Darjeeling shutdown for Gorkhaland state: Buddhist monks facing food crisis

Hundreds of pro-Gorkhaland activists blockaded a crucial highway linking Sikkim to the rest of the country while shops and offices remained closed in Darjeeling district, on day ten of an indefinite shutdown called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) to demand a separate state in the northern part of West Bengal.

Already there is a food shortage in the monasteries and Buddhist educational institutions scattered across the three Darjeeling hill sub-divisions -- Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has announced that it would begin a public curfew (urging the people to remain indoors) from Tuesday.

"The situation is grim. We will face a grave food crisis if normal life continues to be stalled for some more days," said Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association general secretary Sonam Lundrup Lama.

Between 12,000 to 15,000 Buddhist monks and religious students reside in the monasteries and Buddhist schools situated in places like Ghoom, Dali, Pokhrebung, Sonada, Rimbik, Kurseong, Tindharia, Kalimpong and Labha of the three hill sub-divisions.

Some of the well-known monasteries are Sakya Monastery (Ghoom), Druk Thubten Sangag Choling Monastery, Yiga-Choling Buddhist Monastery and Bhutia Busty Monastery.

"There is some resentment against the shutdown. We are planning to make an appeal to the GJM for supply of food stocks. If need be, we will go to GJM president Bimal Gurung. We are keeping a watch on the situation," said Lama.

The monks live frugally, and do not keep stocks that last long.

"As per our religious practice, the monks and the bhikkhus live off alms and donations collected from disciples, going door to door. Pilgrims to the monasteries and pagodas also offer donations.

"Due to the shutdown, no vehicles are plying. The monks are unable to go to the villages. The pilgrims are also unable to visit the monasteries," Lama said.

North Bengal Affairs Minister of the West Bengal government Gautam Deb said the state government was closely monitoring the situation.

"We will take a decision at the right time. The situation is such that apart from food, there will also be a shortage of medicines if the disruption continues," he said.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, however, said there would be a 24-hour relaxation on Aug 15 - Independence Day and on August 16, 17 and 18. "But we are not aware of any such food crisis faced by the monasteries," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said.

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The Crisis in Thai Buddhism

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BANGKOK, Thailand -- If Thai Buddhism has been corrupted and lost its way, as critics are alleging, you would never know it by talking to Mod and her friends, whose devotion keeps them making merit and seeking solace at Wat Tha Mai, one of Bangkok’s scores of Buddhist temples, every weekend.

<< Buddhist monks participate in a procession to mark the 2,600th anniversary of the enlightenment of Lord Buddha on the outskirts of Bangkok on Jan. 4, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

It’s still morning but the heat in Bangkok is already oppressive. Yet that doesn’t seem to deter large numbers of worshipers from turning up at Wat Tha Mai on their day off from work. The smell of incense and smoke are part of a palpable, chaotic atmosphere as people mill about, determined to donate their way into the good graces of some higher power.

Mod - her nickname means “Ant” in Thai - is typical of the people who come to the temple. An accountant in a prestigious international firm, she has come this morning to make merit so that “things might be better as it had been a rough start to the New Year.”

As Mod darts from one donation box to the next she pauses to slip 100 baht (US $3.35) into a box placed before a statue of the elephant god Ganesha. When pressed on the significance of the Hindu deity in a Buddhist temple, she struggles to place him in a Buddhist context but agrees with her friends nevertheless that he is holy and we should not question such mystical things. Ganesh is actually a central figure in Hinduism who broke off his right tusk to use as a quill to write the Mahabharata and subsequently the Baghavad Gita.

Mod’s experience that morning is emblematic of the admixture that is Thai Buddhism—made up of equal parts animism, Buddhism, Hinduism and plain superstition. But many, including the group known as the Forest Monasteries, lament the state of Thai Buddhism as being corrupt, power hungry and as dirty as the rest of the country. A series of scandals has turned up recently, including senior monks sexually abusing their novices. Many monks have been accused of the commercialization of the faith including fraudulent fund-raising.

The Thai Forest monks are known for their orthodoxy, conservatism and asceticism. They model their practice and lifestyle on those of the Buddha himself and his early disciples, keeping alive the practices of the historical Buddha, who frequently dwelt in forests, both during his spiritual quest and afterwards.

“How can we hope to have a good country when not even the religion is pure?” a member of the group told Asia Sentinel. “Some of what these monasteries are teaching is not even real Buddhism!”

At the central building in the temple where Mod worships, people have been waiting since before dawn to get their time before the abbot. Many have come from far and wide with various requests and ailments. Some pay with whatever meager savings they have for the chance that some miracle might cure their ailing son, daughters, mothers and fathers. Others are willing to drop seven-figure donations to get what they want.

Between accepting donations and chanting ancient Pali incantations that many in the congregation don’t understand, the monks thumb at their cell phones or ask their personal attendants to grab them refreshments.

Corruption within the Thai clergy has not been an uncommon or even recent phenomenon. In 1999, The Associated Press carried a story stating: “At its core, Buddhism is a religion that teaches the renunciation of desire for material comforts is the way to relieve suffering and find the path to wisdom. But instead of shunning material comforts, some senior monks live in plush quarters and drive Mercedes Benzes.”

