Evilbaz Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Most village monks feed the village poor with excess donated food. Even here in Phuket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasa123 Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) Down here in Phuket they want rice ? but more money (Bath and Dollar) Take a look at the inside the biggest Wat in Phuket, (Wat Chalong) This place are the BIGGEST marked on the hole Phuket now, and you never se a singel monk, big business in this Wat. I belive if I come in to a Wat a want relax and thinking and have a good time. But now a very many vendor to want to sell T-Shirt, hatt, food and 120 shop +++++ inside the Wat. It`s this illegal or not ? This Big Wat they Cremation People every day and tourist runding around and take picture and movie from the Cremation and when familie say good buy to the dead. Fore me it`s very disgusting. This Chalong Wa in Phukett are only fore make BIG money, and where are the all dog i give food every day Mr Monk ? They are gone. Bjorn Ronningen Phuket Edited March 29, 2017 by nasa123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) 12 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said: rather callous responses I must say...feeding the monks is a local tradition/ritual and folks get up early to prepare food fer that purpose, my MiL included when she stays with us... and then she uses the left overs to prepare khao tom moo from which I partake when I get outta bed some hours later... two birds with one stone?...it's a great way to start the day... Yeah, it's a bit like Christians paying tithes to fund their churches - which is usually 10% of gross income. Giving a bit of food to Monks every morning is chicken feed. (by comparison). I have no personal interest in becoming a donor, but I understand the need among followers. Edited March 29, 2017 by tropo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evilbaz Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I live in Kamala - things are different here and similar to the temple in Na Om, Sa Kaeo. And here is a mainly Muslim community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csabo Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 20 hours ago, Blablaboy said: If Buddha and his disciple do not train our generosity, where do we learn on how to not attach too much on our money and possession? Common sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannot Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 23 minutes ago, Evilbaz said: Most village monks feed the village poor with excess donated food. Even here in Phuket. meanwhile new submarines and hi speed trains take priority elsewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 1 hour ago, oldhippy said: That is very nice of you, but the economist in me says: what you give to monks, you can not give again to poor people. It is a matter of choices. And the rebel in me says: there are things that the poor people need more than food. What do they need more than food? It's air, water then food... then we can start thinking about clothes and lodging. The only people who think there's more to life than money and possessions are people who have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhippy Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 49 minutes ago, tropo said: What do they need more than food? It's air, water then food... then we can start thinking about clothes and lodging. The only people who think there's more to life than money and possessions are people who have them. True..... It was good old Karl that invented the expression "sub proletariat" (lumpenproletariat) when Europe lived in the19th century, like Thailand does now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRISTIANa9 Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Don't some christian sect requires donation of 10% of salary every month. Including bonuses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55Jay Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 No, and neither does my wife. I prefer more direct ways to help out those who are out there everyday trying to help themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 2 hours ago, tropo said: Yeah, it's a bit like Christians paying tithes to fund their churches - which is usually 10% of gross income. Giving a bit of food to Monks every morning is chicken feed. (by comparison). I have no personal interest in becoming a donor, but I understand the need among followers. understanding the ritual is all that's required from westerners; the local people that I know, my wife and her family, don't care if I understand or not as a ritual seems to preclude these concerns...it also stimulates one's natural curiosity... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhippy Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 5 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said: understanding the ritual is all that's required from westerners; the local people that I know, my wife and her family, don't care if I understand or not as a ritual seems to preclude these concerns...it also stimulates one's natural curiosity... If the ritual would be limited to giving food to the monks, I think that not many westerners would have a problem with that. However, the Thais - even the poor - also give the monks palaces to live in, heaps of money for funerals, marriages, blessing houses and cars, lottery numbers etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 13 minutes ago, oldhippy said: If the ritual would be limited to giving food to the monks, I think that not many westerners would have a problem with that. However, the Thais - even the poor - also give the monks palaces to live in, heaps of money for funerals, marriages, blessing houses and cars, lottery numbers etc. the custodians of the rituals, in Thailand and in the west are always feted but in the west they receive a salary... ritual plays a significant role in peoples lives so the custodians always have an advantage... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon43 Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 when I lived in north Phuket, the local monks used to be given so much food, that they offered it free to anyone who would come to the temple to collect it, (there being no poor people in that locality). My cleaning lady used to pop down to the temple every morning to collect my free breakfast :) I never give to monks because many of them are simply common thieves and criminals at the worst, lazy and greedy at the best. It is rare to find a 'real' monk in Thailand. Wearing saffron robes doesn't make you a good Buddhist, especially in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 1 hour ago, oldhippy said: If the ritual would be limited to giving food to the monks, I think that not many westerners would have a problem with that. However, the Thais - even the poor - also give the monks palaces to live in, heaps of money for funerals, marriages, blessing houses and cars, lottery numbers etc. So it's nearly as good as a government job then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhippy Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 19 minutes ago, simon43 said: when I lived in north Phuket, the local monks used to be given so much food, that they offered it free to anyone who would come to the temple to collect it, (there being no poor people in that locality). My cleaning lady used to pop down to the temple every morning to collect my free breakfast :) I never give to monks because many of them are simply common thieves and criminals at the worst, lazy and greedy at the best. It is rare to find a 'real' monk in Thailand. Wearing saffron robes doesn't make you a good Buddhist, especially in Thailand. My wife - but she is different - says: there is no buddha in the wat, buddha is in the heart. And: "My father told me, believe only what you see". Not