religion being questioned in Thailand too

[donsu]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/IK15Ae01.html


Crow art has Thai monks flapping


Few would have thought that a painting would have the power to shake the foundations of modern-day temple life in Thailand, a country which prides itself as a center of Buddhism.

But before painter Anupong Chanthorn started working on his masterpiece, Bhikku Sandan Ka (Monks With Traits of a Crow), he spent time seeking meaningful messages in Buddhist texts. That diligence paid off when the painting bagged the country's most prestigious national art award in September.

Since then, the painting's powerful message has not only elevated the painter to the ranks of well-respected national artists, but also sparked an open national debate on how much monks, who symbolically represent a fundamental part of Buddhism, can and should be criticized.
The painting, composed using a yellow cord traditionally worn by Buddhist monks, portrays the painter's disagreement with the immoral behavior of some clergy members. It shows two monks with pointed and sharp mouths resembling a crow's beak squatting and facing each other on the floor with crows looking over their shoulders.

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The painting also associated monks with immoral behavior and would adversely impact Buddhism in the country if put on public display, he added. Anupong dismissed such claims. He said that through the painting he intended to present certain hard facts about modern-day Buddhism in Thai society. One reality was that some people became monks only to take advantage of the religion which, he said, hurt many Buddhists.

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Committee member and senior artist Kiartsak Charnnaroth said that those who disagreed with the painting had the right to express their opinion, but such criticism would not in any sense reduce the value of the painting. "I see moral courage in telling society the truth here," said independent academic Cholthep Panboonchu. "I also think that the argument of the monks was an attempt to bring in cultural and spiritual discourses to silence others."
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