Responsibilities of a Buddhist Monk

"If monks do not follow the precepts, they are harming society, and lay people should speak up. A monk should not be respected just because he wears a robe, you need to look at that monk’s values. Monks also have the responsibility to point out if their fellow monks don’t live up to Buddhist ideals. I feel a bit sad to see that there is often silence on both sides."

Bhikkhu Mokkhita does not hold back his opinions on what Myanmar's Buddhist monks need to be doing at this critical time. The story he tells is not an easy one to hear. His life work in building an eco-school in a monastery compound in Nyaunghswe, Shan State, literally went up in flames when military sympathizers committed arson in the middle of the night, and soon after he had to flee for his life as he became subject of a manhunt.

Bhikkhu Mokkhita came to Myanmar because of the Dhamma, and ordained as a monk to devote himself full time to spiritual practice. For this reason, it is especially tragic for him to see this this revered institution of the Sangha not engaging at the one moment when their wisdom and ethical standing is most needed. And in this interview, he doesn't hold back in sharing his pain and disappointment.