The National Office of Buddhism said today eating ice cream is not considered a violation of Buddhist principles for monks, responding to a Dhammakaya Temple devotee’s ice cream day project that sparked controversy online.
The office said it’s totally fine for monks to consume ice cream after lunch time after a devotee of the famous temple ran a poster on Facebook that encouraged others Buddhists to raise donations to buy 1,500 Magnum ice creams for monks on Feb. 7.
The poster said those interested can donate THB800 for a box of 24 Magnums, or any amount they wished, as the public questioned whether monks could eat ice cream or not.
Creative.
While monks are not allowed to eat after noon, the office’s director Boonlert Sopha explained that ice cream is not in the “Pana,” the list of beverages that monks are allowed by Buddha to consume after lunch time, which mainly consists of fruit juice.
So technically, if Buddha didn’t say anything about ice cream or desserts two thousand years ago, monks can enjoy ice cream without violating Buddhist principles. YOLO.
However, Boonlert warned that monks must eat the sweet treat in a “controlled, conscious manner.” That means no frolicking.
Meanwhile, communications professor Parichart Stapitanond said he believed the Dhammakaya ice cream alms donation project could be considered as adding a commercial purpose to Buddhism.
Unilever, the company who holds the license to produce Magnum ice cream in Thailand, said yesterday it had nothing to do with the Dhammakaya ice cream day, Thai PBS reported.
