Search Buddhist Channel
Khon Kaen abbot caught with forbidden fruit
by JAKKRAPAN NATHANRI, The Bangkok Post, 29 Jan 2016
KHON KAEN, Thailand -- A temple abbot caught in a locked hall at night with a woman follower explained to angry villagers he was not having sex with her - he merely hungered for jujubes and had asked her to bring him his favourite fruit.
<< More than 200 local residents pack the temple hall at Wat Sawangweha in Khon Kaen's Ban Phai district, demanding the expulsion of the abbot for allegedly having sexual relations with a female follower.
The people of Ban Phai district were not convinced, and demanded he leave the temple.
On Friday more than 200 residents gathered in protest for the third time, stepping up the pressure on Phra Khru Somjit Santijitto, abbot of Wat Sawangweha temple at Kudchuek village in tambon Ban Lan.
They accused him of sexual involvement with a female follower identified only as Ms Noi.
The sex scandal involving the monk came to light in mid-December when a village security volunteer saw the woman arriving at the temple around 9pm. She parked her motorcycle near the temple hall and went to meet the abbot.
The lights at the hall were not turned off when she first entered, but the doors and all windows were later locked, Mr Duangjan said.
The security volunteer told local residents what he had seen and they gathered at the temple. They called out, asking the abbot and the woman to open the door to the hall, but there was no response.
Village leaders then forced open the door and found the abbot sitting inside alone. A search found Ms Noi hiding under a table, behind buckets of donated goods and a pile of mats. She was wearing a white long-sleeved blouse and shorts.
Prakat Soma, 50, kamnan of tambon Ban Lan, said Phra Khru Somjit had been abbot since 2004. He had fully cooperated with local residents to develop the temple.
However, his conduct had recently changed and rumours spread that he was having an affair with a woman. The village committee decided to keep a close watch on the monk, and finally caught him in the hall with Ms Noi.
The district chief monk recently decided the abbot must leave the temple, but Phra Khru Somjit refused. He also denied the sexual allegation, claiming he simply wanted to eat jujubes that night and had asked Ms Noi to bring him some, the kamnan said.
A panel of monks was investigating the allegation.
However, the local people wanted the abbot to leave the temple within 24 hours, as they had lost their faith in him, said Mr Prakat.
Local officials from the Damrongtham complaints centre in Ban Phai district were sent to observe the situation on Friday afternoon, where the locals were stilll gathered demanding the abbot's departure.
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)
For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:
Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118
Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.
Dear Friends in the Dharma,
We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.
Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:
One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.
How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.
For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:
Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118
Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.
Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.
Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.
Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.
Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.
Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!
May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,
With deepest gratitude,
Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team
Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau
We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.
If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv