Original subtitles

A long time ago, all humans and animals

were full of ignorance and misunderstanding...

until Lord Buddha,

the light of the world and the universe, was born.

Since then, the true knowledge has been revealed.

Every eye has been opened…

to see the truth.

I once bought a Buddha statue from this temple

and it smelled like rotten meat.

It’s true.

I've also heard that this temple is using black magic.

Our temple doesn’t practice

any superstitious beliefs.

Our temple teaches nothing but real Buddhism.

My ex-colleague asked me for advice.

He was going to get a divorce.

His wife went to Dhammakaya Temple.

All their savings were gone. His kid was still young.

She gave everything to the temple.

We’re never forced to donate anything.

Outsiders say the temple forces us to donate excessively.

That’s not true.

We only donate out of faith.

Dhammakaya is not only destroying Thai people,

but also Buddhism, as they spread all over the world.

So, what does "best" mean?

I was searching for so long

until I found Dhammakaya.

It made me understand the meaning of "goodness" and "best."

This place is full of criminals.

A place for laundering money.

It’s even a secret base for guerilla troops.

Soon, they will be completely wiped out.

This is the end of Dhammachaiyo.

-The biggest news making headlines today. -Yes.

Dhammachaiyo is charged with money laundering and receiving stolen property.

The donation money was embezzled from the credit union cooperative.

Cashier checks worth more than $33 million were donated to Dhammakaya.

The abbot is summoned to report to the police for the third time.

The temple denies all accusations

and insists the abbot has no idea about the source of the donations.

Today, the abbot refused to meet with investigators,

claiming he is suffering from severe vertigo.

Our 72-year-old abbot is very ill and could die if he is forced to travel.

Why would we risk his life by taking him to the police?

The public is questioning whether Dhammachaiyo is really ill

or just trying to avoid the investigation.

The paper on the right-hand side is today’s newspaper.

On the left-hand side

is the paper

you reporters randomly scribbled on.

It’s clear that I walked away from you

holding these papers

and entered

Dhammachaiyo’s recovery room.

The doctors are here to take care of him.

This footage is proof that he is truly ill

and can’t travel anywhere.

You can see that he is very ill

and hasn’t fled the temple.

Most importantly, he respects the criminal justice system.

Our abbot is 73 years old now, and he’s very ill.

He has not left the temple in the last ten years.

He has been staying here to recover.

Considering his poor health,

what use is any money to him in this condition?

It’s simply common sense.

There’s no reason to cheat at all.

I think the government will eventually understand.

This will end well.

Let me emphasize. The embezzled money is from people’s savings.

We demand the police take serious action.

Today, I’m here with the people

to file a complaint to the chief of the Department of Special Investigation.

That’s all for today.

It’s a principle of management.

The biggest problems must be solved first.

Going after small problems won’t solve the situation

because 90% of this problem is caused by Dhammakaya.

The reformation of Buddhism won’t succeed

if we keep going after random monks who violate minor principles.

Since Dhammakaya Dhammachaiyo himself

is the real root of corruption

in the political administration of Thai monks.

Not just money laundering and receiving stolen property.

It’s much more than that.

It’s an empire that could become an independent state.

They could even take over the country if they conspire with politicians.

Pass the word on to Dhammachaiyo.

You are the founder of Dhammakaya,

and now you’re going to ruin your temple with your own hands.

When I started attending the temple, he didn’t come with me.

He said he would when he's old.

He said he would join the temple when he’s old.

Then I learned to practice meditation and follow the precepts.

So I tried to persuade him.

He said, "I already let you do what you want, so leave me alone!"

"Don’t force me. I hate it!"

He used to be a heavy smoker, an alcoholic, an immodest man.

He would’ve gone to hell if he hadn’t started coming to the temple.

PRAEKSA

Let’s go.

Let's go. It's okay.

Handsome men and pretty women should give up their seats.

So someone more beautiful can sit.

-Where are we going? -To Dhammakaya Temple.

-What are you going to do? -We are going to make merit.

We will make food offerings to the monks.

We will make food offerings to the monks.

I’ve been attending the temple since I was in the womb.

