Comments on: Fools and their money

By: Luecha Na Malai

Luecha Na Malai — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:09:51 +0000

A wat that is called a temple is on the road to decay. If it is called a monastery, then it is safe.

By: Tazz

Tazz — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:49:29 +0000

I have found it quite hard to share my opinions about dhammakaya, its lavish temples and the people that worship it. I am a thai student living in england and alot of my thai friends practice the dhammakaya with their family. I am completely against the dhammkaya movement and me and my mum would always have a heated discussion about it. I really hate how they can convince thai people to hand over huge amounts of money for ridiculous purposes such as building new area in the temple for making merit, buying your own mini statue that will be contributed into the final chedi for 10,000 bath each, yes really. A lot of thai people who follows dhammakaya (that i know of) wernt educated when they were younger, so they tend to believe in whatever the dhammayaka tell them.
I dont want anyone to think that i am looking down on my thai people, but dhammakaya is something that i have been against ever since i was a young age. They are very good at one thign though – convincing people into believing in whatever they want them to believe.
If you flick through their brochures, you will find stuff like ‘how to make merit for your own happiness’ ‘merit will make you more beautiful physically’ ‘making merit will result in a perfect life’
now ive known for a long time that that is not true, it really baffles me how millions of others can believe in such lie.
ever since i was young, i was taught by my mum and grandma that, when you give, do not think about what merits you will receive back, think about the people, the ghost and the spirits you are helping.
i really wish dhammakaya didnt exists, it makes me mad when i see people working hard instead of spending time with their children just so they can buy the new statue that will be put into ANOTHER chedi.

By: Mango Man

Mango Man — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:45:20 +0000

In the old Don Muang days it relieved the boredom of flying to try and spot Wat Dhammakaya as the plane turned onto final approach.

By: atmcharlie

atmcharlie — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:30:30 +0000

An old Thai proverb says:
The more criminals the more temples.

This is why Petchburi & Chonburi have been worth visiting for a long time.

George Orwells Burmese Days tells the same story.

By: michael

michael — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 09:16:20 +0000

TP,SP: “Religious activities should not be involved in politics but can be enhance through peace, virtue, moral and charitable-philantrophy actions and teachings.” Very nice.

Any ‘nice’ stuff to say on the ‘Orange Revolution” in Burma?

By: XHTML

XHTML — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:10:18 +0000

And that’s precisely why you have a political problem. The more money you spend on anything, the more it inevitably becomes political. Save yourself the bother and just enjoy nature for what it is, instead of hacking down every live object in sight for the glorification of dead things. ‘God’, in its infinite wisdom, lives in things that are alive, and dies in dead things.

By: think positive, said positive

think positive, said positive — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:20:50 +0000

I’ve no commence to the negative things said.

But I would like to say something nice. It takes a lot of effort to built something so nice an environment for people to meditate for world peace. It involves a lot of public funds. It is the people’s kindness to donate a temple of the Buddha and benefitted so many people who wants world peace and for the nation’s needy sangha fundings.

The money donated is meant for peace and merit making for people who belief in it. Nothing more. The money donated is not meant for other purpose or for geogrofically poor rural nations as suggested by visitors. We hope all will respects the people who donated for the cause.

Religious activities should not be involved in politics but can be enhance through peace, virtue, moral and charitable-philantrophy actions and teachings. Otherwise, this will create a problem in the temple administration.

The temple is a holy place no matter how much money is spend. Too many negative people and different opinions only create a negative environment.
@ SILENT is GOLDEN.
@ REJOICE in the SUCCESS OF OTHERS “SADHU”

By: Nick

Nick — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:55:54 +0000

in reply to to what Sidh S. said “On the other hand, I agree with Bystander and many sponsors honestly believe that they are guaranteed a place in heaven” on the back of one of the leaflets i was given at the dhammakaya temple about what happens to those who donate money it says:
“the benefits of your generosity are as follow:
1. A rebirth in places of good living conditions suitable for self-development.
2. They will obtain wealth both spiritual and material alike.
3.They will be among the communities of noble friends
4. They will gain respect from all
5. They will possess wisdom enabling the making of right livelihood.
6. Their cultivation to pursue perfection and attaining the truth of life through the dhamma of the lord Buddha will become easier”

Think number two is interesting. Give us money and you will get rich. sounds just like jatukams to me.

By: Sidh S.

Sidh S. — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:33:11 +0000

I remember during PAD protests against PMThaksin’s government in 2006, there were ‘rumours’ that the huge piazzas of Dhammakaya was used as rallying points for pro-TRT groups from around the country. Does anyone know if this is true? (I can’t remember where I read it in the first place)

To be fair, it may be only ’smear campaigns’ against either TRT or Dhammakaya (or both at the same time) – respectively the most successful political and religious phenomenon in recent Thai history. These are mega-scale, capital and image intense movements (anyone in Australia who subscribe to Thai TV Global Network can also get the 24 hour Dhammakaya channel) and they think in millions and billions (both people and money).

As Andrew implied, that money can easily be used to fund education for children of the rural and urban poor – and transform them into the new urban middle-class. Sounds patronizing? Making ‘them’ like ‘us’? But that is only a natural end-product of higher education. What I suspect is that those ‘fools’ Andrew refer to don’t really want ‘them’ to be like ‘us’ and the monuments stand as oppressive symbols of economic power in the poor countryside (and here I am also admiring some of their beautiful proportions and amazing craftsmanship)… On the other hand, I agree with Bystander and many sponsors honestly believe that they are guaranteed a place in heaven (as beautiful as the structures they built).

By: Khun Stillwater

Khun Stillwater — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:13:05 +0000

Since Dhammakaya has already been mentioned, I’ll not repeat what has been clearly stated in regards to MATERIALISM IN THAI BUDDHISM.

Instead I’d like to say this issue stems from lack of education into Buddhist doctrines by lay people. Lay people in Thailand have for too long relied on monks to interpret religion and in the process allowed these saffron robed criminals to preach ONE THING: “Please make merit by making me the richest monk”.

It’s up to lay people to study religion on their own and truly grasp the middle path on their own. Today, business like Dhammakaya are nothing more than temples for the rich to network and attempt to clean themselves from their corrupt daily lives.