Pubdate: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 Source: Tallahassee Democrat (FL) Section: Nation Copyright: 2002 Tallahassee Democrat Contact: http://www.tdo.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/444 Author: Denis D. Gray (AP) 'LITTLE BUDDHAS' WAGE WAR ON DRUGS GOLDEN HORSE MONASTERY, Thailand - He was a soldier and champion boxer, but now the burly abbot leads a band of "Little Buddhas," some as young as 7, who practice martial arts and meditation, then ride into the mountains to fight the scourge of drugs. There are nearly 33,000 Buddhist monasteries in Thailand but not many like this remote retreat set in limestone crags and bamboo thickets of northern Thailand. Most of the country's sanctuaries are defined by a languid atmosphere and little physical exertion by the clergy. The Golden Horse Monastery resounds with the neighing of some 100 horses, the thwack of body punches and the barking of orders at ranks of disciplined youngsters. "Before I was just a soldier of Thailand. Now I am a soldier of the Lord of all the world's people. Now, I fight against lies, theft, hate and violence," says Abbot Kru Ba Nua Chai, seated in a simple hall stacked with religious icons. His little army consists of the sons of impoverished hill tribe families, most of them orphans, some former drug addicts. Its mission, Kru Ba says, is to spread the Buddha's teachings and combat widespread drug abuse among tribal people in an area where narcotics are as common as cold pills. The 40-year-old monk, accompanied by some of the novices, spends about a half of each month trekking through the rugged region along the Myanmar border in the northern province of Chiang Rai. They ride horses, which fare better than vehicles, especially during the monsoon rains. A Strict Regimen Wake up call is at 1 a.m. followed by meditation, religious teaching and the chanting of prayers until dawn. Then, standing in military formation, the novices - there are currently 17 - count off before calisthenics and immersion in a pool of frigid mountain water for more meditation. There are periodic fasts, lasting up to three days. Days are spent cleaning the monastery grounds, cooking and caring for horses and ponies, which the novices gallop, their loose yellow robes flapping. Thai-style boxing is practiced every evening, and Kru Ba, tucking his robes between his legs to reveal a powerful, densely tattooed torso, happily demonstrates techniques. The monastery where the charismatic monk bends the minds and bodies of young boys is in part supported by the office of the Supreme Patriarch, the country's Buddhist leader. Also assisting is the Third Army, Thailand's front line of defense against the flow of opium, heroin and methamphetamines from Myanmar and other areas of the tri-border region of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar known as the Golden Triangle. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth