In Thailand Today, Teen Monks Express the Spirit to a Rock

[Ensapa]

This is cute! When social conventions dictate children to be monks, obviously mischief ensures! I find it endearing tho, like the movie the Cup by Dzongzar Khyentse. Some people would see it as a disrespect, but I would like to see it as something expected and at least, people who have gone through this will have seeds of Buddhism planted in their mind.

In Thailand Today, Teen Monks Express the Spirit to a Rock
By JAMES HOOKWAY, WSJ, Aug 14, 2012
Thailand's Buddhists are a bit annoyed with today's young monks. As mobile phones and other devices grow more popular, it's becoming harder for religious leaders to control the images of Buddhism in the media and marketplace. WSJ's James Hookway reports.

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Each year as monsoon rains sweep their way over Thailand, tens of thousands of teenage boys shave their heads and are ordained as Buddhist monks in a traditional rite of passage.

Some find their life's vocation during the few weeks they spend in the monastery, and they become full-time monks.

Others post videos of themselves on YouTube, as they play air guitar to hard-rock tracks like Yngwie Malmsteen's "Iron Clad," or recite religious chants to thumping hip-hop beats.

The Buddhist faith practiced by more than 90% of Thailand's population is going through something like culture shock as the country quickly modernizes alongside East Asia's other booming economies. With more Thais going online, often through mobile phones, some of the country's novice monks are becoming online media stars, jarring an older generation that doesn't quite know what to make of it all.

"Technology is advancing very quickly and we can't keep up," said Phra Kasem Sanyato, secretary of the Buddhism Protection Center of Thailand, a watchdog for religious affairs.

"The younger generation is losing respect," added 48-year-old Pornpun Kaewbundit, as she emerged from a temple in Bangkok's historic old town recently.

Besides rocking out to Mr. Malmsteen, who was born in Sweden and lives in Florida, some monks film themselves playing pranks on other novices or shouting out lyrics to the likes of Thailand's heavy-metal band Bodyslam. They often use deodorant sticks or whatever else is at hand as stand-ins for microphones. Brooms often double as guitars.


 A June 30 demonstration in Bangkok asked for more respect for Buddhist traditions.
The clips are quickly becoming a genre of their own on YouTube and other sites, with some users taking one clip and remixing it with fresh backing music. The result: mash-ups of monks with shaved heads cavorting about in wigs to Dead or Alive's 1980s hit "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)."

Monks old enough to know better are getting caught up in the excitement, too.

Phra Klairung Rujidhammo was recently catapulted to national fame when he was filmed performing suggestive dance moves, known here as coyote dancing after the film "Coyote Ugly" set in a New York dance-bar. Phra Klairung, a chunky temple secretary in his mid-forties, quickly apologized after the clip went viral, explaining that he was trying to cheer people up after flooding hit the area around his temple in northern Bangkok.

His superiors gave him a two-week suspension, and Phra (Phra is a religious title) Klairung is back collecting food offerings and other alms from the local community each morning.

Some Thais, though, fear that the Buddhist clergy's standards are slipping. They are urging Thais to be a little less tolerant than the country's image as a magnet for night-clubbers and sun-seekers might suggest.

Bangkok jeweler Acharavadee Wongsakon, for instance, on June 30 led a procession of several hundred protesters through the city's famous Chatuchak weekend market and the Khao San Road backpacker district to persuade Thais and foreign tourists to show more respect. That includes avoiding getting inked up with Buddhist tattoos.

Accompanied by ornate floats and banners saying "No" to the Disney movie "Snow Buddies," which features a dog named Buddha, Ms. Acharavadee silenced the normally raucous backpackers who frequent the area as she and her followers made their way past bars with names such as Lucky Beer and the Lava Lounge.

"I think they have a point," whispered 23-year-old Carla Bennett from Canada, who was getting her hair braided at a street stall at the side of the road. "Maybe they are tired of people stomping over what they believe in."

During a breather between parades, Ms. Acharavadee complained that some Thais regard Buddhism as little more than a detail listed on their national identity cards. "The Internet is compounding the problem. People are spending less time studying Buddhism, and they are missing its message," she said.

Another source of worry in religious circles is the fact that Thais are having fewer children than they used to as more families move from farms to the country's cities. Thai women now have an average of 1.5 children, down from more than six in the 1960s. That means fewer teenagers are ordained as novices. All Thai Buddhist males generally get ordained at some point in their lives, though most often in their teenage years and sometimes earlier.

Some Buddhists are fighting fire with fire by turning to reality television shows and the Internet to revive interest in Buddhist teachings. Thai cable network True Corp. this year began airing a live, rolling documentary about the lives of nine novice monks ordained at a temple in eastern Bangkok. Snappily titled "Novice Monks Cultivate Dharma Wisdom," it was a surprise hit.