I’ve been attending the temple since I was in the womb.

Everybody, let us recite the morning prayer together.

Please take off your shoes.

Before I began coming to the temple in 1998,

it was already wrapped in scandals.

I came to see it for myself.

Hello. Welcome, everyone.

Welcome, everyone, to Dhammakaya Temple.

Hello.

Hello.

It was not like what I had previously heard at all.

It felt like I found purity.

I realized that meditation is the fundamental step to happiness.

This is the reason why I’m still attending the temple today.

The crux of Dhammakaya Temple is our abbot,

Dhammachaiyo, who became interested in Buddhism at a young age.

He studied the Buddhist scripture

and began practicing meditation.

He studied under many masters

until he found the Paknam Temple

and became the disciple of Maechi Chan.

He believed that her meditation practice was sincere and good.

So he resolved to enter the monkhood for the rest of his life.

Later, the number of people who came

to study under him and Maechi Chan increased,

so they decided to build a new temple.

Dhammakaya Temple was founded in 1970.

From my point of view, our teachings are similar to other Buddhist temples.

We follow the Lord Buddha’s teachings. Morality, meditation, wisdom.

And alms, precepts, and prayers. Just like any other place.

Except the way we dispense our knowledge might be different.

…to become a part of the three jewels of Buddhism.

Take a step forward to preserve and pass down Buddha’s teachings,

which will bring

glorious peace to the world forever.

I think most people who oppose Dhammakaya

have issues with their teachings,

such as the claim that

Nirvana exists as a physical place,

or that the abbot could meet the Buddha.

These teachings go against the fundamental beliefs of Theravada Buddhism in Thailand.

Theravada is the Buddha’s teachings

as revised by the first Buddhist council in 483 B.C.E.

Theravada is considered to be the oldest

and most accurate teachings of all,

therefore, it tends to be conservative

since the scripture

is the only measurement.

To put it simply, Dhammakaya is capitalist Buddhism.

It’s like a product that understands

and fulfills the customer’s desires.

That’s why Dhammakaya has attracted a massive following.

Dhammakaya has expanded its influence

in the monks’ Supreme Council and over the bureaucrats.

This move greatly intimidates the non-believers.

This increasing influence of Dhammakaya is intimidating other groups.

Buddhists see this as a very significant problem,

because if Dhammakaya

can influence the monks’ Supreme Council

and spread their teachings without limits,

then the Buddhist teachings based on scriptures

that don’t correspond to Dhammakaya’s teachings could eventually be wiped out.

ORDINATION PROGRAM FOR 48TH ANNIVERSARY OF DHAMMACHAIYO

What I’ve learned from this temple is

we were born to make merit.

We make merit by doing good karma.

We are not all born equal.

Having the chance to be born means

that I have gained a certain level of merit.

Merit that came from sharing, following the precepts, meditating, and praying.

As I’m sitting right here,

you see my skin is this tone.

Actually, this skin tone shows I haven’t followed the precepts well enough.

In my past lives, I didn’t follow the precepts well enough,

so my skin is not white and bright.

My look.

The man who has followed the precepts well will be handsome.

Like you, you followed the precepts better than I did, so your skin is lighter.

It’s white. I can tell.

Our afterlife from our present.

According to the Buddha and the abbot’s teachings,

giving alms will make you rich,

following the precepts will make you beautiful,

and meditating will make you wise.

So we can make a plan.

Do we want to get rich? If so, we donate.

But if you wonder if I’m "buying merit,"

I will explain that later.

Donating is about faith and trust.

If you truly feel the merit, just donate.

You will never be broke.

I’ve been donating since I was extremely poor.

My house burned down several times and I’m still alive.

I donated all my money, but I’m still alive

and getting richer and richer every day.

I’m not impoverished in any way.

How much have you donated to the temple?

I’ve donated $400,000 in total.

Look at me. I’m from the countryside.

I still have no idea how I made that much money.

Organizing my life? I couldn’t do that.

I’ve only finished elementary school and done manual labor,

so it seems impossible that I could reach this point.

We will struggle without the merit we’ve made.

Less merit, more obstacles. More merit, fewer obstacles.

