Ajahn Tri Dao: The Imposter Monk Who Got Away With It
The failure to vet one of Buddhism's most egregious heretics
⚠️This article contains mention of S&A involving minors; if that’s not a topic you’re comfortable reading about, you might want to skip the piece.
With 1.3m followers on TikTok, 39k followers on Instagram, 37.9k subscribers on YouTube, and 7.8k followers on Facebook, 37-year-old Ajahn Tri Dao is one of the most prominent online ‘Theravada Buddhists’. Given his charismatic delivery of conventional self-help advice in digestible short-form content, it’s easy to see how he acquired his audience; he tapped into the zeitgeist. His content centers on mainstream topics such as adolescents’ mental health, addiction, meditation, self-help, Psychology, and Buddhist advice watered down for a younger, impressionable following. What Tri Dao lacks in substance, he makes up for with charm and confidence. It’s a perfect blend of superficial psychology and spirituality, delivered by a purported religious authority. His anecdote of going from rock bottom to finding peace through Buddhism adds to the appeal.
This TikTok received 4.9m views
People want someone willing to meet them where they’re at; Tri Dao does just that. For the crowd of teens and young adults struggling to navigate a complicated and demanding world, they want a stable authority figure to look up to; someone who will befriend them, not scold. A ‘friendly neighborhood monk’ who goes on shopping trips and vacations while providing nuggets of wisdom is incredibly appealing.
However, as anyone even slightly familiar with the teachings can tell, this is nothing but a fantasy. There’s no such thing as a shopping Buddhist monk who occasionally games, goes on lavish dinners, and takes luxurious vacations with family. Moreover, Tri Dao’s entire online profile is a facade. He’s not an Ajahn, let alone a Bhikkhu.
From this point on, I’ll be referring to him by his legal name: Hai Hoang (he also goes by “Harry”). The extent of Hoang’s criminal charges ranges from relatively mild traffic infractions to police impersonation and alleged sex crimes against minors. Beyond his legal troubles, Hoang faces a litany of allegations, including but not limited to: heresy, lying, defamation, religious fraud, grooming, etc.
🚨 Before I get into too much depth, I want to make a couple of things abundantly clear:
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CONTACT HAI HOANG: He is a mentally ill man who suffers from delusional disorder. The issue isn’t with him as much as the social media platforms and Buddhist communities that enable him to manipulate the vulnerable.
This article isn’t meant to be a hate piece or to incite harassment. My goal is to raise awareness about the case and encourage the broader Buddhist community to dissociate itself from him.
Hoang is not a reliable source for Buddhist teachings and spreads adhamma (false doctrine). If you are a fan of his, I implore you to stop following his socials and refrain from watching his content.
All information was gathered from public internet sources reachable by anyone (Reddit, Hoang’s social media, Dhamma Sangha’s posts, public records, etc.). Feel free to go on Hoang’s socials to see for yourself.
Translations of Sutta quotes are taken from Bhikkhu Bodhi’s work. The Vinaya quotes are taken from I.B. Horner’s translation on Suttacentral.
🔒 Legal Disclaimer:
This article reflects the author’s personal opinions and analysis of publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article does not offer legal, psychological, or professional advice. Readers are encouraged to review the primary sources and draw their own conclusions. Any statements quoted from third parties are included for documentation purposes and do not necessarily reflect the author’s own conclusions or assertions.
Due to the sheer magnitude of material that I’ll be covering, I can’t go into detail on every aspect of this case. The primary purpose is to cover as much of the story as possible, and this article is already long enough, even without dense analysis. Perhaps that will be saved for later posts.
I’d also like to thank Dhamma Protector/Dhamma Sangha, as his initial coverage inspired this article. They’ve provided lots of incredibly valuable information; major pieces of evidence archived by him seem to have since been deleted, so his contribution really can’t be understated. I included much of his content in this piece.