Blessing public buildings—and even the occasional airplane—by throwing water on them in return for donations is not a part of Forest Monasteries religious practice. It occurs nowhere in the Tipitaka, the sacred Buddhist texts.

While real Buddhism might be a theological debate best reserved for another time, Thailand has caught the global headlines with a few unique Buddhism-related stories. The first came on the heels of the death of Apple mogul Steve Jobs when the Dhammakaya sect made a special television broadcast and claimed they have found his soul and presence in heaven.

They later went on to claim that Jobs had been reincarnated as a “divine being with special knowledge and appreciation for science and arts in some Utopia. In this Utopia he is around 35-40 years old with a head full of hair. He serves a role as a mid-level warrior philosophy and lives in a celestial palace.”

It should be noted that the Dhammakaya sect is one of the fastest growing groups in Thailand and currently holds widespread public appeal. Its supporters number in the hundreds of thousands and it has temples around the country and the world.

The Steve Jobs story is not the only one that has gained international recognition. Every year millions of Thais buy lucky charms and amulets that are supposed to help in their everyday life. One story that garnered international press was the presence of amulets and tattoos blessed by monks, which hold special properties such as rendering the wearer bulletproof.

Many swear by the amulets, with some even claiming to have witnessed such tests first-hands. But when pressed to offer more proof the seller told this writer that it was illegal to try it out on people although he has many eyewitness friends. An independent test a few years ago by a reporter resulted in a very dead chicken with the vendor then claiming it only works on humans.

Regardless, these amulets and tattoos are amazingly profitable with bulletproof ones going for as high as 300,000 baht (around $10,000).

But while the international headlines may focus on the sensational aspects of Thai Buddhism, the local Buddhist supreme council has come under increased scrutiny and criticism after a period of sex and corruption scandals. Under the Buddhist canon, monks are not allowed to engage in sexual relations because it brings with it attachment and desire which leads to suffering.

Local Buddhism has even taken a page out of the Catholic playbook recently with several monks embroiled in legal battles for having abused their novices.

And while many Thais feel disillusioned about the way some of the Sangha, or monastic community, has behaved, many are reluctant to speak out. It is taboo in Thai culture to do so. Mod articulates this point.

“We were taught from a very young age that it is okay to not believe but it is not okay to disrespect. While we may not approve of certain things that monks do, they do not represent our religion as a whole. We are Buddhists and we know what we believe.”

As she makes her way with her friends to the central building where she will queue with countless other people looking to make their fortune through the purification of their karma, that point has never been clearer.

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Thai society rediscovers the values of the Buddha to combat materialism and economic crisis

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Bangkok, Thailand -- In June, celebrations were held to commemorate 2600 years of illumination of the "Awakened One". In a conference, hundreds of faithful, monks and nuns discuss the value of faith and the challenges of modernity. The risks of globalization, promoting an education system capable of forming good citizens.

Against the materialism prevalent in society, the obsessive search for money, worldly possessions and the pervasive spiritual crisis, Thai Buddhists state that "the path to enlightenment" indicated by the "awakened" is the only way to create "a world of peace."

Coinciding with the celebrations for Buddha's enlightenment 2600 years, better known as "Buddha Chayatee (BC)," the faithful wanted to promote meetings and events aimed at reinforcing the centrality of faith and religion in the life of the nation. Even Thailand, in fact, in recent years has promoted a politics focused on economics, personal success, while neglecting the spiritual and religious element.

The scandals that have hit some monasteries and leading figures of Buddhism has emphasised local fractures and increased dropouts. For groups and individuals that seek to raise the value of religion, the teachings of Buddha are still essential for peace and harmony locally and internationally.

From June 4 to 30 across Thailand events and commemorations of the 2600 remember the enlightenment of Buddha were held. On the final day, the "Public Stage" movement opened a meeting at Buddhamondhol Buddhist Center in Bangkok, attended by hundreds of people, including monks, nuns and faithful.

At the heart of the encounter, the value of religion past and present, along with ways to encourage and promote Buddhism in Thai society. The role of schools and educational establishments need to be stepped up however, called to promote among students the teachings of the Buddha and their value for contemporary life.

62.8 million people live in Thailand, of which 10 million are concentrated in Bangkok. The vast majority, almost 95% profess Buddhism, while 4% are Muslims (especially in the south) and 1% Christian, of which 300 thousand Catholics. For this reason the country is still considered the world centre of religion, with over 33 thousand monasteries and institutes across the area, even if it is going through a period of deep crisis in vocations and practice of worship.

For famous columnist Somchai Preeechasilp the cause lies in a growing materialism, combined with the severe economic crisis. Globalization, he said, poses challenges to the principles of Buddhism, to the values and morals that people should use concretely strengthen their spirituality.

Prapapatra Niyom, director of the Buddhist Path School (BPS), explains that the institutions are responsible for developing all aspects of the person in the students: physical, mental, emotional and social. It has launched a pre-school for children, with the aim of forming children who are educated and formed and able to best represent the future of the nation. From an early age pupils are called to recite morning prayers, meditate on the teachings of the Buddha for at least five minutes a day and use it as a maximum in the resolution of everyday problems.

