[Buddha-l] Jinapanjaram

[Jackhat1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/14/2010 5:55:01 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
bankei at gmail.com writes:
 
I have been thinking the same thing lately. Theravada Buddhism as  practiced
in Asia is totally different to what the average "westerner"  imagines it to
be. There is the praying to the Buddha as a god, the many  rituals, the role
of the monk as a priest, the dominance of 'transfer of  merit' type thinking
etc etc.

Is this a corruption of the 'pure'  Buddhism, or has it always been this
way?
==
 
A good question. Is Thera Buddhism that which is practiced now  in  
mainstream SE Asia or that which is laid out in the Pali Canon? I have been  told 
that this question has been played out in Thailand between the forest  
monasteries which try to follow the teachings as found in the Pali Canon and  the 
city temples who tend toward corrupting the teachings in order to gain  
wealth.. 
 
Buddhadasa Bhikkhu was among those in Thailand leading the movement away  
from Buddha as a God, etc. Once he was approached by several people to pick  
lottery numbers for them. Doing this and getting paid for it is a common  
practice among some monks. Buddhadasa responded that they might have better  
luck as they left to ask one of the dogs handing around the temple gate  .
 
jack