Check out Dhamma Protector’s Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok pages for additional details on this incredibly bizarre and convoluted case.
With that out of the way, let’s go over the main points of concern:
Career Criminal
With over 40 run-ins with the law spanning over two decades, Hoang is far more seasoned in crime than monastic discipline. By simply entering his first (Hai), last name (Hoang), and DOB (06/13/1988)in the Pinellas County public records website, you can see his extensive history on full display:
Here’s a breakdown of his charges:
34 Traffic Infractions/Traffic Court (Careless driving, running stop signs, speeding, driving without headlights, driving without a licence, etc)
5 Misdeamners (Unlawfully installed radio equipment, carrying concealed weapon, unlawfully installing or transporting radio equipment, disorderly conduct, and violation of injunction for protection against domestic violence)
6 Felonies (Falsely personating an officer, 2 counts of falsely personating a police officer, armed trespass, lewd or lascivious battery, and possession of firearm & possession of weapon during the commission of a felony)
The key charges that underscore Hoang’s danger are domestic violence, police impersonation, and lewd or lascivious battery. He was found mentally incompetent to stand trial in both of the latter cases. The middle has already received extensive news coverage following his arrest on 03/7/2017, which I have linked below.
Domestic Violence Charges:
Hoang has had three domestic violence-related incidents taking place on 04/02/2007, 12/12/2007, and 01/22/2008, respectively. Charges were pressed only in the middle case, where Hoang admitted guilt. He was 18 - 19 years old at the time. As far as I could gather, not much else is publicly known about these cases, although it has been claimed online that his girlfriend at the time and her father were the victims.
False Personation Charges:
This happened in 2017, supposedly while he was a ‘monk’.
Lewd or Lascivious Battery Charges:
Hoang was charged on 10/02/2015 with two counts of “lewd or lascivious battery statute: 800.04(4)(b)/794.0115 felony - 2nd degree.” Taken from the 2015 Florida Statutes, lewd or lascivious battery is defined as the following (I include only what is applicable):
“(4) LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS BATTERY.—
(a) A person commits lewd or lascivious battery by:
1. Engaging in sexual activity with a person 12 years of age or older but less than 16 years of age; or
2. Encouraging, forcing, or enticing any person less than 16 years of age to engage in sadomasochistic abuse, sexual bestiality, prostitution, or any other act involving sexual activity.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c), an offender who commits lewd or lascivious battery commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.”
It’s important to note that Chapter 794.0115 was also invoked in both of these charges. The designation is applicable under the 2015 Florida Statutes as follows (there are other implications as well, but given the context, I concluded that only the first part is relevant. The most applicable sections are bolded):
“794.0115 Dangerous sexual felony offender; mandatory sentencing.—
(1) This section may be cited as the “Dangerous Sexual Felony Offender Act.”
(2) Any person who is convicted of a violation of s. 787.025(2)(c); s. 794.011(2), (3), (4), (5), or (8); s. 800.04(4) or (5); s. 825.1025(2) or (3); s. 827.071(2), (3), or (4); or s. 847.0145; or of any similar offense under a former designation, which offense the person committed when he or she was 18 years of age or older, and the person:
(a) Caused serious personal injury to the victim as a result of the commission of the offense;
(b) Used or threatened to use a deadly weapon during the commission of the offense;
(c) Victimized more than one person during the course of the criminal episode applicable to the offense;”
Given this information, there could be three possible scenarios: Hoang allegedly violated the first statute twice, the second statute twice, or both statutes once (this can be multiple offences against a single person or single offences against two minors). Within these scenarios, he also allegedly committed any of the three acts that would classify him as a “Dangerous Sexual Felony Offender” (As defined above).
Hoang was 27 years old at the time these charges were pressed against him. This means that he allegedly sexually abused a minor(s) aged 15 or younger while being over a decade older, but was ruled incompetent to stand trial. There’s no beating around the bush here; Hai Hoang was charged with multiple sex crimes against a minor(s).
