Morphing Monasteries: Commercial Buddhism in Thailand

Buddhism has been a way of life in Thailand for centuries, but inside the most popular temples is a trend that critics call "fast-food Buddhism."

Related article: http://nyti.ms/XGYUFp
Please visit http://nyti.ms/URWpQx in order to embed this video
Watch more videos at http://nytimes.com/video
Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nytimesvideo

• Category

  News & Politics

[Tep Sastri]

It is another example of when there is a demand, there is a supply arisen to satisfy it. If the "customers" do not care about product quality, then they don't know what they have missed.

[Reque92]

If they want to be present in the children's education, there should be buddhist schools, same happens with catholic schools

[cruhnk]

จริงๆแล้ว สวนมากคนอายุมากชอบเขาวัด ป้าอายุ 30+ หรือยายกับปู่

เขาเข้าไปเพื่อการพ่อนคลายและธร­รมะ ไม่จำเป็นต้องเขาวัดแค่อยู่ในใจ­ก็พอ

Most elderly are still going to temples today. Also, when it is holiday, we still go to the temple, perhaps not teenagers, but older adults do. The monks do realize that we now have advanced technology - they tell us that we can pray at home and as long as we are honest and no wrong-doings.

[palmisano]

Monks are now turning to youtube and facebook to spread their teachings to the new generation. But many monks won't use facebook because girls post sexy profile pictures - causing problems.

That said, there are Buddhist cults and sects that diverge (violate?) from traditional teaching, becoming fortune tellers and getting involved in politics and business.

[konmekable]

In Thailand, in small poor villages, temples are the richest houses.

[soogoonu]

sign of the times: ppl lost his spirit for money, and now the spirit is following the money path. If this is not the end of the world I don't know what it is.

[F3FisGoodforYou]

This is a general trend all over the world, people loose their traditions and spirituality and replace them with consumerism. And during that time new churches appear like Apple Stores. This is globalization and what people need to understand is this is a new fascism, a dictatorship I should say, a comfortable and sweet one but one where we loose not only our freedom but our soul too... and that's not going to get better.

Start by getting rid of your TV.