bad for a 62 years old farmer's daughter! She never gives alms. When I ask her why she occasionally goes to the wat, she says "what will people think if they never see me there". Thailand is sooooo 19th century Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 a lot of the guys in robes that you see are folks that are simply making merit for relatives that have died or are about to die...there ain't nothin' special about them... I've noticed that most wats have a 'crew' of permanent monks that officiate at the usual rituals...they intone the chants in a harmonious way that would not be achieved with short timers... ritual has a powerful impact on peoples lives and unfortunately it is the poor and the ignorant that are affected the most... Thailand is not the 19th century west in this regard...it is medieval...but that's part of it's charm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 12 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said: a lot of the guys in robes that you see are folks that are simply making merit for relatives that have died or are about to die...there ain't nothin' special about them... I've noticed that most wats have a 'crew' of permanent monks that officiate at the usual rituals...they intone the chants in a harmonious way that would not be achieved with short timers... ritual has a powerful impact on peoples lives and unfortunately it is the poor and the ignorant that are affected the most... Thailand is not the 19th century west in this regard...it is medieval...but that's part of it's charm... Thanks for the heads up. Maybe that's what I need to do to find the charm ... make a trip down to the local Wat, because I'm becoming less enchanted with Thailand every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 1 minute ago, tropo said: Thanks for the heads up. Maybe that's what I need to do to find the charm ... make a trip down to the local Wat, because I'm becoming less enchanted with Thailand every year. yeah...just maintain yer western perspective and a whole world of entertainment emerges... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumbastheycome Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I do not. Nor does my Thai wife anymore. She has noticed the general affluence of many Monks. ATM cards, laptops, expensive mobile phones, personal vehicles which they drive themselves. Humble effigies? Unlike in her younger days Monks officiated at funerals and weddings as per custom and did so in return for daily alms many could little afford to give. Now they only appear for the promise of cash in hand. And the farce of the recent debacle involving the elusive suspect from the UFO headquarters has eliminated any respect she has for the saffron mafia. But on occasions she still make little personal offerings of food and drink to an ethereal Buddha. I have never felt any reason to object to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhippy Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 My conclusion after reading this and many other threads and news stories about Thai monks and Thai buddhism: If Thai buddhism wants to survive there are only 2 options: 1/ Keep Thailand backward 2/ A Thai Martin Luther I put my money on option 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 and I shall nail my feces (theses?) to the door of the wat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannot Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 28 minutes ago, oldhippy said: My conclusion after reading this and many other threads and news stories about Thai monks and Thai buddhism: If Thai buddhism wants to survive there are only 2 options: 1/ Keep Thailand backward 2/ A Thai Martin Luther I put my money on option 1. 3. throw off the shackles and think for yourselves, there is no need for a Buddha, god or any other being Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhippy Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 22 minutes ago, oldhippy said: My conclusion after reading this and many other threads and news stories about Thai monks and Thai Buddhism: If Thai buddhism wants to survive there are only 2 options: 1/ Keep Thailand backward 2/ A Thai Martin Luther I put my money on option 1. 2 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said: and I shall nail my feces (theses?) to the door of the wat... Just to be clear, I never said that <<I>> want Thai buddhism to survive. Not my business, not my problem. I am only a foreigner, and an atheist. I like folklore, but there is a limit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) 28 minutes ago, oldhippy said: Just to be clear, I never said that <<I>> want Thai buddhism to survive. Not my business, not my problem. I am only a foreigner, and an atheist. I like folklore, but there is a limit. unfortunately we cannot undo what we observe...a lot of buddhist folks in the west subscribe to tibetan buddhism that has no resemblance to the local variety... I useta think that I was an atheist until I observed the local devotion inna chapel in Bolivia where I had wandered one morning at 7am while drunk and I thought in a moment of clarity that drunks have: 'I don't agree with this but to disallow peoples faith will cut me off from understanding who they are...'... and it stuck...pretty much don't care otherwise other than to observe... it also helped me to understand the significance of islam in muslim countries...for which there is presently a massive western misunderstanding... Edited March 29, 2017 by tutsiwarrior Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 29 minutes ago, kannot said: 3. throw off the shackles and think for yourselves, there is no need for a Buddha, god or any other being Is God "a being"? The fist part made sense until you got to "God or any other being". Did you purposefully spell God in lower case, next to Buddha in uppercase? Your Avatar and the fist part of your comment sounded Christian, then you threw me off. From a Christian point of view, most Eastern religions are evil, mainly due to what you stated - non-thinking or shackled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhippy Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 About Tibetan buddhism. 3 months ago wife and I visited Nepal and "observed" monks with smartphones eating beef in a hindu country. So much for real buddhism. I agree that all we can do is to observe and try to understand. AND to influence a very small number of people close to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannot Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 3 hours ago, tropo said: Is God "a being"? The fist part made sense until you got to "God or any other being". Did you purposefully spell God in lower case, next to Buddha in uppercase? Your Avatar and the fist part of your comment sounded Christian, then you threw me off. From a Christian point of view, most Eastern religions are evil, mainly due to what you stated - non-thinking or shackled. Refuse to capitalise god, by the way hows the fisting going? Being or otherwise both irrelevant with zero evidence Christian Muslim all the same Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) 5 hours ago, oldhippy said: About Tibetan buddhism. 3 months ago wife and I visited Nepal and "observed" monks with smartphones eating beef in a hindu country. So much for real buddhism. I agree that all we can do is to observe and try to understand. AND to influence a very small number of people close to us. bullshit, leave the peasants to believe what they want if it is indeed our choice as westerners with different values to live among them... Edited March 29, 2017 by tutsiwarrior Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 2 hours ago, kannot said: by the way hows the fisting going? LOL> fasting or fisting? My fisting isn't going, but my diet is good, thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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