of the many differences in  my Buddhism and Thai Buddhist practices.

 

[smedly]

13 minutes ago, IMA_FARANG said:

I call myself a Buddhist, but not a Thai Buddhist.

Among other things I disagree with is the idea of giving money to a temple or Wat  for merit   making as that in my opinion is not part of traditional Buddhist principles, but some thing introduced into Thai Buddhism from outside.

That is ne of the many differences in  my Buddhism and Thai Buddhist practices.

 

If I wrote you a cheque for 18 billion baht and asked you to keep 1 billion for yourself and donate 1 billion to your temple for my MERIT and transfer the rest to my Swiss bank account in Dubai - how would that go, also consider that anything I give you and anything you do with the money is not audited and doesn't come under any official financial regulatory scrutiny

[MaxLee]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

How is anybody going to stop it?

 

With a WARNING 

[sharecropper]

31 minutes ago, smedly said:

If I wrote you a cheque for 18 billion baht and asked you to keep 1 billion for yourself and donate 1 billion to your temple for my MERIT and transfer the rest to my Swiss bank account in Dubai - how would that go, also consider that anything I give you and anything you do with the money is not audited and doesn't come under any official financial regulatory scrutiny

 

Except for the "Dubai" bit, this is spot on.

 

Scum of whatever stripe are at it with total impunity. Corruption and money laundering have not been in any way eradicated (in fact enhanced by many accounts) by this coup. Nor have major prosecutions of officials or politicians of a Non-Red persuasion been carried out.

Same as the drug trade really. No Big Thai Fish caught there either.

[Bluespunk]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

A National Legislative Assembly (NLA) working group is studying a proposal to ban monks from accepting large amounts of money,

I'm happy to accept the donations on their behalf and return them to the rightful owners unlike a certain monk involved in a currently ongoing high profile siege situation...unless of course they are legitimately gained monies being donated, in which case I will happily spend them on a lifestyle befitting my new found wealth.

[khounteen]

They are saying that if you need to donate, then donate to the pee-eem instead.

[rodney earl]

All Religions are about MONEY, POWER AND CONTROL.