Buddhism in Thailand.

The world knows that Thailand is a Buddhist Nation and its citizens are Buddhist by birth. Lord Buddha was born in Nepal and got enlightened in India and spread his Dharma in Asian Countries to help sentient beings to end their suffering in this hellish realm by practicing Dharma  and was considered as the light of Asia. 

To my surprise, I being another Buddhist follower hailing from Country so called kingdom of Bhutan located at Himalayas capped with snow fall and icy winter and mild summer season. To be frank, I am very poor in the tradition of Theravada  Buddhism being practiced at Thailand. I could understand few concepts of their depth meaning of Buddhism which have volumes of teaching being taught in Thai language by Lord Buddha, the omniscient one who could speak out all languages of Gods, Nagas and Pretas, animals and different human languages while he discoursed the pith instruction to his followers. Lord Buddha did not hire any language experts to translate his teachings to different followers but it got translated into their own language by his magical powers. The modern Google translator can translate only one language at one go but Lord Buddha translated into many languages at one go and essence of his teaching were not lost in the translation.

I am very happy to see many old temples in Thailand filled with monks wearing yellowish robes and begging with their begging bowls with bear foot. Seeing their shaved heads, robes and begging bowl  at hand makes me feel at earlier days of 2500 years ago life style; so called Lord Buddha introduced in India and spread far flung Asian Nations. The common, business and travelers offer their offering of food items to these old monks who recites some prayers to the sponsors which I could hear only but could not comprehend anything. I am silent watcher to these activities that happens everyday in the morning rush hours at Ding Daeng Road. It is the sign of Buddhism is still flourishing in Thailand at this busiest days of life. The market is filled with business hawkers with different  cooked meals and  meats items are displayed for sale on the roads side. 

 The busy street is filled with joyous heart of hawkers ringing their bells to notify the customers. But on the other side, I can also see plenty of chickens, fishes, frogs hanged on their stalls for consumption. This makes me feel like, I have reached a slaughter house. According me, hell is represented by the display of meats being  roasted at ovens and heaven  by begging monks who is following the good path. I need not go underground to dig out the hellish life and use space ship discover the heaven. The highly qualified people of today will never accept that hell and heaven do exist after life. To be practical, this way of slaughter and commercial way of life itself is the definition of hell to my understanding where the greed for money is highly involved and bloated out leaving behind the concept of cause and effect.

Attending one of the water purification ceremony at this temple made me conclude that old, children and monks are the attendees to such Buddhist sacred celebration that happen annually. The energetic and highly qualified people like scientists, engineers, doctors, business tycoons are not found any way during the celebrations. This shows that Buddha Dharma in Thailand is left for older generations and innocent youths to make happy days with some free pick ups.  The qualified sections of Thai society has already denied the Buddha  and his teaching and never want to come back and keep the Dharma wheel turning forever. One of class mates has said " He already left Buddha for almost thirty years back and never want to embrace him" and he no longer to wanted to be Buddhist either. Hearing his words made me feel pain at heart since Buddha Dharma is dying in Thailand if such qualified people chose to deny him and his teachings. Many of my class mates are happy to declare that I am " Christen now". The Buddha Dharma is facing "slow death" in Thailand with encroachment of other belief and faiths. There are many converts taking place into Muslim and Christian and some does not have any faith but neutral populations. 

It was really shocking to hear from my old silent hair cutter at Rangnam asking me " Are you Muslim?". With light smile, I replied no " I am Buddhist" and he got silent  and resumed cutting my hair with his slow motion. And he said, I am "Thai Muslim" and smile with his wrinkled face. It was so strange that day he asked me that question and I could understand his belief and faith. I am loyal customer to his saloon for this long years and we never could share our faith and beliefs. 

An old women, Thai Muslim who sells alive fishes to temple visitors to earn money since  the Buddhist followers do save animals as an act of compassion by throwing into the rivers.  For her these fishes is nothing but just commercial product to earn money and want to visit Mecca, the holy land of Muslim world. She sells these fishes in front of Lord Buddha temple without any guilt in her heart and mind. I am one of her loyal customer to save those fishes and frogs costing ninety bahts for few numbers with my slim pocket as student. It is my belief and faith to Buddha mad me save at least some fishes before they are killed for meals being served for deadly eaters so called human beings.

With this incidences at my hand as proof to show; Lord Buddha is now denied by his own followers at this degenerated age with extreme conversions from different faiths. His true followers could be few old people and some monks doing out of no option to exist. This is the real sign of Buddha Dharma is retarding from its influence and impacts on their followers. When Buddha Dharma fails and retards, there will be more chaos and disorder in the society as people never want to live happy and peaceful co-existence with their environment but want to destroy everything with increased greed and lust for money and power. The nation will experience famine and wars when Buddha Dharma is phased out due to our concept of enemies and friends. 

My sincere prayer to young Thai society not to deny the Buddhism at any circumstances.  As Buddhism is not the doctrine or faith but it is the way of life. It teaches us to live and exist happily with what we have and teaches to prepare for the next life and continuity. There is no God in Buddhism and everyone is Buddha by its innate quality. It is the mater of being discovered by oneself through constant practice. There is solution to any problems in Buddhism, it is the matter of hunting down with our zeal. May the "Buddha Dharma flourish in Thailand like wild fire and revive from its slow death like the desert plant reviving after the rainfall." to its original shape and help all the sentient beings enjoy ever lasting peace.

Mindu Wangdi