L15_Rdg02-04_Buddhism Sect Spurs Crisis in Thai Buddhism

By ROBERT HORN, AP Writer 04:18 AM ET 07/24/99

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) They worship before what looks like a giant flying saucer. They believe their leader has supernatural powers. They swear they've seen miracles. More than 100,000 strong, they are members of a Buddhist temple near Bangkok named Wat Dhammakaya, which now has branches in several provinces and 10 foreign countries, including the United States. Although most Thais are Buddhist, this sect's growing numbers, evangelical fervor, aggressive fundraising and unorthodox beliefs are turning many people against them. Phra Dhammachayo, the temple's charismatic 55-year-old abbot, is the target of both criminal and monastic courts on a complex range of charges from heresy to fraud and embezzlement. He has denied the charges, but thousands of Buddhist activists have demonstrated to demand he be expelled from the monkhood. The controversy has laid bare a crisis in Thai Buddhism at large. Critics say the faith has become corrupted, and wonder whether it can withstand a corrosive mix of materialism, distorted beliefs and failure of clerical leadership. The state institution of Buddhism is a mess,'' says Santikaro Bhikkhu, an American ordained as a monk in Thailand, Geriatric, irrelevant, corrupt, cowardly, ineffective, blinded by its own narrow interests and perks. The Sangha has surrendered its rightful role as a moral voice for society.'' At its core, Buddhism is a religion that teaches that renunciation of desire for material comforts is the way to relieve suffering and find the path to wisdom. Instead of shunning material comforts, some senior monks live in plush quarters and drive Mercedes Benzes. Some have become so consumed with money that they have refused to perform religious services, such as funeral rites, for poor people who can't afford donations to their temples. In addition, many monks win popularity by indulging in practices that contradict Buddhist teachings, such as telling fortunes, selling magic amulets and predicting winning lottery numbers. According to Apinya Feungfusakul, a sociology professor at Chiang Mai University, Wat Dhammakaya is successful because it is a mass movement that gives followers a sense of belonging and community in the otherwise isolated, rootless existence of modern urban life. Most followers speak of Wat Dhammakaya's cleanliness and strong

organization. Others talk of disillusionment with modern Thai society. My country has changed so much in the past decade or so,'' says Pat Petburanin, a human resources executive, explaining why she attends Wat Dhammakaya. People have become so greedy and materialistic. We were missing something spiritual.'' The paradox of Wat Dhammakaya is that critics view it as a greedy, profiteering cult. Wat Dhammakaya has a core of lay followers who compete with each other to raise as much money for the temple as possible, using telemarketing and direct sales techniques advocated by the monks, according to Apinya. They view this as providing opportunities to the public to make merit, but they also rise within the temple hierarchy based on how much they pull in. The temple's literature, Apinya adds, also promotes donations as a shortcut to salvation and good fortune. It contains tales of poorer followers emptying their bank accounts to give to the temple and then see their meager businesses start to boom. While all Buddhists agree that donating food, robes and money to monks does earn one spiritual merit, it is only one means of earning it. However, says Prof. Wit Wityadavet, chairman of the Buddhist Studies Center at Chulalongkorn University, In Thailand, it has become just about the only means.'' Followers Try Stopping Monk Arrest
By APICHART WEERAWONG, AP Writer 11:26 AM ET 08/24/99

PATHUM THANI, Thailand (AP) _ About 10,000 followers of a controversial Buddhist monk gathered at their temple Tuesday to prevent his arrest on charges of fraud, embezzlement and corruption. Police stood watch over the exits of the sprawling Dhammakaya compound outside Bangkok and sealed off the exits to ensure their quarry did not escape. There was no sign of imminent confrontation. Underscoring the high emotions in the case, a temple follower set his truck on fire outside the central government buildings in Bangkok to protest the arrest warrant. He was arrested. The Dhammakaya sect has branches in 10 foreign countries, including the United States. Police have expressed concern that the monk might try to flee Thailand to escape prosecution. The Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant Monday for Phra Dhammachayo, 55, capping a police investigation into allegations that the monk and his top aides illegally amassed a fortune estimated at $110 million. A parallel investigation by religious authorities into whether Dhammachayo had violated Buddhist doctrines by claiming

supernatural powers stalled last week when high-ranking monks declared that laymen had no right to bring such charges. Dhammachayo, who has led mass meditations of more than 100,000 people at the Dhammakaya compound, has repeatedly snubbed investigators and the Buddhist hierarchy over the course of the investigations. Senior police issued an appeal for Dhammachayo to turn himself in to prevent a violent confrontation. But Dhammachayo's followers said their leader had no intention of cooperating. The charges allege that the charismatic monk took donated money and invested it stocks, land and private businesses for his own profit. At its heart, Buddhism stresses meditation and the shedding of material wealth to achieve enlightenment and stop the endless cycle of life and rebirth, which is viewed as suffering. Teacher Note: The text has been edited by Mr. Anthony Valentin for use in classroom instruction. Content has not been altered except for those items that may improve clarity and understanding (ex. punctuation). Any text changes by Mr. V have been duly marked by academically accepted devices (ex. [Brackets], Ellipsis..., etc.).