Flashermac Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 A picture of a golden Buddha image sitting on a lotus throne and hugging a naked woman sitting on his lap, photographed in Vietnam, has drawn criticism from Buddhists in the social media, reports said on Thursday. The photo was first posted on Facebook and was shared and discussed on many Thai webboards. The poster said the picture was taken in Vietnam but did not specify the location of the country. A Thai netizen posted a message, saying the person who sculpted the statue was evil and wanted to give Buddhism a bad name. A Facebook user commented that Thai authorities must find the location of this Buddha image and destroy it immediately because it represents Lord Buddha, who is highly revered by Buddhists. Another netizen said he viewed the Buddha image as an art form and Buddhists should not be engrossed in materialism. The reports said the Buddha image appears in the "yab-yum" (father-mother in Tibetan) posture, which Buddhists in India, Nepal and Tibet worshipped at least 1,200 years ago. "Yab-yum" is a common symbol in the Buddhist art of India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet, representing the male deity in sexual union, according to Wikipedia. Earlier this week, a French hotel that used toilet covers with an image of the Buddha's head outraged many Thais, and the French embassy in Bangkok had sent a letter of complaint to the hotel manager. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/338123/vietnamese-buddha-image-draws-anger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldFun Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 "Thai authorities must find the location of this Buddha image and destroy it immediately because it represents Lord Buddha, who is highly revered by Buddhists." say what?? do some thais really think they own buddhism or that its only true form exist in thailand and they are thus entitled to rule all buddhism of the world? OMB(oh my buddha) the state of affairs is really worse than what might be anticipated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radioman Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Since the distortion of the local form Tripitaka post 1931 I would say that many Thai people do indeed perceive Buddhism as theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 A colleague took some Tibetan monks to see Wat Pra Kaeo. They had to pay to get in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldFun Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 sure they have to pay. they were not thai (monks)!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 Leftist Dr. Giles Ungpakorn (now in exile in the UK) wrote a furious letter to the Bangkok Post about his treatment at WPK. He showed his Thai national ID card and his Chula university faculty ID, but the guards still demanded he pay. Dr. Giles's mother was English. The guards said, "You Farang, you pay." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldFun Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 aha so some thais are discrinated against too - feels good to know that but i somehow doubt this story or else that giles guy didnt fight much for his rights... anyway i suppose this pretty buddha image is for sale at jatujak market right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 I suspect Dr. Ji's Thai isn't all that wonderful, since I was once mistaken for him when speaking Thai. He has spent half of his life in England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldFun Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 but he is thai with a thai ID presumedly. if that's not enough well shame on us secondary nationalities for trying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 The reasoning at WPK is that Thais pay taxes, foreigners don't. But in fact expats invariably do pay taxes, whilst most Thais (including Thaksin) do not! One of my students told me about travelling near Kanjanaburi when she was a girl and being stopped by police. The police demanded to see their ID cards. They said they didn't have them with them. The police made them sing the Thai national anthem to prove they were not Burmese illegals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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