Fake monks

[sonamdhargey]

At a tea shop in Pho Moi town, Que Vo district, Bac Ninh province, the owner said: "Every morning, they put on costumes of Buddhist monks and go to streets. In the afternoon, they return here and call at my shop to drink tea."

Vu Duong village in Bac Ninh province, which is said to have high number of fake monks, is a purely agricultural village, but most of the people here do not do farming. They are very active and trade many items.

In the last ten years, Vu Duong has really changed. The change was derived from a “special job” – fake monks. Some people said that this "job" was transferred by a local woman who married a southern man.

Initially, only a few people dared to do this “job” and all of them were strongly protested by the villagers. Not long after, seeing these fake monks getting rich day by day, others have followed them.

The owner of a tea shop in Vu Duong said: "In the morning they go to work in groups. They return home at 6pm.”

“Monks” of Vu Duong village are very professional. They wear fake cards noted with the Vietnam Buddhist Shangha. They disguised themselves as monks to sell incenses at very high prices as the way to raise donations to build Buddhist temples. They also "learn” little knowledge about Buddhism or divination to serve their “job.”

Vu Duong Village has a group of motorcycle drivers who are specialized in serving fake monks. They go to the home of fake monks to pick them up in the morning and take them back home on the afternoon. Averagely, drivers earn around VND200,000 ($10) a day.

After only a short time, many fake monks have earned a lot of money. Since then, others join them to earn easy money. This job has quickly become the way to escape from poverty of many families. During “peak times,” Vu Duong village has more than one hundred people doing this job.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Cat, who looks after the Vu Duong village communal house was ashamed when talking about this job. "Just because of money that people disregard ethics. Though it is a lucrative ‘job’ but the serious people never accept doing it," he said.

Initially, when the number of villagers who dared to practice this job was very small, most of fake monks did not dare to wear monk costumes from home, but then when it becomes a "movement," they obviously wear the clothing from home.

In Vu Duong, there are many beautiful houses. Local people said that most of the houses are owned by fake monks.

Mr. Cuong, in Chua hamlet, was a pure farmer. His parents divorced, Cuong had to graze cattle and buffaloes. Yet, people now call him a "millionaire." After getting married, life became harder for him. Cuong worked very hard but he could not earn enough to buy three meals. After six years of being a fake monk, this man has bought land and built a nice house.

"Sow the wind must meet the storm," the law of causality is probably true for some fake monks, who are in prison. Some fake monks not only sell incense at high prices but also practice superstitious rituals to cheat money. Some were arrested for swindling.

Recently, two fake monks - Phan Thanh Chuong and Nguyen Thi Huong from Vu Duong Village – were seized by people in Ninh Hiep, Hanoi, and handed over to the authorities. Thankfully, the two "monks" were only placed on probation on charges of fraud.

During their “journeys,” Vu Duong village’s “monks” faced risks. Vu Duong villagers still tell the story about Mrs. Huong, a fake monk who was forced to take off her monk costume, to have her hair cut and was thrown to a pond by people in a village in Thai Binh province.

However, after the incident, the woman did not give up this “job.” She even stated that it is easier to be a monk without hair.

Source:http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/society/50468/fake-monks-are-rampant.html

[bambi]

This is quite disturbing. And the fact that these people get easy money conning people using the name of Buddhism. It is very sad to see these people collect so much negative karma with what they are doing. Do they not feel that it is morally wrong? For the sake of attachments, some people can do anything to satisfy it. I really hope the authorities can apprehend those fake monks and sentence them. This is because I really hope that they will repent and not do it anymore.

[dondrup]

In this degenerate time, fake monks are found in many Asian cities. Due to poverty or high cost of living, many poor and desperate people who are unable to sustain their living resort to become fake monks.   Some of these fake monks were controlled by syndicates who are out to cheat people of their money.  In general society will give to monks during their alms rounds.  Unfortunately these fake monks have taken advantage of this situation to cheat the public.  Vu Dong village’s monks had gone into the extreme of turning it into a profession and furthermore it has become so popular that many had joined in the trade to earn some fast bucks!
 
Cheating is a non-virtue.  To cheat pretending to be a monk is bad. Furthermore, to earn a livelihood cheating as a monk is worst!  What heavy negative karma these fake monks are accumulating?  They had enjoyed a short-term wealth gained through a wrong livelihood.   It is illegal too. 
 
