Beware the holy order

The Sangha Supreme Council (SSC) has emerged reinvigorated under the new supreme patriarch, and the monastic governing body is showing a readiness to spring into action to back state efforts to resolve the controversy surrounding Wat Phra Dhammakaya and its former abbot Phra Dhammajayo.

On Monday, His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch attended his first SSC meeting since his investiture, with the public paying particular attention as to how the council would react to the saga surrounding one of the country’s richest temples.

The meeting took place as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha invoked Section 44 of the interim constitution to declare the temple a restricted zone to help with the search for the elusive former abbot who is wanted on arrest warrants regarding embezzlement charges and other matters.

During the meeting, members of the SSC expressed concern about the situation at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, said Phanom Sornsil, the director of the National Office of Buddhism (NOB).

Phra Phrommunee, who was appointed secretary to the Supreme Patriarch at the meeting, wasted no time in asking all monastic committees directly supervising Wat Phra Dhammakaya to meet and resolve the issue immediately.

Phra Phrommunee is also an SSC member, as well as an assistant abbot of Wat Rajabopit in Bangkok where the Supreme Patriarch is abbot.

Somdet Phra Buddha Chinnawong, an SSC member, the abbot of Wat Pichaya Yatikaram and chief of a monastic committee overseeing the Central Plains region, will lead concerned monastic governing committees to work with representatives from the Justice Ministry in solving the problem.

Mr Phanom said all monastic committees have been advised to tell monks that Wat Phra Dhammakaya is a restricted area and entering it is illegal.

He said the monastic circle will work with state authorities in resolving the issue but noted the Supreme Patriarch himself has given no specific instructions regarding the Wat Phra Dhammakaya situation.

The NOB was also asked by the DSI to send officials to Wat Phra Dhammakaya to check on the monks’ identities.

This was needed to ensure that no “third parties” had disguised themselves as monks to cause a disturbance.

DSI officials, with support from the police and the military, entered the temple grounds on Feb 16 to search the 2,300-rai complex in Klong Luang district for Phra Dhammajayo after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha invoked Section 44.

Phra Dhammajayo is charged with laundering money and receiving stolen assets in connection with the multi-billion-baht embezzlement of Klongchan Credit Union Co-operative.

His temple’s meditation centres in Loei, Nakhon Ratchasima and Phangnga provinces are also alleged to have encroached on forest reserves.

Many years ago, the SSC and the NOB were heavily criticised for not doing enough to handle a case in which Phra Dhammajayo was accused of violating the Buddhist monks’ code of conduct.

The case was based on a letter, dated April 26, 1999, written by the late supreme patriarch Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, which recommended Phra Dhammajayo be defrocked for allegedly violating the monks’ code of conduct by putting assets — including 1,500 rai of land that belonged to the temple — in his name.

The letter was sent to the SSC. However, the council did not defrock the monk. Instead it ordered those concerned to force the monk to transfer the land to the temple.

But from now on, the SSC is expected to assume a more active role in handling the Dhammakaya issue, along with the state, according to sources close to the matter.

The SSC’s upcoming meetings, which will be held on the 10th, 20th and 30th of each month, will be highly anticipated, according to the sources.