MAHA KATHINA THE GREAT DONATION CEREMONY OF THE YEAR

The temple never asks us to donate.

We always make our own decisions

because we know the temple is the perfect "Field of Merit."

What is the "Field of Merit"?

It’s like growing a tree.

You need fruitful soil, fertilizer, water.

We make merit to one who possesses a higher virtue

to yield a higher degree of merit.

Monks here are all hard-working. No one is lazy.

They always meditate and work hard.

They’re always busy,

so everything needs to be funded.

We see the value in what they do for us.

FOR HUMAN BEINGS, IF WE HAVE MERIT,

WE WILL HAVE FEWER OBSTACLES.

BUSINESS WILL GO SMOOTHLY.

BUT IF WE LACK MERIT, WE WILL STRUGGLE.

THIS IS WHY WE SHOULD MAKE MERIT.

TO END OUR POVERTY AND SUFFERING.

This is a photo album that Dhammakaya gave me

while I was still attending the temple.

Well…

RECEIVING THE IMPERIAL ROBES OF TREASURE

I was really sick of their fundraising campaigns.

They just kept competing

with each other to reach their donation goals.

I think it’s so wrong.

That’s why I left and will never return.

No matter how hard they try to convince me to come back.

Sometimes they came to ring the doorbell, but I never answered.

So they left CDs, books, and brochures.

They are actually nice people. They used to take care of me.

I felt attached to them. They used to call me "mother."

But their duty was to raise money.

Each group needed to reach its own assigned goal.

It was all fake.

I wasn’t rich, so I borrowed money from other people

and sold my stuff just to have money to donate.

I decided to speak out

because I couldn’t take it anymore.

To protect the true Buddhism,

for our descendants to worship.

Not this distorted and materialistic kind of Buddhism.

Not the religion that would support a fake monk like Dhammachaiyo.

Hell no.

DHAMMAPRASIT

THE IMPERIAL ROBES OF TREASURE

When I had just graduated from Harvard,

I was on the executive committee of Dhammakaya,

and also the head of education and international departments.

I met a teacher in Rayong.

She said she would do anything for us.

She inherited four houses from her parents.

She sold three houses and donated the money to build the new pagoda.

Her husband was an architect.

Her kid was applying for college.

She wondered why her husband rarely came home.

She went to the temple every month

and stayed for a week each time to observe the precepts.

She used her house as a meditation center.

She prayed every single day.

She also bought a time slot at a local radio station

to broadcast Buddhist teachings.

And she kept on wondering when her husband would come back home.

When was the merit going to improve her life?

I thought that she was the problem

because she was making merit like crazy.

Then she asked me if she should sell her last house

and donate to the building of the new pagoda.

When I came back to the temple...

It was around 9 p.m.

I went to see Dhammachaiyo.

He was sitting with the vice abbot.

I told them what I had just heard.

Then I told him, "Master...

this happened because of our fundraising campaign.

Many families have been torn apart.

Husbands and wives going separate ways.

We should stop raising money like this.

How can we help them to live happy lives?

How can we help build their children’s futures?

We must change the way we raise money."

Dhammachaiyo sat still.

Then he turned to me, looked straight into my eyes...

and said, "Mettanando.

Do you know who I am?

If you really think I am Dhammachaiyo,

the abbot of Dhammakaya...

you are wrong."

That sent a chill down my spine.

I decided that I couldn’t be with the temple anymore.

I resigned from all positions

at the end of that month...

and moved to another temple.

He tried to convince me that he’s the Origin of Dhamma.

The Origin of Dhamma is a special term in Dhammakaya teachings.

It means the Creator of Everything.

He tried to convince me that he is the Creator.

He is the leader of the Dhamma Army.

Dhammachaiyo is the Creator.

Since you were an insider

and no one could refute your allegations,

why do we have to believe you?

The temple has tried to discredit me by any means.

The media has started questioning me.

Time will tell.

I could be saying something false.

People should not just blindly believe me.

I didn’t write my book for people to believe,

but to think for themselves.

Free inquiry is an important tenet of Buddhism.

I haven’t done anything outside of Buddhist teachings at all.

