Temple accused of land encroachment
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... croachment
Authorities have found Wat Phra Dhammakaya's branch at Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district encroaches on Sor Por Kor agricultural reform land.
Chamnan Klinchan, chief of the Agricultural Land Reform Office's (Alro) Nakhon Ratchasima branch, said Sunday the fence line of the Muk Tawan-World Peace Valley Meditation Centre, covering more than 900 rai, was found to have overlapped with Sor Por Kor land.
The land ownership documents which were issued for the encroached area must be revoked, he said.
Sor Por Kor land is allocated by Alro to poor and landless farmers for agricultural purposes. It cannot be sold or transferred to others, except heirs.
Mr Chamnan said the meditation centre has not allowed his agency to inspect the facility and he is waiting for the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to work with Alro to survey the area.
He said the centre sits on the state-run Lam Takong self-help settlement project, which gave more than 100,000 rai of land to locals affected by the construction of Lam Takong dam more than 40 years ago.
Any activities not stipulated in the self-help settlement land scheme must be reported to authorities, he said.
Ong-art Dhammanitta, a spokesman for the Dhammakaya disciples' group, insisted land ownership documents were lawfully issued for the meditation centre's land, which is not situated in either forest reserves or Sor Por Kor land.
Land title deeds and Nor Sor 3 Kor documents have been issued for the land, where a three-phase development is ongoing.
The land, which is currently occupied by the Maharat Ubasikajan Khon Nok Yoong Foundation, was purchased from the owner who had occupied the land for five years. It is no longer under the self-help settlement land scheme, Mr Ong-art said.
He said the development on the land was approved by the Pong Talong Tambon Administrative Organisation in 2013 and the temple's followers donated money to establish the centre.
He said the centre holds a dhamma practice facility and offers condominiums and houses for dhamma practitioners.
The facility was not set up for a commercial purpose, Mr Ong-art insisted, saying the temple is ready to allow the DSI and the media inspect the area.
Mr Ong-art said authorities are also targeting other branches of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, including Lanna Dhutanka in the San Sai district of Chiang Mai and the dhamma practice centre in the Bang Pahan district of Ayutthaya.
He said the temple's followers believed the move was unjustified. Attempts to intimidate the temple and its followers would conflict with the prime minister's policy of reconciliation.
The temple came under the spotlight after its abbot, Phra Dhammajayo, was charged with money laundering and receiving stolen property in connection with the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement case.
The 72-year-old abbot has kept a low profile and defied arrest by the DSI, whose latest attempt to nab him on June 16 was hindered by supporters.
Kajornsak Putthanuphab, executive director of the Office of the Attorney-General's Investigation Office 3, said the OAG and the DSI have yet to discuss seeking a second search warrant for the temple.
Several meetings could be held to iron out ways to deal with the issue so clashes don't occur during the operation, including establishing restricted areas in the search zone where people who refrain from moving can be arrested, he said.
Efforts to seek a second search warrant were not far away, he said.
Wat Dhammakaya
- suriyopama
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
Dhammakaya affiliate found occupying land illegally
The Nation June 30, 2016
World Peace Valley, affiliated with the Dhammakaya Temple, has been found to be illegally occupying 187 rai (30 hectares) in Nakhon Ratchasima province.
Pairoj Buanuam, a land official in Nakhon Ratchasima, disclosed yesterday that an investigation showed that World Peace Valley occupied 480 rai, but only had land-rights documents for 293 rai.
He said all these plots were inside the Lam Takhong self-sufficient community, which uses its land for agricultural purposes only.
"The Social Development and Human Security Ministry will have to look into this case. It is in charge of this community," Pairoj said.
The Nation June 30, 2016
World Peace Valley, affiliated with the Dhammakaya Temple, has been found to be illegally occupying 187 rai (30 hectares) in Nakhon Ratchasima province.
Pairoj Buanuam, a land official in Nakhon Ratchasima, disclosed yesterday that an investigation showed that World Peace Valley occupied 480 rai, but only had land-rights documents for 293 rai.
He said all these plots were inside the Lam Takhong self-sufficient community, which uses its land for agricultural purposes only.
"The Social Development and Human Security Ministry will have to look into this case. It is in charge of this community," Pairoj said.