As is the case with little Saifon, whose name means "drop of rain", blind since birth, but who has wanted to be "illuminated" by following the example of the "master". A college student named Yarnapatra Yodkaew finally remembers that every good Buddhist faithful must develop three characteristics: discipline in preserving the teachings of the enlightened, the search of solitude for personal meditation and intelligence to understand the way forward when called to address a problem or a challenge.

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The Buddhist organisations that are thriving during the debt crisis

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In times of financial hardship, meditators are still willing to pay large fees to hear the teachings of high-profile Buddhists

London, UK -- Here we are stuck in an economic downturn, with the threat of a financial tsunami gathering momentum in the eurozone and with pundits telling us it can only get worse. You might expect people to be careful about their budget priorities – and that nonessential expenditure like spiritual teachings would be put on hold.

<< Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje attracted 2,000 people, paying $200 each, to hear him speak at an event. Photograph: Lobsang Wangyal/EPA

Evidence suggests, however, that the opposite is true – especially if you happen to be Buddhist. It seems that in this period of acute financial stress, Buddhists are still willing to part with their pounds, dollars, roubles and rupees in order to sustain their meditation practice. Because meditation calms the mind and generates insight, this is a predictable response – but what does come as a surprise is the amounts of money involved.

Take the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, for example. A young, high-profile Tibetan Buddhist lama with a romantic history of escape from Tibet after dodging Chinese security. Confined for several years under conditions resembling house arrest in India, he eventually managed to visit the United States for the first time in 2008. About 2,000 people gathered at a monastery in Woodstock to catch a glimpse of him. They paid $200 each. Roughly $400,000 (£250,000) hit the coffers and after expenses, the monastery had enough left over to embark on an extensive building project.

Then there's Sogyal Rinpoche – credited as author of the bestseller The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. A recent feature in the French news magazine Marianne revealed that the cheapest tariff for a week's teachings with him at his centre Lerab Ling in France was €500 (£425) – which entitled participants to pitch a tent and eat vegetarian food. Five hundred people attended the retreat, including reporter Elodie Emery – which means that Sogyal attracted more than €250,000 on one occasion.

Emery estimates that Lerab Ling pulls in €1m to €1.5m annually in retreat fees alone – in addition to shop sales and donations. Sogyal's global organisation, Rigpa, has websites that include multiple income streams. One of them, the Tertön Sogyal foundation, targets will bequests. Board members include Pedro Beroy, the managing director of the investment banking division of Credit Suisse.

In October this year, 1,500 people flew to Tenerife for three days of teachings with Choegyal Namkhai Norbu, one of the few remaining Tibetan lamas still active who was trained in pre-Chinese Tibet. A widely respected master of the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Namkhai Norbu attracts capacity audiences wherever he goes. In Tenerife the cost was €150, excluding flights, accommodation and subsistence.

In common with pop musicians, footballers and corporate CEOs, it is the superstar Buddhist teachers who generate big money. Without them, many centres around the world would be hard pressed to make ends meet. As the older ones fade away, a new generation including the 17th Karmapa, is being groomed to take their place. These include the reincarnations of the late Ling Rinpoche, Kalu Rinpoche and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. (Rinpoche means "precious one").

But if all this sounds like quality Buddhist teachings are beyond the reach of middle- to low-income neophytes – there is good news. In the UK, several Buddhist organisations offer meditation instruction at moderate prices. The Dechen community led by Lama Jampa Thaye offers one-day courses for £17.50, rising to £20 next year. A two- or three-day event with the high-profile lama Sakya Trizin costs £20-25 per day. Beginners classes are around £4 per session.

Gaia House in Devon has a programme of residential courses with visiting teachers, with cost on a sliding scale from £118 to £59 depending on means. Director Andy Power says there's an "element of trust" involved in this. The fees for a Zen retreat with senior teachers Stephen and Martine Batchelor range from £363 to £76.

The Theravada Buddhist organisation, The Samatha Trust, relies on voluntary donations for teachings and retreats. "The exception to this," says the treasurer, Anne Schellizi, "is that we charge beginners a flat £50 for a weekend at our centre."

When the Thai meditation master Nai Boonman visits, Anne says retreatants are "spontaneously" generous. The trust covers its overheads on an annual income of £35,000, but runs appeals for projects like new buildings.

An Indian prince, 2,500 years ago, brought up in the lap of luxury renounced all worldly possessions to become the Buddha. His example led to the foundation of an order of mendicant monks and nuns who rely on the generosity of local communities for their survival.

"The basis of monasteries is not economic production," says Rupert Gethin, professor of Buddhist studies at Bristol University, "but there's a form of social contract – if you want monks and nuns in your society you have to support them. Monastic institutions can accept financial donations and some of them do become quite wealthy."

Clearly many organisations are making healthy profits from running Buddhist events, although it is a recognised principle that the teachings are not for sale. Whether this state of affairs is corrupt – or simply a 21st century fact of life is open to debate.

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