A senior monk promoting what is alleged to be a pyramid scheme disguised as an online direct sales company reveals just how far the clergy has strayed from Buddha's teachings.
The scandal centres around celebrity monk V Vajiramedhi, 51, founder of the Cherntawan International Meditation Centre in Chiang Rai province. His clerical title in the Sangha hierarchy is Phra Medhivajirodom. Known for his modern approach to preaching and rejection of traditional temple practices, he has built a reputation as a monk-scholar, attracting followers from the educated middle class.
With impressive Buddhist credentials (Parian Nine, the highest level of Pali studies within the Thai monastic education system), and hundreds of popular books addressing urban followers' concerns, his teachings offered a modern, no-frills interpretation of Buddhism. However, his role as a regular preacher for The iCon Group has led to his fall from grace.
The iCon Group drew people in with flashy celebrity endorsements, promising quick wealth through multi-level marketing. The company's founders and presenters flaunted luxury lifestyles with supercars, designer watches and jewellery, luring many into financial ruin, and even suicide.
V Vajiramedhi's involvement with iCon has hit a raw nerve with the public. As a regular speaker at the company's events, videos show him encouraging people to join if they want to get rich. What shocked many were his harsh comments at one of these gatherings. He suggested that people who remain poor suffer from a "fixed mindset", implying they lack ambition. He even used the word dakdan, a cutting insult meaning ignorant or stuck in a hopeless pit.
Although he later claimed it was all in jest to draw laughter from the audience, the remarks came off as highly inappropriate for a monk since they justify and promote greed as something desirable, which is the opposite of Buddhist teachings. Adding fuel to the fire, the monk was seen receiving a million-baht donation from the company, casting further doubt on his integrity.
The monk also clashed with Kanchai Kamnerdploy, a TV news anchor who has relentlessly exposed The iCon Group's dubious business activities. The monk criticised him on Facebook for leading a media witch hunt and warned him against becoming a "serial murderer" through public shaming. Rather than offering an apology for his poor judgement about his connection with the iCon pyramid scheme, the monk's confrontational stance deepened public disappointment.
In reality, what this senior monk did should not raise eyebrows. Kowtowing to rich and powerful donors is common practice among mainstream monks. Although V Vajiramedhi built his image by rejecting the superstitious practices of conventional temples -- such as selling amulets and invoking deities for donations -- his recent actions show he is no different from other monks when it comes to accommodating wealthy donors. His involvement in The iCon Group's marketing ploy reflects a larger issue: how monks, despite their sacred vows, often exploit faith for personal gain.
The Buddha's teaching on this matter is simple: monks should not handle money or chase after wealth. A monk, or bhikkhu, which literally means beggar, is supposed to live humbly, relying on offerings without asking for them. His focus should be on guiding people towards mindfulness, kindness and compassion. But in modern Thailand, this idea has been distorted. Temples now compete for donations, and many monks accumulate wealth or engage in behaviour that goes against the very core of Buddhist principles.
The feudal hierarchy within the clergy -- where monks gain noble titles and privileges -- only reinforces monks' superiority and entitlement, far removed from the humble, selfless spirit of early Buddhism. Monastic corruption is not limited to temple finances. The lack of transparency creates opportunities for other forms of misconduct to flourish, including sex scandals and even sex abuse. When the public directs its anger solely at V Vajiramedhi, it risks missing the broader picture: his behaviour is a symptom of a systemic problem in the Thai Sangha.
The controversy around V Vajiramedhi has now expanded to allegations of forest encroachment by his meditation centre. While these claims require further investigation, focusing solely on individual scandals overlooks the larger issue: the urgent need for comprehensive clergy reform.
Without transparency in temple finances and stricter accountability, monks will keep straying from the principles of simplicity and mindfulness. The path forward is about transforming the entire institution, including its followers.
If we want monks to stop selling religion, we must stop buying into the illusion that donations, amulets and blessings will guarantee prosperity. Only then can the Thai Sangha shed its current indulgences and return to Buddha's path of simplicity and integrity.