One fan, 64-year-old Wallapa Chairat, says she gets up at 5:30 each morning to watch the young monks go around collecting alms. One day she got out of bed at 4 a.m. and left her house in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok to offer food to the young monks herself.

"The news programs and soap operas are full of angry people who are jealous and fighting," Ms. Wallapa says. "But the little monks provide peace and happiness."

The young monks seemed to enjoy it, too. "I think living in the monkhood is the best thing I've ever done in my life," 9-year-old Theerapath Suthipatharapan told the show after his stint in the temple was up. Unlike other reality shows, the monks aren't voted out by the audience.

[bambi]

As for me, I think it is ok to have fun once in a while. I have seen and heard many respectable monks who can joke, sing or tease. It is the essence of the teachings that should change and motivate us. About the Buddhist tattoo, I agree. People should respect and not ink those holy mantras onto their body.

When I was in Thailand, I noticed that many of them are Buddhists and respectful but that is all they know as they were brought up that way. Many of them did not actually study the Dharma and apply it. And I believe that learning Dharma on the internet is not bad after all. We are doing the same aren't we? 

[Jessie Fong]

I do not see anything wrong for the young ones to have some "fun" once in a while, as long as there is no attachment to it.  In fact it would be good for them, as they will find it easier to interact with the lay people.  It may be the source of attraction for them, as lay people will find the young monks quite up to date with the goings-on of the world and they are not left behind.

I think having fun is not disrespectful, as long as the dharma is always in them.

[Tammy]

It is funny why so many people have this mindset that Buddhism MUST be prime and proper, all Buddhists should do their practise sitting on a mat chanting hours on end. But the same people are ok when they see Christian youth groups singing rocks !!

It is totally ok for young monks to express themselves and singing Buddhist rock songs, afterall, this is one of good ways to attract more young people to Buddhism as it is cool !! I would very much like to see Shoalin monks performing their KungFu with Thai monks playing background music with electric guitars! An imagine who would be in the concert hall waving light sticks like crazy?? Young people who would think Buddhism is COOL!

[ratanasutra]

As long that the 'fun' actions of the teen monks are not harmful and break their vows i don't think that is wrong. To practice Dharma doesn't mean that we only do meditation, prayer and no other things.

Well.. if the teen monks really did things which break vows due to ignorant etc the senior monks will advice and talk with them to do thing correctly according to vows.

[pgdharma]

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the novice monks having some “fun” as long as they do not break their monk’s vows. It is good that technology is advancing and it is not disrespectful to play air guitar to hard rock tracks or reciting religious chant to hip hop beats. In fact it is a good way to bring the younger generation into dharma in a modern, fun way. As we are now in the 21st century, the approached to Buddhism should be different but the essence of Buddha’s Teachings remained the same. 

[kris]

Technology is advancing everyday it is part of our everyday life. From computer to internet to youtube, etc.. It is not something we can escape. However, technology is neutral and it is up to the motivation of the person who use it. If a Dharma teacher spend many hours on internet and skillfully use technology to spread Dharma, it will benefit many.

However, if a Dharma teacher spend many hours on internet because he is attached to it, then it does not bring benefits to others, hence I would say it is "bad".

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having fun, as long as he is not attached.

[Tenzin K]

Environment changes according to times changes. Old days, people has less worldly attachment but as time goes the world is modernize, cultures has integrated with the modern technologies be it good or bad the bottom line is everything changes for conveniences.
Spiritual teaching seems like getting harder to penetrate the modern lifestyle people not because of they are bad but too much of negative influences that habituated from the modernization. Of course spiritually we do relate it to the karma that created from endless life before and it’s keep on degenerate.
The technology is just a tool but we are the one that control for good. We should integrate the technology for the effectiveness spreading the dharma teaching. This is medium communication and information that we need to tap on. We do not lose out the essence of the teaching but make good use of the current tools/medium to interact.

I believe the changes is continuous and is us that need to find the way to suit the time and the level of people' mind.

[hope rainbow]

In the context of Thailand and of Thai Buddhism, of course it is a cultural challenge to be confronted to monks making dance moves, singing and wearing wigs, because it is a direct violation of their vows. And every Thai would know that monks have taken vows not to sing, dance, listen to music or even watch comical shows.

The Theravadan school places great emphasis on these vows, perhaps more than other schools like the Tibetan schools, and this would chock less, I am convinced, if these actions were performed by Tibetan monks.
This is why it seems most of the replies here on this topic do not seem to think that this is damaging.

In the context of Thailand, it may be damaging indeed as it degrades the monk-hood, it desecrates monk-hood in young minds. Now, isn't that damaging?