Surprisingly the Vietnamese authorities were unable to put a stop to this fake monk profession.  If these illegal and unethical activities proliferate, it will cause disrepute to Buddhism and create social disorder.

[kris]

It is quite sad to see such "job" of fake monks has taken place. From where I grew up, there are many people who pretends to be monk and take advantage of the compassion of people, and as such, when i see monks, I become very skeptic and question if they genuine monks. My skepticism is only broken after I met my Guru.

I think it is such bad karma to fake a monk, bang on people's compassion and make a living out of it. It is 100% out to cheat. I hope people can become more conscious about this and stop taking up this job.

[DS Star]

"BEWARE of FAKE MONKS" this is a sign pasted on the wall of a restaurant in Thailand...

Here are 2 videos I found on 'Fake Monks':

http://youtu.be/1MzlsbOQiwo
	Small | Large

http://youtu.be/l-49xBZwxro

This means the issue of fake monks happened everywhere and it is very serious...

Really, whatever happened to this degenerate age world?

I wonder where their karma will take them for imposing as monks and cheating people's money...

[RedLantern]

For most people,monks are devout hermits practicing Buddhism,separate from the materialistic world outside.
Genuine Buddhist monks will never ask you for money in lieu of food to be placed in their alms bowl.
Genuine Buddhist monks will never ask you for money for new robes.If you want them to have new robes,you
buy it for them and not give them the money to buy it.
Genuine Buddhist monks will not go out in public and ask for donations to maintain their temples,monasteries and such. If  you encounter anyone doing this,get the address/place of the building and call them up to verify
the authenticity of the monk. If the story was real,then give them a piece of your mind and tell them this is not
the Buddhist way of doing things.
The fake monks will make others lose faith in Buddhism.People with true beliefs would not resort to such actions.In Buddhism,people doing bad deeds will bring bad karma for themselves.

[Jessie Fong]

The incident of fake monks is not something new for there have been cases of fake monks in some South East Asian countries.  Many Buddhists from S.E.A. believe in the act of dana (generosity, act of giving alms).  So it becomes a sort of "habit" to offer to the monks when they come across one, not bothering to check out whether the monk is a fake or the real McCoy.

These people have resorted to being fake monks as it has become a lucrative "business" for them - being a conman without any thought that their cheating the people is a crime.  Obviously they are not people with a conscience.

[Aurore]

Fake monks are bad news. With every piece of bad news, there can be good news. The good news from reading this post is there are many generous people who respect and believe in giving to the sangha. We know that from the results of the tremendous wealth these monks are able to accumulate. It's negative for the fake monks but if these people genuinely donates, they gain merits even if these monks are not for real!

From my knowledge, it's always better to donate sincerely to a monk even if they are in disguise because we will never know for sure if they are really fakes. What do guys think? Would you donate towards a monk if you suspect he's faking it?

I was told by my mom monks usually beg in the mornings and they should only beg for food and not money. This is how you identify fake monks. Is this true? Does anyone know how to identify a fake monk from a genuine monk?

[Benny]

On the brighter side of things , the way i look at it , is that at least these immoral people are begging for the money and not stealing or robbing . Furthermore , we can stop this scam dead in its tracks if people stop giving money to the "monks".

It is also not bad karma if kind people give the cash donations sincerely and from the heart. Even though the monks are fake , i believe the virtuous donor will still collect merits irrespective. The only loser is the person faking to be a monk , if there should be any reason to stop them , it should be out of the compassion to prevent the fake monk from continuing to deceive the public .

[Q]

This is very disturbing news...

If it is already very negative karma to earn a living by selling Buddha statues, imagine the karmic repercussion these fake monks will face for misleading the people in their country.

But worst of all, now that the cat is out of the bag, it creates much bad reputation for Buddhism in their country. People will eventually turn skeptical towards ordained individuals, fearing that they may be ripped off by fake monks even though they may have met a sincere, vow bearer of Dharma. It is not only damaging to reputation, but it will severely inhibit the growth of Dharma in the area as people develop a negative mindset towards these fake monks.

I hope this issue is resolved fast before the situation becomes worst. Gaining profit by using the Dharma and misleading people... if they knew how severe this wrong livelihood is, they will at least develop enough fear to stop this detrimental practice/job.

[Barzin]

This is really bad news really...  There are many fake monks and nuns.. people will do anything for money these days.  With the little dharma knowledge we have, we won't be able to tell who is real or fake.  That is the reason why Buddhism is degenerating...  It is the police of Buddhism in uniforms but caught in funny acts, who would believe them anymore.  This is really bad news.

