Wat Dhammakaya

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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suriyopama
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by suriyopama »

robertk wrote:the monks I can see in the front rows are not from Dhammakaya I think
My Thai coworkers say that they are Dhammakaya.
Don’t be guided by the colors of the robes.

edit:
I have asked for clarification, and I have been told that they are not from What Dhammakaya but from one of the many temples that receive financial support from the Dhammakaya and are under their influence.

:alien:
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suriyopama
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

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A new article from Khun Santisuda at the Bangkok Post expressing concern about the increasing deterioration of some sectors of the Thai Sangha, and the rising of the Dhammakai Power.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... -divisions
At the red-shirt rally, we see defiant-looking monks wearing pendants featuring the portrait of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on their saffron robes.
../..
The clergy is not immune to partisan politics either. Like our country, it is divided along the lines of colour-coded politics. The acting supreme patriarch is even being perceived as having close links with the all-powerful Dhammakaya movement which supports the Shinawatra family.

This has heightened public concern that the Dhammakaya's capitalist version of Buddhism _ that money can buy merit and nirvana _ will dominate the entire clergy and Thai Buddhism.
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Mr Man
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by Mr Man »

suriyopama wrote:A new article from Khun Santisuda at the Bangkok Post expressing concern about the increasing deterioration of some sectors of the Thai Sangha, and the rising of the Dhammakai Power.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... -divisions
This is the really worrying bit from the linked article:
Earlier this week, Chamlong Srimuang, the lay leader of Santi Asoke, declared what his movement saw as a solution for Thailand _ toppling the Yingluck government, closing down the country for five years and seeking royal endorsement for the setting up of a "People's Council" of 99 "good people" to run the country.
No wonder some monks feel compelled to attend rallies.
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greenjuice
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by greenjuice »

helparcfun wrote:This is from: Journal of Buddhist Ethics ISSN 1076-9005 http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethics/ Volume 19, 2012
Esoteric Teaching of Wat Phra Dhammakāya
Mano Mettanando Laohavanich
Pridi Banomyong International College,
Thammasat University
Found this piece. If that stuff's true, then Dhammakaya basically doesn't have anything to do with Buddhism, Varjrayana's teachings are 10 times closer to Pali Canon.

Here's the text: (warning- wierd stuff)

http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethi ... -final.pdf
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Benjamin
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by Benjamin »

greenjuice wrote:
helparcfun wrote:This is from: Journal of Buddhist Ethics ISSN 1076-9005 http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethics/ Volume 19, 2012
Esoteric Teaching of Wat Phra Dhammakāya
Mano Mettanando Laohavanich
Pridi Banomyong International College,
Thammasat University
Found this piece. If that stuff's true, then Dhammakaya basically doesn't have anything to do with Buddhism, Varjrayana's teachings are 10 times closer to Pali Canon.

Here's the text: (warning- wierd stuff)

http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethi ... -final.pdf
From the above text:
Phra Monkhol-thep-muni discovered his own Dhammakāya on the full moon night during the middle of the rain retreat of 1916 at the main shrine hall of Wat Bangkhuvien. This, he said, allowed him to bring back the original teaching of the Buddha, the so-called Vijjā Dhammakāya. According to his description, a bright crystal ball that he saw in meditation in the early morning of that day led his consciousness further inside to discover the Body of Enlightenment of the Buddha, after passing through layers of inner refined bodies one inside of the other. These bodies are the interior dimensions of human existence. Dhammakāya Arahat is a genderless body which transcends all impure existences and is the True Self of individuals. It is the living Buddha within, tangible and permanent like a huge living crystal Buddha sitting in deep meditation. The distance between its kneecaps is 20 fathoms.

Nibbāna, according to Phra Monkhol-thep-muni, is not an abstract entity but rather an abode: a huge shining crystal sphere with a diameter of 141,330,000 yojanas and a surrounding shell of 15,120,000 yojanas. The lower rim of Nibbāna is located three times above the length of the diameter of the Three Worlds. Nibbāna is habited only by Dhammakāyas of the Buddhas of the past, present and future.
:rofl:
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retrofuturist
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by retrofuturist »

Gosh... if that extract is anything to go by, they've out-Mahayana'd the Mahayana!

Metta,
Retro. :)
"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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greenjuice
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by greenjuice »

That‘s not even the best part. I‘m on my mobile now and can‘t open the document, but if I remember correctly 1- There were three beings that appeared in the beginning of time, one white, one black, and one silver, and they have been in a cosmic battle since, in the process creating everything that is. The white crystal primordial being is the Dhammakaya Buddha. 2- The founder of the Dhammakaya movement is the incarnation of the fist being created by the Primordial Buddha, sent here to liberate all beings and destroy the samsara itself. 3- the Primordial Buddha saw that he wasn‘t up to the task, so he himself incarnated to finish the job, and guess who is he- the current abbot of the wat.

._.
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Benjamin
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by Benjamin »

greenjuice wrote:That‘s not even the best part. I‘m on my mobile now and can‘t open the document, but if I remember correctly 1- There were three beings that appeared in the beginning of time, one white, one black, and one silver, and they have been in a cosmic battle since, in the process creating everything that is. The white crystal primordial being is the Dhammakaya Buddha. 2- The founder of the Dhammakaya movement is the incarnation of the fist being created by the Primordial Buddha, sent here to liberate all beings and destroy the samsara itself. 3- the Primordial Buddha saw that he wasn‘t up to the task, so he himself incarnated to finish the job, and guess who is he- the current abbot of the wat.

