OPINION

Do as Buddha did

Re: "Cops crack down on criminal monks", (BP, Feb 18).

It is a good thing to apprehend criminal monks. A wholesome lesson would be to send them to prison as monks, albeit wearing the standard prison robes. There is no need to disrobe them since it is perfectly clear from their existence that being a serious criminal is entirely compatible with being a monk, just as it is with being a Christian priest, bishop or cardinal.

A more substantive way to cleanse the nationalistic religion known as Thai Buddhism is for Thais to start practising the actual teachings of Buddhism as taught by the Buddha, which practice needs no state-run religion office to control citizens. Don't support monks or monasteries that take money, gilt or gifts from politicians or political players in exchange for loyally crafting religious teachings to suit the desires of the conspicuously generous givers, which is exactly what much of Thai Buddhism does instead of teaching and following the actual teachings of the Buddha.

The Buddha's teachings in the Kalama Sutta and the First Precept are but two examples that show the gulf between Buddhism and officially indulged Thai Buddhism. The Buddha's wise teaching promoting right understanding in the Kalama Sutta flatly contradicts the censorship and mindless conformity to authority that is so beloved of certain types of Thai political players over the centuries, certainly of the past five years. Similarly, the First Precept, despite legalistic twistings to the contrary, clearly asks followers of the Buddha's wisdom to abstain from paying servants to torture and kill animals for no better reason than to sate a lust for tasty animal flesh: if you pay for a tender pork steak or a delicious chicken dinner, you are paying others to kill and inflict suffering on your behalf. Even Thai law has the good sense to realise that mafia bosses who order their paid thugs to carry out their dirty work are nonetheless guilty of the crimes committed on their orders.

Re: "Clean air cause", (BP, Feb 18).

Nearly every day, there are reports in the Bangkok Post and in other media about government agencies, schools, condominiums, hotels and others installing water spraying or misting devices in attempts to reduce PM2.5 dust particles. The latest is the photo of spraying water off the King Rama I Bridge and into the Chao Phraya River – undoubtedly having little effect on dust, but adding to the city's electricity bill to power the pumps.

Virtually every report I've seen indicates that spraying of water is ineffective in reducing PM2.5 in the air. Yet, we see this practice continue and even expand. Bangkok residents should be insisting an end to such futile, "feel-good" exercises and demand actions with real impact.

Often animal abusers portray vegans as being outsiders and weird people. So it's very exciting that a serious candidate for president of the United States, Senator Corey Booker, is a vegan who cares deeply about animals, human health and the environment.

What I also like about him is that's he's a very masculine sort of man which counters the image of the "wimpy" vegan.

He's also black despite the fact that in America animals rights is falsely portrayed as being "a white middle-class thing". Often people with "radical" views are simply ahead of their time. Go. Booker. Go!

Contact: Bangkok Post Building 136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 fax: +02 6164000 Email:

postbag@bangkokpost.co.th

All letter writers must provide full name and address.

All published correspondence is subject to editing at our discretion.