Merit making in a world grown empty

Making merit is an important aspect of Thai Buddhism believed to contribute to the good karma of the performer, often practiced through acts of generosity.

Many Thais make merit by giving money to local monasteries, supporting and sustaining the religious lifestyle of the monks that reside there.

Thai netizens, however, are calling for greater monastic accountability around public donations, following the scandal at Rai Khing temple last month, where an abbot was allegedly involved in embezzling the temple’s money for online gambling.

The Venerable Bhante Kantasilo was saddened to see some believers say they will never donate again. He says Thais should be careful not to fall for media sensationalization of monastic misconduct.

“This is a problem that we have had in Thailand from time to time,” he says, “there is a schism in the police force, then there is trouble in the military, and there is trouble in schools – and monasteries are no different.”

Though he understands the public’s disappointment, he says the theft reflects a much bigger problem than corrupted monasticism.

“I think that we have left the age of innocence. You know, before, nobody would ever think of doing anything wrong.”

The commercialisation of Buddhism

Kantasilo, who is originally from the United States, has seen a great deal of change in the years since he moved to Thailand over two decades ago.

“Everything has been developed, the travel industry, the food industry, everything to, you know, to generate interest and population,” he said.

While the monastery, palace, and home were once the three pillars of Thai society, he says modern pressures have weakened these ties, resulting in a kind of spiritual disorientation.

“Somebody said that in Buddhism, you cannot have a prosperous economy, because in Buddhism the whole point is non-greed.”

It is his view that increasing commercialisation has fundamentally changed the way Thai people approach merit making.

“Now everything has been corrupted by the money, and people do kind deeds, but not necessarily because that’s their nature. It’s because there is some benefit in doing that.”

The monastic sale of Buddhist emblems exemplifies this shift. Amulets are available for purchase from some monasteries, promising the buyer protection and good luck.

“That’s why people make donations, because they want the keepsake, not because they just want to make a selfless donation,” he explains.

Meanwhile, according to previous findings by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), temples across the country receive an average of 3.24 million baht each year - proving that Thais still believe in merit-making through money.

Most of the donations, about 2.02 million baht, are mostly for specific purposes such as repairing buildings at the temples.

Modern merit making

Kantasilo calls this kind of greed an “individual defilement of the mind,” a poisonous nature that challenges the pursuit of personal growth.

“There are certain things we aren’t going to be able to change, but we can change our nature.”

When donations are made with generous intent, he says “giving will help not only the receiver, but also, it helps us overcome those negative natures.”

According to Dharma, there are three kinds of meritorious deeds: generosity (dāna), precepts (sīla), and mental development (bhāvanā). However, in a modern context, Kantasilo says true merit does not come from transactions, but individual transformation.

“The core teaching of Buddhism, it’s knowing yourself, knowing one’s true nature. So that is giving up certain behaviours, greed, anger, and delusion, and undertaking other behaviours, such as developing patience, metta (loving kindness), friendship, these types of things.”

His final message to believers: listen to the Dharma and do your homework to ensure it is at the center of your merit making.