Thailand is the world’s most heavily Buddhist country. 94 percent of the people in Thailand are Buddhist. Buddhism, by principle or societal standard, is good. Buddhism promotes health and happiness, both beautiful ideals that have shaped some of the most kind and accepting people in the world.
However, the heart of Thailand is heavy. It is a heart that shoves shrines and golden temples and good deeds in its gaps. It is a heart that seeks and seeks but never finds.
How can such moral people carry around such weight?
With such a loaded question comes such a simple answer: The Holy One is not welcome in Thailand.
The Buddhist Scriptures of Cambodia include prophecy of a “Holy One”. A “Holy One” that Buddha, himself, described with great conviction, saying, “This Holy One (who) will come and help the world and all of you in the future”. Of this “Holy One”, Buddha said, “in the palm of his hands and in the flat of his feet will be the design of a disk, in his side will be a stab wound; and his forehead will have many marks like scars. This Holy One will be the golden boat who will carry you over the cycle of rebirths all the way to the highest heaven”.
Each of these descriptions directly correlates with the prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament and the descriptions of Christ at crucifixion in the New Testament. The disk shape nail pierced into Jesus’ hands and feet is referenced in John 20 and the spear piercing into Jesus’ side and crown of thorns pressed into Jesus’ forehead are referenced in John 19.
In addition to his description of Christ, Buddha provided commands that regard Jesus and denounce merit as the saving power. In this scripture, Buddha said, “Do not look for salvation in the old way; there is no salvation in it for sure. Quit the old way. And there will be a new spirit like the light of a lightening bug which will come down from the sky above”.
While Cambodian scriptures still include and recognize this passage, Thailand has deleted it from its doctrine. As a result of this, there is no conclusion to merit in Thai Buddhism, as even Buddha stated that striving does not lead to salvation.
The people of Thailand want Jesus. They want the “Holy One”, the saving one, the one that puts an end to empty striving, the one that even the “Enlightened One” (Buddha) bowed before.
