The monk scandal we needed: Why we owe ‘that woman’ a thank you

Thailand is reeling from one of its largest monk scandals in history. While many Buddhists worry about the national religion’s deteriorating state, others maintain a different view: “Whatever happens is always for the good.”

Make no mistake: we owe a thank you to the woman involved in the scandals surrounding high-ranking and well-known monks. Without her, these deep-rooted malpractices might never have come to light.

She may not be a formal whistleblower, but she certainly played the part—albeit unintentionally.

“It’s a big cleanup!” social media users declared. The truth hurts, and it has badly shaken the faith of many Buddhists

Not one, but at least 11 senior monks were caught for sexual misconduct—a grave violation for monks in Thailand’s Theravada Buddhism.

This isn’t the first time Thai Buddhists have had their faith rocked by monks involved in sexual scandals. This time, however, is different in terms of scope and shocking details.

At least 11 senior clergy members, including an abbot, are implicated in the scandal surrounding the same woman. She even gave birth to children believed to have been fathered by monks!

Even a scriptwriter or filmmaker would find it hard to pen such a dark story. This narrative, with its lone female “villain,” is deeply unsettling for most Buddhists. The scandal has permeated Thailand, discussed across mass media, social media, and even within friend and family gatherings.

But should we lose faith in Buddhism, or, to rephrase it, should we lose faith in goodness? Yes and no. Yes, for the time being, as many once-respected figures have failed us. No, because the monks are not the entirety of Buddhism.

Many Thai Buddhists, especially those of working age, rarely visit temples or specific monks. Yet, many still practice good deeds and avoid bad actions, adhering to Buddha’s teachings.

Some release fish, save cattle and buffalo from slaughterhouses, donate blood, or give money to the poor and disaster victims—the list is extensive.

Many simply observe the Five Precepts and pray at home. None of these good deeds requires monks. Even when visiting a temple, some may pray in the Ubosot (ordination halls) without direct contact with a monk.

Only in specific religious ceremonies, such as funerals, is the role of monks truly necessary.

“Good karma is something you do and it lifts your mind and makes you feel genuinely pleasant,” says Phra Ajahn Suchart Abhijato, a teacher in the Thai Forest Tradition, who teaches Dhamma weekly via social media.

He emphasizes that not every man who wears robes is a monk, and not every monk has to wear robes.

In the Buddha’s time, travel was arduous. Worshippers created Buddha images simply to remember him and his teachings. Monks, too, had a vital role: to preserve and propagate the Dhamma.

Therefore, monks are messengers, but the Dhamma—the fact of life and nature discovered by the Buddha—remains the true focal point for Buddhists.

Perhaps we forget one fact: all ordained monks do not automatically belong to the Noble Sangha (Ariyasong). They are called Sammuti Sangha, literally meaning conventional monks by social agreement.

They follow the monastic code but have not yet reached any stages of enlightenment.

So, if a member of the Conventional Sangha behaves improperly, as with these 11 senior monks, it is not the Dhamma that has failed—but human weakness that has appeared and prevailed.

Money, power, and sex are temptations; lay practitioners observe the Five Precepts to avoid succumbing to them. For monks, observing the 227 rules of the Vinaya discipline should prevent improper conduct.

However, today’s Buddhist ecosystem, especially within the Thai Sangha, is vastly different. Monks now “earn” income, gaining power and leading to misconduct like siphoning money and sexual activities.

They also acquire ranks, fostering reverence and attachment to status—something entirely contrary to Buddha’s teaching of non-attachment. This makes them more vulnerable compared to those ordained during the Buddha’s era.

Yet, if they truly followed the two core Dhammas that safeguard the world—Hiri (moral conscience) and Ottappa (moral fear)—they would have avoided such sexual actions while in monkhood.

Should faithful Buddhists be worried? No. The Triple Gems—Ratanattaya—consisting of the Lord Buddha, his teachings, and the Sangha, remain intact.

We may lose faith in those monks in the Sammuti Sangha who have behaved badly, seven of whom have left the monkhood voluntarily.

But while these “bad” monks shake our trust, many other enlightened monks and lay practitioners are working diligently to restore faith and uphold the Buddha’s Dhamma.

As a Buddhist, one can continue life praying or releasing fish. One can ignore all rituals and pray or meditate at home. The teachings leading to Nirvana and freedom from suffering remain unchanged. These scandals occur, and the authorities’ mechanisms will address them.

Whatever arises is inherently beneficial. We have only lost those who pretend to be monks by wearing the saffron robes.