"COME AND SEE: THE EXHIBITION"

PROVE IT TO YOURSELF

RETOUCHED PHOTOS SPREAD ONLINE TO SLANDER OUR ABBOT

EDITED IMAGES OF HIS HOLINESS WHICH HAVE BEEN WIDELY SHARED

HOW FALSE RUMORS SPREAD

FAKE NEWS - RUMORS - FAKE ACCOUNTS SLANDER - MASS MEDIA

I was most impressed by Dhammachaiyo

during the incident of 1998-99.

Our temple was under heavy criticism by the media and authorities.

The abbot was preaching at the assembly hall.

He said, "Don’t blame them.

Instead, we should blame ourselves for not explaining it well enough."

I was like, this man could be my mentor, he could be my leader.

After all of that, he still never blamed anybody but himself.

Imagine a chili.

You wouldn’t know how spicy it is until you try it yourself.

The Buddha’s teachings are like that.

You need to experience it to prove it to yourself.

Dhammakaya has been enduring trials and tests since it was founded.

I have nothing much to say.

First of all,

I’m glad to be

participating in your film,

even though I’m not very knowledgeable.

I just speak the truth from my heart.

If...

my interview doesn’t fulfill what you need,

I’m sorry for that.

Please forgive me for my level of knowledge

so I can enter the monkhood with peace.

I hope you find success and live happily.

Hope all your wishes come true without any obstacles.

And hope you will help

protect and spread Buddhism

to bring peace to the world.

I wish you good luck and hope to see you again.

Thai Buddhism instills in us that a Buddhist has to be a decent person

and that Buddhism is the best religion.

We have to pray every day in order to become good children to our parents

and good citizens for the state.

Only then can we imagine ourselves as being on the bright and "right" side.

Because of this, when Dhammakaya appears with unfamiliar characteristics,

we react by demonizing them.

But in reality, we never questioned ourselves

as to whether Dhammakaya’s teachings

are really all that different from what we’ve been taught.

It could be that we just dislike certain aspects that stick out.

We condemn Dhammakaya for being this way or being that way,

but actually, most Thai Buddhism is just the same.

Dhammakaya represents an extreme version of Thai Buddhism.

It highlights and makes obvious the aspects that shock and horrify people.

But I think the real issue with Dhammakaya

is that it is a reflection of who we really are.

And that reflection is so honest that we can’t bear to look at it.

Religions once had many roles in society, from schooling and beyond,

but the modern state has taken over those roles.

You could try to get rid of Dhammakaya

because of the crooked abbot or for whatever reason,

but if you look at religion this way, Dhammakaya is really part of a religion

that is struggling to find an answer...

to create a meaningful place for Buddhism in modern Thai society.

I think Dhammachaiyo is trying to find a way,

but his way is different from others.

Even if Dhammakaya is gone, this question still remains.

What is the role of Buddhism in modern Thai society?

The answer is none.

No matter how thoroughly you destroy Dhammakaya, the question still remains.

ALL LIVING THINGS RELY ON THEIR MERIT FOR THEIR NEXT LIVES

I once spoke to an officer at the ministry of defense.

He thought that the stability of our nation

depended on the stability of "the institution"

that survives on the love and faith of the people.

When this love and faith was given to Dhammakaya,

the stability of "the institution" was shaken.

Therefore, he concluded that Dhammakaya was a threat to the nation.

We, the National Council for Peace and Order,

which consists of the army, navy, and air forces,

and the national police,

must take control of power to administer

the country from this moment.

You should know that this government came into power by…

a coup.

They don’t want us to use the phrase "coup d’etat."

They just… seized… the power from the previous government

in the name of the National Council for Peace and Order.

The reason they came to power is to maintain peace, law, and order.

But now Dhammachaiyo

is directly challenging them.

The temple is their biggest challenge.

Go tell him to stop resisting the authorities.

If you think you’re innocent, just turn yourself in and go to trial.

The situation between Dhammachaiyo and the government is a zero-sum game.

Only one will remain.

Since Dhammachaiyo has evaded the summons,

the police will request an arrest warrant from the court.

I invited him to ordain as a monk.

