What is it
Really Like at Wat Phra Dhammakaya?
04/21/2016 Nicholas Liusuwan Huffpost
Except for
those who actively visit or attend the temple, Wat Phra
Dhammakaya is
much of a mystery to Westerners looking to explore Buddhism,
despite it being the largest, most populous temple in Thailand.
For those who have heard of the temple, they are
probably most familiar with thephotos
of the temple’s massive scale and grandiose
ceremonies that
make headlines
in the West.
Curious minds who try to
explore the temple deeper will probably have a hard time trying to
find out what really goes on there. A quick web search of
Dhammakaya and you will probably run into the
temple’s official
website, its Wikipedia page and several outsider news
articles about the temple: mostly negative and sensationalist
tabloid pieces.
Defendants of the temple
say the media distorts the facts to get views and that if you
really want to know the truth behind Dhammakaya, you should simply
come visit. The doors
are always open to those interested in
investigating for themselves.
I would agree, having
been a member of the temple for much of my life, there is no better
way to find out the truth than to explore it for yourself,
firsthand. But for those who just prefer to use the Internet,
reading this article is an okay substitute.
So what’s the real deal?
What’s so different about this so called “controversial”Buddhist
temple? What is it really like at Wat Phra
Dhammakaya?
A Temple of
Practicality from the Bottom up
One of the things I’ve noticed about how things are done at
Dhammakaya is that they put practicality at the front of their
operation. In contrast to the intricate and decorative design of
most traditional Thai temples in Thailand, Wat Phra Dhammakaya
sticks to asimpler
design.
Taking a walk (or more practically, a drive) through
Dhammakaya’s massive main temple in Pathum Thani and you can hardly
even tell you are in a Thai temple, if anything; somebody who
stumbles upon Dhammakaya would confuse the place for a small modern
city. With only a few odd buildings out, such as
its iconic,
modernly designed stupa.
Another uniquely Dhammakaya custom is the use of just one Buddha
statue in the chapel, something that is distinct from the Thai
custom of having a collection of various Buddha statues enshrined
at the front.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with
elaborate architecture or having a collection of Buddha statues, I
have even heard visitors and tourists complain about all the
concrete and the plain design of Dhammakaya, asserting their
preference for the more majestic beauty of traditional Thai
temples.
Of course, Dhammakaya
doesn’t disagree with incorporating beauty into temples, a Thai
tradition parallel to the European tradition of ornate churches. It
has to do simply with the custom not aligning with the temple’s
goals. For Dhammakaya, it’s best to allocate those resources
elsewhere and to create quick-to-build, easy to maintain buildings
for the primary purpose of fitting temple goers.
An objective that makes a lot of sense when you consider that in
just 40 some years Dhammakaya went from a single 80
acre plot of land with
a few thousand attendees to the 3 million followers worldwide today
that attend the 1,000 acre campus at the main temple and its near
200 affiliates throughout Thailand and in 35 countries
internationally.
As for the single Buddha statue issue, the reason
Dhammakaya does it is because it provides essentially the same
purpose as a collection of Buddha statues, with less of the work of
keeping the shrine clean and dust-free.
Dhammakaya Centers Itself on
Meditation
Another reason Dhammakaya puts so much simplicity into the temple,
other than practicality, has to do with its focus on meditation.
The simple design allows for a more serene atmosphere to bring
one’s thoughts inward, a detail that’s sensible considering the
temple’s special emphasis on meditation.
Anybody who has explored Dhammakaya is probably
familiar with its slogan, “World Peace through Inner Peace”, coined
by the temple’s abbot the
most Venerable Dhammajayo. One of the most iconic traits
of Dhammakaya is its devotion to the practice and spread of
meditation.
The temple does stand out
with its emphasis on the “center of the body” referencingthe
meditation technique it teaches. While the technique is
not exclusive to Dhammakaya and is used in a variety of temples
throughout Thailand, Dhammakaya is by far the biggest temple that
uses the technique.
If you attend any service
hosted by Dhammakaya you will find both monks and laity engaged in
lengthy meditations en masse. If you tune into Dhammakaya’s 24 hour
satellite TV program, you will hear reminders multiple times a day
to keep the mind centered.
