Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

Hi

Has anyone recenly been to the aids temple in Lopburi Thailand. Wat Phra Baht Nam Phu is the name, and the abbot accepts aids patients who are cared for until death, like a hospice.

website http://www.aidstemple.th.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Book by a French volunteer, very nicely written with some very sad stores, http://www.stylite.net/MMB/telech-chronicles.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My Thai wife wishes to go there, but i have seen some pictures on the net of the patients and feel it would be very stressful for me to see people suffering in such a way. i also have concerns that is disrespectful to the patients for hoards to tourists to be trampling through the centre interupting their treatments.

Thanks

Bankei

I don't know if it would inherently be disrespectful to go to such a place. What would be your intention in doing so?

Greetings Bankei,

Is there a way in which you can offer assistance?

Metta,
Retro.

I have dome some searches and found some distrubing information on that temple:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Famous-Ai ... 83509.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... l&offset=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
eg/ "he abbot plans to build a sports centre (cost: the equivalent of £1.6m) and carve a meditation path through the hill above the temple (£8m)." that is sports centre for 104 million baht and a mediation walk in the hills about the temple for 520 million baht

eg2. The abbot has purchased an expensive soccer ball training device - 5.2 million baht

Yet, I remember reading in the book by the French volunteer that they did not have enough antiboitics.

Bankei

I think if your intentions were to go to offer donations or assistance in some way, it would not be viewed as disrespectful.

Chok dee.

Bankei wrote:The abbot has purchased an expensive soccer ball training device - 5.2 million baht

Yet, I remember reading in the book by the French volunteer that they did not have enough antiboitics.

Nobody's perfect...and he's not a MIT graduate...this facility is a lush green oasis in a desert of indifference and is deserving of all the support they can get...

They have alleviated the suffering of hundreds, if not thousands, of gentle people with no where else to turn...nitpicking over how they spend a few bucks is immaterial...if I were asked...

Be well...