A new Buddhist sect?: The Dhammakāya temple and the politics of religious difference

Abstract

In this article I explore the politics of the Dhammakāya temple controversy that captivated the Thai public in 1998 and 1999. By looking at the claim that the Dhammakāya temple constitutes a new nikāi, I examine a debate over tradition and innovation, a debate that has implications for modern constructions of sectarianism and of authentic Buddhism within the Thai sangha. I address the following questions: What kinds of innovations in doctrine and practice are acceptable? What constitutes a new nikāi in late modern Thailand? Who decides what is and is not consistent with orthodox Buddhism?