Brainwashed into quitting medical school

[Ensapa]

This is interesting. A Buddhist monk misleading university students, no less(!) with supernatural powers...

where did common sense go?

mind baffling indeed.

Brainwashed into quitting medical school
By Kang Soon Chen, The Star/Asia News Network,Oct 6, 2012
PETALING JAYA, Malaysia -- A group of Universiti Sains Malaysia medical students has allegedly been brainwashed into leaving their studies by a Buddhist monk.

 Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia lay adviser Chong Hung Wang said the student Buddhist association from the campus in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, had voiced its concern that around 30 medical students had shown behavioural changes and disinterest in their studies after returning from a trip to Thailand with the monk in August.
"These students were led to believe that patients should not receive medical treatment for their condition as sickness is the result of their karma.

"They are convinced that they should not become doctors as the act of treating patients will interfere with karma," said Chong.

It is believed that the monk had approached the students in March this year and had gained a following through religious activities conducted off-campus.

The monk also allegedly claimed that he had supernatural power and was able to tell the past and predict the future of the students.

"Compassion is central to Buddhist beliefs. What the monk had propagated about leaving patients to their sickness is wrong.

"We hope to curb the spread of misleading religious beliefs among students by creating better awareness on the true teachings of Buddhism," said Chong.

The students are said to want to leave the medical school and transfer to other programmes such as nutrition and sports science.

They are also having strained relationships with their family members following their decision to quit medical studies.

It was understood that some of the students were in their third and fourth year of studies.

A university official confirmed that three students had applied to transfer to other courses.

Vice-chancellor Prof Dr Datuk Omar Osman said none of the students had received approval to switch courses and the university viewed the matter of students being influenced by misleading religious teachings seriously.

"We do not want the students to simply switch courses because they are very good students and had worked very hard to gain a place to study medicine," said Prof Omar.

He added that the university was reaching out to the students through counselling.

[Jessie Fong]

It is alarming to note this claim that the monk had brainwashed the university students. 

Did they check out the monk?  Is he really a monk from a Thai temple, or just someone purporting to be a member of the sangha -- if so, then he is causing a dent in the name of religion.

If someone is sick, do you not do your best to help him recover?  How can you let him suffer by refusing him treatment?

[DS Star]

I would not dare to challenge if the monk is a real monk or not but I would think his view is rather radical and not in accordance with the teachings of Buddha that I have learnt so far...

From many Dharma books I read and Dharma talks I attended, 'saving lives' like what doctors do is a noble act that creates positive karma, this will contribute to having a long life.

Honestly I don't see how saving lives can be a negative karma. What this monk taught is the opposite of main stream Buddhist value...

One really have to use one's own wisdom to judge if a particular teaching is a true Dharma. We should use logic and the 'compassion' view to analyse: if by performing such an act, do I bring harm to others? If the answer is "Yes" then we should avoid it; and, if by performing the act, do I benefit others? If the answer is "Yes" then we should do it.

Like the instruction/ advice given by Buddha Shakyamuni to the people of Kalamas, one should use one's own judgement instead of blind faith or dogmatism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalama_Sutta

[Ensapa]

The Buddha has explicitly forbid the use of supernatural powers in monks:

The Buddha did not give an important place for the performances of psychic power. In fact bhikku disciples were forbidden from performing psychic power. He too used it only on very special occasions.

He did that because if he went around from village to village performing psychic powers he would have plenty of requisites, plenty of fame and praise but no one would have had the time to sit down, listen, practise and develop the noble eightfold path, acquire the knowledge of the four noble truths and find their way towards liberation. Therefore he played those things down, he did not display them. In fact the bhikku disciple that came in for the highest praise from the Buddha was the Venerable Sariputta. But the great Arahant Sariputta did not have the knowledge of psychic power.

He did not give these a special place because these are worldly powers which are conditioned things and hence impermanent. They don't lead you to the end of suffering. Therefore you should not fall pray to small psychic powers, do not get carried away by them. understand their true nature, realise their value, realise their limitations and act accordingly. That is the Buddha's advice.

It is for sure that a Buddhist who needs to hinge on such powers are not real Buddhists, real Buddhist teachers do not try to impress people with psychic powers but rather use logic and reasoning. It is actually a very suspicious thing for the monk to openly confess or showing such powers as it is one of the things that will result in immediate expulsion as it is against the vinaya to display or admitting psychic powers.

