His temple, Dhammakaya, has grown rapidly in wealth, influence, popularity and religious clout. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Ex-senior monks' B135m, Dhammakaya's building frozen, Ong-art to hear indictment decision Sept 27. The Honorary Abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. The current impasse regarding the appointment of a new Supreme Patriarch concerns the temple’s alleged connections with a candidate. The Attorney-General's Office charges money-laundering of billions of baht should lead to termination of the Wat Phra Dhammakaya Foundation - and the temple. Its founder, Abbot Dhammajayo, has been in hiding since evading arrest in 2017 over allegations the sect had laundered £25m of stolen money. For over a year, the Thai Department of Special investigation (DSI) has pursued the Honorary abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya on numerous charges, the most severe of which being alleged “money laundering”. Dhammachayo, 55, has a huge following, attracting as many as 100,000 people to his temple for mass meditation. For this occasion, the Dhammakaya Meditation Centre, Albury will be providing a free meditation class for a whole day, every one hour starting from 10am till 7pm. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says that the order to put controversial Dhammakaya Temple under military control will not be revoked until the fugitive ex-abbot … Back in 2002, the Dhammakaya scandal also prompted a draft bill to reform the clergy. By Coconuts Bangkok Feb 16, 2017 | 3:15pm Bangkok time. Although the Abbot and the sect deny his allegations, the scenes at the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas point to the reason for the Dhammakaya’s immense wealth. When the ceremony is over the devotees form a huge queue at a cashpoint to take out thousands of pounds for donations - as tannoy messages tell them handing over cash is the way to “Nirvana”. Families, urban professionals and wealthy business owners mill about the vast space, stuffing envelopes packed with cash into the wooden donation boxes which line the pathways. Mano Laohavanich, 60, once called Phra Mettanando, is a defector from the beleaguered Dhammakaya temple, where the head abbot, Dhammajayo, is wanted for questioning by the DSI in relation to the Klongchan Credit Union scandal. “I have even donated my husband,” she adds, explaining the couple separated so that he could become a resident monk to bring them both “spiritual benefits”. Some of the beliefs and practices of the Dhammakaya tradition – such as about nirvana , "true self" and meditation – have been criticized as allegedly opposing or rejecting the mainstream Theravada teachings and practices by traditional Thai Buddhist institutions. Article 44 . The monk who almost became Supreme Patriarch demands a formal apology from the DSI over last year's allegation of involvement in a car-tax avoidance scandal. Buddhist monks face the police in front of Wat Dhammakaya temple, February 16, 2017. Another famous Dhammakaya critic, Thai university professor Dr. Mano Laohavanich, who is known for his provocative remarks about the temple, has also gone public about the case. Under that draft bill, the Sangha Council became an advisory board with a new executive body called Maha Kanissorn. At least 14 people face legal action for trying to shield the abbot from authorities’ attempts to arrest him on Thursday. But the raids are a mere dash for cash by the country’s ruling junta, writes James L Taylor. The same holds for the large Taiwanese Buddhist organization, Tzu Chi. Cops search scandal-hit Wat Dhammakaya for wanted abbot. Phra Buddha Isara has claimed that some senior members with ties to Wat Phra Dhammakaya are lobbying for a DSI official to become the new National Office of Buddhism chief. Noppakow, the online dissident, said the public is free to doubt Dhammakaya and its abbot, but should not mix it up with the secular political divide. Mano Laohavanich, 60, once called Phra Mettanando, is a defector from the beleaguered Dhammakaya temple, where the head abbot, Dhammajayo, is wanted for questioning by the DSI in relation to the Klongchan Credit Union scandal.Mano has not only been a vocal critic of Dhammakaya since breaking his connections with the temple in 1995, but has also known Dhammajayo personally since the 1970s. He has been missing ever since, despite frequent calls for him to be arrested, and former sect member Dr Mano Laohavonich insists he is hiding in a house less than a mile from the compound. In a case opened in 2016, the honorary abbot* of Wat Phra Dhammakaya (WPD), Phrathepyanmahamuni (Most Venerable Dhammajayo), has been accused of crimes he did not commit—money laundering and receiving stolen money— by Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI). Luang Por Dhammajayo Stands Wrongly Accused “The followers, many of them are good people but they have been fooled and blindly they gave everything away. Mano has not only been a vocal critic of Dhammakaya since breaking his connections with the temple in 1995, but has also known Dhammajayo personally He claims his wife was manipulated into handing over cash. “I don’t think this is fair,” he said. A massive queue forms beside the two cashpoints where people can get their money out to donate and the booming tannoy encourages devotees to dig deep, with messages like: “The millionaire’s wife says put all your energy into getting people to be part of building the temple.”. Abbot Phra Dhammachayo (C) arrives for a ceremony at the Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple in Pathum Thani province, north of Bangkok on Makha … Dhammakaya acting abbot faces charges published : 3 Dec 2016 at 14:18 writer: Pongpat Wongyala. Ruling junta has kept Dhammakaya temple under … Khaosod News: Yellow and Red Seen in Orange folds of Dhammakaya Scandal, June 12th, 2016 "That’s why there’s an operation to destroy Dhammakaya." Unlike other Buddhist movements, the Dhammakaya teaches that generous donations will bring wealth in this life as well as in a future life. EXCLUSIVE: Dhammakaya defector slams scandal-hit abbot. Emma Lee. Phra Mahatheerachan, also abbot of Chanasongkhram Temple and supervisor of monastic Region 1, reportedly told his followers that the Dhammakaya case needed to be resolved shortly otherwise monastic credibility would suffer even greater damage. Abbot admits receiving the … are you in Thailand and feeling low the large Taiwanese Buddhist organization, Chi... 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