Wat Pah Pong moves to Punish Western Monks!

The latest move by Wat Pah Pong sees a move away from just a "parting of the ways" between themselves and Ajahn Brahm over the issue of female ordination. Now they are accusing Ajahn Brahm of temple mismanagement with a view to "reclaiming" Bodhinyana, "in order to return the land and temple to the Thai Buddhists and to ensure that the temple management is in line with Dhamma Vinaya." As the land also houses Dhammasara Nuns Monastery, this would obviously mean bringing them "back into line!"

Bodhinyana was founded on the 1st of December 1983 near the small town of Serpentine, located 55 kilometres south of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Donations to support and grow the monastery have come from all directions, much of it Australian and Singaporean in origin, so any claims from Thailand are now extremely tenuous.

These moves come in a statement from Phra Kru Opaswuthikorn who presided at a press conference on Monday where he urged the Office of National Buddhism and the Council of Elders to issue rules and regulations to empower the Thai Sangha to punish monks overseas who violate the Sangha's mandates.

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"Sooner or later, we'll see female monks everywhere!" said Phra Kru Opaswuthikorn. He added that the introduction of the Siladhara order, or 10-precept nuns, which was set up by the most senior Western monk, Ajahn Sumedho, as an alternative to female monks in Thailand was also unthinkable.