‘But these charges were almost a decade ago, what if he’s reformed since?’ - Ignoring the minor traffic infractions that he continues receiving as recently as a year back, 2023 deposition records show Hoang was evaluated as non-restorable by two out of three psychologists who examined him:
“Q. And do any of those pieces of information change in any way your opinion that he’s incompetent to proceed and non-restorable at this point?
A. No.”
“Q…. based on his particular mental health condition and based on all the documents, you would still find consistent with Suncoast and Grace Point who have been treating him for five years and have been telling the Court for the last two years that he’s non-restorable, that you would agree with them that he is non-restorable?
A. Yes.”
Order Of Incompetency:
On 01/19/2018, Hai Hoang was ruled incompetent to stand trial for his 2017 impersonation charges. What the document reveals is staggering:
01/19/2018 order of incompetency and placing defendant on conditional release
Note that conditions f and g would make higher ordination (Upasampadā) impossible in Theravadha orthodoxy. One of the stipulations is that the person ordaining is free from government service. Being under house arrest and GPS monitoring would make it essentially impossible for Hoang to function as a monastic.
Image posted by Dhamma Sangha on Facebook showing Hoang with an ankle monitor
“Monks, one in a king’s service should not be let go forth. Whoever should let (one such) go forth, there is an offence of wrong-doing.”
Mental Health
Two out of three doctors concluded that Hoang suffers from delusional disorder, while the other believed he was malingering (exaggerating symptoms). I’m going to side with the majority's verdict, since this reflects the court’s decision and my conclusions based on his social media activity and available court documents.
Delusional Disorder(DD):
In the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition), delusional disorder is characterized by the following:
“A. The presence of one (or more) delusions with a duration of 1 month or longer.
B. Criterion A for schizophrenia has never been met. Note: Hallucinations, if present, are not prominent and are related to the delusional theme (e.g., the sensation of being infested with insects associated with delusions of infestation).
C. Apart from the impact of the delusion(s) or its ramifications, functioning is not markedly impaired, and behavior is not obviously bizarre or odd.
D. If manic or major depressive episodes have occurred, these have been brief relative to the duration of the delusional periods.
E. The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition and is not better explained by another mental disorder, such as body dysmorphic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder.”
This diagnosis has seven types: erotomanic, grandiose, jealous, persecutory, somatic, mixed, and unspecified. By far, the most prevalent of Hoang’s delusions are grandiose; however, other types have also been shown.
Grandiose Type Delusions:
“In grandiose type, the central theme of the delusion is the conviction of having some great talent or insight or of having made some important discovery. Less commonly, the individual may have the delusion of having a special relationship with a prominent individual or of being a prominent person (in which case the actual individual may be regarded as an impostor). Grandiose delusions may have a religious content.”
Hoang has three primary delusions of grandeur: being a doctor with a Ph.D., a security guard or law enforcement officer, and a Buddhist Ajahn (a monk who has spent ten years in the robes).
Ph.D. Doctor (All credit to Dhamma Protecter for providing these screenshots):
Security Guard/Law Enforcement Officer (Colored screenshots are from Dhamma Protecter, and black/white pictures are from the Pinellas County public records website):
Buddhist Ajahn Monk (All credit to Dhamma Protecter for providing these screenshots):
While these posts are obviously false, they raise the question: ‘How was Hoang allowed in these settings in the first place?’ Here are some possible explanations:
He’s been working in hospitals as a Vietnamese interpreter; this is probably how he acquired access to the equipment.
As shown in new reports, Hoang amassed an enormous amount of law enforcement paraphernalia. He most likely approached actual law enforcement/security guards asking to take pictures with them or in facilities.
Comment from St. Petersburg Police Department's Facebook post
Hoang could have ordained at a monastery at some point, but quit shortly after. What’s certain is that he has never spent consistent time in robes.
