Dharma Army leads with patience and calm
By Jutarat Tongpiam
Belying their strict adherence to the Lord Buddha’s teachings and visibly ascetic lifestyle, the followers of the Santi Asoke sect felt obliged to take part in the anti-Thaksin rally in Sanam Luang.
“We are a part of society, a part of the country. We are not outsiders. We keep abreast of social and political movements, and we saw that the country had reached the point where we had to get involved,” Samana Bodhiraksa said on Sunday in Sanam Luang.
Samana Bodhiraksa, who is acknowledged to be the sect’s leader, led nearly 100 Santi Asoke monks and about 1,300 devotees to the rally on Sunday. He and his group set up camp on the fringes of Sanam Luang opposite Thammasat University.
They left Sanam Luang yesterday, the last group to do so, after the People’s Alliance for Democracy gave Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra the ultimatum of resigning by March 5 or facing another mass rally on that day and more drastic measures.
Samana Bodhiraksa said that Thailand is now critically split between a pro-government side and an anti-government faction. His denomination decided to join the latter after considerable deliberation. His group is neutral, he said, adding that many mainstream Buddhists are under the misguided impression that monks should stay out of politics.
“Being neutral does not mean keeping silent or ignoring your environment. Also, it is not simply combining goodness and badness and then dividing the outcome equally. Neutrality, the Lord Buddha teaches us, means freedom from prejudice, promotion of righteousness and championing virtuous people,” he explained.
He said that the non-violent nature of the anti-Thaksin gatherings led by Sondhi Limthongkul prompted his decision to join Sunday’s rally. He added that the peaceful gatherings demonstrated the participants’ genuine desire for a peaceful country with real democracy.
“Our support can serve as a little drop of cool water during this heated period. The Dharma Army is well-known for calm and patience devoid of violence,” Samana Bodhiraksa said. “We have trained ourselves to live simply. We do not care for worldly goods. So, this place is fine for us,” he said.
Samana Bodhiraksa admitted, however, that spending the night at the rally grounds was not easy for his sect members as it was less comfortable than the Santi Asoke Center. “The mosquitoes here must have been very well fed in the last couple of nights. In a way, that is good for us, for it gives us more practice in our endeavor to tolerate pain,” he said.
Santi Asoke disciples wear a simple dark-blue, or black, round-necked shirt with plain pants or sarongs. They lead a no-frills lifestyle and dispense with physical adornaments. Some of them even walk barefooted.
Yesterday, the Santi Asoke sect monks and disciples went about their daily lives, just as they had on the previous two days at the Royal Field. The monks got up before dawn and collected alms from the members of the public who had come to offer them food, or to discuss with, or consult, them on dharma teachings. They then returned to Sanam Luang to chant with their followers and the public for two hours, after which they had their daily single meal at about 10:30am.
“While the monks perform their duties, we Santi Asoke devotees carry out our own tasks. We have a set routine to help others, and we ensure that our activities here do not pose a burden on anybody,” 35-year-old Santi Asoke follower Tewin Sithnoy said.
While Tewin was speaking, other disciples collected the mountain of plastic sheets and cardboard left on the ground by Monday night’s crowd, rolled it all up and stored it neatly in paper cartons. They also gathered discarded water bottles, food boxes and wrappers on the vast grounds and put them into trash bags. Other acolytes dismantled tents and loaded them onto trucks waiting nearby.
“We came here to give our support to the people who need it,” 30-year-old Santi Asoke member Penpak Rattachai said, smiling brightly while rolling up a plastic sheet.
According to Tewin, the Dharma Army and devotees left Sanam Luang yesterday evening for the Santi Asoke Center in Bangkok, where they will prepare themselves for the next anti-Thaksin rally scheduled for March 5.
“I don’t know how many of us will join next time because all of us are volunteers. I do not hate Thaksin, but I pity him because I know the real meaning of true happiness without the need for money, but he does not, even though he has billions of baht,” Tewin said.
