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Thai Monks Getting Very Involved In Political Protests
ThailandTom
Veteran
I am not going to go deeply into the background history of the political situation here in Thailand, but at the moment it is the most turbulent it has been since 4 years ago when around 90 people were killed and Bangkok set on fire.
There are 2 main sides simply named the red shirts and the yellow shirts, they are at terms with each other in a big way and have been for years, again the reasons for this I won't go into as it will take me a long time. I will just say that recently the current PM is the sister of a man who was ousted from Thailand some years ago via a coup, an ex PM himself, and now she has been caught up in a notorious scandal. She is hated by the yellow shirts and this scandal has given them huge cause to protest for the past 3 months. She basically promised all of the rice farmers an extra amount of money %wise on their crop, she never came through and ows Bt500 billion (US$16 billion-$17 billion. She tried to go to the banks for loans or something which was seen as an act that should result in her appearing before a court, she did not and is still here somehow..
People have been killed so far in the past 3 months from grenades and shootings, but the yellow shirts continue to remain mostly peaceful and protest daily in mass numbers. The killings have mainly been coming from the reds throwing grenades into the protests, or assumed it is the reds ho did.
To finally get to my point of this entire thread, there have been a few monks taking a highly seen place with in the yellow shirt protests. One of them I saw on the news have the army surround him and also head some of the protest marches or at least take part.
Did the Buddha not get involved in politics? This is quite extreme and what are your views on it all? I will try and find some references
There are 2 main sides simply named the red shirts and the yellow shirts, they are at terms with each other in a big way and have been for years, again the reasons for this I won't go into as it will take me a long time. I will just say that recently the current PM is the sister of a man who was ousted from Thailand some years ago via a coup, an ex PM himself, and now she has been caught up in a notorious scandal. She is hated by the yellow shirts and this scandal has given them huge cause to protest for the past 3 months. She basically promised all of the rice farmers an extra amount of money %wise on their crop, she never came through and ows Bt500 billion (US$16 billion-$17 billion. She tried to go to the banks for loans or something which was seen as an act that should result in her appearing before a court, she did not and is still here somehow..
People have been killed so far in the past 3 months from grenades and shootings, but the yellow shirts continue to remain mostly peaceful and protest daily in mass numbers. The killings have mainly been coming from the reds throwing grenades into the protests, or assumed it is the reds ho did.
To finally get to my point of this entire thread, there have been a few monks taking a highly seen place with in the yellow shirt protests. One of them I saw on the news have the army surround him and also head some of the protest marches or at least take part.
Did the Buddha not get involved in politics? This is quite extreme and what are your views on it all? I will try and find some references
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Comments
This is the paradox of our call to "socially engaged Buddhism" isn't it? Just how much engagement is allowed, and does this include monks? And who decides which issues and what side of a conflict is the Buddhist one? Something to think about.
Perhaps one can have too narrow a view of the vocation of a monk?
I mean:
"When a person has right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, right knowledge, and right release, whatever bodily deeds he undertakes in line with that view, whatever verbal deeds... whatever mental deeds he undertakes in line with that view, whatever intentions, whatever vows, whatever determinations, whatever fabrications, all lead to what is agreeable, pleasing, charming, profitable, & easeful. Why is that? Because the view is auspicious.
"Just as when a sugar cane seed, a rice grain, or a grape seed is placed in moist soil, whatever nutriment it takes from the soil & the water, all conduces to its sweetness, tastiness, & unalloyed delectability. Why is that? Because the seed is auspicious. In the same way, when a person has right view... right release, whatever bodily deeds he undertakes in line with that view, whatever verbal deeds... whatever mental deeds he undertakes in line with that view, whatever intentions, whatever vows, whatever determinations, whatever fabrications, all lead to what is agreeable, pleasing, charming, profitable, & easeful. Why is that? Because the view is auspicious."
— AN 10.104
greed, hate & delusion
or
compassion, love or wisdom.
If you are not sure, then I'd suggest waiting on that action until you are.
I will make an exception. If the consensus among the monk community was that action was required, then I would probably change my mind. But what is happening now is essentially "rogue monks". Personally, I feel they should be drummed out of the monkhood.
I also agree that they should be defrocked for their involvement. Naturally that would only cause more hard feelings though.
The monks can do what they want. Really, people are being blown up. This may be more pressing than whether monks are allowed to protest or not.
Priorities.
It's a discussion.
What do you think we can do about the violence? Or the monks?
Talk more? Or less?
What if monks are on the blowing up side?
And, as this crisis has unfolded over the past 5 years, there have been monks on both sides of the issue.
@robot @vinlyn
I think understanding the monks as people, not as their ordination would help in this case. Talking about what should happen to them/should they being doing it seems to miss the point, as much as it is useless. No one here really has any authority over what they do and what they are allowed to do, so what's the point? Same if they are on the blowing up side, since that's not appropriate behavior for anyone, Buddhist or not.
Not being in Thailand with minimal ties to the country (my sangha is Thai Theravadin, with some monks being Thai), what I choose to do is stay informed and pray. That also may be useless, but it seems less useless than speculating about what should happen to the monks as if I can affect the outcome either way. Most of what I do in everyday life is an effort to be less useless, really.
@zsc, I don't think your two comments are at all consistent.
maybe they could just all wear blue shirts?
At the end of the day they have a shaved head and are in robes for a very good reason, they have embraced the triple gem and furthermore have many many rules that govern their life. Rallying n a side of a political movement that incites deadly violence in the past and now is not something a monk should be doing, end of.