When temples become pools of cash for the greedy

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

When temples become pools of cash for the greedy
By The Nation

 

‘Sinful’ does not begin to describe the financial mismanagement and corruption for which evidence steadily mounts

 

BANGKOK: -- The recent murder of a novice monk in Nakhon Si Thammarat helps justify the suspicion that Buddhist temples are used by certain groups of people to make personal gain, including greedy priests. 

 

Five people were arrested in connection with the murder of the 17-year-old novice, whose body was found buried inside the temple where he’d been ordained. Police investigators suspect he might have learned about an apparent plot to embezzle temple assets. 

 

One of the people allegedly involved in his killing had later been ordained as well at the temple, becoming a full-fledged monk, and police discovered that he’d had his hand in the temple till. Another suspect, the monk’s lover before he donned the robes, had millions of baht transferred into and out of her bank accounts. It turned out that a lot of money had also been removed from the temple’s bank accounts. 

 

The temple earns hundreds of thousands of baht each month leasing space for car parking, selling charms and amulets, and leasing about 90 residential units erected on its land. Other temples around the country have similar income sources, in addition to donations from worshippers seeking to make merit for themselves and loved ones and thus earn better karma and better chances in their next lives. Temples also receive funding from state agencies, particularly the National Office of Buddhism, to renovate their structures and the artefacts stored there.

 

An investigation continues into allegations of funding misappropriation involving former and current officials of the National Office of Buddhism. The suspects stand accused of pocketing a large share of a Bt500-million maintenance fund set aside for several selected temples, skimming off as much as 80 per cent of the amounts allocated. A dozen temples in Ayutthaya, Amnat Charoen, Lampang, Lamphun and Phetchaburi are suspected of involvement in the wrongdoing.

 

The allegedly corrupt officials are further suspected of having benefited from the cooperation of the temples’ abbots, whose signatures were needed in transferring the officials’ “share” of the money from their temples’ bank accounts. Paiboon Nititawan, who once headed a religious reform committee of the now-defunct National Reform Council, has called for the abbots to be investigated as well to determine if they were involved with any embezzlement. He said anyone involved must be punished.

 

Several senior monks seem to pay more attention to accumulating wealth than practising Buddhism to better themselves and humanity as a whole – the supposed goals of a priesthood anywhere in the world. This in turn has led to their further defilement and has created more problems for the monastic community and lay society.

 

Monastic rules make clear that abbots must keep temple assets separate from their personal property. The evidence suggests that the relevant authorities are not strictly enforcing these rules or the applicable laws of the land. This in turn represents further proof that many of those authorities are themselves corrupt, forever seeking their own windfall from the temples.

 

It is time to reform the financial management of all temples so as to prevent corrupt officials and greedy monks from stealing money given quite literally in good faith by worshippers and in abiding trust by taxpayers.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/opinion/today_editorial/30318105

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-15

[Thaiwrath]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

One of the people allegedly involved in his killing had later been ordained as well at the temple, becoming a full-fledged monk, and police discovered that he’d had his hand in the temple till.

Has all the credentials to become one of the revered in this nation.

[kannot]

"When"??......................thats "ALL" they are

[Somtamnication]

What a cash cow temples are. One abbot locally drives a Mercedes, and clearly parked at his humble 2 story house inside the temple. 

[steven100]

Reminds me of many other government officials around the world.  Plenty of MP's reside in similar situations ....  one ordinary MP in Australia has 33 investment properties ... and 94% of them own numerous properties ...

 

thiefs .....  scum.

[gk10002000]

of course some are used for less than holy reasons. Anytime any group or people get elevated to a position where they are rarely scrutinized, or overseen, human nature or bad influences can come in.  Happens with Catholic priests, other religious ministers, Mormon Elders, military coup leaders, etc

[ezzra]

Since the first day that man realized that more money means more power

and more control of the rest of the people, this was the day that ALL 'holy'

institutions become to hoard the stuff, see the catholic church is known

to be the richest body in the world, while many of their followers live in

poverty, and if you have an answer to that, than you know why temples

have become what they're now...

[Thechook]

So many stories of wealthy monks over the years.  Still haven't arrested the monk who traveled in a private jet, last known to be living high on the hog in France and what about the monk from Dhammakaya Temple, what's happening with him?

[rkidlad]

I simply don't visit temples at all. Too many rules and too much hypocrisy to be seen if you have half-a-brain. 

 

Buddhism is supposed to be about being kind and living with love in your heart. All I see is "me, me, me" and not what I can do for society but what can society do for me. 

 

And before you teply with other religions around the world - I know. My post is about the subject at hand. 

[colinneil]

A good advert for becoming a monk.

Join the monkhood and become a rich man, no work, no bills, all found.

