Thailand: Abbot kicks monk out of Buddhist order for being too small

Sermsak, right, says he will continue to follow the teachings of Buddha. Image via Daily News.

19th August 2016

THAILAND’S smallest monk was disrobed this week after a senior monk decided he was too small.

Venerable Sermsak Thammasaro, who is 99cm tall and weighs just 15kg, was disrobed in a ritual on August 16 because he was deemed “disabled and a burden”.

Sermsak, 21, who was said to be very popular among local villagers, was ordained just one month ago.

 

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Kaewmala @Thai_Talk

Really, so much for Buddhist compassion. The (21yo) monk decided to leave the monkhood b/c he did not want to cause problems for the temple.

2:01 AM - 18 Aug 2016

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The unnamed senior monk at Thap Chang Temple in Soi Dao District of the eastern province of Chanthaburi said ordaining persons who are physically too little is against Buddhist Vinaya, a Buddhist monastic order. He added that Sermsak could be accepted as a ‘Nayn’, a form of novice monk.

Local media reported that Sermsak or the monk that ordained him had to leave the monkhood, with Sermsak opting to take the fall.

While the incident has sparked anger among villagers and Thai netizens, experts have insisted that Buddhist Vinaya prohibits persons with dwarfism to be ordained as Buddhist monks.

18 Aug

Kaewmala @Thai_Talk

This order came from some high-ranking monk in Chantaburi. The local temple & villagers are very fond of this monk.https://twitter.com/thai_talk/status/766151845484097536 …

 

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Kaewmala @Thai_Talk

So here's Director of Samut Sakorn Buddhism Office confirming a rule prohibiting men who are too short from monkhoodhttp://www.dailynews.co.th/regional/516744 

4:27 AM - 18 Aug 2016

'แก้ว'แจงกฎการบวชพระ ห้ามผู้เตี้ยเกินเป็นภิกษุ

ผอ.สำนักพุทธศาสนา จ.สมุทรสาคร ยันบทบัญญัติในพระธรรมวินัยห้ามผู้ชายที่เตี้ยเกินไปบวชพระเหตุเพราะจะทำให้ พุทธศาสนิกชนไม่เลื่อมใสศรัทธา แนะให้บวชเณร พร้อมระบุพระผู้ใหญ่จ.จันทบุรีทำถูกตามบทบัญญัติสึก'พร...

dailynews.co.th

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“Although I have become a layperson, I still have faith in Buddhism and will continue to follow the teaching of Buddha,” Sermsak wrote on Facebook, as translated by Prachathai.

Thai monks have been making the headlines for the wrong reasons in recent months, particularly with the gruesome discovery of tiger parts and 40 dead tiger cubs at the so called ‘Tiger Temple’ in Kanchanaburi province earlier this year.

Last year, two monks were expelled from their order after after crashing their truck while returning to their temple after an hours-long drinking binge.