Persecutory Type Delusions:
“In persecutory type, the central theme of the delusion involves the individual’s belief of being conspired against, cheated, spied on, followed, poisoned, maliciously maligned, harassed, or obstructed in the pursuit of long-term goals. Small slights may be exaggerated and become the focus of a delusional system. The affected individual may engage in repeated attempts to obtain satisfaction by legal or legislative action. Individuals with persecutory delusions are often resentful and angry and may resort to violence against those they believe are hurting them.”
There are a couple of indicators pointing to this delusion as well:
This bizarre clip displays the sheer magnitude of Hoang’s delusions. I could write an entire post just about the multiple videos he’s made on this matter, where he reaches out to all spiritual leaders around America, talks about his plan to form an army of followers, calls for them to find the IP address of the email sender, orders 2000 female ordinations by the end of 2024, and begs for money to perform these ordinatins that he claims will be done silently. Do I have to spell it out? The cultish behavior and potential fraud are so obvious that I can’t even get angry about it. It’s legitimately impressive how brazenly insane he is. If it weren’t for the fact that Hoang is genuinely this mentally ill, it would make for amazing comedic satire.
Here are links to the talks:
“Tri Dao quickly combats hate crime by announcing 1,500 additional ordainations.”
“Ajahn Tri Dao addresses email suggesting hate towards ordained women.”
Maybe I’m digging too deep here, but you can even catch the embellishment mid-sentence. He calls for his students (plural) in cybersecurity, and continues to state, “who gets paid a lot of money” (singular). He also states in another clip, “we’re going to raise additional money, for 15 additional hundred women.” He first says”15 aditional”, then adds “hundred woman” as he tilts his head towards the camera. Granted, these could be misstatements due to his accent, but given his history of constant exaggeration, I’m willing to bet that his nationwide syndicate of students is merely a couple of dozen of his friends.
The clip above shows how he believes that, as a “representative of the human race” and “representative of Buddhism”, Hoang is the victim of a hate crime by a domestic terrorist; he states that his team will be contacting the FBI and DHS because of this email. This falls under a persecutory delusion. Call me crazy, but sending a negative email (which he conveniently never reveals the contents of) doesn’t constitute domestic terrorism worthy of FBI involvement.
Dhamma Sangha, whom I’m assuming wrote the email (this is unconfirmed), responded in a Facebook post:
“The email he is talking about is not targeting anyone, only trying to guide him to the true dhamma, and the damage he is causing with these false ordinations. There was no harm implied, only protection to those vulnerable to his lies.”
The 2023 deposition of Dr. Alessandra Marotti revealed more accounts indicating persecutory delusions. Specifically, the engagement in legal action and the belief of being spied on. The second quote is particularly shocking:
“The first one was a Clearwater Police report number 23-34889 where Mr. Hoang claimed he was some victim in a case, and then there was CW22-3072 where he claimed he was the victim in a case. And there’s another police report, 20-40437…
“he(Hai Hoang) was telling me that he feels the FBI is setting him up and spies on him through the little holes in the wall, and he indicated in my office like the tiny holes where the FBI would be spying on him.”
Somatic Delusions:
“Somatic delusions can occur in several forms. Most common is the belief that the individual emits a foul odor; that there is an infestation of insects on or in the skin; that there is an internal parasite; or that parts of the body are not functioning.”
I’m mentioning this subtype because of a video Hoang posted while he was at a hospital, standing over his mother lying in bed. She suffered a major stroke, was transferred to an ICU, and sadly passed away shortly after:
Interestingly enough, there are instances of spirit possession recorded in the Suttas (SN 10.5). However, this incident doesn’t seem very convincing, to say the least. Given the camera presence, this could simply be a cold attempt at exploiting his mother’s condition for internet clout. If Hoang did genuinely believe this, it would be a somatic delusion. In a YouTube livestream after his mother’s death, Hoang explains: “I felt this heat inside of me, and I couldn’t breathe… and I went to my knees.” This sensation of not being able to breathe in particular could be the delusion of “parts of the body are not functioning,” as defined above. In short, Hoang either actually had his mom’s spirit enter his body, he is making it up, or he is experiencing a somatic delusion. Given his history, I’m going with the latter.