By Jutarat Tongpiam
Belying their strict adherence to the Lord Buddha’s teachings and visibly ascetic lifestyle, the followers of the Santi Asoke sect felt obliged to take part in the anti-Thaksin rally in Sanam Luang.
“We are a part of society, a part of the country. We are not outsiders. We keep abreast of social and political movements, and we saw that the country had reached the point where we had to get involved,” Samana Bodhiraksa said on Sunday in Sanam Luang.
Samana Bodhiraksa, who is acknowledged to be the sect’s leader, led nearly 100 Santi Asoke monks and about 1,300 devotees to the rally on Sunday. He and his group set up camp on the fringes of Sanam Luang opposite Thammasat University.
They left Sanam Luang yesterday, the last group to do so, after the People’s Alliance for Democracy gave Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra the ultimatum of resigning by March 5 or facing another mass rally on that day and more drastic measures.
Samana Bodhiraksa said that Thailand is now critically split between a pro-government side and an anti-government faction. His denomination decided to join the latter after considerable deliberation. His group is neutral, he said, adding that many mainstream Buddhists are under the misguided impression that monks should stay out of politics.
“Being neutral does not mean keeping silent or ignoring your environment. Also, it is not simply combining goodness and badness and then dividing the outcome equally. Neutrality, the Lord Buddha teaches us, means freedom from prejudice, promotion of righteousness and championing virtuous people,” he explained.
He said that the non-violent nature of the anti-Thaksin gatherings led by Sondhi Limthongkul prompted his decision to join Sunday’s rally. He added that the peaceful gatherings demonstrated the participants’ genuine desire for a peaceful country with real democracy.
“Our support can serve as a little drop of cool water during this heated period. The Dharma Army is well-known for calm and patience devoid of violence,” Samana Bodhiraksa said. “We have trained ourselves to live simply. We do not care for worldly goods. So, this place is fine for us,” he said.
Samana Bodhiraksa admitted, however, that spending the night at the rally grounds was not easy for his sect members as it was less comfortable than the Santi Asoke Center. “The mosquitoes here must have been very well fed in the last couple of nights. In a way, that is good for us, for it gives us more practice in our endeavor to tolerate pain,” he said.
Santi Asoke disciples wear a simple dark-blue, or black, round-necked shirt with plain pants or sarongs. They lead a no-frills lifestyle and dispense with physical adornaments. Some of them even walk barefooted.
Yesterday, the Santi Asoke sect monks and disciples went about their daily lives, just as they had on the previous two days at the Royal Field. The monks got up before dawn and collected alms from the members of the public who had come to offer them food, or to discuss with, or consult, them on dharma teachings. They then returned to Sanam Luang to chant with their followers and the public for two hours, after which they had their daily single meal at about 10:30am.
“While the monks perform their duties, we Santi Asoke devotees carry out our own tasks. We have a set routine to help others, and we ensure that our activities here do not pose a burden on anybody,” 35-year-old Santi Asoke follower Tewin Sithnoy said.
While Tewin was speaking, other disciples collected the mountain of plastic sheets and cardboard left on the ground by Monday night’s crowd, rolled it all up and stored it neatly in paper cartons. They also gathered discarded water bottles, food boxes and wrappers on the vast grounds and put them into trash bags. Other acolytes dismantled tents and loaded them onto trucks waiting nearby.
“We came here to give our support to the people who need it,” 30-year-old Santi Asoke member Penpak Rattachai said, smiling brightly while rolling up a plastic sheet.
According to Tewin, the Dharma Army and devotees left Sanam Luang yesterday evening for the Santi Asoke Center in Bangkok, where they will prepare themselves for the next anti-Thaksin rally scheduled for March 5.
“I don’t know how many of us will join next time because all of us are volunteers. I do not hate Thaksin, but I pity him because I know the real meaning of true happiness without the need for money, but he does not, even though he has billions of baht,” Tewin said.