I vividly remembered a few incidents I came across when I was a kid, that really affected me quite a bit.  One was that I witnessed a monk in lay clothes in a posh car went for prostitution. Because my friend was waitressing in that club so the managers there identify the monk as a VIP because he is loaded and they all knew that he is a monk of a certain center.

Another was a nun came by me on a bus station and put a mala onto my wrist and gave me a picture of Kuan Yin.  I felt so blessed as she was so nice and she said I am blessed and the lucky one.  Then just a mere 10 minutes she demanded for money,  I was only a student and did not have much money on me so I returned her stuff, she didn't want to take it back and insist on taking money.. I walked away and the people thought I was rude to the nun!

Haha, that is why even meeting a real monk or nun is so rare.  Let alone meeting a real one who holds Buddha dharma closely and practice.  Therefore, any of us come across a great dharma teacher we must truly cherish and treasure them than anything else!

[Manjushri]

Out of desperation, when there is really no other way, I can see why people would turn to becoming "fake monks". In Vietnam, it's fake monks, in other countries, people turn to prostitution, people become con artists, people cheat by pretending to be something they're not or pretending to captivate others through portraying "magical powers".

The fundamental root that drives people to deceive others in any manner, would be because of their survival instincts, and in today's society, to survive is to have some form of income. Of course, there are many ways to get income, but some find it easiest to cheat people.

Faking to be monks isn't one of the wisest choice, because the effects would be turning people away from religion, making them lose trust in it, and at a point should they really need religion to help save them, they might have lost the opportunity to do so because of their lack of trust in the religion from the damage done by how people portray religion to be.

This reminds me of a story I read last year on daily mail. Its about how some founder of a popular church in Singapore embazzled millions from the church. Read the article below. How do you feel after reading it?

----------------------

False (pop) idol: Singapore church leader charged with fraud for syphoning £12m to fund his wife’s singing career
By Tom Goodenough
 
PUBLISHED:16:09 GMT, 27 June 2012| UPDATED:17:32 GMT, 27 June 2012

The founder of one of Singapore's largest evangelical churches was charged with fraud today for allegedly funneling millions of dollars to his wife's singing career.

City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee, 47, was charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit criminal breach of trust in connection with a scheme to syphon at least 23million Singapore dollars (£11.6million) of church funds from 2007 to 2010 to finance the singing career of his wife, Ho Yeow Sun.
 
Known professionally as Sun Ho, the 40-year-old has put out several Mandarin and English pop albums and songs, including a 2007 collaboration with pop star Wyclef Jean called 'China Wine'.
 
She has not been charged with any offence.
 
Kong did not enter a plea and was freed on £250,000 bail after his passport was seized.
 
He could face up to 20 years in prison or a fine for each charge if he is found guilty.
 


He did not comment on the accusations in court but earlier had tweeted that he trusted Jesus and referred to Tuesday, when he was arrested, as a 'tough day'.

Prosecutors also charged four other church leaders with breach of trust and conspiracy to commit falsification of accounts.

 
The charges follow a two-year police investigation sparked by local media reports that depicted Ho's lavish lifestyle, and drew attention to his $20,000-a-month Los Angeles mansion.
 
A church member had alleged in 2003 that City Harvest funds were paying for Ho's singing career, but he later retracted the statement and publicly apologized to Kong and Ho.


Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a statement that the church is free to hold regular services.

City Harvest, which has a congregation of more than 30,000 people, said in a statement that church operations would continue as usual and declined to comment on the case.

The Charities Commissioner on Tuesday suspended the five charged church leaders along with Ho and two others from their positions as trustees, board members and employees at City Harvest.
 
Kong gained notice for his charismatic preaching style in front of tens of thousands of worshippers during services at the Suntec Convention Center.

He said on his Twitter account yesterday: 'Tough day. I trust in You, Lord Jesus. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done!'

Extracted from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2165558/Kong-Hee-Singapore-church-City-Harvests-leader-charged-fraud.html

[Tenzin K]

In recent years, fake monk scandals have cropped up time and again, most of them attempts to cheat people out of their money.

On Monday, a fake monk was discovered by a local health authority when he treated four residents for various diseases in Yichang, Hubei Province. He had no medical license and his equipment was not disinfected. He later admitted to being a migrant worker, Health News reported yesterday.

In April last year, 78 fake monks were arrested for attacking police officers who stopped them after finding them swindling members of the public during a qigong performance in Jinghong, Yunnan Province, ifeng.com reported.     