Schizophrenia:
In the 2023 deposition of Dr. Alessandra Marotti, it is revealed that she had diagnosed Hoang with schizophrenia:
“Q. Okay. And you’re diagnosis is that he has schizophrenia with delusional; is that what it is?
A. Yes, I put delusional disorder first and schizophrenia and disorder as secondary -- I mean second.”
This detail is interesting, since delusional disorder is framed in contrast to schizophrenia in the DSM-5. Here’s what it says about them:
“In schizophrenia, delusions show greater disorganization (the degree to which delusions are internally consistent, logical, and systematized), whereas in delusional disorder, they show greater conviction (the degree to which the individual is convinced of the reality of the delusion), greater extension (the degree to which the delusion involves various areas of the individual’s life), and greater pressure (the degree to which the individual is preoccupied and concerned with the expressed delusion).”
Besides delusions, the only schizophrenia symptom discernible in his content is “Disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence).” This is something Dr. Marotti notes as well:
“I think I based it on his conversations with me, which were like illogical and delusional, and I think that will definitely impact his ability to be rational with his attorney.”
Hoang’s speech is often irrational and abruptly switches subjects. I found this to be especially apparent in his email response, where he makes many illogical statements, such as stating that raising funds to ordain 2000 women would be ‘no problem’ (this would most likley require tens of thousands of dollars), and in the video about his mother’s passing, in which he states “this is how we know the hungry ghost realm is real” regarding his mother’s spirit entering his. He then goes on a tangent about paranormal experiences, and how cartoons contain ghost plotlines “because it’s real and it’s happened before.” This leads into another side tangent about a hand reader, then the story of his birth, his experience as a social worker, and his plans for future books.
The statements he makes regarding his mother’s fate are contradictory. In the hospital video, he writes that she “will enter Nirvana tommorow”; he later suggests that her spirit entering his constitutes proof of the hungry ghost realm (peta loka), and that she could’ve possibly been a Buddha. So is she a hungry ghost, Bodhisatta, or an Arahant? I don’t think Hoang has made up his mind on that yet.
It goes without saying that the passing of Hoang’s mother is incredibly tragic, but his reaction to this event is telling nonetheless.
Paranoia:
In Dr. Jill Poorman’s 2023 deposition, he states the following:
“I think some of that goes towards even though I’m giving him a diagnosis of delusional disorder, people who are delusional can also be paranoid. And I know he has said -- you know, I’ve read everything, but I think that just all goes towards his mental illness.”
Poorman is referencing the many police reports Hoang filed and his caution regarding legal action, given its potential impact on his incompetence. They interpret this as paranoia due to mental illness.
Medication:
Hoang had been taking court-ordered psychotropic medication ever since the order of incompatibility. Unfortunately, his condition didn’t improve from it:
“MS. SPURLOCK: I said, what diagnoses did you make for Mr. Hai Hoang?
DR. POORMAN: Delusional disorder.
MS. SPURLOCK: What was it?
THE COURT: Delusional disorder.
MS. SPURLOCK: Delusional. And is it able to be treated with medication?
DR. POORMAN: He’s been compliant on medications for several years without improvement.“
Transcript of proceedings, status check conference February 20, 2023
Hoang was eventually dismissed due to incompetence on his 2017 police impersonation charges.
Given the multiple mental diagnoses, order of incompetence, and no improvement after treatment, why would you ever trust Hai Hoang as a spiritual instructor? He’s a severely mentally ill man without a grasp on basic reality, let alone Dhamma. Not to mention his history of alleged physical and sexual violence.
