Temple financial audits are overdue

Temple financial audits are overdue

The controversy over a donation worth more than 900 million baht to Wat Dhammakaya by Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, the former Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative chairman, was only the tip of the iceberg. The bigger question that this scam raises is whether financial auditing by the clergy is essential to prevent another financial scandal in the temple. Although temples are now required to send annual reports on their finances and assets to the National Office of Buddhism (NOB), only a small number of them adhere to this obligation. Of those 37,075 temples, only 1,321 did so in 2011, according to research by Nada Chansom of the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida).

The authorities tend to loosen the regulations when it comes to faith-based institutions such as temples or churches. Monks do not have accounting knowledge. In addition, the temples are considered a type of non-profit organisation. Therefore, the authorities cut them some slack when it comes to finance.

However, a series of recent scandals shows that the public has an interest in the financial management of temples. As monks are not supposed to handle money, the financial affairs in the temples are run by laypeople usually appointed by an abbot. There is no credible auditing system in place to ensure that these institutions have spent donations according to the donors' wishes.

The Sangha Supreme Council, the governing body for Buddhist monks, is not equipped to oversee temples' financial management. The council's system is too centralised to engage people to have a say in their temples.

As a result, people with bad intentions can easily find ways to exploit donations given out of people's good faith. Or there are people who have disguised themselves as monks to use the saffron robes for financial benefit. A proper auditing system
will help prevent these people from using religion for selfish gains.

Wat Dhammakaya’s situation came under public scrutiny because of its grand-scale commercialisation of Buddhism. At Dhammakaya, each act of merit is quantified in material terms. The amount of merit gained and the level of heaven you will go to depend on the amount of money you donate to the temple.

People are also entitled to know if the money is spent according to the cause they support. Other non-profits are subject to auditing to keep the donors informed, even though their performance is not measured by profits.

However, in Thailand temple finances are handled under monastic law. The case between Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative and Phra Dhammachayo, the abbot of Dhammakaya, has revealed a loophole in the system.

Unfortunately, Phra Dhammachayo’s case is not an isolated one. Recently, the expose of Nen Kham (Novice Kham) was shocking to his followers because of his lavish lifestyle.

Buddhist monks are supposed to nurture Buddhism by preaching to people and living a simple life, detached from material concerns, to show the followers that true happiness comes from one’s mind, not selfish gains.

The image of Nen Kham flying in a private jet contrasts sharply with Buddhist teachings. The reaction to Nen Kham's actions shows the public won't tolerate the misuse of donations. As a public service, temples should provide financial statements.

There is no official estimation of the money in temples. Ms Nada of Nida nonetheless estimates that the public donates about 100-120 billion baht per year to 37,075 temples nationwide. This is not a small amount and it shows that Buddhists’ will to support their religion is unwavering.

In addition to getting rid of any doubts over temple finances, an auditing process can also bring the temples closer to the people, who should be encouraged to have a say in how their community religious institutions should be run.

Temples should not be a cocooned in a closed system under the direct and exclusive supervision of the Sangha Supreme Council, but they should engage the participation of all people.

In fact, as Lord Buddha stated, the body of Buddhism consists of monks and laypeople. Temples and monks are not the only ones who are responsible for nurturing Buddhism. It is the duty of all. Monks may not have knowledge of accounting. But there will be many laypeople who are ready to support the religion by contributing their expertise.

Unfortunately, when there were calls for temples to disclose their finances, some wrongly said that such calls were attempts to destroy the religion. The reality is quite different.

Faith cannot be scientifically quantified, but material things can be sources of conflict. This is a test for Buddhists to see whether they can reform the system to ensure temples remain sacred places to cultivate Buddhism in a material world.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (2)