"The Broken Buddha" by Ven.Dhammika and other scandals

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
User avatar
Hickersonia
Posts: 264
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:40 pm
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Contact:

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by Hickersonia »

Supposing that we are qualified to judge, what precisely are we to do about it? I don't see how any facts will be gleamed on the matter, as the only people who know what is going on there are the monks there. If they are tolerating (or worse, supporting) the commission of parajika offences, let their kamma be their own undoing.

I don't see any way for this to go any further in a productive direction, friends... :thinking:
Hickersonia
http://hickersonia.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of
throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned."
perkele
Posts: 1048
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:37 pm

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by perkele »

Hickersonia wrote:Supposing that we are qualified to judge, what precisely are we to do about it? I don't see how any facts will be gleamed on the matter, as the only people who know what is going on there are the monks there. If they are tolerating (or worse, supporting) the commission of parajika offences, let their kamma be their own undoing.

I don't see any way for this to go any further in a productive direction, friends... :thinking:
I agree.

@Dan: I also do not think it is dangerous to post this.
All it shows is a very common development: Hypocrisy in response to feeling overburdened, feeling overburdened as a result, leading to more hypocrisy... and so on... a recipe for ruin. I do think it has much merit to be able to see this.

If one wants to go there one can still go. It just shows what to be careful about, which traps to avoid falling into: a benchmark for one's own motivation.
I think it should not be seen in any other way.
User avatar
BlackBird
Posts: 2069
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 12:07 pm

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by BlackBird »

Hickersonia wrote:what precisely are we to do about it? I don't see how any facts will be gleamed on the matter
Really, the reason is to let people who might be intending to stay there or ordain there (as I once was intending) know what might be taking place there. It's important that they know that this account exists, and there is a value in attempting to find out if there is any truth to the matter.

with metta
Jack
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

Path Press - Ñāṇavīra Thera Dhamma Page - Ajahn Nyanamoli's Dhamma talks
User avatar
mikenz66
Posts: 19932
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:37 am
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by mikenz66 »

Hi Jack,
BlackBird wrote: Really, the reason is to let people who might be intending to stay there or ordain there (as I once was intending) know what might be taking place there. It's important that they know that this account exists, and there is a value in attempting to find out if there is any truth to the matter.
I know very little about the Sri Lankan monastic scene, but this is a reasonably well-known place, isn't it? Doing some googling, I saw that Ajahn Brahm has given at least one talk there.
From a quick scan, there seemed to be two distinct aspect to the book. One aspect is specific criticisms of the particular monastery, which, if true, are clearly unacceptable. The other aspect seemed to be the author's analysis of Pa Auk's teaching, which is a matter of opinion. It seems a strange mixture...

:anjali:
Mike
User avatar
lyndon taylor
Posts: 1835
Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 11:41 pm
Location: Redlands, US occupied Northern Mexico
Contact:

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by lyndon taylor »

Every person or persons has a mixture of positive or negative traits, if we only focus on the negative we could almost make anyone look bad, does this writer say anything positive about any of the monks in this book, if not then there has to be a strong bias, because I'm sure they have their positive points.
18 years ago I made one of the most important decisions of my life and entered a local Cambodian Buddhist Temple as a temple boy and, for only 3 weeks, an actual Therevada Buddhist monk. I am not a scholar, great meditator, or authority on Buddhism, but Buddhism is something I love from the Bottom of my heart. It has taught me sobriety, morality, peace, and very importantly that my suffering is optional, and doesn't have to run my life. I hope to give back what little I can to the Buddhist community, sincerely former monk John

http://trickleupeconomictheory.blogspot.com/
User avatar
lyndon taylor
Posts: 1835
Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 11:41 pm
Location: Redlands, US occupied Northern Mexico
Contact:

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by lyndon taylor »

Well what are the crimes, all we've talked about are bad medicine and not meditating.
18 years ago I made one of the most important decisions of my life and entered a local Cambodian Buddhist Temple as a temple boy and, for only 3 weeks, an actual Therevada Buddhist monk. I am not a scholar, great meditator, or authority on Buddhism, but Buddhism is something I love from the Bottom of my heart. It has taught me sobriety, morality, peace, and very importantly that my suffering is optional, and doesn't have to run my life. I hope to give back what little I can to the Buddhist community, sincerely former monk John

http://trickleupeconomictheory.blogspot.com/
User avatar
BlackBird
Posts: 2069
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 12:07 pm

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by BlackBird »

lyndon taylor wrote:Well what are the crimes, all we've talked about are bad medicine and not meditating.
No, that's all you've talked about. The quoted passage which you have selectively read also included allegations of poisoning and deliberate mistreatment of the sick.

If you actually read the text, you would notice there are many allegations of parajika incidents such as deliberate lying of attainments, widespread thievery. Furthermore there is also allegations of wrong and immoral contact with women, sexual contact with other monks. Corruption, misappropriation of donated funds the list goes on and on.

