http://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/in_depth/200...oArrested_YLan/

A group of Buddhist monks were assaulted and its head monk, The Venerable Quang Do was arrested at Saigon train station.

Why do monks involve themselves in politics?

As Vietnamese citizens, the monks do have the right to get involved in politics. Remember, it was the Buddhist monks who brought down Diem's dictatorship. Aside from that, Martin Luther King's involvement in politics made America a better place. I want Vietnam to be a better place, a better society and a better country. But if there is no pressure for (peaceful) change, there will be no change.

But from my knowledge of Buddhism, monks supposed to meditate and do other religious things, not running around in society doing politics.
My aunty in VietNam says she usually see "Buddhist monks" going out with hookers and consuming alcohol, sometimes those things occur in temples! It seems to me that these monks no longer follow the guidance of Buddha.

HappyAsian:

"My aunty in VietNam says she usually see "Buddhist monks" going out with hookers and consuming alcohol, sometimes those things occur in temples! It seems to me that these monks no longer follow the guidance of Buddha."

I agree that the "monks" that your aunty in VN saw follow the path of whatever pleasures are guiding them. However, not every monk is corrupt - As a Buddhist, I hope not.

Monks have the rights to demand freedom of religious worship. The government harrass monks for not following official lines and has shut down the largest Buddhist Association for refusing to allow government interference into daily religious activities.

But I hope those corrupt ones won't drag the religion down, because I hope Buddhism will endure for another 1,000 years.

^It is true, Vietnam was very prosperous during the Republican era.

HappyAsian:

"But I hope those corrupt ones won't drag the religion down, because I hope Buddhism will endure for another 1,000 years."

I am staying a Buddhist, even if I am the last Buddhist on the face of the Earth and even if I go to hell for it. And if I get reincarnated as a human being, I want to be reincarnated as a Vietnamese and as a Buddhist.

Good to know, friend

They were probably communists spies dressed as a monks spying on the temple or making a business out of the donation money they get. Everyone knows Buddhists temples are very profitable in Vietnam. This theory goes to the same with the Catholics churches in Vietnam.

Buddhism is about truth and what is right. You can seek truth and right to help yourself or to help others. But in the end helping yourself is to help others and vice versa for that is the law of Karma. It is difficult to talk about truth and right without put some of it into practice.

According to latest news, The Venerable Thich Quang Do has been released due to protests from the monkhood as well as the people.

http://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/in_depth/200...sFailTrip_YLan/

Good news. What was the reason for the arrest, lunar new year travel?

They do not allow the monks to visit The Venerable Thich Huyen Quang who is under house arrest in Binh Dinh. The Venerable is a great campaigner of religious freedom and human rights. As a result of his activities, he has been jailed many times and currently lives under house arrest and is forbidden from receiving visitors.

He was on his way to visit his elder teacher for Lunar New Year(Tet) - a Vietnamese tradition, but VCs harassed him and took him in. Now, thats Religion Repression!

Everyone have the right to fight for their existence including the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam which is outlawed and replaced with a "quoc gia" Church run by mostly "cong an".

Majority of Buddhist monks in Vietnam are belong to "Bo Tat Gioi" Teaching in which they believe in helping themselves and society. They won't go to "paradise" until everyone is "saved". Making a better society and respecting basic human rights are parts of their teachings.

During the Ly dynasty, Buddhism was in its "renaissance" time. Arts and literature flourished during this period. In the old days, mainly Buddhist monks are educated and were very valuable to the Dynasty. Buddhist monks were advisers to Dynasty. Kings and queens, after they passed on their thrones, they becames Buddhist monks themselves. I think its the same under the Tran Dynasty but not equal to Ly Dynasty. Buddhism is always there during the ups and downs of Vietnam history. Today, its no different. Buddhhism(other religions too) is against oppression and call for justice. Recent history, we had Diem family and now its the VCs.

If calling for justice and human rights is politic then politic it is. When you support one policy over another, its politics. When you vote one canditate over another, you are a politician.

I wonder too. Politics and Monks just don't go together.

actually it's being non-political that scares the communists.

there are currently 2 "groups" of monks in viet nam, the well established "thong nhat" group and the newer "giao hoi viet nam" group created by the communists. after the creation of a personal religious body acting directy under the control and guidance of the communist party, the government outlawed the "thong nhat" monks because those monks do not link with the government in any way.

those monks belonging to the state-run congregation are left alone and advertised as viet nam's "freedom of religion"

those monks in the "thong nhat" congregation who do not wish to serve the communist aims are thus hassled and media-exposed as "dissidents"

the 9th part of the communist constitution says this:

"Mặt Trận tổ quốc Việt Nam và các tổ chức thành viên là cơ sở chính trị của chính quyền nhân dân"

meaning:

