Where did these funds come from? Read the news, reports, and opinions on topics relating to the allegations DSI is trying to pin on to the Abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. He has devoted about 50 years of his life to the propagation of Buddhism and Dhammakaya Meditation, which has attracted millions of devotees in Thailand and in over 80 branches in 33 countries around the world. Everything you need to know about the Dhammakaya Scandal: A Short Fact Sheet. He claims his wife was manipulated into handing over cash. Illegal title deed issued for mountaintop mansions thought to harbour Dhammajayo; photos show "orchard" was actually pristine forest. The source said Phra Mahatheerachan was fed up with the Dhammakaya scandal and could no longer tolerate the Sangha Supreme Council's waffling … In 2017, a scandal broke when a sect devotee, who ran a bank, was accused of embezzling £25million of customers’ money and giving it directly to Abbot Dhammajayo, with victims losing between £50k to £250k each. Dr. Mano called the abbot a flight risk on Thai television, claiming that the abbot had a “lifetime visa” to the United States. He claims not all the money has gone into the pristine buildings on the compound and, sensationally, claims the sect’s leader was obsessed with Adolf Hitler. “Dhamakaya is promoting capitalism, consumerism and people love to be rich,” he says. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. In 2017, a scandal broke when a sect devotee, who ran a bank, was accused of embezzling £25million of customers’ money and giving it directly to Abbot Dhammajayo, with victims losing between £50k to £250k each. Dhammakaya scandal may pose security threat ... INTELLIGENCE and security officials yesterday voiced concerns that the Dhammakaya scandal could pose a security threat if abbot Luang Phor Dhammachayo chose to turn his popularity into an unsanctioned mass cult. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is verifying an unconfirmed report that fugitive monk Phra Dhammajayo was helped by a group of his disciples to sneak out of Thailand to a European country. Are you in Thailand and feeling low? Scandals involving Phra Dhammajayo of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. The Guardian : Thai authorities seek to defrock scandal-hit Buddhist abbot, March 10th, 2017 Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says that the order to put controversial Dhammakaya Temple under military control will not be revoked until the fugitive ex-abbot … The abbot admits receiving the … 2,200 Thai police and soldiers may storm temple to arrest scandal-hit abbot Dhammachayo More than 2,200 police and military personnel will be deployed to … Unreported World: Nirvana For Sale airs on Channel 4 at 7.30pm. Dhammakaya abbot 'free to spend donations on land' ... A religious regulator said that the Dhammakaya scandal, fuelled by its unorthodox teaching and the controversial solicitations, is a sensitive issue, needing cautious handling to avoid splits among followers as the temple continues to attract huge numbers of worshippers. “The Abbot was very fond of Adolf Hitler,” he says. He adds that Abbot Dhammajayo has evaded capture because “he has plenty of money and in this country money can buy anything”. Outsider abbot sought for Dhammakaya By THE NATION ‘evil plot’ as senior monks at temple probed after row BANGKOK: -- THE NATIONAL Office of Buddhism (NOB) is pushing for the appointment of an outsider as Dhammakaya Temple’s new abbot. Updated February 24, 2017. 25; Thailand. Ruling junta has kept Dhammakaya temple under … Scandal-hit Dhammakaya temple takes its controversial message to Mandalay in Myanmar, where it helps stage a mass alms-giving event on an abandoned runway. Addicted to blessing and also addicted to donations,” he says. It makes me happy.”. “I have even donated my husband,” she adds, explaining the couple separated so that he could become a resident monk to bring them both “spiritual benefits”. Families, urban professionals and wealthy business owners mill about the vast space, stuffing envelopes packed with cash into the wooden donation boxes which line the pathways. As this case continues to evolve, this document will be updated with events and facts as they become available. Emma Lee. “Brainwashed by an evil cult.”. By Reuters 22 January 2018 MANDALAY — Thousands of Buddhist monks gathered in Myanmar’s second largest city on Sunday for an event partly organized by a scandal-hit Thai temple whose abbot is wanted for … The Honorary Abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Phra Buddha Isara has claimed that some senior members with ties to Wat Phra Dhammakaya are lobbying for a DSI official to become the new National Office of Buddhism chief. By Coconuts Bangkok Feb 16, 2017 | 3:15pm Bangkok time. Thai police began sweeping the scandal-hit Buddhist temple today to search for a wanted monk who has evaded arrest for months in a saga highlighting a split … General. Inside the compound, ten times the size of the Vatican, every building is evidence of the millions of pounds that flowed into the sect’s coffers. Buddhist monks face the police in front of Wat Dhammakaya temple, February 16, 2017. The incredible scenes, in a stunning spaceship-like temple in Bangkok, were filmed by Channel 4’s Unreported World at the 50th birthday celebrations of the controversial Dhammakaya movement. Dhammakaya Uncovered. Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a colossal 1,000 acre temple in Thailand, is still much of an enigma to most people in the world.Most outsiders who have heard of the temple hardly know anything about it, except that it is massive in size and often associated with controversy. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, Devotees of the Dhammakaya meet at the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas, The stunning temple was built with millions donated by followers, The sect's leader Abbot Dhammajayo has been on the run for three years, Buddhist monks worship at the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas, Marcel Theroux was given access to the 50th birthday celebrations, Thai police outside the compound in 2017, during attempted arrest of the Abbot, The sect's founder hands out religious gifts to his monks, Victims of the alleged embezzlement leave posters calling for justice outside the temple gates, Devotees are encouraged to be generous in their donations, Dr Mano Laohavonich is a former member of the sect who believes it is too money orientated, Marcel with Dhammakaya devotee Joom, who has handed over £1m for new buildings, First look at Netflix’s The Vow documents real life sex slave cult NXIVM that sent shockwaves through Hollywood, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Authorities will charge Wat Phra Dhammakaya foundations and monks with money laundering to reclaim billions for victims of Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative. NOB director Pol Lt-Colonel Pongporn Parmsneh said that the appointment of an outsider would ensure transparency in the monastic investigation into the temple’s senior monks. Chairwoman of the Wat Phra Dhammakaya foundation charged with laundering money stolen from the Klongchan Credit Union by the co-operative's former chairman. Thai authorities seek to defrock scandal-hit Buddhist abbot This article is more than 3 years old. He has been missing ever since, despite frequent calls for him to be arrested, and former sect member Dr Mano Laohavonich insists he is hiding in a house less than a mile from the compound. “It made me suffer a lot in life because I found out too late,” he tells the show. Need someone to talk to? The KCUC has been having some financial troubles since the embezzlement scandal that crippled its balance sheet, but contrary to what DSI has been reporting, it is not because of the "money laundering" scheme DSI is accusing Wat Phra Dhammakaya's honorary abbot, Luang Por Dhammajayo, of that the credit union is in trouble. Its founder, Abbot Dhammajayo, has been in hiding since evading arrest in 2017 over allegations the sect had laundered £25m of stolen money. “I had already written to the monastic chief of Pathum Thani province on Monday that the new abbot of the scandal-hit Dhammakaya Temple should be an outsider,” he said. BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's government is trying to get a new abbot appointed to head the country's biggest Buddhist temple, whose former leader is … Mano Laohavanich, 60, once called Phra Mettanando, is a defector from the beleaguered Dhammakaya temple, where the head abbot, Dhammajayo, is wanted for questioning by the DSI in relation to the Klongchan Credit Union scandal. Cops search scandal-hit Wat Dhammakaya for wanted abbot. “She is addicted to the way of blessing in the Dhammakaya Temple. Chatchai is not the only one who claims to have lost their savings to the Temple. I joined the collegiate branch in college on a friend's invite, and was intrigued to see how much respect the members had for their master. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is pressing the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) to take action against Wat Phra Dhammakaya's controversial abbot, Phra … Thank you for subscribing our enewsletter. MANDALAY: Thousands of Buddhist monks gathered in Myanmar's second largest city on Sunday for an event partly organised by the scandal-hit Dhammakaya temple whose abbot is … Dr Mano was a leading member of the sect and one of the Abbot’s closest disciples before leaving after 20 years, believing it had become a money-making cult with a delusional leader. Photo: Lilian Suwanrumpha/ AFP. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says that the order to put controversial Dhammakaya Temple under military control will not be revoked until the fugitive ex-abbot … “He tried to reveal to me he is God with a capital G,” he says. We call this day Dhammachai Day . By subscribing, you accept the terms and conditions in our, ©2020 Bangkok Post Public Company Limited. His temple, Dhammakaya, has grown rapidly in wealth, influence, popularity and religious clout. Although the sect claims it is modernising Buddhism through meditation and prayer, Professor Sulak Sivaraksa, who has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, believes its focus on money threatens the religion. “They never declare [their accounts],” he says. PHRA DHAMMACHAYO, the controversial abbot of Dhammakaya Temple, has been officially blacklisted by the Immigration Bureau, effectively blocking him from leaving the country. Mano Laohavanich, 60, once called Phra Mettanando, is a defector from the beleaguered Dhammakaya temple, where the head abbot, Dhammajayo, is wanted for questioning by the DSI in relation to the Klongchan Credit Union scandal. His mother was so angry when his wife gave all their money to the Dhammakaya movement that she cut up the photos, he explains. May 2, 2016. Luang Por Dhammajayo Stands Wrongly Accused Dhammakaya acting abbot faces charges published : 3 Dec 2016 at 14:18 writer: Pongpat Wongyala. Dhammakaya acting abbot faces charges. Venerable Dhammajayo, the current abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Dhammakaya monks await … “I don’t think this is fair,” he said. . Abbot Phra Dhammachayo (C) arrives for a ceremony at the Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple in Pathum Thani province, north of Bangkok on Makha … The elderly Honorary Abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya now suffers from several illnesses, including deep vein thrombosis and a chronic