The temple’s emphasis on meditation can even be seen in its use of
symbols. While Thai temples usually employ statues and pictures of
the Buddha in a variety of postures and mudras, Dhammakaya puts the
Buddha in a single standard position throughout its vast grounds; a
meditation position. Dhammakaya even asks all followers to wear
white to the temple to promote a sense of peace and serenity
conducive to meditation.
Another way Dhammakaya reminds its members of the
importance of meditation is in its use of regular references to the
center. Everything from how they count “072” (zero
in Thai sounds like center, while 7 and 2 are other
references to
the meditation
technique), to how they fold their mats (toward the
middle).
A Temple
with Followers Highly Devoted to Buddhist
Principles
In an earlier
article, I detailed my own experiences as a devout
Buddhist growing up in America. And honestly, I think my
experiences would have been much different had I not grown up a
member of Dhammakaya.
Another identifying characteristic of Dhammakaya is how
devoted the members are to the temple and to Buddhism. The
stereotypical Dhammakaya member has a no-excuses mentality when it
comes to attending services, they never miss an opportunity to make
merit, and they bring the teachings home with them.
This description holds
true for most Dhammakaya goers, even the younger attendees. And it
won’t be hard finding a Dhammakaya member who strictly keeps
all 5
preceptsin his/her daily life.
The devotion Dhammakaya
members have to Buddhism can also be seen in its practice of
uniquely Thai customs. The Thai tradition of short term ordination
as a Buddhist monk for men has been on decline in modern times. But
at Dhammakaya, it’s not too difficult to find a man who has
undertaken temporary monkhood at least once.
I myself have undertaken
the Thai tradition of short-term
monkhood a
few times (13 occasions to be exact), if you include ordinations as
a novice (below 20 years old) monk. That number may seem
staggering, but I have met many fellow Dhammakaya members who have
undertaken the short-term ordination tradition several times as
well. This track record of devotion isn’t uncommon at all among
those who identify with Dhammakaya.
So how was Dhammakaya able to achieve such a devoted base of
supporters? In short, it has a lot to do with its distinct approach
to Buddhism.
Dhammakaya is famous in Thailand for its strict
monastic discipline aimed to uphold the faith of the laity. Even as
a short term monk, I have encountered monks from other temples that
have approached my group of fellow temporary monks and can
instantly identify us as Dhammakaya because of our orderliness and
the disciplined way we carried ourselves.
Another reason Dhammakaya
commands such a devoted following comes down to how Dhammakaya
approaches teaching Buddhism. The temple tends to keep Buddhism
practical: focusing on self-development and cultivating moral
character. One of the most common sermons I hear when attending
Dhammakaya is the importance of creating good habits.
Practicality in teaching
is present even when it comes to the metaphysical aspects of
Buddhism that westerners tend to overlook. Your average Dhammakaya
member tends to have a much stronger background in aspects of
Buddhism involving the Law of Karma.
To
Conclude
Despite all these differences, it is inaccurate to call Dhammakaya
its own sect. Talking to those on the inside, you would know
Dhammakaya’s goal isn’t to break away from traditional Thai
Buddhism, but to promote it. It’s unique aspects are nothing
doctrinal, and are just a part of the leader, Venerable
Dhammajayo’s, strategy to align the temple’s operation
with his vision of promoting Buddhism and advocating
meditation.
Dhammakaya’s unique style however, has made itself
stand out from traditional Thai Buddhism. And their distinct way of
operation has had its own share of criticisms. Traditionalist
critics and sensationalist tabloids looking to attract readers with
scandalous stories about the Buddhist juggernaut are not uncommon.
It’s an interesting situation I’d love to address, but for length
reasons, let’s leave that for another time.
Controversial or not, Dhammakaya’s unconventional methods have
certainly proven themselves effective in drawing in massive crowds
and inspiring Buddhists by the millions. And the temple’s rapid
rise in membership is definitely an indicator of the success of
their distinct approach.
With results comparable to that of other successful
contemporary Buddhist organizations such as Thich Nhat
Hahn’s Plum
Village and
Taiwan’s Big
Four Buddhist Organizations, I think few would
say Ven.
Dhammajayo’s strategy
hasn’t been working.