Thai Buddhist monks criticized for lavish behavior

[Ensapa]

Oh wow. this is interesting. An abbot whose actions contradict what he teaches..

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's Buddhism body said it is monitoring monks nationwide for any inappropriate behavior after a video showed monks using luxurious personal items while flying on a private jet.
The YouTube video showed one of the monks was wearing stylish aviator sunglasses, carrying a luxury brand travel bag and sporting a pair of modern-looking wireless headphones. It attracted criticism from Buddhists nationwide.
Office of National Buddhism director-general Nopparat Benjawatananun said Monday that the agency saw the video early this year and had warned the monks from a monastery in Thailand's northeast not to repeat the lavish behavior.

A country with the world's largest Buddhist population, Thailand has attempted to help Buddha's 2,600-year-old doctrine stand the test of time through a variety of means, including banning the sale of alcohol on religious holidays. The efforts, however, are sometimes tainted by the Buddhist monks themselves.

Last year, about 300 out of 61,416 Buddhist monks and novices in Thailand were reprimanded — and several were removed from the monkhood — because of misconduct ranging from alcohol consumption, having sex with women to extortion. The Office also received complaints about monks driving cars, and scams and false claims of black magic uses by monks.

Nopparat said the Buddhist monks in the video were acting "inappropriately, not composed and not adhering to Buddha's teachings of simplicity and self-restraint."

Monruedee Bantoengsuk, an administrative officer at Khantitham Temple in Sisaket province, confirmed to The Associated Press that the monks on the private plane lived at the temple but refused to give details about the trip.
"We can explain this, but not now," she said, saying that the abbot, who appeared in the video, is currently on a religious tour in France.

The images from the video contrasted with the abbot's message on the temple's homepage that read: "The true core of those who preach Buddha's teachings is to not to own any objects at all."

"When Lord Buddha was alive, there wasn't anything like this. There were no cars, smart phones or cameras, so the rules were much simpler," said Nopparat. "While the monks need to keep themselves abreast of new knowledge, current events and technology, they are restrained to choose the appropriate tools."

He said one way to prevent the monks from misbehaving is for followers not to spoil them with valuable objects or vices. "In many cases, it was the followers who gave the monks the luxury. Some bought them sports cars. This is by no means necessary."

[yontenjamyang]

For me there are 2 ways to look at this.

On one hands there are rules in the Vinaya and in the tradition that has been established from Buddha Shakyamuni's time and has evolved within various traditions and schools. Common to this is the practice of renunciation. The general rule of thumb is not to engage in lavish behavior. In other words, lead a simple life. In this respect, the usage of private jets, branded goods and fine dining can be deemed as lavish and a no-no.

The second point of view however, is that it is debatable on what is considered lavish and if the Sangha member; in this case the abbot himself, is actually renounced internally. After all, the Sangha should accept what is offered to them.

For this case, a deeper investigation need to be done to establish the actual motivation of the abbot.

A point to note is that in the Tibetan tradition especially, there are enlightened beings known as Mahasiddha who behave in what is normally unacceptable ways to benefit beings. After all, we are all flawed and do not have true wisdom to judge.

[dondrup]

Bhikkhus or monks have taken vows to live the life of a mendicant.  Monks must uphold their vows and  practise renunciation.  According to the Vinaya, strictly speaking the monks are only allowed 4 items (other than their robes): a razor, a needle, an alms bowl and a water strainer. 

Time has changed.  Nowadays monks own additional essential items e.g. a mobile phone in order for them to communicate with others.  Laptop computer is another modern gadget that we see the ordained sangha uses. 

Monks must be mindful and be aware of their actions. It is not that monks are not allowed to own and use modern and expensive gadgets.  It is how they use the gadgets.The lavish behavour of the Abbot in this case is inappropriate and unskilful. 

Monks may have been gifted with expensive and branded mobile phones from kind sponsors.  Does this mean that these monks cannot use the expensive and branded mobile phones?  No.  It is the unskilful action that attracts criticism from the others.  This action has caused others to create negative impression of Buddhist Monks.  It had also caused others to create negative speech karma towards their unskilful action.

[Ensapa]

Here's another perspective on this, with the video that started it all.

Thai Buddhist monks criticised over private jet
Thailand's national Buddhism body said on Monday it was monitoring monks nationwide for any inappropriate behaviour following complaints ignited by a video showing Buddhist monks on a private jet.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sANFgwoJeic

By AP 2:38PM BST 17 Jun 2013
The YouTube video emerging recently showed one of the monks was wearing stylish aviator sunglasses, carrying a brand name travel bag and sporting a pair of modern-looking wireless headphones. It attracted criticism from Buddhists nationwide.
Office of National Buddhism director-general Nopparat Benjawatananun said on Monday that the agency saw the video early this year and had warned the monks from a monastery in Thailand's northeast not to repeat the lavish behaviour.
A country with the world's largest Buddhist population, Thailand has attempted to help Buddha's 2,600-year-old doctrine stand the test of time through a variety of means, including imposing a ban on the sale of alcohol on religious holidays. The efforts, however, are sometimes tainted by the Buddhist monks themselves.
Last year, about 300 out of 61,416 Buddhist monks and novices in Thailand were reprimanded – in several cases removed from the monkhood – because of their misconduct, ranging from alcohol consumption, having sex with women, to extortion. The Office also received complaints about monks driving cars, and scams and false claims of black magic uses by monks.
Nopparat said the Buddhist monks in the video were acting "inappropriately, not composed and not adhering to Buddha's teachings of simplicity and self-restraint".
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Monruedee Bantoengsuk, an administrative officer at Khantitham Temple in Sisaket province, confirmed to The Associated Press that the monks on the private plane lived at the temple but refused to give details about the trip.
"We can explain this, but not now," she said, saying that the abbot, who appeared in the video, is currently on a religious tour in France.
The images from the video contrasted with the abbot's message on the temple's homepage that read: "The true core of those who preach Buddha's teachings is to not to own any objects at all."
"When Lord Buddha was alive, there wasn't anything like this. There were no cars, smart phones or cameras, so the rules were much simpler," said Nopparat of the Office of National Buddhism. "While the monks need to keep themselves abreast of new knowledge, current events and technology, they are restrained to choose the appropriate tools."
He said one way to prevent the monks from misbehaving is for followers not to spoil them with valuable objects or vices. "In many cases, it was the followers who gave the monks the luxury. Some bought them sports cars. This is by no means necessary."
Edited for Telegraph.co.uk by Barney Henderson

