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Ven. Thanisaro Bhikkhu, born Geoffrey DeGraff, is another of a great line of scholar-monks, which have shaped modern Theravada Buddhism. Like Bhikkhu Bodhi and Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Thanisaro Bhikkhu is a formidable scholar and leading Buddhist. His translation of the Dhammapada and much of the sutta pitika are sometimes controversial, but always cogent and insightful.
After graduating from Oberlin College, Thanisaro Bhikkhu traveled to Northern Thailand, approximately in the area of Chiang Mai. He studied under the tutelage of Ajahn Lee Dhammadero, a leading figure in the Thai Forest tradition, also known as Khammatthana.
The Thai Forest tradition dates back to the turn of the century. Basically, the Thai Forest tradition came about as a rejection of what was perceived as abuses and stagnation in the Thai Theravada establishment. Ajahn Mun Bhuridatto was one of the first of many reformers in Theravada. The Thai Forest tradition emphasizes the primacy of meditation and retreat to isolated areas to practice a more austere variety of Buddhism. The Thai Forest tradition emphasizes the importance of the Pali Canon, and a return to an early variety of Buddhism. This movement was fiercely opposed to the Theravada establishment. The Thai Forest tradition emphasized meditation as a way to attain the Deathless, amata-dhamma(Pali). Ajahn Chah(1918-1992) popularized the Thai Forest tradition, and brought it to the West.
The Thai Forest tradition constitutes what anthropologists call a revitalization movement. All bureaucracies, including religious ones, have a strong tendency to become entrenched and stagnant. The Thai Forest tradition is an attempt to return to the roots of early Buddhism.
Ven. Thanissaro Bhikkhu ultimately returned to the United States and founded the Metta Forest Monastery in Southern California. It is somehow appropriate that this monastery exists in a beautiful but harsh desert environment. At this time, he is abbot of this monastery. His learned works include many dozens of articles, dhamma talks, and translations from the Pali Canon. He continues to advance the Thai Forest tradition.
All of his work is available in Access to Insight, and is worth perusing by any serious student of Theravada Buddhism.
You bring up an excellent point. Village Buddhism in Thailand and Nepal is praying to the Lord Buddha when your child is sick.
Your typical villager has never heard of the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Conditioned Arising, etc. In Nepal, the village religions are a mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism plus animistic elements. Even in Buddhist facilities you might see a Ganesha statue. This is what I call bhakti Buddhism, or village Buddhism/Hinduism/Tantra all mixed together.
Like you, I am Theravada, so this bothers me a little.
You bring up an excellent point. Village Buddhism in Thailand and Nepal is praying to the Lord Buddha when your child is sick.
Your typical villager has never heard of the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Conditioned Arising, etc. In Nepal, the village religions are a mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism plus animistic elements. Even in Buddhist facilities you might see a Ganesha statue. This is what I call bhakti Buddhism, or village Buddhism/Hinduism/Tantra all mixed together.
Like you, I am Theravada, so this bothers me a little.
The Thai monk with whom I am good friends here in the States have talked about this several times. We call it "cultural Buddhism". Of course, even at the temple they have an animist spirit house!
You bring up an excellent point. Village Buddhism in Thailand and Nepal is praying to the Lord Buddha when your child is sick.
Your typical villager has never heard of the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Conditioned Arising, etc. In Nepal, the village religions are a mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism plus animistic elements. Even in Buddhist facilities you might see a Ganesha statue. This is what I call bhakti Buddhism, or village Buddhism/Hinduism/Tantra all mixed together.
Like you, I am Theravada, so this bothers me a little.
The Thai monk with whom I am good friends here in the States have talked about this several times. We call it "cultural Buddhism". Of course, even at the temple they have an animist spirit house!
My only comment is that (in one sense) there are two aspects of Buddhism in Thailand that are significant:
1. The intellectual aspect of Buddhism that you are talking about;
2. How the "Buddhist masses" practice Buddhism.
And never the twain shall meet.
The situation is very similar to the Roman Catholicism that I was brought up in, and which was prevalent not just in the U.S. but in Europe and South America as well. American R.C. kids in some areas were fed the old Baltimore Catechism to try to give them some knowledge of #1, but it was almost always ditched after formal classes for the prevalent cult of the saints and the Virgin and unending ritual observances.
As a result the above dichotomy in Thai Buddhism has not struck me as unusual.
The situation is very similar to the Roman Catholicism that I was brought up in, and which was prevalent not just in the U.S. but in Europe and South America as well. American R.C. kids in some areas were fed the old Baltimore Catechism to try to give them some knowledge of #1, but it was almost always ditched after formal classes for the prevalent cult of the saints and the Virgin and unending ritual observances.
As a result the above dichotomy in Thai Buddhism has not struck me as unusual.
I'm not saying it's an unusual issue. I'm just saying it's an issue.
Which represents "living" Buddhism in Thailand?:
The 70,000 full-time monks in Thailand?
The 300,000 monks in Thailand, 230,000 of whom are temporary cultural monks?
The 64,960,000 people in Thailand who self-identify as Buddhist?
I wish there was Monastery here in Canada of the Thai forest tradition of the Ajahn Lee Dhammadaro lieneage.
Ajahn Chah was a Thai forest monk but not of the same lineage. I am not sure what the main differences but I know the meditation practice is slightly different. There is a Thai forest monastery in British Columbia in the Tradition of Ajahn Chah I would like to visit.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu is one of the best western monks and teachers IMO. His style is much better than Ajahn Bram or the arrogant Ajahan Sujato down in Australia.
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