The Impact of Media on Buddhism and Monastic Life : หน้า 191/207
The Warm Hearted Family : หน้า 191/207 An exploration of how negative media portrayals affect public perception of monks in Thailand and Buddhism as a whole.
The text discusses the jurisdiction of the Sangha Council over monk cases and the implications of negative media coverage on Buddhism. It emphasizes that while the press reports on misconduct by some monks, it often neglects the positive contributions of the majority, leading to a skewed public perception. Many monks express frustration over media portrayal, which portrays them as burdens rather than moral guides. The need to distinguish between individual actions and the collective monastic community's role is highlighted as crucial for preserving faith in Buddhism. The negative media narrative can diminish public trust and overlook the many virtuous acts performed by monks, ultimately impacting the survival of Buddhism in Thailand.
they should keep in mind that the Sangha Council has
jurisdiction over a monk's case. When a final judgment is
made, people should not criticize or comment on it. If people
do, in Buddhism it is considered to be an unwholesome act,
whether or not they know it.
2) When negative news about monks is published, do
not generalize that all monks in Thailand are troublesome.
No one can keep the press from publishing negative news
about monks who go against the monastic discipline. Their
profession is to report news to society. However, if a newspaper
publishes only negative news about monks, and not news about
other monks who have devoted their lives to performing good
deeds, this is considered to be bias on their part.
One fact that people tend not to think about is how
Buddhism has survived to the present day. Without the many
virtuous monks who have prolonged Buddhism, it would have
disappeared from Thailand by now. Although monks diligently
play a proper role in society today, the media continue to ignore
this fact, rarely reporting their good acts. The negative acts by
monks seem to be more favored in their articles.
The frequent publication of negative news regarding
monks overwhelms the little positive news that is published.
Such news causes many people to misunderstand and conclude
that most monks engage in misconduct. In particular, whenever
the press severely attacks monks, in which some of the news
they report is simply false, this negative portrayal of the monks
to the public is swallowed by society. Moreover, the monks
are disdained as being a burden on society with people ready
to find any mistakes or shortcomings. Publications that lack
articles about the many hundreds of thousands of monks who
perform good deeds have an impact on people's reduced faith
in Buddhism.
Certain senior monks who have led their lives for the
benefit of Buddhism and society have been affected by the
news. Here is what they said:
"Nowadays, it is very difficult for monks to teach society.
Our efforts to teach morality and human decency seem wrong
to the media. Why is teaching wrong? It is because our
approach is not good enough in the media's perspective. When
monks try to advise society, we are condemned that it is not
our duty and we should not be involved. However, when we
remain silent inside in our temples while a social problem
occurs, they criticize us again that we are unworthy of society.
As a result, monks are condemned by the media no matter
what."
After listening to these senior monks, we should
thoroughly analyze the news we hear. It is very important to
differentiate between the actions of one person versus the
actions of the entire monastic community. This situation can
The Warm Hearted Family 380 Solving Buddhism's Crisis
The Warm Hearted Family
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Solving Buddhism's Crisis