RAAP—043
WAT DHAMMAKAYA
Founded in 1970 near Bangkok, Wat Phra Dhammakaya has grown into Thailand’s most influential—and contested—Buddhist institution. Using the revived dhammakāya meditation method, it now hosts 2,000 monks, hundreds of thousands of followers, and more than eighty overseas branches. A vast, high-tech complex backed by corporate patrons promotes meditation and merit as routes to “world peace through inner peace,” positioning the temple as a prospective global hub for Theravāda Buddhism.
Its rise has drawn steady criticism. Detractors reject its esoteric teachings, question its multi-level fundraising that links donations to heavenly rewards, and cite publicity tactics such as a claim that Luang Po Soth’s image appeared in the sun. Media revelations of millionaire donor clubs and merit-priced Buddha statues have intensified debates over wealth, faith, and authority, casting Wat Phra Dhammakaya as both a modernising force and a source of tension within Thai Buddhism.
Its rise has drawn steady criticism. Detractors reject its esoteric teachings, question its multi-level fundraising that links donations to heavenly rewards, and cite publicity tactics such as a claim that Luang Po Soth’s image appeared in the sun. Media revelations of millionaire donor clubs and merit-priced Buddha statues have intensified debates over wealth, faith, and authority, casting Wat Phra Dhammakaya as both a modernising force and a source of tension within Thai Buddhism.