As monks are widely respected, criminals rely on this reputation for their own nefarious purposes, Master Jie Cheng, the abbot of the China Naihai Zen Temple in Henan Province, told the Global Times yesterday.

Jie revealed that some people pretended to be monks at his own temple in order to secure more invitations to the temple's opening ceremony.

"The fake monks will make others lose faith in Buddhism. People with true beliefs would not resort to such actions. In Buddhism, people doing bad deeds will bring bad karma on themselves," he said.

[pgdharma]

There are so many fake monks scandals sprouting up everywhere and it has tarnished the image of Buddhism. These fake monks will resort to all means to cheat and take advantage of the people. Below is an article of fake monks trapped in temple lavatory. This is so embarrassing.

Buddhist leaders are concerned that their religion has been brought into disrepute, after two men posing as monks were seen drinking alcohol on the subway, and checking into hotels with women, according to film of them posted on microblogging site Sina Weibo.

The pair of bogus monks was detained by police on Saturday afternoon at Fayuan Si, a temple in Xicheng district, reported the Legal Mirror yesterday.

The report said the two monks wore robes and posed for photos at the temple Saturday afternoon while bona fide monks and laymen were attending a lecture.

Fayuan Si is the oldest temple in Beijing, originally dating from 645, and is the headquarters of the Chinese Buddhist Academy.

A lay Buddhist, surnamed Du, spotted the imposters after recognizing them from the microblog posts. He reported the sighting to the master of the temple, Master Mingxin.

The fake monks tried to flee, but were caught trying to disrobe in a temple toilet, and held by a group of over 20 monks and laymen until police arrived.

"They got really nervous when we found them," Master Mingxin told the Legal Mirror, adding that they would not reveal their names, and were unable to  recite a Buddhist mantra.

"I suspect they are taking advantage of the fame of Fayuan Si to cause a sensation," Du told the Global Times yesterday.

"They are slandering Buddhism and may give people who are not familiar with the religion a false impression of it," Du said.

Du said the men were wearing robes that Buddhists wore when attending lectures or ceremonies. He thought they were desperate to become famous, and did not care how they attained that fame.

Li Xiangping, professor of religious studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, agreed with Du.

"Obviously, their behavior has tarnished the image of Buddhism," Li said, adding that it would be a challenge to judge how to deal with the fake monks, as while they had worn the robes, they had apparently not committed a crime or swindled anyone. 

"Buddhism is still widely believed in by Chinese people, but the image remains a problem," said Li, referring to a number of scandals which have involved fake monks, and even temples, in "money making" scams.

In January, Yanquan Si in Kunming, Yunnan Province, was exposed after visitors were swindled and even threatened by men who were paid by temple managers to impersonate genuine monks, reported China Newsweek.

Du said police told him the imposters could not be punished, if they were not involved in any fraudulent activities.

Du suggested that regulations should be set to prevent people with ulterior motives from "casting foul water" on Buddhism, which will harm devout people's feelings.

Xicheng police refused to comment.

[Big Uncle]

Fake monks are indicative of our times and it shows what the Buddha referred to as the degenerate age or Kali Yuga. The Buddha described our time to be a one of material richness but extreme spiritual poverty. Materialism is more cherished and worshiped than the Buddhas and his precious teachings. The worse form of spiritual degeneration is to use spirituality to further materialistic aims like these fakes monks. The worse seems to come from the cultures that have a rich Buddhist past but do not seem to retain any real Dharma teachings.

The challenge of being in a Buddhist culture is the preservation and propagation of the Dharma based upon the norms and pervasive culture of our times. Distractions these days are so powerful that people are swayed by it and would use their spirituality for a materialistic end. Hence, very few younger children are even interested in the spartan lifestyle of a monk. Even interest in the temple and the Buddhas are relegated to just seeking a blessing to overcome difficulties.

Spreading the Dharma these days would require the spread of Dharma teachings via qualified and sincere Dharma teachers. This is rare and there's a need to nurture such teachers so a new generation of practitioners and teachers would arise. Buddhism can only grow in a place when there is a qualified teacher and there is the presence of real Sangha. This is all necessary and an institution that nurtures and encourages Dharma studies and practice. That would be a good way to combat rampant abuse of the role of monastics. Another way would be to encourage lay practitioners to become teachers and meditators. People need to know to inspire and to guide them towards going further down the Dharma path.