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Stop giving alms to monks involved in politics?
by Jorge de Silva, Los Angeles, The Buddhist Channel, Sept 17, 2007
My letter was poorly written and I apologize for not clearly stating what is against vinaya discipline, like arson, but there is also taking captives.
Does vinaya discipline permit this?
Visakha Kawasaki would like people to believe that Sri Lanka is a democracy without error, but this did not stop bhikkhus from taking to the streets and inciting riots in the late 1980's. Many businesses were destroyed and people fled the country. Sri Lanka has never recovered since then.
The circumstances in Burma are different, but the outcome is the same: the bhikkhus lost control. The problem with Visakha Kawasaki's statements are that they have been coloured by the US backed pro-democracy movement.
There are many who disagree with me, even here in the US, but a solution is simply to stop giving alms to monks involved in politics, beginning with ones who like setting things ablaze and taking captives. This is how you put a rabid dog down.
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