The severity of Hoang’s mental illness begs the question: How could such a sick person demonstrate such high functioning on the surface? As quoted above, the DMS states: “Apart from the impact of the delusion(s) or its ramifications, functioning is not markedly impaired, and behavior is not obviously bizarre or odd.” Dr. Poorman confirms that aspect of Hoang’s disorder:
“Well, that’s the problem with delusional disorders, they can be very high functioning. He presents very well. I’m sure you’ve seen all the pictures of him impersonating a police officer, impersonating a doctor. He’s -- he’s a bright guy, and even though I know in one of the reports they said he might have a low IQ. I don’t think he has a low IQ, I think he’s very bright. And he’s conformative, and that’s all -- that’s all part of what I’ve seen before with delusional disorders. It’s not like your typical psychotic person who just can’t function. He can function, so that’s part of the diagnosis.“
Poorman also talks about the fluctuation of Hoang’s competency:
“Q. Are you saying that he is competent in the other areas?
A. Well, he’s difficult. Sometimes he’s better than other times, he really vacillates. He has -- he has, with Suncoast, displayed confusion with regards to some of the other factors, and then other times he knows the other factors.“
That’s what makes Hoang so dangerous; He’s smart and charismatic, but simultaneously delusional and unpredictable. Add to that his manipulative tendencies, and it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Fraudulent Ascetic (Kūṭajaṭila)
As if it wasn’t already made abundantly clear from his criminal history and mental health issues, Hoang is not an actual Buddhist monk, let alone one who has spent 10 years in the ropes as he claims. This can be easily disproven by the screenshots shown above of his old social media posts. Nonetheless, I’ll provide even more evidence to demonstrate that this is fundamentally impossible.
In case you’re not familiar, here are the 10 basic monastic precepts (this doesn’t include the full 227 precepts followed by fully ordained male monks):
“1. I undertake the precept to abstain from taking life.
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual activity.
4. I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech.
5. I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness.
6. I undertake the precept to refrain from eating after midday.
7. I undertake the precept to refrain from dancing,singing, music, going to see entertainments.
8. I undertake the precept to refrain from wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying the body with cosmetics.
9. I undertake the precept to refrain from lying on a high or luxurious sleeping place.
10. I undertake the precept to refrain from accepting gold and silver (money).”
Hoang claimed to have been a monk for 10 years in his email response (linked above), posted in October 2024. This fact alone shatters any plausible believability of his account. All of Dhamma Sangha’s screenshots of Hoang’s social media posts are dated to 2015 or later.
Credit to Dhamma Sangha for archiving these screenshots and video:
Monks can’t kill animals.
Monks don’t have jobs.
Court records also reveal details about Hoang that would be a further violation of Vinaya (monastic rules):
"I mean, he(Hoang) has been listed in current police reports where he is very with it to notify law enforcement of the stolen guns that he has that have been found and then, you know, understanding the legal system to request not to prosecute the cases when he gets his guns back.”
Transcript of proceedings, status check conference February 20, 2023
Monks aren’t allowed to amass gun collections (shocking, I know).
“he was able to give the exact amounts of money that was in his wallet, about his credit card numbers, about being at the Cobb Theater at the Countryside Mall and having his wallet stolen;”
Monks are not allowed to have any money.
2020 Divorce:
Court records show that on 12/01/2020, Hai Hoang’s wife Trang My Luong filed for dissolution of marriage, and the divorce was finalized later that year. Obviously, monks aren’t allowed to have partners.
Dhamma Sangha posted two images claiming to depict Hoang next to his then-wife:
He also appears to be holding a wine glass (Buddhists cannot consume alcoholic beverages).
Other Claims:
There are additional allegations levied against Hoang that I have not been able to verify. One comes from an online list of controversial Buddhists that states the following regarding Hoang:
“Claims to be ordained at Chua Phat Phap (Southwest Florida Buddhist Inc), but the abbot says he was not ordained there.”
