I’ve been hanging around with dodgy Buddhist cults again. Well, I have to do something to entertain myself. While in Chiang Mai I attended a gathering organised by the Dhammakaya Foundation which is said to be Thailand’s fastest growing religious movement.

They have a fondness for large scale events and an even greater liking for liberating members from their cash.

In Chiang Mai, attendees discovered that seeking the path to enlightenment costs 1,500 baht a head. The sermon to the faithful  also slipped in the line, ‘may you all become generous millionaires…and support Buddhism with your wealth’.

Of course, the blatant fleecing of the flock is not restricted to the Dhammakaya Foundation. Almost without exception, the focus at Buddhist temples is the collection of cash…and lots of it.