-I was the worst in the factory. -He sure was.

-I did all the bad things. -You were a troublemaker.

Well…

He was a heavy smoker, an alcoholic, a junkie, a drug dealer.

"If he hadn’t met you,

I would be dead by now," his mom told me.

So I asked her why. She said because of a broken heart.

His mom is happy now.

She said she used to be terribly concerned,

but now she can sleep peacefully every night.

She doesn’t worry about him at all.

He gained great merit from this.

My merit though.

Why flatter yourself like that?

-What? -You should open the gate all the way.

Or it'll damage the car's door.

Let's go inside.

-Welcome. -Welcome.

I forgot to turn this light on.

That’s the room for visitors to register.

Grandma!

-I wanna go with you. -Let's go.

Okay. Come with grandma.

-Mom, your key. -Put it on the table.

This is the meditation room. We are open every Tuesday.

Let’s worship the grandmaster.

Grandmaster,

we just went to make merits at the temple,

so we would like to share the merits with you.

Bend your head down to the floor.

-Do I need to lie down? -Now we bend down.

-I'm lying down. -Bend down. Sathu.

From now on,

please be determined

to follow the path to Nirvana.

Sit cross-legged,

with your right leg over the left.

Place your right hand over the left.

Touch the tip of your right index finger

to your left thumb.

Place both hands on your lap where you feel comfortable.

Slowly close your eyes. Just lightly cover half your eyelids.

I meditate for one hour every day.

I always set the alarm clock for it.

On the day I had a breakthrough, it didn’t ring.

I told myself,

if I don’t hear the alarm, I won’t stop meditating.

Then I started to feel pain and my mind started to lose focus.

So I repeated the mantra in my mind.

Suddenly, I got sucked inside.

It felt like… poof!

It was dense. It was like… whoosh!

My body gradually expanded.

It kept expanding.

There was a bright light, like a huge spotlight

shining directly onto my face.

I kept getting bigger and bigger. Suddenly, it was so bright.

I disappeared.

Then I examined myself.

No worries. No suffering. No anxiety.

I felt so light, so clear, and peaceful.

It was an indescribable happiness.

I felt a chill.

I thought I was dead.

On that day, we were meditating at the temple.

Then they said the authorities were coming.

There was a rumor that they would come raid the temple.

We were really scared, so we split up to cover each gate.

We were there neither to fight nor resist.

We meditated so our merit would help the cause.

We didn’t plan to fight, so we turned our backs to them.

They asked us to clear the way,

but no one moved because we had made a vow.

There was a rumor they would bring tanks and tear gas...

so I told myself,

today, I will sacrifice my life for Buddhism to protect our abbot.

And I was not the only one.

This is an announcement from the disciples of Dhammachaiyo.

In spite of his severe illness,

the disciples all agree that

he should turn himself in

to enter the judicial process,

but only when the country returns to democracy.

It’s like I’m seeing who I used to be.

I just followed everything they said without any doubt.

Never questioning whether they were protecting good or bad people.

They don’t know the truth and only listen to one side of the story.

I used to only listen to what the temple said.

I had only faith.

Everyone, please keep sitting, keep meditating.

Only the assigned people can go. Others, please sit still.

Could you please let us get inside the temple and talk to him first?

Then we would discuss the legal procedure afterward.

Our abbot is sick. He is not ready to meet you.

-We are all here in peace. -We do apologize.

-Please be merciful. -We are not resisting at all.

Please have sympathy for our abbot. He is really ill.

How many of you are here?

I really don’t know where all these people came from,

but all of us love our abbot.

Please have sympathy for him. Please come back later.

Okay, I will report to my commander before making any further decisions.

-Thank you, everyone. -Thank you.

Please give the officer a round of applause.

Sathu.

No one believes Dhammachaiyo would turn himself in.

The only way is to go and arrest him.

That day will come soon.

I believe it will be very soon.

That day will be the end for Dhammachaiyo,

and the reformation of Buddhism in this country will begin.

I believe that good will conquer evil.

I truly believe

that the police will have the morality

not to do us any harm.

Will the DSI return to the temple again?

The arrest warrant is still valid,

so we will arrest him by any means necessary.

