(8 August) The abbot of
Wat Nor
Buddhangkoon Temple in Suphanburi province used to welcome residents in the community to come and
discuss their daily troubles with him.
The temple is a shelter for those who are in
troubles, Phra Mahanarong said, adding that sometimes tourists from other provinces would strike up
long conversation with him, too.
However, he said, in recent months many people simply came
to the temple to borrow the money. Sometimes they would put up a sad face and make up elaborate
false stories in order to gain sympathy before asking for financial assistance, according to the
abbot.
The amount of money they asked is not much, Phra Mahanarong explained, but temple
staff often have difficulty when it comes to collecting the money back.
Eventually, Phra
Mahanarong instructed the temple staff to put up a big sign at the temple entrance notifying
visitors that we can discussion any problem of yours, followed by the text in bright yellow, But
please DO NOT borrow money!.
The sign ends with a Buddhist proverb, written in Thai
and Pali, that reads It is best to rely on yourself (the Buddhist version of “God helps those who
help themselves”).
The result? Surprisingly, according to Pra Mahanarong, after he put the
sign on, he never has such trouble ever again. I should have done that long ago, he said.
The
sign had also raised a lot of smiles and many people had taken pictures with it, said Pra
Mahanarong.
Wat Nor Buddhangkoon is famous for its Luang Por Kham amulet (not
to be confused with the controversial ex-monk Luang Pu Nen Kham), which many people believe would
bring prosperity and honesty.
