Thailand’s Very Own Prophet: “The Dude” Of The Latter-Day Church

We, the people of Thailand, have a prophet living amongst us. Or never heard of The Church of the Latter-Day Dude? It’s a church that employs a fine-tuned version of Taoism and principles from the movie The Big Lebowski, a crime caper about a philosophical middle-aged slacker who goes by the name The Dude.

Journalist Oliver Benjamin, the church’s 40-year-old American founder, is the very same Oliver Benjamin who liveth amongst us an earthly existence in Thailand and preaches The Tao of the Dude. Benjamin’s the jolly Messiah of that very church that ordains even you as a Dudeist Priest. All you have to do is apply online.

If your brain is not that able anymore to absorb real depths and complex issues after all these years in Thailand, Benjamin’s Dudeism is for you. Enlighten up, as prophet Benjamin tells us, this self-declared “religion-starter.”

Benjamin who? What church?! Dudeism?!?

In the Beginning was the Word and a Benjamin who was a tourist who became an aspiring novelist, then an editor, musician and the father finally of Dudeism. He had set foot in Thailand in the early 90s. Three novels never got published, a modest writing career paid the bills.

He then saw the light. “Of course, the only thing I’m really proud of is Dudeism,” Benjamin tells absolutely. “We’ve got almost 25,000 ordained ministers in the year and a half since going online. It’s a lot of fun.”

A religion, fun?

As a Dudeist Priest of Benjamin’s Church of the Latter-Day “you could preside over a wedding, a funeral, a bris, a baptism or even a pet-spaying ceremony with pride and authority,” the lebowskian guardian of fulfillment-through-insouciance told the Wall Street Journal.

You as a Bangkokian by free choice know that to find uncommon characters in Bangkok is rather common. But there’s a profound difference between the plain weird and the sophisticated weird. And Benjamin’s a resident of Chiang Mai for that; a “creative nut” who gave the world not only Dudeism, but an ingenious Thai script named Fon Tok as well. A font, says Benjamin, that “smells like lemongrass and looks like rice noodles.”

But that earthly creativity of furthermore being a journalist and author – with clients such as Big Chilli & Thailand Tatler – is only a small part only of Benjamin’s chosen existence. His Church of the Latter-Day Dude ordains you free instantaneously. Once you signed up, the church provides you with a printable certificate online.

Why not become a follower of The Dude and spread the word! But get used to the frequent use of the word “dude” first, love Taoism and live the irreverent and outrageous The Big Lebowski starring Jeff Bridges.

Become a Lebowskian. Internalize the Dude’s ability to live in the present moment without any concern for the future – what, in the movie, arouses the ire of other achievement-oriented Californians.

The jump from California to Bangkok is a rather small one. Both are synonyms for the easy-going and pleasant. The people of Bangkok and California are brothers and sisters in mission and mind by not denying sanuk while effortlessly trying to achieving enlightenment.

Maybe I should try founding a church as well. Something like … absolutely Bangkok … The Absolutist, an Epicurian’s Sure Way Out. Anyone in?

If you’re still not convinced to become a disciple of the Dude’s Church of the Latter-Day, let Benjamin at least show you around Thailand with the Dude’s holy credo “Just take it easy, man” in the back of your mind:

Yes. Benjamin’s the author of The Outsider’s Guide to Thailand. A most popular guidebook with insights by the man himself who is “still extremely confused about the actual inner workings of Thai culture.”

Don’t postpone enlightenment any longer. Sit back, think for a second and change it all right here and right now.

Become another Great Dude in history.

Tells me Benjamin: “I’ll be expanding the site of Dudeism dramatically in the weeks to come” – and asks: “Are you a fan of The Big Lebowski? Most Thailand expats seem to be. Which is cool. That’s cool.”

Amen and a triple halleluja.




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June 13, 2008 | Filed Under Being Farang, Culture & Arts 

Comments

One Response to “Thailand’s Very Own Prophet: “The Dude” Of The Latter-Day Church”

  1. magnoy on June 29th, 2008 8.38 am

    I participate with my turtle.

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