Between 90 and 95 percent of the 65 million people in Thailand are Buddhists.  Now I’m going to tell you this next part and try to keep a straight face:  There is a real schism within Thai Buddhism.  Thailand’s Buddhists are divided into two strands within the Theravada school, the Maha Nikaya and the Dhammayut which come under the Sangha Supreme council, the nine-member body of the senior clerics.  The disagreement between members of the Buddhist leaders is creating real confusion with the Thai public, leaving them feeling uncomfortable because they don’t want their social order disrupted. 

They’re dead serious about this stuff.

They love their tradition.  When a female senator tried to get rid of signs that deny women the same rights as men within the temple, a petition circulated to impeach the senator.

In 2007 they held protests and one-day hunger strikes to try to pressure the government into making Buddhism the official religion of  Thailand.

Buddhism in Thailand has become integrated with “folk beliefs” including ancestor worship and worship of local spirits.

Buddhism first appeared in Thailand during the 3rd century B.C.  Buddhism teaches that one’s life does not begin with birth and end with death but is a link in a chain of lives, each conditioned by volitional acts (karma) committed in previous existences.  This suggests that selfishness and craving result in suffering in future lives, while compassion and love bring well being and happiness.  Also Buddhists claim that they strive to be “at one” with their surroundings. 

King Ramkhamhaeng established Theravada Buddhism as Thailand’s dominant religion.  Under the reign of his grandson, King Li Thai in the 1300’s 30 volumes of Buddhist teachings were rewritten into one volume, the Tribhumikatha.   Today you will find Buddhist temples in virtually every town or village of Thailand, where orange-robed monks distribute amulets (little figurines to wear around the neck), and use herbal medicines to help people with their ailments.  The majority of Thailand’s 27,000 Buddhist temples are in the countryside.

Buddhist monks can leave the monk hood any time they want.  There are 227 rules governing their behavior.  They do not have to do manual labor, can meditate at any time they choose, and are free to travel anywhere they want nine months out of the year.  Three months out of the year they must meditate during the Rains Retreat.  (How do they know if the monks follow the 227 rules since they don’t see them for three-fourths of the year?) 

Buddhists claim to be tolerant and kind, but the Muslims would probably say otherwise.  They have a very works-righteous “religion,” where you earn merit by donating food to the monks, and helping build and renovate temples (how convenient for the monks).  Many jobs in Thailand allow young men three months of paid leave per year for them to go to the Rains Retreat. 

“Lord Buddha” was born in 563 B.C. in what today is Nepal.  He was a spoiled child of the king and queen of the Sakyas.  Through a fairy tale that has been passed down through the generations, they claim that when he was conceived his mother dreamed of an elephant with six tusks carrying a lotus flower in his trunk that touched her side.  She later claimed that the child came out of her side already somewhat grown.  She died a few days later.  I’m thinking it was some medical condition causing these dreams.  The boy allegedly recalls all of his previous births, and gained knowledge of the cycle of births and deaths.  He left his wife and son one night and went into the forest, then wandered through India seeking out holy men.  Siddhartha Gotama (his given name) adopted a life of self-denial, but after six years decided that was for the birds.  It was along in there when he learned about all his prior births.  He went to the city of Sarnath and used some rice grains to show the wheel of life and delivered his Deer Park Sermon.  He avowed as how it’s necessary to keep your body in good health, and follow the Dharma and its Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.  When he was 80 a blacksmith gave him some bad food, and he died, not before telling his followers to work out their “own salvation with diligence.”  He had to pass through several states of meditation before he died.  Buddhists today claim he was not a god, just a man who was enlightened.  And yet they worship him and bow to statues of him.  Kind of like the roman catholics don’t worship Mary.  Yeah, right.

The Four Noble Truths are 1) life includes pain, getting old, disease and death; 2) suffering is caused by craving and aversion, so be moderate; 3) true happiness and contentment are possible; if you give up useless cravings and learn to live each day at a time, you will reach Nirvana; 4) the Noble 8-fold Path leads to the end of suffering.  What is the Noble 8-Fold Path you ask?  Being moral; being aware of your thoughts and actions; developing wisdom; and developing compassion.  Then there are the 5 Precepts:  not to take the life of anything living; not to take anything not freely given; abstain from sexual misconduct and sensual overindulgence; refrain from untrue speech; avoid intoxication.  And, above all you must have the right mix of compassion and knowledge.

They start boys at the age of 8 working with the monks.  We all know that nothing good is coming from that arrangement!

That, my friends, is the ultimate worshiping of the creature over the Creator.  Where in all this drivel is there any glory to God?  NO WHERE!