Drink/ women as much as you can handle, fly around the world in private jets.

Ohh you also get designer bags, Raybans, in fact whatever you want.

[clockman]

Just remember, they are just men in orange robes!

[mok199]

this cult is a perfect scam...give (make merit) and when nothing changes in your life, 'all's ok.,and you keep giving......when something bad happens in your life, you increase the ''meritt'', and yet again your life returns and remains, status quo,.you are satisfied(happy)..so status quo is now fine...if something great happens in your life ,..merit has paid off,yet again.and you increase the meritt..this religion was set up to never fail..because, the status quo is worth all the merit making...its the perfect scam..fear based brain washing..personal story..We are building a house in issan..we had contractors arranged to arrive on a certain date..my gals(brainwashed mom) had the local monks look over the situation...the start date was moved back 27 days..as per monks...we decided on a rear door on the south wall...I arrived to see the door framed, on the west wall...again.. ''monk-ey-business''..it is PARMOUNT monks remain important(feared), in order for this cult to survive...sawadee no crap

Edited June 15, 2017 by mok199
spelling

[hansnl]

The way Bhuddism is organised in this country, the top-down structure, clearly opens too many venues for irregularities.

Maybe back to the independent temples?

[wirat69]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He said anyone involved must be punished.

Is that a Buddhist precept, or a new Thai concept??

[steven100]

2 hours ago, Thechook said:

what's happening with him?

he's in the bahamas relaxing in a hammock on the beach sipping on pina calada's 

[klauskunkel]

monks, police, military: same, same, but different color

[Grusa]

Discussing religion and politics can be deleterious to your health......

[Moti24]

3 hours ago, mok199 said:

this cult is a perfect scam...give (make merit) and when nothing changes in your life, 'all's ok.,and you keep giving......when something bad happens in your life, you increase the ''meritt'', and yet again your life returns and remains, status quo,.you are satisfied(happy)..so status quo is now fine...if something great happens in your life ,..merit has paid off,yet again.and you increase the meritt..this religion was set up to never fail..because, the status quo is worth all the merit making...its the perfect scam..fear based brain washing..personal story..We are building a house in issan..we had contractors arranged to arrive on a certain date..my gals(brainwashed mom) had the local monks look over the situation...the start date was moved back 27 days..as per monks...we decided on a rear door on the south wall...I arrived to see the door framed, on the west wall...again.. ''monk-ey-business''..it is PARMOUNT monks remain important(feared), in order for this cult to survive...sawadee no crap

Brainwashing at its highest level!  I explained this to my wife several times; she doesn't talk to me for a while, dresses in white, the candles come out, followed by a couple of hours of chanting.  The next words out of her mouth are, "What do you want to eat later?".  I don't think I'll ever understand women!

 

I sometimes think that gay marriages are a better option; if you have a row, you can give each other a couple of slaps, then make-up over a beer 5 minutes later.  However, I'd definitely give the temples a wide berth.

[kamahele]

How sad and how typical of organized religions in general to become corrupt or have pockets of corruption.

[George Bowman]

[pumpjack]

i was in a temple in  samut prakan recently and was amazed to see about 20 or more very large safe boxes  about the size of a fridge freezer in there. 

 

who gets the cash ? 

[tomacht8]

There seems to be no effective state control over the temple money. Accountancy obligation?

Annual financial statements?

Tax revision?

None.

 

No wonder that greedy people can grab unseen money out of the tempel donation box.

[jvs]

I really do not care how greedy or corrupt they are.

What i really do not like is that most of their money is given to them by poor religious people who think making merit will give them a better life.

It is taking money from the poor to give to the rich.

[IMA_FARANG]

As a Zen Buddhist practitioner I know very well that all Buddhists, even monks are not saints, but human beings with the very human traits of greed and such.

That also occurs, if I may point out, in all countries  and all nationalities and all religions.

That is common to all human beings, we may live our lives with our heads in the clear sky, but we have our feet in the  common mud.

 

 

 

 

[George Bowman]

Edited June 15, 2017 by missoura

[Lupatria]

And members of the "free press" didn't even have the guts to call a spade a spade with a headline like:

Thailand- where the Baht replaced the Buddha 

[mok199]

1 hour ago, Moti24 said:

Brainwashing at its highest level!  I explained this to my wife several times; she doesn't talk to me for a while, dresses in white, the candles come out, followed by a couple of hours of chanting.  The next words out of her mouth are, "What do you want to eat later?".  I don't think I'll ever understand women!

 

I sometimes think that gay marriages are a better option; if you have a row, you can give each other a couple of slaps, then make-up over a beer 5 minutes later.  However, I'd definitely give the temples a wide berth.

happy wife happy live  ( I THINK)