Photo: Luke Duggleby

Foreign Policy‘s photo essay (“Close Encounters of the Buddhist Kind“) includes 23 stunning images of rituals at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a Theravada temple in Thailand. The images are amazing. But some of the accompanying text for the essay doesn’t sit right with me. Scott at the buddha is my dj really breaks it down:

The essay informs us that most Thai men will join a monastery, spending part of their lives as a monk. This rather common practice in many Theravada countries seems recast in this article as cult-like behavior. The temple’s architecture is described repeatedly as a UFO or “Mothership” and, coupled with the title of the article (a reference to the Steven Spielberg alien movie) reinforces the sense of difference. This community is not of this earth; it is literally alien. Finally, “Fireworks provide a Disney-esque touch to the culmination of the massive Buddhist gathering.” The Disney reference is interesting. Are we meant to assume that Wat Phra Dhammakaya has the same shallow character as Disney and thus not to be taken seriously? Or are we meant to think that they have they same global cultural reach as Mickey Mouse?

Scott isn’t alone in his criticism. Comments on the Foreign Policy essay show others are similarly disturbed by the descriptions. I have to admit my knowledge about this Buddhist school is minimal. Food for thought.