Re: "Buddha's path must guide reform of clergy", (Opinion, June 7).
Sanitsuda Ekachai is correct in saying that in Thailand the Sangha remains a closed feudal autocracy under state patronage. I would also add that the clergy's dependency on state support has not only made it weak but also void of any real value to society. We know very well that where there is big money, there is corruption.
It is also a well-known fact that in any society where the religion and spirituality are tied to empty rituals over character building, it will do more harm than good to the actual progress of that society. As an example, the Thai version of Buddhism has created a ritual with an expectation that every Thai male will become a monk for at least a short period in their life. It sounds very good. I attended this ritual where a poor rural family spent more than 50,000 baht to meet this expectation. The same is true of merit making and other costly rituals including cremation. And the fact is that such expectations have nothing to do with the teachings of Lord Buddha.
All the evidence indicates that the current environment in Thai temples reflects the values and interests of its rich patrons. So to bring the temples back to their traditional role and close to the people, they should be free of state patronage. For the sake of transparency, they should be run by local trusts consisting of monks, academia, police, and members of local administrative units. Their finances should also be audited annually.
The teachings of Lord Buddha tell us that we as awakened and compassionate human beings can use the money to empower people in meaningful ways. But is not necessary that to achieve this goal the temples should be turned into casinos where people are betting on spirituality.
Kuldeep Nagi
German junket?
Re: "German farce", (PostBag, June 7).
Maybe I'm wrong but did these swift-acting police officers go on this pointless tax payer-funded junket in economy class and stay in hostel accommodation or was it business class and five-star hotels? The public are entitled to know and especially if the latter, be told why. Some accountability is needed either way to this incompetence.
Nik
A few bad apples
Re: "A monk's promise", (PostBag, June 5).
The above maintains that ... "we all know that we can't trust monks".
Oh really? That has not been my experience. I think he is over exaggerating things. Well over 90% of the monks are upstanding citizens who follow the vows that they made during ordination. Do not let a few bad apples distort things. Bad apples exist anywhere. It is the current fashion of the day to lambaste any religious practitioner who does wrong. Nonetheless, the fact remains that, just in the case of the Catholic priests, the majority of Buddhist monks are tremendous human beings who will do anything to help those in need.
Paul
Khon Kaen
Follow money trail
First the monk from Wat Dhammakaya seems to have slipped through the net of justice. Then Yingluck Shinawatra managed to do the same. Now a rogue Thai monk managed to get to Germany seeking political asylum. The classic case is the Ferrari brat who killed a police officer in a hit-and-run is still enjoying his life but the police "cannot locate him".
Isn't it time someone spelled out the pattern? It is so obvious. As Joel Gray sang in the movie, Cabaret, "Money makes the world go round…".
Jack and Jill
Fugitive frolics
I bet those high-rankers in the Thai police force fight over who gets to go abroad to bring a fugitive home. Whether or not they succeed, (they never have, as far as I know), they do get a free mini-holiday, all expenses paid. How lovely. All of us should be so lucky. I cannot decide which is more advantageous, being a policeman or a rich monk (both are probably equally wealthy).
David James Wong
Big Brother watching
Re: "Clouds over satellite deal", (Editorial, June 7).
Since there seems to be no apparent external threat to the country, it would seem that this government sees an internal threat, ie, us, and therefore a 20% increase in the budget for national security appears to mean people and equipment to spy on us to make sure we are loyal and remain so and more flag-waving programmes to indoctrinate those of us who haven't been already been indoctrinated to death among other things.
I would suggest that if you haven't read 1984 or haven't seen the movie you do so before it is banned by the Thought Police. Big Brother is watching you, or soon will be.
Winston Smith
Dire straits
Re: "Plastic not fantastic for marine life", (Opinion, June 7).
It all comes down to face and the lack of will. I've been having this argument with my wife for years. Carry your own shopping bag. Take your own tiered food containers and your own liquid container for the vendors to fill. This would drastically reduce plastic use. I still can't understand why we put our rubbish in plastic bags then throw it in the rubbish bin. Why not put it directly into the bin and wash the bin when necessary? As a kid in London in the 40s during World War II, this was common practice. But then we didn't have much waste. Certainly no food waste.
What there was deposited into a communal waste bin on street corners, to be taken away for pig food. Dire times call for dire measures and we are now in dire times.
Ron Martin
Plastic baby steps
Re: "Dead whale sparks marine fears", (BP, June 5).
I welcome Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat telling his officials to reduce the usage of throwaway plastic. Thailand's now in the unenviable position of being the world's 6th largest contributor to ocean waste, with 75 million pieces of plastic rubbish annually -- much of which is on our once-pristine beaches or littered around our other world-famous tourist attractions.
