Been to Thailand a couple of times and I always thought Buddhist monks were holy lifelong devotees that never did any wrong. Turns out that there is parts of the country where reformed prisoners have the option to join a monastery as a monk to serve their sentence. So in many places, those tough looking monks you see are actually gang members and criminals serving out a sentence … some of them are honestly reformed, some are working on it, and some are just gaming the system.
It’s also a common rite of passage for young men to serve as a monk for a short time.
Thais believe that when a man turns 20, he should be ordained and enter a monastery for a period of time to study dharma, the teachings of the Lord Buddha.
The chaotic lifestyle of today does not allow people to leave the worldly life behind for three months. The tradition has therefore changed. The monkhood period is shortened and varies from one week to 15 days or one month, depending on the time the person has available.
Been to Thailand a couple of times and I always thought Buddhist monks were holy lifelong devotees that never did any wrong. Turns out that there is parts of the country where reformed prisoners have the option to join a monastery as a monk to serve their sentence. So in many places, those tough looking monks you see are actually gang members and criminals serving out a sentence … some of them are honestly reformed, some are working on it, and some are just gaming the system.
It’s also a common rite of passage for young men to serve as a monk for a short time.
https://www.thailandfoundation.or.th/culture_heritage/buat-nak-rituals-before-monkhood/
You can also avoid military service in Thailand by becoming a monk, but you gotta be one for a good while.
Sounds worth it
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41263073
Lol “hardline Buddhist monk”
Previously my gender identity was a brindle french bulldog, but I think I just changed genders again.