Good morning, our beloved good friends.

This morning, it’s time to make merit.

Please come join us when you’re ready.

After waking up, we put our minds back into the center of our bodies.

We will feel delighted, lively, and joyful.

Drink some water, wash your face, refresh yourself,

then please come join us.

Once your mind is refreshed, your body awakens.

The Crystal Ballroom

is now opened

for our good friends.

For a fresh and bright morning like today,

welcome, everyone. Please come to make great merit

by praying and meditating

this morning.

The most important thing before entering the Crystal Ballroom:

please don’t forget to bring a peaceful mood.

Being at peace is the best way to attain enlightenment.

Let’s make merit together…

QUOTE FROM DHAMMACHAIYO:

I WANT ALL MY CHILDREN TO IMPROVE THEMSELVES BY ACHIEVING MORE MERIT

BY KEEPING OUR TOILETS AND SINKS CLEAN AND DRY AND LIKE NEW FOR THE NEXT USER.

Everyone, please clear your mind

and put it at the center of your body.

Be proud that we are going to gain great merit today

by cleaning the bathrooms of our religious place.

Please be proud that

we are going to gain big merit today.

Please concentrate on praying together.

With the merit

that we are making now,

please make our wishes

come true.

Please make us

achieve

the pure

and whole truth.

To clearly and permanently master

the true knowledge of Dhammakaya

in every lifetime

until we reach the end of truth.

Please make my life

full of beauty,

richness,

ability,

and followers.

When I pass away, please bring me back

to the special circle

of Dusit Buri heaven,

as an honor of us, merit makers.

When I am reborn

to make merit again,

I would be able to recall my past lives

and realize the mission of life.

So we could continue

to make more merit with even more pureness

until we reach the end of truth.

Hope all we did will help us reach Nirvana.

My husband and I don’t make a living.

We’re both staying here, and our kids are taking care of us.

I’m so determined to be here, I left my job.

My son said he would give me $3,000.

I thought, oh!

My merit is calling me to go reside at the temple.

You know what I thought?

We just sat in our temple.

Why would they arrest us?

I was deeply sad.

It saddens me deep down.

You know why?

This is our temple. We built it by ourselves.

The government never gave us a dime.

Why would they arrest our abbot? Why slander him?

So I told myself, do or die.

I can die for my abbot.

So I closed my eyes and sat there for six hours.

It was raining. My butt was soaked.

There’s nothing to be afraid of.

I think there’s nothing to be afraid of.

When people say they can sacrifice their lives for someone,

I don’t think it’s blind faith,

but a genuine feeling.

I don’t think they really mean it as committing suicide,

like some extremist cults.

That is too much.

I think it’s because they came here

and really learned from the Buddha and the abbot’s teachings.

So they might consider the abbot as their father.

He gave birth to their religious life.

I see it more like gratitude.

Pimpa.

Okay, at least you two can remember.

Attention!

-Fall in! -Fall in!

Very strong. Good job.

Please pass along my announcement.

The special mission might happen before August 27th.

Please tell the people who went home to come back soon

so you can take turns to rest.

Maybe the special mission might happen before August 27.

We will let you know as soon as possible.

Attention!

Okay, let’s vow together. Zero. Seven. Two.

We believe in the innocence of Dhammachaiyo.

Louder, please.

We believe in the innocence of Dhammachaiyo.

We believe in the innocence of Dhammachaiyo.

We’ll be like brothers and sisters

living harmoniously like angels.

We’ll train ourselves to become miraculous people.

We’ll work together as a team.

Sathu.

Rich!

Let’s go to the Crystal Ballroom.

In front of the Crystal Ballroom.

"Grandma, when will you come home?"

He said, "I miss you, Grandma."

I told him I’m protecting the temple.

"The temple will win for sure," he said.

If there’s any third party causing unrest

and people get hurt or die in this temple...

would the police be responsible for that?

A STATEMENT FROM DHAMMAKAYA FOLLOWERS

But if you ask what the disciples want…

Fight!

We, the disciples of Dhammakaya...

respect the law...

but…

only if the law is fair and righteous.

