As soon as the news broke that the well-known and widely respected Buddhist monk Phra Ajarn Mitsuo Gavesako had left the monkhood, my Facebook page began buzzing with comments, ranging from shock, sadness and empathy, to sheer ridicule at all the brouhaha.
"I was shocked," one wrote.
"I felt like something fell and got lost," wrote another.
"How we react [to the news] reflects our own minds. If we believe his teachings, we should know everything is anicca (impermanent)," wrote one of his admirers.
"It's possible that when one's practice reaches a certain spiritual level, one can free oneself from forms and particular costumes," another wrote.
Given the constant stream of news stories about monks, sex and money, when a monk of some repute decides to leave the order, most people assume that it is because of some such scandal.
So far, however, I've not come across any such suggestions, which says a lot for the public goodwill for the former monk. Health problems have been mentioned; he has diabetes.
So have the back-to-back sermon schedules that left him with little time to take care of his own spirituality and health.
We might never know for certain why he decided to leave the monastic life after 38 years in the saffron robe to return to Japan, his home country. But we do know why he has garnered such widespread respect here.
It is all very simple, actually. It's from living a monk's life true to the Buddha's teachings.
The former Phra Ajarn Mitsuo Gavesako is widely respected for his spiritual practice, his simple life free from ritualistic frills, effective communication skills to teach core Buddhist teachings in everyday language, his compassion, and determination to help the disadvantaged in society.
It's sad to say, but he is a rare breed in the 200,000-strong clergy.
Though he is now layman Mitsuo Shibahashi, I am sure the former monk will continue to use his spiritual practices to help others free themselves from the heavy chains of negative emotions.
Here is one Facebook posting, however, that expresses annoyance at all the brouhaha over his departure:
"The monkhood is against human nature. As he leaves the monkhood, we should wish him well for returning to a life that is natural for humans."
I was taken aback at first. But then I was thankful that this post made me think about why I believe differently.
Why should I care about the monkhood when I rarely go to temples except for funerals and merit-making for deceased parents? Why should I care when I often criticise the clergy for its feudal and authoritarian ways? Why should I care when corruption and sexual abuse are rife behind temple walls? Why should I care when most monks are too busy enjoying their privilege instead of helping the needy? Why should I care when most monks are still trapped by gender prejudice, ultra-nationalism and materialism?
Despite my frustrations with the clergy, I do still care deeply for the monkhood. And that's because I believe that in order to end our negative emotions, we need to understand the workings of our minds _ how they breed thoughts, how thoughts trigger negative and positive emotions, how attachment arises, and how suffering emerges when we refuse to let go of what is impermanent in nature.
To undo these processes, we need to sharpen our inner observation until we see for ourselves that everything arises and passes away, it is all impermanent, not under our control, and we only create suffering if we refuse to let go of it.
We tend to believe that this undoing process is unnatural. Or next to impossible. It is not.
It is only difficult amid the trappings of worldly life. One enters a monastic life to dedicate oneself to spiritual pursuits, and to be living proof that such a spiritual task is not only possible, but also yields real results in one's levels of equanimity and compassion.
In this era, we can listen to dhamma talks online, we can search for explanations on the internet, we can meditate with YouTube guidance from various masters. But nothing beats the feeling of a face-to-face encounter with an inspiring monk who can show us that we are on the right path.
So for me, the monkhood is not unnatural. It is only wasted, and much abused. That is why we have to keep pushing and shoving until the clergy, too, is on the right path.
Sanitsuda Ekachai is Editorial Pages Editor, Bangkok Post.