"the front-end of the vietnamese homeland and the activities of its members are the political foundations of the people's republic governemnt."

the communist-home-grown variety mentioned above is a member of the government front end, while the well established "thong nhat" congregation doesn't see that spiritual practices are "political foundations of the people's republic governemnt"

as a result, those monks tick of the commies and get arrested for no reason (no sacrasm - they truly get arrested for no reason at all other than bogus accusations)

Seriously, why are those oveseas (predominantly dudes) keep bietching and moaning about things like "religious freedom or democracy"? Go to Vietnam and see it for yourself, common people over there do not give a shiet about these things, the fact is that they don't give a damn about monks or priests or political activists getting arrested. All they care is about finding a job to feed themselves and their family members. Talk to a Vietnamese who is struggling to put food on the table and see if he/she cares about money more or shiet like "freedom or democracy".

^well said.......

landsknects:
if you think "freedom or democracy" is shiet then you should lock yourselft in a cage. most ppl in this world want those basic human rights. the reason they are not because they are living under a dictatorial government and thats what CSVN is.
How do you know those common people don't want "religious freedom or democracy"? They are living under the repressive government and they are not going to say it to a stranger like you. If you think commom people don't give a damn about this then why the VCs are doing everythhing to keep the Venerable in the dark. His present and his messages are not allowed in public. why is that?
If the common people don't care, why VCs doing that to him? no need to answer to these questions......

Be realistic, go to Vietnam and say that you're going to offer them U.S dollars and jobs or "freedom and democracy" and guess which option they would take.

Fact is that the Vietnamese population is too busy trying to make a living, let alone giving a damn about some monks or political activists getting arrrested.

Such is the thinking that the oppressors are counting on.

The French colonialists used to claim that Vietnam was a happy little colony, except for a handful of troublemakers.

90% of the Vietnamese who fought under Communist leadership fought for independence and freedom. When freedom is short-changed, there is nothing funny about it.

The fact that ordinary Vietnamese are very busy making a living does not make them deaf, dumb and blind. To say that freedom does not matter to our people who has fought bloodily for independence and freedom for thousands of years is supremely patronizing, insulting and inaccurate.

Very sad.

^Indeed.

dude, most of the population is screened and forcefully hushed thus no one hears about their concerns.

agreed, most are busy making a living, but that doesn't mean they aren't aware of the situation they are in.

go to viet nam and yell out in the streets with a loud speaker "vietnam has no human rights" and see how fast the goverment will fudge your visa and land you back home.

They are not real monks then. Probably because they were installed by communists. Vietnamese monks usually don't have this problems. You do hear about it in Thailand where they turn into monks to escape jail terms. I definitely think these monks are fake monks installed by communists as we have two groups of Buddhists, one installed by communists and one traditional.

I am trying to protect the government or anything, but i think some of you are so stupid to blame every bad thing in Vietnam on communism. That is un-grounded.

Monks are human. There are good and bad ones, just like anything in this world.

Everything is relative. Even time and space are not perfectly exact.


It is like:

for example, you sample a group of smokers and a group of non-smokers from the population and test their lungs. If the non-smokers give a significantly less healthy lungs on average, you say smoking leads to less healthy lungs.

No, that conclusion is wrong There is no such cause and effect in statistical
science.
The correct conclusion could be, for example: It is more likely that if you are a smoker, you have less healthy lung than a non-smoker.

SO--------------SOME PEOPLE NEED TO OPEN THEIR EYES A LITTLE. And if you could not understand the difference between the two sentences above, you should seriously think before open your mouth

TrashCleaner:

"I am trying to protect the government or anything, but i think some of you are so stupid to blame every bad thing in Vietnam on communism. That is un-grounded."

You're right, because any Vietnamese government will have to cope with many of these same bad things. And human beings don't stop being human beings, simply because there is a government in place. However, an effective, honest and responsive government will make a huge difference in what human beings will be able to get away with.

So, you don't think Viet people deserve more? Just either this or that but not both?

Don't look down on the Viet like that. I say give them all if you love your people and country!

“It is part of our traditions and culture to pay our respects to our elders in the Lunar New Year season”, he said. “Vietnam is a member of the United Nations and it has a binding commitment to respect fundamental freedoms and rights. It cannot expect to gain eligibility within the international community if it continues to flagrantly violate its citizens’ human rights”. - Thich Quang Do

Security agent in plain clothes prevents Buddhist monk from following Thich Quang Do (Ho Chi Minh City station) – Photo IBIB


Security Police push back Buddhist monk Thich Thien Minh (Ho Chi Minh City station) – Photo IBIB


Thich Quang Do's train tickets to Binh Dinh. Police said they did not arrest Thich Quang Do, but prevented him from boarding the train because he “had the wrong tickets” – Photo IBIB


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