Re: Wat Dhammakaya
Some more photos of the Dhammakaya 5-star meditation center in Khao Yai:
http://www.showkhao.com/19172/
http://www.showkhao.com/19172/
Bhikkhu Gavesako
Kiṃkusalagavesī anuttaraṃ santivarapadaṃ pariyesamāno... (MN 26)
Access to Insight - Theravada texts
Ancient Buddhist Texts - Translations and history of Pali texts
Dhammatalks.org - Sutta translations
Kiṃkusalagavesī anuttaraṃ santivarapadaṃ pariyesamāno... (MN 26)
Access to Insight - Theravada texts
Ancient Buddhist Texts - Translations and history of Pali texts
Dhammatalks.org - Sutta translations
- suriyopama
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
I don't know if this has already been published:
Dhammakaya threatened to sue a party organizer named Trasher for BLASPHEMY
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/ ... 464681412/
Dhammakaya threatened to sue a party organizer named Trasher for BLASPHEMY
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/ ... 464681412/
- suriyopama
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
Cover from Nation Weekend, June 17, 2016
Main cover reads: Shitanmae Pong… End
The monk on the cover is Dhammakaya temple’s abbot Dhammachayo.
It refers to Dhammachayo’s famous saying “Shitanmae pong… rich.” “Shitanmae” is the word said by the Buddha meaning “we win.” “Pong” is just the sound of a puff of magic.
Dhammachayo always says “Shitanmae Pong Rich” to encourage people to donate more to the sect. This is in keeping with the sect’s peculiar belief system that states that goodness will happen depending on the amount of your donation to the Dhammakaya temple.
The cover headline jokes that the sect is now cornered and doomed.
source:http://2bangkok.com/
- suriyopama
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
A little bit more of Thai humour:
From Manager, May 29, 2016
Left: This man uses buffaloes as armor.
[In the picture, Thaksin is protected by red buffaloes. The buffaloes represent the Red Shirts which act as political muscle for Thaksin and his family. Referring to a person as a buffalo is an insult. However, Red Shirts have turned this tradition around by embracing the comparison at times.]
Right: This man uses lotuses (under water) as armor.
[In the picture, Dhammakaya temple’s abbot Dhammayacho is protected by lotuses. Buddhist lore symbolically divides people into four kinds of lotus. The one which is under the water refers a person who is very stupid and does not open their minds to learn anything. Thus the cartoon ridicules adherents of the Dhammakaya sect.]
From Matichon Weekly, June 3-9, 2016
Main cover reads: Dhammakaya Wars
[The yellow UFO refers to Dhammakaya temple’s UFO-shaped stupa.
Refers to Dhammakaya temple’s abbot Dhammachayo who is trying to delay his arrest over money laundering charges. After being impeded, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) used drones and helicopters to take pictures of the current situation inside the temple.]
From Manager, May 26, 2016
Phra Dhammajayo says: I, Reverend Father would like to die at this temple.
Caption: Which branch [to die in]?
[This refers to Phra Dhammajayo who is wanted on an arrest warrant. He is avoiding arrest by staying in his fortified temple compound. In the background are the many extravagant properties that belong to the sect.
Broadly speaking, Thai Buddhism teaches adherents to realize non-attachment, karma and to live the middle path.
The joke is that Phra Dhammajayo says he wants to die in the temple (as opposed of being pout in jail), but the sect has so many luxurious properties that it appears that Phra Dhammajayo is displaying greed and prestige since he wants to die in these luxurious surroundings. This sort of feeling is not a proper impulse or discipline in Thai Buddhism.]
source:http://2bangkok.com/
From Manager, May 29, 2016
Left: This man uses buffaloes as armor.
[In the picture, Thaksin is protected by red buffaloes. The buffaloes represent the Red Shirts which act as political muscle for Thaksin and his family. Referring to a person as a buffalo is an insult. However, Red Shirts have turned this tradition around by embracing the comparison at times.]
Right: This man uses lotuses (under water) as armor.
[In the picture, Dhammakaya temple’s abbot Dhammayacho is protected by lotuses. Buddhist lore symbolically divides people into four kinds of lotus. The one which is under the water refers a person who is very stupid and does not open their minds to learn anything. Thus the cartoon ridicules adherents of the Dhammakaya sect.]
From Matichon Weekly, June 3-9, 2016
Main cover reads: Dhammakaya Wars
[The yellow UFO refers to Dhammakaya temple’s UFO-shaped stupa.
Refers to Dhammakaya temple’s abbot Dhammachayo who is trying to delay his arrest over money laundering charges. After being impeded, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) used drones and helicopters to take pictures of the current situation inside the temple.]
