Clean karma: Temple’s toilet threat leaves visitors flushed

A temple in the Isaan province of Si Saket successfully kept its bathroom clean by employing a unique approach, issuing a warning to visitors that there would be severe consequences in the afterlife and karma haunt them if the temple’s monks had to handle their waste.

Pictures of spray-painted messages on the bathroom wall within the Ta Dob Temple in Si Saket were shared on social media and attracted attention from several Thai media outlets. Each message is rather eye-catching.

“Monks clean visitors’ poop.”

“Hell, do you see?”

“Poop and then clean it.”

The head of a community, Nat Chaiyadarun, informed ThaiRath and Channel 7 that the messages were spray-painted by a monk who left his monkhood several years ago.

According to the community leader, a monk noticed that the visitor bathroom consistently remained unclean, emitting an unpleasant odour. Visitors were neglecting to flush and clean the toilet after use.

Realising it shouldn’t fall solely on the monks, especially considering the risk of injury for elderly monks on the slippery floor, the monk decided to act.

Thai Buddhists are apprehensive about facing punishment in hell for their actions, especially if directed against Buddhist monks. The monk used this concept to raise awareness among temple visitors.

The messages aimed to highlight that failing to clean the toilet after use constituted negative karma towards the monks, instilling a sense of fear of wrongdoing.

The community leader noted a significant improvement in the cleanliness of the bathroom, and visitors have found the messages both informative and entertaining.

Every temple in Thailand educates visitors about the concept of karma mostly through the mural paintings on the inner walls of the main halls. These murals depict the atmosphere in hell and the punishments individuals will face in the afterlife for their wrongdoings.

The Non Sa-at Forest Temple in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima even launched a hell tour to encourage visitors to refrain from engaging in wrongful actions.