Holy war of words at Wat Suthat as curses invoked

A sign with a curse for those who abandon their cats and dogs at the temple was temporarily installed last month after the number of strays kept growing, creating a hygiene problem and other headaches for the monks. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

After numerous failed attempts to keep Wat Suthat Thepwararam free of stray dogs and cats the temple has ignited a firestorm on social media with its latest "solution" -- keeping them out with the invocation of curses against those who ditch or feed the animals.

Although not universally liked, this novel approach appears to be working. Authorities at the temple -- located opposite City Hall -- hung the written curse up for about two weeks from the end of April to May 8, two days before Visakha Pucha Day, the most important Buddhist holiday in Thailand.

"No matter if you are monk, novice or layman, if you leave scraps of food for cats and dogs around the sacred base of the royal chapel, filthy things will enter your house and the lives of you and your family. Those who abandon their dogs and cats here will in turn be abandoned by their loved ones," the sign read.

Social media was quick to draw attention to the uncharitable nature of the wording.

"You [the assistant abbot] are a Chao Khun. But you are dividing people into two groups. This is in appropriate," wrote one netizen.

"You curse people to suffer personal harm yet you claim to observe [Buddhist] precepts and encourage moderation in others," wrote another.

Others supported the message, arguing that it is disrespectful to leave food for animals at the base of the royal chapel.

"Put it somewhere else, then wait until the animals are finished eating and take the container back with you," read one post online.

"Second, don't abandon your pets. Even though you may think there is room for them at the temple, the monks can't take care of every animal. Pets are for life," it continued. But the assistant abbot of Wat Suthat insists that despite the chorus of controversy the curse sign did its job by educating people on how to behave properly at places of Buddhist and royal worship.

"It turned out to be a positive thing as people are now aware of the temple's viewpoint," said Phra Theppatiphanwathi, also known as Chao Khun Phiphit, who authorised the sign.

He said those who cannot follow the rules mapped out in the curse are free to dissociate themselves from temple affairs while those who see its merit will help educate others on the importance of properly caring for their pets.

Other curses have been installed in washrooms at the temple and visitors now leave them in a much cleaner state, he said.

"I think people may be afraid of these curses," he said, adding that previous attempts to politely request people show respect for temple hygiene fell on deaf ears.

Chao Khun Phiphit said Wat Suthat has struggled with the issue of Thai people abandoning their pets on its premises before he was ordained there in 1976.

"Only Buddhists would do this," he said. "No one would dare to leave their animals at a Christian church, Islamic mosque or Japanese temple because they appreciate these are holy places of worship."

He said true Buddhists who ditch their pets should be ashamed of such behaviour and recognise it as a sin.

About 4,000 visitors, both Thai and foreigners, visit the temple daily between 8am and 9pm. The assistant abbot said the long opening hours are already a challenge for the 25 staff who clean the property twice a day, and that the temple lacks the financial means or manpower to act as a foster home for stray animals.

He also voiced concern that the cats and dogs could harm visitors if they are disturbed, adding that City Hall has provided the temple with vaccines against rabies and other infectious viral diseases.

Adding to the problem, he said some senior monks have shown compassion and tried to care for the strays in the past. When the assistant abbot confronted them, it sometimes led to ethical disputes.

"I've addressed this issue many times but to no avail," he said. "None of those senior monks seemed concerned about the consequences of their actions despite the lack of sanitation that the monastery, lawns and the temple court."

He said the situation is exacerbated when scraps are left in holy areas and on top of walls.

"It's just not appropriate," he said. "It's already difficult to clean up the food when it's dumped on the floor."

Aside from this, the temple is forced to deal with all the attendant problems of harbouring strays, he said. Dogs bark and cats scream in pitched battles. Monks have to clean up the carcasses of cats bitten to death by dogs. Newly admitted dogs fight with others over territory and end up being mauled or killed. The list goes on, he sighed.

"Do those merciful but uninformed people who bring strays to the temple realise that animals also love their freedom?" he asked.

He said the wording of the sign was fair and in agreement with Buddhist precepts.

"I believe that when a person behaves well he should be awarded a monk's blessing, but if he mistreats others he should face similar misfortune," he said.

"This is contained in Buddhist scripture when the Buddha talks about retribution from mistreating holy places."

The assistant abbot also elaborated on the decision to award amulets (Phra Kring) to those who adopt one of the cats or dogs left at the temple. Previously, these were given to visitors who showed a devotion to Buddhism. Now they could be misconstrued as a bargaining tool.

He said the temple has only had two takers so far and neither one has collected their new pet yet.

Thawon Khamphan, a City Hall official who has lived near the temple for 20 years, said he has seen the effects on the temple of the growing number of animals abandoned there. It is now much less clean, he said.

He urged public understanding for the "curse" sign as keeping a large temple clean requires a large budget.

"I know that showing kindness to animals is a good thing, but by behaving this way it creates more sin than merit -- both to the animals and the temple," he said.

"I hope people become more aware of this and that the temple's burden is eased."