From Manager, May 26, 2016
Phra Dhammajayo says: I, Reverend Father would like to die at this temple.
Caption: Which branch [to die in]?
[This refers to Phra Dhammajayo who is wanted on an arrest warrant. He is avoiding arrest by staying in his fortified temple compound. In the background are the many extravagant properties that belong to the sect.
Broadly speaking, Thai Buddhism teaches adherents to realize non-attachment, karma and to live the middle path.
The joke is that Phra Dhammajayo says he wants to die in the temple (as opposed of being pout in jail), but the sect has so many luxurious properties that it appears that Phra Dhammajayo is displaying greed and prestige since he wants to die in these luxurious surroundings. This sort of feeling is not a proper impulse or discipline in Thai Buddhism.]
source:http://2bangkok.com/
- suriyopama
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
The saga continues. Police is starting to prosecute Phra Dhammajayo's followers for blocking the attempted arrest of the abbot, for illegally organizing a demonstration, and for illegal possession of military warfare equipment (military grade barbed wire).
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crime/1 ... an-shields
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crime/1 ... an-shields
- Khemadhammo Bhikkhu
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
With regard to this thread, I will not say much, as I have already said many things about Wat Phra Dhammakaya, the wat I have ordained in. Anyone wishing to know my opinion on the matter of our wat, feel free to send me a personal message or you might just read my posts in several threads. I think the topic of our wat tends to get rather emotional pretty soon. Also since quite some monks are also involved in this online discussion, I prefer to keep it to just this.
He stopped and called out to the Blessed One: "Stop, recluse! Stop, recluse!"
"I have stopped, Angulimāla, you stop too."
(M ii.100)
"I have stopped, Angulimāla, you stop too."
(M ii.100)
Re: Wat Dhammakaya
According to Mr Kachornsak, the donations to Wat Phra Dhammakaya could be divided into three types: donations from the faithful; donations of laundered money such as those made through Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative; and donations from investment groups, possibly for tax evasion.
"The donations to Wat Phra Dhammakaya are different from the money people give to temples elsewhere. The cash offerings to the other temples are easy to trace, but Wat Phra Dhammakaya has a modern budget management system, with the server located abroad and managed by several groups of nominees. So the investigators have found only parts of financial evidence to date," he said.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... by-a-month
Special prosecutors have instructed investigators in the money-laundering case against Dhammakaya Temple abbot Phra Dhammachayo to examine donation receipts the temple issued to investors and business groups, which might constitute evidence of money laundering and tax evasion.
Investigators will compare real donations to the temple against the amounts stated on receipts used for tax deductions, said Khajornsak Phutthanuparp, head of the public prosecutor team dealing with money laundering and embezzlement linked to the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC).
Khajornsak said investigators would also look at links between Phr Dhammachayo and five monks who are his close aides and are in charge of temple administration to see how the temple handles financial issues, including the processing of donation receipts.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakin ... 90425.html
"The donations to Wat Phra Dhammakaya are different from the money people give to temples elsewhere. The cash offerings to the other temples are easy to trace, but Wat Phra Dhammakaya has a modern budget management system, with the server located abroad and managed by several groups of nominees. So the investigators have found only parts of financial evidence to date," he said.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... by-a-month
Special prosecutors have instructed investigators in the money-laundering case against Dhammakaya Temple abbot Phra Dhammachayo to examine donation receipts the temple issued to investors and business groups, which might constitute evidence of money laundering and tax evasion.
Investigators will compare real donations to the temple against the amounts stated on receipts used for tax deductions, said Khajornsak Phutthanuparp, head of the public prosecutor team dealing with money laundering and embezzlement linked to the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC).
Khajornsak said investigators would also look at links between Phr Dhammachayo and five monks who are his close aides and are in charge of temple administration to see how the temple handles financial issues, including the processing of donation receipts.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakin ... 90425.html
Bhikkhu Gavesako
Kiṃkusalagavesī anuttaraṃ santivarapadaṃ pariyesamāno... (MN 26)
Access to Insight - Theravada texts
Ancient Buddhist Texts - Translations and history of Pali texts
Dhammatalks.org - Sutta translations
Kiṃkusalagavesī anuttaraṃ santivarapadaṃ pariyesamāno... (MN 26)
Access to Insight - Theravada texts
Ancient Buddhist Texts - Translations and history of Pali texts
Dhammatalks.org - Sutta translations
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
jameswang wrote:Hmmm.... and he "donated" quite a lot, didn't he? What was the percentage that he kept?TRobinson465 wrote:what happened was somebody embezzled money and donated it to Dhammakaya as well as a bunch of other organizations.
