Made by monks does not necessarily mean endorsed by Buddha or
accepted by Buddhist community. Thai Buddhism has a very deep
cultural attachment to Brahmanistic practises, that is not
Buddhist.
If you ask me about Theravada/Thai Buddhism, I would prefer to
refer them to the Thai Forest Tradition, which is a pure tradition
not affected by all those cultural attachment and is purely on
dharma. This tradition is known to produce many modern day
arhants.
http://www.abhayagiri.org/index.php/main/content/C48
The Thai Forest tradition is one
branch of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Theravada Buddhism,
also known as the Southern School of Buddhism, is present
throughout Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka. The Theravada tradition
is grounded in the discourses recorded in the Pali Canon, the
oldest Buddhist scriptures. Theravada literally means the Way of
the Elders, and is named so because of its strict adherence to the
original teachings and rules of monastic discipline expounded by
the Buddha.
The Theravada Buddhist tradition within Thailand is composed of
many different strands and types of monasteries. Most villages and
towns in Thailand have at least one monastery, which might serve as
a place for ceremony, prayer, cultural activity, education and
medicine. Thai monasteries differ widely and express a range of
functions and approaches to monastic life. Some monasteries focus
on chanting and ceremonies; some on study and intellectual
pursuits; some on healing and blessings; some on practice and
meditation; some cater to local superstition and magic. In city
monasteries, monks are often encouraged to focus on study and
administrative duties, with a little meditation on the side. In
addition to varying in their approach to monastic life, different
monasteries also vary widely in terms of how strictly they uphold
the Buddhist code of monastic discipline, called the Vinaya.
The Thai Forest tradition is the branch of Theravada Buddhism in
Thailand that most strictly holds the original monastic rules of
discipline laid down by the Buddha. The Forest tradition also most
strongly emphasizes meditative practice and the realization of
enlightenment as the focus of monastic life. Forest monasteries are
primarily oriented around practicing the Buddhas path of
contemplative insight, including living a life of discipline,
renunciation, and meditation in order to fully realize the inner
truth and peace taught by the Buddha. Living a life of austerity
allows forest monastics to simplify and refine the mind. This
refinement allows them to clearly and directly explore the
fundamental causes of suffering within their heart and to inwardly
cultivate the path leading toward freedom from suffering and
supreme happiness. Living frugally, with few
possessions
continued in the website...