It pays to learn about what it is you're criticising before you decide to criticise it Lyndon.
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

Path Press - Ñāṇavīra Thera Dhamma Page - Ajahn Nyanamoli's Dhamma talks
User avatar
pilgrim
Posts: 1679
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:56 pm

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by pilgrim »

I know a few monks who have practised there including at least one Thera. So far, they have good opinions of the place and of Ven Ariyadhamma. I have no reason to think they are lying and they are certainly more credible than a "disclosure" which appears more like an anonymous poison pen letter from a disgruntled employee.
User avatar
BlackBird
Posts: 2069
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 12:07 pm

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by BlackBird »

pilgrim wrote:I know a few monks who have practised there including at least one Thera. So far, they have good opinions of the place and of Ven Ariyadhamma. I have no reason to think they are lying and they are certainly more credible than a "disclosure" which appears more like an anonymous poison pen letter from a disgruntled employee.
That's a fair cop Pilgrim, I would think no differently in your situation.
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

Path Press - Ñāṇavīra Thera Dhamma Page - Ajahn Nyanamoli's Dhamma talks
User avatar
Dan74
Posts: 4528
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:12 pm
Location: Switzerland

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by Dan74 »

BlackBird wrote:
lyndon taylor wrote:Every person or persons has a mixture of positive or negative traits, if we only focus on the negative we could almost make anyone look bad, does this writer say anything positive about any of the monks in this book, if not then there has to be a strong bias, because I'm sure they have their positive points.
Parajika is no small crime. I don't know how you can say "if we only focus on the negative..." when faced with very very serious allegations. I think you should read this text, perhaps beyond the one or two pages I suspect you've read.
mikenz66 wrote:Hi Jack,
BlackBird wrote: Really, the reason is to let people who might be intending to stay there or ordain there (as I once was intending) know what might be taking place there. It's important that they know that this account exists, and there is a value in attempting to find out if there is any truth to the matter.
I know very little about the Sri Lankan monastic scene, but this is a reasonably well-known place, isn't it? Doing some googling, I saw that Ajahn Brahm has given at least one talk there.
From a quick scan, there seemed to be two distinct aspect to the book. One aspect is specific criticisms of the particular monastery, which, if true, are clearly unacceptable. The other aspect seemed to be the author's analysis of Pa Auk's teaching, which is a matter of opinion. It seems a strange mixture...

:anjali:
Mike

Yes I agree, it is a strange mixture. It seems whoever has written this has been really hurt by someone. It almost seems like revenge. It's really hard to make an educated decision on this. But I keep coming back to the fact that it just seems far too detailed, there are far too many details about the monastery itself and the monks involved for it to be all made up - That's what I cannot disregard. It just seems too detailed to be fiction.

But then again perhaps the author just has a really good imagination, and spent enough time at Na Uyana to learn all of the monks names and habits and cliques.

I don't know...
Jack, it could've well been written by a person who stayed there (in fact, why would anyone with no connection to the place bother?) But it doesn't follow that it is true or accurate.
_/|\_
User avatar
Mr Man
Posts: 4016
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:42 am

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by Mr Man »

A couple of questions: Is the book aimed just at the culture within a specific monastery or within the "Pa Auk tradition" as a whole? Isn't Na Uyana a "Ramañña Nikāya" temple where at present they teach "Pa Auk" style meditation rather than part of a Burmese monastic tradition? Is the "Pa Auk tradition" a monastic grouping with it's own monastic culture or is it just a system of meditation?

We do all need to be circumspect when we place our faith in particular institutions. Misconduct should really not come as that much of a surprize - why would it be otherwise?
alan
Posts: 3111
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2009 12:14 am
Location: Miramar beach, Fl.

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by alan »

Sad, but true--all religions attract losers, those emotionally empty, and layabouts. It's even worse in cultures that encourage Monk-worship.
Take off your blinders, friends. We have a real problem here. Buddhism is dying because of people like these.
User avatar
Hickersonia
Posts: 264
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:40 pm
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Contact:

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by Hickersonia »

BlackBird wrote:
Hickersonia wrote:what precisely are we to do about it? I don't see how any facts will be gleamed on the matter
Really, the reason is to let people who might be intending to stay there or ordain there (as I once was intending) know what might be taking place there. It's important that they know that this account exists, and there is a value in attempting to find out if there is any truth to the matter.
OK. If that is the case, I'd say this is a case of "mission accomplished," then.

I agree that the allegation should be known to potential long-term visitors. I just wasn't sure if you were proposing something more dramatic should be done when we really can't do anything except raise awareness to the possibility that there is chaos going on there.

Thanks you, friend.
Hickersonia
http://hickersonia.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of
throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned."
User avatar
Dan74
Posts: 4528
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:12 pm
Location: Switzerland

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by Dan74 »

alan wrote:Sad, but true--all religions attract losers, those emotionally empty, and layabouts. It's even worse in cultures that encourage Monk-worship.
Take off your blinders, friends. We have a real problem here. Buddhism is dying because of people like these.
I am sure there are corrupt monks and even whole temples, Alan. Here in Australia, the temples I know a little about seem to be doing quite well. As for Thailand, Sri Lanka, etc, what can we do?

About this particular case, I have been around long enough to know that not everything that circulates around can be trusted and I would really hate for people to be unfairly depicted. These stories can spread very quickly and ruin people's lives, if the laity turns away from the temple due to rumours, for instance.

To give some context to my skepticism, just the other week I was visiting a prison here. A middle-aged respectable looking inmate came to the Buddhist service and proceeded to reveal horrific things about a respected Thai monk resident in Melbourne. He knew a lot about him, rolled off many details, but mixed in with the fact, what gradually emerged was nightmarish fantasy. Along with me, there was a Zen monk there who knew the monk in question quite well. Bit by bit it became clear that the inmate was not mentally sound and was likely there for stalking and harassing the poor bhikkhu.
_/|\_
alan
Posts: 3111
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2009 12:14 am
Location: Miramar beach, Fl.

Re: The Nude Monk's Burning Robes

Post by alan »

One crazy prisoner does not discredit the thesis.
Post Reply