To explain. KCUC filed a lawsuit when they were becoming insolvent for 12 billion baht worth of checks the chairmen issued to numerous groups from 2009-2011 that the credit union alleged were unauthorized. One of the groups was Wat Phra Dhammakaya. About 380 million baht worth of checks went to his family members. However the court threw the case out for insufficient evidence twice in 2013 or something. DSI is just randomly opening the case again now and is for some reason only focusing on Dhammakaya.
Sorry for such a late response, I got banned from Dhammawheel after that one comment posted earlier. I thought it was cuz Dhammawheel was anti-Dhammakaya or something but according to one of the admins my IP was banned on accident. Ill give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a mistake. Just in case I am "accidentally" banned again though here is a reddit thread I made out of spite lol.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comme ... es_of_the/
Also, I am pretty familiar with the case and can provide supporting links if you are interested in Dhammakaya's side of the story so feel free to ask. This thread is quite one sided.
"Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism" - the 14th Dalai Lama
"The Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahmins, devas, Maras, Brahmas or anyone in the cosmos." -Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
"The Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahmins, devas, Maras, Brahmas or anyone in the cosmos." -Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
There's like 3 people here who spam hate posts against the temple so its hard to compete. I was going to come straighten up all this slander but was apparently banned on accident after one post. The ban was lifted eventually so perhaps it was just a mistake. I will be open minded and assume no ill will in banning me. I will admit i was kinda bitter from the ban and made this thread on Reddit as a responseidentification wrote:Can this thread possibly be a bit less one sided? Can practitioners in the Dhammakaya come in here and stop letting these people crap on the lineage?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comme ... es_of_the/
But since I was unbanned feel free to ask me about what Dhammakaya is really like or the current case. I have been going to Dhammakaya for a good 15 years or so and I am fairly well versed in the current case if you would like the facts regarding the case and Dhammakaya's side.
"Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism" - the 14th Dalai Lama
"The Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahmins, devas, Maras, Brahmas or anyone in the cosmos." -Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
"The Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahmins, devas, Maras, Brahmas or anyone in the cosmos." -Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
Re: Wat Dhammakaya
Getting to know you,TRobinson465 wrote:There's like 3 people here who spam hate posts against the temple so its hard to compete. I was going to come straighten up all this slander but was apparently banned on accident after one post. The ban was lifted eventually so perhaps it was just a mistake. I will be open minded and assume no ill will in banning me. I will admit i was kinda bitter from the ban and made this thread on Reddit as a responseidentification wrote:Can this thread possibly be a bit less one sided? Can practitioners in the Dhammakaya come in here and stop letting these people crap on the lineage?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comme ... es_of_the/
But since I was unbanned feel free to ask me about what Dhammakaya is really like or the current case. I have been going to Dhammakaya for a good 15 years or so and I am fairly well versed in the current case if you would like the facts regarding the case and Dhammakaya's side.
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you'll like me.
Getting to know you,
Putting it my way,
But nicely,
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.
Great to have you back....although I did miss you the first time around.
You say you have been going to dhammakaya for a good 15 years or so....so....what do you do there and since it seems that there is a highly developed heirarchical structure there where do you fit in?
chownah
-
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
chownah wrote:Getting to know you,TRobinson465 wrote:There's like 3 people here who spam hate posts against the temple so its hard to compete. I was going to come straighten up all this slander but was apparently banned on accident after one post. The ban was lifted eventually so perhaps it was just a mistake. I will be open minded and assume no ill will in banning me. I will admit i was kinda bitter from the ban and made this thread on Reddit as a responseidentification wrote:Can this thread possibly be a bit less one sided? Can practitioners in the Dhammakaya come in here and stop letting these people crap on the lineage?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comme ... es_of_the/
But since I was unbanned feel free to ask me about what Dhammakaya is really like or the current case. I have been going to Dhammakaya for a good 15 years or so and I am fairly well versed in the current case if you would like the facts regarding the case and Dhammakaya's side.
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you'll like me.
Getting to know you,
Putting it my way,
But nicely,
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.
Great to have you back....although I did miss you the first time around.
