BANGKOK In deeply religious Thailand, monks have long been revered. But badly behaved clergy, corruption scandals, and the vast wealth amassed by some temples has many asking if something is rotten at the heart of Thai Buddhism.

From selfies on private jets to multimillion-dollar donations from allegedly crooked businessmen, Thailands monks are coming under increasing fire for their embrace of commercialism so much so that even the military junta is threatening to intervene.

In Wat Hua Lumphong, a temple in downtown Bangkok, garlands of bank notes flutter in the breeze as trader Sakorn Suker slips a 20 baht note ($1) into an urn.

It makes me feel good, boosts my health and makes me do better business, Suker said.

His donation entitles him to take a lucky floating candle in the shape of a flower.

Nearby, coin-operated machines similar to jukeboxes, but with a Buddha statue on top churn out lucky numbers for the faithful as kneeling devotees hand over envelopes stuffed with cash. Many pick up a tax-reduction certificate on their way out.

In one corner of the temple complex sits a monk in an air-conditioned box.

Donation means sacrifice. You sacrifice your things, sacrifice your time, sacrifice your money, sacrifice your heart, explained the monk, Pra Maha Noppadom.

In contrast to the increasingly empty pews and coffers of many European churches, temples remain a boom business in Thailand.

The overwhelmingly Buddhist nation is one of the most generous countries in the world, according to the 2014 World Giving Index.

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His other notable works include Sankrant, Dehant Se Hatkar, Teesra Andhera and Sufinama. "His poetry was cerebral and reflective. And death was a recurrent theme in his poems," says poet and friend Kedarnath Singh.

Kailash Vajpeyi was one of the prominent poets in a group that shaped what became known as San saatth ke baad ki kavita (Post-1960 poetry) in Hindi literature. Raghuvir Sahay, Kunwar Narayan, Sarveshar Dayal Saxena, Srikant Verma and Kedarnath Singh were other well-known poets in the group. Later he was also influenced by the Akavita or anti-poetry movement.

His later poetry is more metaphysical. "Kailash-ji was influenced by Zen Buddhism, Vedanta and Sufism. He taught for several years in Mexico. The philosophical outlook of the Mayans and the Aztecs is reflected through metaphors, masks and symbols which found echoes in his poems. He dealt with philosophy in a meaningful way through his poetry," says poet-journalist Manglesh Dabral.

Dabral also recalls his "attractive personality, energy, openness to new thoughts" and warmth. "He was a teetotaller who always offered a drink or two to his friends," he says.

On receiving the Sahitya Akademi award for Hawa Mein Hastakshar in 2009, Kailash Vajpeyi had said in an interview, "Previously the poet used to think that he could change the world but now he has reached the conclusion that poetry makes nothing happen. It is a signature in the wind."

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Read more from the original source:
Kailash Vajpeyi, Renowned Hindi poet, passes away