Decline of Thai Buddhism

Here are two great stories about the crisis in Thai Buddhism, one from PBS Religion and Ethics and the other from the New York Times.

Crisis? According to these stories, modernization and commercialization are challenging the primacy of Buddhism in Thailand where over 90% of the population is Buddhist.

Fewer young men are becoming monks and many Thais simply “buy their karma” with donations instead of going to temple. Some critics call the trend “fast food” Buddhism, according to The New York Times.

My thanks to David Korfhage for tweeting the links to these stories.