StoneSoup Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Has anyone had any close dealings with anyone who is involved with this group? http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/01/20/close_encounters_of_the_buddhist_kind?page=0,0 "Despite an official stance against political involvement, the temple was widely reported to be an influential backer of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire businessman whose 2006 ouster set off a series of protests that last year left dozens dead, the economy shattered, and the country bitterly divided." The daylong ceremonies are carefully planned for maximum emotional effect. Feeding the spiritual hunger of Thais has become a four-decade-long quest for Dhammakaya. Feeding the human hunger is a daily challenge: The kitchen facilities sprawl across a football field, capable of preparing a ton of rice at a time and five meals a day for up to 500,000 people. That is a lot of food. They appear to be quite formidable - and yet they seem to maintain a low profile here within Thailand. Shades of the Nuremburg rallies of 80 years ago????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 They are certainly a strange lot - and heavy emphasis on donations to achieve merit. It seems to be Buddhism for the wealthy. Their HQ looks like a UFO landed in a rice paddy. The Buddhist Sangha has called them heritics and demanded their monks wear a different colour robe. << The DhammakÄya Foundation has been subject to its share of controversy. In 1999 and again in 2002, leaders of the organization were accused of charges ranging from fraud and embezzlement to corruption. At that time social critic Sulak Sivaraksa criticized the Dhammakaya Movement for promoting greed by emphasizing donations to the temple as a way to make merit. Widespread negative media coverage a this time was symptomatic of the movement being made the scapegoat for commercial malpractice in the Thai Buddhist temple community in the wake of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. In 2006 The Thai National Office for Buddhism cleared the Dhammakaya Foundation and Phrarajbhavanavisudh of all accusations when Phrarajbhavanavisudh agreed to return all the allegedly embezzled funds to name of his temple. Phrarajbhavanavisudh was subsequently restored to the position of abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. >> http://en.wikipedia....makaya_Movement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Hi, Sounds like the Buddhist/Thai version of a televangelist. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Good comparison. I remember seeing photos of the thousands of small Buddha figures at Wat Dhammakaya. Each one cost a big hunk of money and had the donor's name inscribed on it. It doesn't surprise me at all the Takky is connected with it. Money is god! The founder of the movement was a simple monk and lived like one. This reminds me of something we studied in university, the problem of the founder versus the followers. e.g. Look at pacifist, socialist, egalitarian Jesus and think of the Vatican and other churches that have "adapted" His teachings, with huge cathedrals, gold everywhere and clergy living like princes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSTEACH Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Hi, Sounds like the Buddhist/Thai version of a televangelist. Sanuk! Jim Bakker is back!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1k8B-qw040&feature=player_embedded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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