You say you have been going to dhammakaya for a good 15 years or so....so....what do you do there and since it seems that there is a highly developed heirarchical structure there where do you fit in?
chownah
Hi there, so I was banned again....this time on my username and not my IP address. So at least now I can make a new account. Now I am very suspicious...Unless this admin that keeps banning me can give me a legit reason for banning me again for one of my (trobinson465) three posts I am going to think it is solely because I am prodhammakaya. Which actually explains why this thread is so biased. If this admin really is banning me just for being prodhammakaya i suggest readers go elsewhere to find an objective portrayal of the temple.
Anyways, thanks for inquiring. Hopefully I wont get banned again...but if I do plz ask on the reddit link i posted so i can answer freely without making another account again, this is seriously really suspicious and annoying.
Anyways Dhammakaya is indeed different than other Thai temples in terms of culture and how they do things. It is essentially the same doctrine wise as Thai Buddhism however. Dhammakaya is a very meditation based temple, we sprung out of Wat Paknam, I believe some news source did a piece on wat paknam, they said something like "at other temples only monks meditate (generalization of course, but kinda sorta true), but at Wat Paknam, everybody meditates." Layman, laywomen, monk, everyone is encouraged to meditate and meditation was a routine part of their services. This is pretty much the same concept as Dhammakaya as when Wat Paknam become more popular the movement sought to build another temple to accommodate the followers. That is essentially how Wat Phra Dhammakaya started. We also really emphasize practicing Buddhism in daily life, mainly: generosity, keeping precepts and of course meditation. This is essentially what other temples teach also but we tend to emphasize these 3 concepts more is the main difference. And we use a different meditation technique.
There are like 40 or so different meditation techniques in Buddhism, the one we use is similar to the more popular breathing meditation used in Thai Buddhism but it focuses on 7 bases along the path of the breath instead. We are also not the only ones who use the technique. It was revived in Thailand by a meditation master (former abbot of Wat Paknam) about 100 years ago. There are a few other temples that use it, not just Dhammakaya.
We are different in that we emphasize things like orderliness and cleanliness, and we really emphasize our monks being disciplined. The reason we have such a structure is 1. to uphold the faith of the laypeople by ensuring the monastics observe model behavior. and 2. to keep things ordered because we have tons of people and a system of structure is necessary to get thing done.
The hierarchy and ordered structure of the temple is a real thing, but I think outsiders misunderstand it actually. It more-or-less does exist for monks and full time staff who devote their lives to monastic life, but not so much for regular members. I am a somewhat prominent regular member as people from the temple tend to know me since I have been going for so long and involve myself in a lot of volunteer temple work. But I don't really fit in with any kind of structured hierarchy used by the full time monks and staff. I'm actually just a regular Joe with a job who attends regularly, but I am familiar with the temple structure, how things are done there, the current case. etc. I have also ordained there short term a few times.
Hope this is informative for you and let me know if you have any more questions about Dhammakaya.
In case I do get banned again. Here are some good articles from a young member who writes for The Huffington Post about some of the features of Dhammakaya that I think would be good for people who are legitimately want to know more.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nicholas- ... 11660.html
Here is another one about some of the controversies, I like this one, he pokes fun at some of the funny conspiracy theories against the temple haha.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nicholas- ... 22798.html
- retrofuturist
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
Here's to you, Mr. Robinson,
In order to prevent accidental refusal of service, I've made some technical amendments behind the scenes which should prevent unexpected blockages based on IP address.
That said, having multiple accounts is not permitted. Can you please send a message to either myself or David N Snyder, letting us know which of your aliases you would like to keep. Any others will be deactivated.
Thanks.
Metta,
Paul.
In order to prevent accidental refusal of service, I've made some technical amendments behind the scenes which should prevent unexpected blockages based on IP address.
That said, having multiple accounts is not permitted. Can you please send a message to either myself or David N Snyder, letting us know which of your aliases you would like to keep. Any others will be deactivated.
Thanks.
Metta,
Paul.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya
Paul Davy wrote:Here's to you, Mr. Robinson,
In order to prevent accidental refusal of service, I've made some technical amendments behind the scenes which should prevent unexpected blockages based on IP address.
That said, having multiple accounts is not permitted. Can you please send a message to either myself or David N Snyder, letting us know which of your aliases you would like to keep. Any others will be deactivated.
Thanks.
Metta,
Paul.
Hi there,
Thank you Paul, I was hoping it was some type of technical error. I cant seem to PM you because it says I am too new to do so. But I would like my original account TRobinson465 to be my account. I only have 2 so feel free to deactivate this account if you unban my first one. Thank you so much.