Eight Years of Fighting beside the monks in four unrest Southern provinces in Thailand

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Eight Years of Fighting
Beside the monks in four unrest Southern provinces in Thailand

When there are the unrest events happening in four unrest Southern provinces – Songkhla, Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani, these events have affected the monk’s living. The monks are in danger and difficult to do the monastic duties. Some temples have announced that their monks do not go out for the morning alms round which result in the Buddhists’ spirit and mind in these area very much.

Due to these reasons the Most Ven. Phrathepyanmahamuni (Dhammajayo Bhikkhu), the president of Dhammakaya Foundation, has initiated to invite the Four Buddhist Communities nationwide and worldwide to make merit together by offering alms to all temples in the unrest area. Firstly, we did it in three provinces and now we expand to do in four provinces every month. We have done it since June 2005.

As Buddhists, We have to protect and keep our Buddhism. When the monks keep fighting there, we must beside them. Instead of going out of these area, we should persuade the Buddhists who had gone away to come back to keep the area. This is the right way because even though Thai people had the different beliefs in the past, they could live together peacefully for a long time. The unrest events occurred for about eight years. The Buddhists have opened the chance for other religious to live in Thailand and freely believe in their religions. This is to live together peacefully and to purify their actions, speeches and minds by their beliefs. Thai Buddhists have done like this which you can see by studying the Thai history. Thai Buddhists live on this land for a long time because the Buddhism has been established before other beliefs.

If there are only the disciples of Dhammakaya Temple helping, we can do it in one level, only once a month. In fact, we really want to do everyday because we realize that all monks have to have the meals everyday. They also have many necessary things to live there. So what we do in this time is to make merit, do it with love of Buddhism and esteem the monks who sacrifice their lives to protect and keep the Buddhism there.

Schedule of the Picked–Up Robe Set Ceremony
For helping 286 temples in four unrest Southern provinces

Date	Times of the ceremony	Place
May 14th, 2011	The 72nd time	Songkhla
June 11th, 2011	The 73rd time	Narathiwat
July 23rd, 2011	The 74th time	Songkhla
September 24th, 2011	The 75th time	Pattani
October 22nd, 2011	The 76th time	Yala
November 22nd, 2011	The 77th time	Narathiwat
December 11th, 2011	The 78th time	Hat Yai

You can watch the live program on Saturday July 23rd, 2011 during 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.