[Big Uncle]

This is basically the sign of our degenerate times that the masters of old call the Kali Yuga age. Monks will not be holding their vows and practitioners will receive perverted Dharma that goes against the original intent of the Buddha. There would be fewer real Buddhist masters and less real Dharma practitioners that are striving to receive real spiritual nourishment. I am sad for these young man and woman who have become influenced by wrong views of these monks, is a result of heavy negative karma. Let's hope they will soon find the real teachings and practice them.

[Tenzin K]

What a sad things to hear. Really sway off the truth and the right teaching of Buddhism.

A doctor is a person who has been trained in and who practises the science of medicine. Because of his concern for human happiness the Buddha frequently addressed issues relevant to the medical profession. He listed eight causes of sickness. He suggested that one’s outlook and attitude might have a part to play in healing and mentioned that one could maintain psychological well-being despite physical sickness.

In what could form the basis of a Buddhist equivalent to the Hippocratic Oath, he once said: ‘One who cares for the sick is fit to do so if he has five qualities. What five? He can prepare medicine, he knows what is healing and administers it but never administers what is harmful, he cares for the patient out of love not out of desire for gain, he is unmoved by excrement, urine, vomit and spittle, and from time to time he can instruct, uplift, gladden and encourage the patient with talk on Dhamma.’ The Buddha’s teachings added certain ethical elements to the medical practices current during his time. Su?ruta, the father of Indian medicine, advised the physician not to treat a patient who might die so as to avoid being blamed for his or her death. By contrast, the Buddha said that patients should be treated and nursed even if they are going to die, out of compassion for them.

The Buddha was often compared to a doctor: ‘The Buddha is like a skilled physician in that he is able to heal the sickness of the defilements.’ Once he even called himself ‘the supreme physician’. Buddhist monks have long served as doctors despite this being against the Vinaya. It is not known who discovered smallpox inoculation but the procedure was introduced into China by an Indian Buddhist monk named Am?t?nanda in the 7th century.

[Ensapa]

This is basically the sign of our degenerate times that the masters of old call the Kali Yuga age. Monks will not be holding their vows and practitioners will receive perverted Dharma that goes against the original intent of the Buddha. There would be fewer real Buddhist masters and less real Dharma practitioners that are striving to receive real spiritual nourishment. I am sad for these young man and woman who have become influenced by wrong views of these monks, is a result of heavy negative karma. Let's hope they will soon find the real teachings and practice them.

There are so many good centers in Malaysia and so many sangha members there, but for this particular group of students to get caught with this monk, is definitely the result of their negative karma. At this time, we need to think, what have we done to receive the correct teachings and not go wayward like these poor young people? I wonder what will happen to them in the long run and now.

It is pointless to try to 'catch' this monk, as long as he still have the positive karma not not get caught. people will continue to be attracted to charlatans like these because they simply have the karma to be attracted to people like this. Perhaps, the only thing that will help in this situation is to educate people to not fall prey to claims of psychic powers and that it is not the way of Buddhism.

[bambi]

Its scary to know that people are spreading lies and teaching the wrong ways. Logically, how can helping to save the life of someone interfere with their karma? If we know that someone needs help, we just fold our hands and watch them get into trouble? What about the negative karma we create from that? He has supernatural powers? I doubt he is even a monk. I am sorry, with what he did, he might be a man who shaved his head and claim himself as a monk. I think the Young Buddhist Association should address this issue and not let it go out of hand. They should talk to the confused students before it get worse. Reeducate them the correct version of Dharma.

[fruven]

If we put ourselves in other person's shoe as someone sick we go to visit a doctor to have our sickness treated what would we think when the doctor would tell us due to your negative karma I cannot treat you? Isn't it illogical? There would be no medical profession. If medical profession is bad the law of the land should ban it. It doesn't make sense. What about those doctors who have treated you and me when we were sick since we're young? There is no one who doesn't get sick during alive.

[brian]

This Thai monk is collecting huge bad karma for dispersing perverted wrong views to his students if what reported here was correct. It is totally wrong to have swayed with the minds of others into not doing something good for others such as in this case, doctors who are going to help and cure so many in future ended up doing nothing and keeps a wrong set of thinking with them.

Buddhists always encourages people to be compassionate and kind, at the same time to apply wisdom into their daily lives. So, by letting someone die because it is his/her karma to reach such a stage and we do not need to do anything about it is totally stupid (sorry). One can think if the patient is someone of your own relatives, will you let him/her to just die without making an effort to say his/her life??

[Benny]

I would not be so fast to judge the actions of this Thai monk ! Afterall , he did not "prevent" any qualified doctor from treating or saving any patient or persons in general .

All he did was to convince a bunch of students ( we are also unsure exactly how many ) from pursuing a course of training or education that "MIGHT" or "MIGHT NOT" result in turning them into good qualified doctors ! Even though some may pass as doctors , there is no guarantee that they will be good doctors !

Maybe , all this monk did was to just gave these youngsters some career guidance and spiritual counselling ! Would it NOT be more shocking if the Thai monk convinced them to shave their heads to be monks like him ! I am sure we all agree that in this day and age , most secular parents would find it unacceptable for their off springs to renounce and choose to be monks !

So , in conclusion this monk did not commit any crime or immoral act that broke his monk vows ! In fact the students just merely wanted to change careers ! They are NOT even quitting school ! Who are we to say that this monk gave them bad advise ?! To some hardcore supernatural power believers , maybe this monk truly has the ability to see the future , thus he could have "seen" that it was better that those students not be doctors ! Maybe , this act could have saved countless lives or even the students lives. Who are we to JUDGE ? Who knows? ...hmmm he could be a BODDHISATVA !

   

[Tammy]

What is WRONG with the education system that the cream of the crops of our young generation (they were supposed to be come doctors!!) could blindly accept twisted 'rationale', and not able to analyse information presentated to them, let alone saving lives.

I agree with Benny that they are no fit to be doctors.

[Ensapa]

I would not be so fast to judge the actions of this Thai monk ! Afterall , he did not "prevent" any qualified doctor from treating or saving any patient or persons in general .

All he did was to convince a bunch of students ( we are also unsure exactly how many ) from pursuing a course of training or education that "MIGHT" or "MIGHT NOT" result in turning them into good qualified doctors ! Even though some may pass as doctors , there is no guarantee that they will be good doctors !

Maybe , all this monk did was to just gave these youngsters some career guidance and spiritual counselling ! Would it NOT be more shocking if the Thai monk convinced them to shave their heads to be monks like him ! I am sure we all agree that in this day and age , most secular parents would find it unacceptable for their off springs to renounce and choose to be monks !

So , in conclusion this monk did not commit any crime or immoral act that broke his monk vows ! In fact the students just merely wanted to change careers ! They are NOT even quitting school ! Who are we to say that this monk gave them bad advise ?! To some hardcore supernatural power believers , maybe this monk truly has the ability to see the future , thus he could have "seen" that it was better that those students not be doctors ! Maybe , this act could have saved countless lives or even the students lives. Who are we to JUDGE ? Who knows? ...hmmm he could be a BODDHISATVA !

 

that is a nice angle there, benny. It could be that the monk just offered these students a different perspective and they happen to follow it. Also, what is interesting is that to date, there is no reports or no talk of what happened to the students or to the monk. How difficult can it be to track down a whole group of people? Also, YBAM, as my friend from Malaysia often said, is famous for making decisions in favor  of the public and not in favor of the Dharma. So perhaps, there is some doubt in this report after all.

[Namdrol]

This monk is twisting Buddhism, what he preached was definitely not Buddhism, it is about accepting fate as it is and no need to do anything about it, a complete opposite of what Buddha taught us that karma can be changed.

If like that, why is he a monk? Should leave it to his karma whether he becomes enlightened or not, why make an effort to take vows to become a monk.

A complete non-sense. People like him is a destroyer of Dharma, it is through people like him that Dharma among the society will degenerate.

[jessicajameson]

Goodness! Not only does he have a warped view on Buddhism, but he manipulated potential life-savers into thinking the same sick thought.

I totally disagree with what Benny wrote.

If that's the case then perhaps spiritual healers such as Gangchen Rinpoche should not heal others, or promote healing practices. The logic follows that Gangchen Rinpoche should allow patients to suffer, and not interfere with their karmic path.

To develop that further, why pray? Why do protector practices? Why attempt to remove obstacles in your life if that's your karmic fate.

I would be surprised to see the lay adviser Chong Hung Wang taking medicine at all. He is someone the EGM members from the Malaysian Buddhist Maha Vihara temple should target.