._.
That is seriously on par with Star Wars. Dhammakaya should start making movies instead of all their current videos that look like Sims expansion packs.

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BlackBird
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by BlackBird »

So let me get this straight? These fellows actually think their leader was this mystical crystal light called Phra Ton Thad who created Nibbana and set up a mystical war between Buddhas and Maras?
The time will come, though, when the Sangha splits. When the Sangha is split, it is not easy to pay attention to the Buddha's teachings.
- http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html
Last edited by BlackBird on Thu Nov 28, 2013 5:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
"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
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Sokehi
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by Sokehi »

They've out-scientologied the Scientology with that Sci-Fi crap. :toilet:
Get the wanting out of waiting

What does womanhood matter at all, when the mind is concentrated well, when knowledge flows on steadily as one sees correctly into Dhamma. One to whom it might occur, ‘I am a woman’ or ‘I am a man’ or ‘I’m anything at all’ is fit for Mara to address. – SN 5.2

If they take what's yours, tell yourself that you're making it a gift.
Otherwise there will be no end to the animosity. - Ajahn Fuang Jotiko

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BlackBird
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

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greenjuice wrote:That‘s not even the best part. I‘m on my mobile now and can‘t open the document, but if I remember correctly 1- There were three beings that appeared in the beginning of time, one white, one black, and one silver, and they have been in a cosmic battle since, in the process creating everything that is. The white crystal primordial being is the Dhammakaya Buddha. 2- The founder of the Dhammakaya movement is the incarnation of the fist being created by the Primordial Buddha, sent here to liberate all beings and destroy the samsara itself. 3- the Primordial Buddha saw that he wasn‘t up to the task, so he himself incarnated to finish the job, and guess who is he- the current abbot of the wat.

._.
Yep... The Buddha says that Sangsara is without a discoverable beginning, but apparently he didn't know that:
In the beginning there was nothing but complete
emptiness. Suddenly, a huge dazzlingly bright
Dhammakāya, who was later called Phra Ton-thād,
appeared. It was the first and foremost entity that
emerged before everything; its brightness is greater than
anything that has been or will be. Almost immediately,
another Dhammakāya appeared, it was identical in shape
and size, but with absolute darkness. It was darker than
any darkness that has been or will be. Almost
simultaneously another Dhammakāya appeared, identical
in shape and size but with the color of well-polished lead.
The three Dhammakāyas were the Prime Origins of all
that have been and will be. Then each of them multiplied
themselves to win over the others but no party could
conquer over the rest. Those who had more refined
awareness were able to annihilate those who were less
refined. It was the start of the Cosmic War.
Nibbāna was created by the Light as the resting
abode, followed by the heavenly abodes and lastly worldly
existences. The first generation of the human ancestors
was then created. Their bodies were refined and
genderless with their sole mission to enter into deepest
level of consciousness and annihilate the Dhammakāyas of
Darkness. At first the strategy worked well, but later it
was found to have a flaw. These celestial human beings
were easily destroyed by the Dark Force. Another strategy
was then developed: a new generation of human beings.
They were designed to have bodies composed of gross
elements. They are womb-born and procreated by sexual
intercourse. To achieve this, two Dhammakāyas
reincarnated from nibbāna and assumed body of the flesh
as a man and woman. They copulated and gave birth to
the first members of the human race. Finishing their
assignment, the two Dhammakāyas transcended the
material world back to nibbāna again.

- http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethi ... -final.pdf

So yep, according to the Dhammakaya, human beings came about because two Buddhas descended from Nibbana and had sex and then went back to Nibbana. :coffee:
"Monks, these two slander the Tathagata. Which two? He who explains what was not said or spoken by the Tathagata as said or spoken by the Tathagata. And he who explains what was said or spoken by the Tathagata as not said or spoken by the Tathagata. These are two who slander the Tathagata."
- http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html
"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
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robertk
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by robertk »

Ok this is far more radical that anything Dhammakaya have ever publicly said.
They have always had the bizarre ideas about seeing Buddhas while meditating but that seems almost mild compared to what was written in that paper.
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suriyopama
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by suriyopama »

Benjamin wrote:That is seriously on par with Star Wars. Dhammakaya should start making movies instead of all their current videos that look like Sims expansion packs.
:jumping:

Not far from Star Wars (or the 3rd Reich). Just have a look at the pictures on this page:
http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/debut/post278696535/
:alien: :jedi:

Old news on BBC about the attempt to arrest Golden Darth Vader (august 1999). But he was protected by 20,000 followers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/428838.stm
mahat
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by mahat »

I just like the Dhammakaya cartoons on the Jataka Tales. They lure people in with cartoons. :tongue:
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greenjuice
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Re: Wat Dhammakaya

Post by greenjuice »

Lol. Are there more of these? :D
suriyopama wrote:Not far from Star Wars (or the 3rd Reich). Just have a look at the pictures on this page:
http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/debut/post278696535/
Wow. The golden wierd-looking roof is actually thousands of golden buddha statues :shock:
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