But his statement is just a baby step in the right direction. He should, for example, set the policy that his ministry will not pay for single-use plastic, effective three months hence -- whether it be water bottles, styrofoam containers, straws, cutlery, etc. He should also table a cabinet motion that all government ministries do likewise, and move for a nationwide ban on single-use distribution. He should have contests for the cleanest beach, wat, etc, rewarding the clean-up organisers with publicity.
Good start, minister. Now, follow through with action.
Burin Kantabutra
Teaching blues
Dear Education Minister of Thailand:
Please do not feel confused about why the quality of education is so low at the tertiary level in Thailand. Here is an example of what happens when you apply for a position at a Rajabhat university.
I have graduate degrees in English and 15 years' teaching experience at the university level in the United States. I have even published several books, articles and essays. I am not an Ivy League superstar, but I am easily qualified to teach locally. I would even be considered an asset in normal circumstances not only because I have experience, but I enjoy the work. I want to help fix things and care about the students I am serving.
Also, I happen to live in the Northeast of Thailand with my family. I recently expressed an interest in teaching at our local Rajabhat. The main concern of the English department is: Will I sit at my desk every day when I am not teaching?
They want to know if I will be obedient and cooperative. The pay is incredibly low. Only 27,000 baht per month for five classes with 30 to 60 students! I could accept it if I were treated with some respect and professionalism. I could agree to about 10 additional office hours per week, but for students, not employees of the school. I cannot sit at a metal desk all day at the beck and call of every Thai "professor" who passes by. What a shame.
I offered to inject a tracking microchip into my thigh, but the idea was beyond them.
There are more and more details that I could explain.
Erich
Bridge to better past
Re: "Bridging times and cities", (BP, June 6).
I found the history of the Thai-Belgian bridge to be fascinating. Most impressive is how, back in 1988, engineers and highway officials were able to completely assemble the components of the bridge in place at an extremely congested intersection in less than 60 hours. How is that this feat could be completed so quickly and successfully 30 years ago, while today -- even with supposedly more advanced engineering and construction skills -- it typically takes one or two years, or more, to put a fly-over bridge in place?
Samanea Saman
A feast of football
The World Cup is about to start. And if you are among those 90s kids who started watching the World Cup in 2002, there couldn't be a better time to get excited about it.
The 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea witnessed Brazil's golden generation with players like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos setting the World Cup alight. Wonderful moments!
With the greatest footballing nations about to lock horns again in Russia, predictions about the winners are already buzzing around the world. Speculation and analyses propagate like wildfire. While some speculation is somewhat off the chart, many questions that have emerged are valid and relevant given recent events.
Will a full-strength Brazil be able to avenge its last World Cup home disappointment, or will it be Germany lifting the golden trophy to earn a fifth star to match the former?
On the other hand, will Spain, a strong force to be reckoned with, be able to make a comeback despite recovering from the loss of their golden generation?
Regardless of the answers one might give, we cannot shed light on the matter without first understanding the "context" for these great teams. The World Cup is known for its rigorous selection process. Regulars such as the Azzurri (Italy), The Clockwork Orange (The Netherlands), La Roja (Chile), Les Lions Indomptables (Cameroon), and Les Elephants (Ivory Coast), did not make it this time. The United States, which performed decently in the 2014 World Cup under the veteran coach Klinsmann, also did not qualify.
Historically, the Fifa World Cup has always been dominated by the South American-European countries. The hegemony may continue. But, this may be one of the few World Cups with no clear favourites.
It is at these times like these that a determined team can take full advantage to create a new page in football history. The gaps between the leading nations and the other teams are getting ever closer than before.
Anutra Tripathi
Canadians not 'stuck'
Somsak Pola is quite incorrect in his June 2 letter, "Future gamble". He notes that while a coup can remove a Thai leader, the Canadians are stuck with Justin Trudeau for the next four years. A parliamentary no-confidence vote could remove Trudeau or any other Canadian leader in hours. In the United States one is "stuck" with a president for four years, unless Congress votes for impeachment.
A Torontonian reader
Less of everything
Truer words were never said:
Civilisation in 2018
Our Phones-Wireless
Cooking-Fireless
Cars-Keyless
Food-Fatless
Tires-Tubeless
Dress-Sleeveless
Youth-Jobless
Leaders-Shameless
Relationships-Meaningless
Attitudes-Careless
Babies-Fatherless
Feelings-Heartless
Education-Valueless
Children-Mannerless
We are speechless
Government is Clueless
And our politicians are… WORTHLESS!
Worthless Mango
Smoke sickness
My wife and I bought our dream home in the country just outside U-thong. Its beautiful hills are peaceful but I'm sick because of the smoke. I knew there was a burning season but people burn every day. They're even burning the grass they sprayed with paraquat. Please teach these people to put the dug-up grass back into the soil. I'm going to have to leave here but looking at the air-quality statistics I'm not sure anywhere in Thailand is safe. What can I do?
John
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