Call me blasphemous, but my first reaction to the desserts in the shape of Buddha amulets -- now a matter of public frenzy -- was: So what?
Personally, I don't like this style of dessert, called A-lua. Not that much. But I can't help but admire the craftsmanship of this local pâtissier, Madam Choops. Her creations are meticulous and each amulet-inspired item looks real, despite using more subtle colours than real ones.
I knew from the beginning that this dessert would be very controversial. I knew several people, who regard themselves as devout Buddhists, would not be happy. They would condemn the maker. Also, I suspected that the National Buddhism Office (NBO) would not tolerate it.
Narong Songarom, head of the NBO, did not fail me. He told the sweet-maker that she must stop making something deemed as disrespectful. He said it's not appropriate and may cause misunderstandings.
Such a response was so predictable.
In his interview with Thai-language media, Mr Narong said he was worried that such desserts set a bad example. If no action is taken against the pâtissier in question, others will also resort to making use of amulets in unacceptable ways.
On Thursday, a senior NBO official went so far as to force the owner of Madam Choops to offer an apology. To whom?
The official said several people lodged complaints with her office, demanding the owner of Madam Choops apologise and say that she did not mean to offend monks and worshippers.
Such an uptight reaction shows these top officials at the NBO may think their role is to keep things orthodox, which seems useless.
I wish the officials at the NBO played a more constructive role in promoting Buddhism and sharing the importance of the Lord Buddha's teachings, instead of placing form before substance in shallow ways.
Yes, the desserts are controversial. And by being too orthodox, Mr Narong and his subordinates have missed a chance to remind the public about the Lord Buddha's teachings on non-attachment.
Not letting go is actually really un-Buddhist, so to speak.
Followers of the Lord Buddha must not get hurt so easily, at least this is what the Lord Buddha teaches. They have to learn to relinquish attachments and concentrate on the path towards enlightenment.
Are amulets even that Buddhist? I doubt it. Never did the Lord Buddha encourage images to be made of him when he was alive.
At the same time, while coming down hard on the local , the NBO has done very little to address those who cash in on the religion in a non-Buddhist way.
Take a look at the Ai Khai (Egg Boy) phenomenon in Nakhon Si Thammarat which spread to other provinces. Ai Khai, a statue of a local spirit originally located at Wat Chedi in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Sichon district, regularly attracts a large number of worshippers who bring offerings such as chicken eggs, Chinese pastries and toys for the statue. These people have a strong belief that Ai Khai will make their dreams come true. Such practices occurring on temple grounds are completely un-Buddhist.
Now several temples want to have their own version of Ai Khai. The question is: Has the NBO paid any interest in correcting such beliefs and practices, or has it even made an attempt to do so? No. Before Ai Khai, there was the Jatukham Ramathep craze, which saw those involved amass enormous amounts of money.
More importantly, I doubt if the office is aware that several temples have become hostile to surrounding communities. Some temples lacking compassion want to boot out communities that have rented the land for generations. There are temples that want to clear communities to make way for parking lots to accommodate visitors. Such temples place money before people. I could go on and on.
Has the NBO thought of intervening when it comes to greedy monks? So it should not have a role in this latest dessert controversy. What surprises me is that Madam Choops' A-lua is selling so well. Her fans appreciate the new idea. Even one progressive monk does not see it as a problem.
The A-lua phenomenon does not mean Buddhism is in decline. If it were to suffer a setback, it would be because followers don't have any idea about what Buddhism is all about.