[Ensapa]

And here's Thailand's reaction to this incident:

Thai fury at Buddhist monks' private jet journey

BANGKOK, Thailand -- No dinner, no sneakers, no beer and no sex. An unthinkable sacrifice to the 21st century people, perhaps, but Buddhist monks must forsake them all.

And yet a YouTube clip currently captivating Thailand, where Buddhism reigns supreme, suggests that some monks can taste luxury beyond the average man's dreams.

The clip reveals a trio of monks draped in tangerine-colored robes. They are taxiing in a sleek private jet along a provincial Thai airport runway. Each wears flashy shades. Each has headphones plugged into his ears; one fiddles with a set that is wireless. The coup de grâce: a designer Louis Vuitton bag resting in a leather seat.

Misbehaving monks are not new to Thai newspapers. Their pages are filled with accounts of monks on meth, monks chasing prostitutes, monks ferried about in BMWs. But rarely are monks ensconced in so much luxury caught on video.

Exact figures on the number of monks in Thailand are sketchy: 200,000 is a common estimate though a senior monk recently confided to The New York Times that the figure may have dwindled down to 70,00. Thai men drift in and out of the monkhood. Although many monks remain in robes for life, two-week stints for otherwise secular men are common. Many fail to shake worldly habits such as smoking or Angry Birds during their stay. The piety demanded by an ancient doctrine is increasingly hard to sustain.

Tradition forbids monks from handling cash but this is an almost impossible request in modern times. Monks toting mobile phones, taboo not so long ago, have become a common sight. But these are minor violations among monks who, for the most part, undergird their communities with acts of kindness and teachings of mercy.

But there also exists a class of well-paid celebrity monks whose lives are steeped in luxury.

The "private jet" monks scandalized on YouTube are connected to a temple in SriSaket, a province deep in Thai rice-farming country, according to Matichon, a Thai-language news service.

Much of the temple's web presence consists of glowing homage to a monk -- strongly resembling a monk in the clip -- who mixes Buddhist doctrine with claims of supernatural powers.

His personal site contends that he has walked upon water: He rose up and realized that his feet did not even touch the dust on the floor and stayed afloat when walking on the pond. And later in life, so goes the monk's lore, he meditated for three months inside a cave where a python would rest on his chest.

Such wild claims are common among high-profile monks who count politicians and business moguls among their benefactors. On his site, the same monk hawks coins made of "USA gold" bearing his image for $33. A gleaming statuette goes for the auspicious price of 99,999 Thai baht or $3,242.

According to Matichon, the private jet in the video actually belongs to Luang Pu Nenkham Chattigo, the abbot of a Buddhist temple. "There is also a helipad near the entrance of the temple," reported the Bangkok Post, and the abbot travels with a police escort.


Both excessive commercialism and "necromancy" are officially disapproved by Thailand's Office of National Buddhism. (Mission statement: "To promote Buddhist scruple and buoy up Thai society.") Its director general, Nopparat Benjawatananun, told the Associated Press that the overly flashy monks had been warned.

But he also offered a caveat regarding the modern monk's temptations: "When Lord Buddha was alive, there wasn't anything like this. There were no cars, smartphones or cameras so the rules were much simpler."

[RedLantern]

Monks are expected to fulfilled a variety roles in the Buddhist community.First and foremost,they are expected to preserve the doctrine and discipline.They are also expected to provide a living example for the laity,and to serve as a "field of merit" for lay followers,providing layman and women with the opportunity to earn merit by giving gifts and support to the monks.In return for the support of the laity,monks are expected to live an austere life focused on the study of Buddhist doctrine,the practice of meditation and the observance of good moral character.
However due to the changing time and technology,some monks own additional essential and luxurious items sponsored by kind sponsors.They should be skilful to uphold their vows and practice renunciation in order not to attract unnecessary criticism from others.

[bonfire]

Hard to comment on this.

An attained practitioner does not get attached to branded sunglasses, an LV bag or a private jet and it becomes irrelevant whether he uses them or not, irrelevant to him.
For it is not the things that are creating trouble, it is our attachment or dislikes for the "things".

So why would an attained practitioner "parade" with luxury goods?
There can only be one reason: it is a teaching!

Unless of course we have here at hand somebody that turned "monk-hood" into a business to engross further in his attachments...
That is not pretty!
That is not a teaching, that is not pretty!

Not being myself an attained practitioner, I would refrain from commenting on the behavior of that monk further, simply because I do not know better.