First news today couldn’t be about anything else

since the public is paying close attention to Dhammakaya Temple.

Last night, at 1 a.m.,

the Prime Minister officially imposed the emergency law Article 44

in order to declare the temple compound as a restricted area.

Article 44 allows authorities to arrest anyone who obstructs the search.

The operation deployed more than 6,000 officers to search inside the temple

and granted permission to cut off all utilities

and block cell phone coverage if necessary.

The search warrant approved by the court has no specific time frame.

Normal law and normal police are not capable

of arresting a special person like Dhammachaiyo.

That’s why we need this special law.

I think it’s unfair to our abbot.

They can’t prosecute him

because the case has been false from the beginning.

I wonder if the authorities are pressured by any other factors.

When the police get inside, they will surely find Dhammachaiyo.

He will be arrested right there.

I don’t think he could live long

because he wouldn’t be able to stand it.

We don’t need outsiders to punish him.

We would punish him ourselves if he did us wrong.

But our abbot is flawless

and open to being proven wrong.

DSI cut the lock of the front gate.

Two troops of riot police went into the temple

to search the recovery room in Dao Wa Dung building

where Dhammachaiyo stayed to recover,

but today…

I’ve been listening to how you’ve responded to the media,

saying that you haven’t seen the abbot for a long time.

-I'm asking you this because… -It’s been nine months already.

Yes, you always give the same answer, but let me ask you again.

You really don’t know where he is?

How could I know?

What’s his condition? Is he in the temple? Who is he with?

How could the Director of Communication know nothing about it?

Why would I need to know?

-What for? -Wait.

You don’t worry about him at all?

My heart is always full of love and care for him,

but that doesn’t mean I need to know his whereabouts.

How do you feel about the disappearance of the abbot?

I am not affected by it at all.

I feel that he’s safe now,

and one day, he will return.

During the search, there was a rumor that some weapons,

guns, and grenades

were stolen from the authorities.

We don’t know whether it’s true or not.

Maybe the authorities tried to plant some evidence on us.

We didn’t trust them.

So each team was assigned

to follow the officers and take pictures wherever they went.

They couldn’t find any wrongdoing in our temple.

After that, they asked for another search,

but with no one on our side on the grounds.

Do you think we would trust them?

The vice-abbot said,

"Three days is more than enough.

We’re going to resist."

Let us in!

Get out of the way!

Get out of our temple!

-All officers, please get out of here. -Please get out!

-Get out! -Wait!

-Please get out of here. -Please don’t do this!

Team, fall back!

We can die at any moment.

But if I die this time, I will gain great merit.

If we study about the afterlife, we’ll know where we are going.

If you do not follow the precepts

and, say, kill an animal, when you die, you will be punished.

If you’ve been drinking alcohol, they will pour melted copper into your mouth.

I’m scared, so I’d better be safe than sorry.

It’s better to gain enough merit when you’re alive.

Because you might need it when you die.

Better to be safe than sorry.

It is very pleasant here in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Everything is beautifully created

by the merit that I’ve made when I was still alive.

It is full of celestial treasures and faithful followers.

Heaven? It depends on your merit and the state of your mind.

Could you explain further?

Well…

If we’ve gained great merit, our heavenly palace will illuminate.

When you were alive, if you’d invited many people to make merit,

done good deeds, and donated to build a temple,

you would have a palace in heaven.

Also, if you’d invited people to do good deeds, you would have followers up there.

It will happen automatically.

Where do you think you will go when you die?

Heaven.

For sure.

First of all, I never committed any sins.

Secondly, I always cleanse my mind by meditating.

I will definitely go to heaven.

Which level do you want to go to?

Honestly, I want to go to Dusit Buri.

Because it is where the Buddha who loves to meditate resides.

We’d love to be there.

PM WON'T LIFT THE RESTRICTIONS

UNLESS THE ABBOT IS CAUGHT

Our temple still has our honesty...

and also our truth,

which is true to ourselves.

If a blind man claims

there’s no sun that shines a light,

regardless of what the blind man says, the sun still exists.

That truth still exists.

We will stand by our own truth, our goodness,

and eventually, they will understand.