leg ulcer. Thai abbot's scandal poses moral dilemma: The Nation columnist Over 100,000 Buddhist monks and novices gather to receive alms at Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple on April 22, 2016. Stacey Solomon engaged to Joe Swash after he proposed with HUGE diamond in woods, Horrifying moment teen is shot in the neck outside deli in broad daylight, Brexit’s done - fasten your seat belts as the UK economy goes gangbusters, Love Island's Georgia Harrison rushed to hospital telling fans 'I'm scared', Nigel Farage announces Britain has WON Brexit & declares the 'war is over', ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Thai abbot's scandal poses moral dilemma: The Nation columnist Over 100,000 Buddhist monks and novices gather to receive alms at Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple on … Home Crime Police Move to Arrest Dhammakaya Abbot Crime, Courts, Calamity Crime Politics Police Move to Arrest Dhammakaya Abbot By Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief - … The same holds for the large Taiwanese Buddhist organization, Tzu Chi. When Thai soldiers arrived at the Temple compound to arrest the founder, they were beaten back by monks, giving him time to flee. It got cabinet approval but it did not make it to parliament because of mass protests by monks. Joom was born into a poor family and came to Bangkok at 14 with nothing, but says her fortunes changed when she began donating to the sect. But the raids are a mere dash for cash by the country’s ruling junta, writes James L Taylor. Another famous Dhammakaya critic, Thai university professor Dr. Mano Laohavanich, who is known for his provocative remarks about the temple, has also gone public about the case. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Help is at hand × There is even a special office for megadonors - where huge cheques are handed over to administrators in secret. Families suffered and a lot of families were broken.”. Klongchan Credit Union withdraws lawsuits against Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Unlike other Buddhist movements, the Dhammakaya teaches that generous donations will bring wealth in this life as well as in a future life. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features News that Dhammachayo, abbot of Dhammakaya, ... which was embroiled in a massive embezzlement scandal running in the billions of baht. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Most Venerable Dhammajayo is the Honorary Abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. The biggest scandal has been the charges against its abbot, Phra Chaiboon Dhammajayo or Phra Racchabhavanavisuth, for pubic fraud and embezzlement. This fact sheet is meant to provide the reader with the most crucial information. For over a year, the Thai Department of Special investigation (DSI) has pursued the Honorary abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya on numerous charges, the most severe of which being alleged “money laundering”. When the ceremony is over the devotees form a huge queue at a cashpoint to take out thousands of pounds for donations - as tannoy messages tell them handing over cash is the way to “Nirvana”. This coming Thursday, 27 th August marked the 47 th anniversary of The Most Venerable Phra Thepyanmahamuni’s (the Dhammakaya Temple’s Abbot) ordination. After Show of Yielding, Powerful Dhammakaya Abbot Defies Authorities Again By Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief - May 26, 2016 2:52 pm Facebook Twitter LINE WhatsApp Pinterest ReddIt VK … Abbot Phra Dhammachayo (C) arrives for a ceremony at the Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple in Pathum Thani province, north of Bangkok on Makha … Its founder, Abbot Dhammajayo, has been in hiding since evading arrest in 2017 over allegations the sect had laundered £25m of stolen money. The Anti-Money Laundering Office has frozen about 135 million baht seized from defrocked senior monks suspected of temple fund embezzlement and a … “If (the abbot) thinks he is innocent he should surrender and enter the judicial process,” said Col. Paisit Wongmuang. Emma Lee. PHOTO: REUTERS Police wanted to question the abbot, Phra Dhammachayo, about alleged money-laundering and building violations, but gave up after protests by monks and … Wat Phra Dhammakaya is part of the Dhammakaya Tradition-related larger doctrinal controversy in Thai Buddhism. In 2017, a scandal broke when a sect devotee, who ran a bank, was accused of embezzling £25million of customers’ money and giving it directly to Abbot Dhammajayo, with victims losing between £50k to £250k each. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Under that draft bill, the Sangha Council became an advisory board with a new executive body called Maha Kanissorn. In a case opened in 2016, the honorary abbot* of Wat Phra Dhammakaya (WPD), Phrathepyanmahamuni (Most Venerable Dhammajayo), has been accused of crimes he did not commit—money laundering and receiving stolen money— by Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI). You will get the updates within 24 hours. Although the Abbot and the sect deny his allegations, the scenes at the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas point to the reason for the Dhammakaya’s immense wealth. The former chemical engineer, now 65, owned his own company and was comfortably off before his wife donated £300,000 without his knowledge. Thailand’s police and military have been leading operations against the controversial Dhammakaya Buddhist temple complex in the search for a wanted monk. Of blessing in the form of a public donation Hitler, ” he says licence to material! And a chronic leg ulcer stingy karma ’ from a team of doctors this document will be updated with and! 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