Dhamma Sangha levies further accusations in one of their Facebook posts:
“5 felonies committed in the last 10 years. Claims to be a monk for 10 years. So, committed 5 felonies as a "monk" ...?
With felonies pending, he would not have been able to ordain. With financial debt of over $250000 in bail/fines, he would not be able to ordain.
He did a 10 day meditation retreat at the end of 2016, temporary ordination, disrobed, went back to "playing" security "chief" and committed 3 felonies after that. He was under police surveillance. He was then detained for a year. 2017-2018
He is lying to you, to himself, and senior monastics, yet the senior monastics don't seem to think it is an issue, feeding this individuals delusion, instead of helping him to right speech and right action. Still waiting for an explanation. It is not kind to encourage ones delusion. Talking of Buddha and Dhamma is one thing, practicing and actually being a monk is another...
You have never mentioned your "wife"... divorce 2020. If your aim is to inspire, are you inspiring others to lie, to be popular?
Driving instructor? you have 37 traffic infractions, most recent 6 months ago...”
If the debt aligation is correct, this would be yet another stipulation breached by Hoang that would make his supposed ordination impossible.
“Monks, a debtor should not be let go forth. Whoever should let (one such) go forth, there is an offence of wrong-doing.”
We’ll go over his involvement with other senior monks later on. Shockingly enough, Hoang actually did work at a DMV, as revealed in Poorman’s deposition:
“he’s worked as an interpreter in the court systems and DMV.”
Let that sink in: A person with over 30 traffic infractions was employed at the DMV. Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction.
False Ordinations:
Theravada Buddhist monastic ordination is a process requiring adherence to a stringent protocol. Hoang seems to have a different idea, as he claims that he would ‘ordain anyone’. Since Hoang is not a legitimate monastic, this alone makes them null and void. He’s posted multiple of these supposed ordinations. Egregious, of which is the ordination of females. This is a hot-button issue in the Theravada Buddhist community worthy of an entire post in its own right. Besides the clearly delusional claims of ordaining 2000 women, Hoang appears to have actually ‘ordained’ women to some extent.
Dhamma Sangha achieved Hoang’s posts depicting this, with powerful commentary:
“This is incredibly disturbing. Bhikkhunis have fought hard to return to the monastic sangha and have had to prove themselves. In doing so, they have been diligent in practicing according to the Pali Canon and the Buddha's Tipitaka.
This false monk is now jeopardizing this by creating his own "school" that has no structure or training, just as he has not structure or training and still lives with his parents because he does not want to comply to the precepts...even though he claims to, it is clearly evident he does not.”
In addition to women, Hoang also ordains young men and adolescents:
That’s his robes, apparently; Hopefully, he doesn’t get cold wearing what looks like a thin tablecloth.
Calling these ‘ordinations’ would be generous. Actual ordination involves 5-10 monks in attendance. It’s not as simple as shaving someone’s head on the beach and giving them random robes. What’s worse is that the parents of these children permitted the children’s ordination:
These parents allowed their 13-year-old child to be ordained by a severely mentally ill person charged with multiple sex crimes against minors in the same age range. A simple Google search of Hoang’s name would have revealed this. This is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the case. Hoang is given exorbitant influence over children, to the woeful ignorance of their guardians. The people who objectively should have known better blindly gave their child away to someone with a documented pattern of deception and disturbing behavior. It’s repulsive beyond words. The teen could have pursued a legitimate monastic career in a reputable lineage. Instead, he’s ‘learning’ from a delusional liar with little to no knowledge of Dhamma. Imagine how the kid would feel after finding out that his parents gave him away to ‘learn’ from a teacher charged with lewd battery of minors.
To those who want to shut their ears and ignore this case, do you think it’s ok for someone charged with lewd battery of children to have access to minors? Should we simply look away and ignore it because ‘it’s drama’? To me, this would be nothing short of cowardice.
Megalomania And Cult-Like Behavior
As we’ve covered before, Hoang has made many bizarre statements, including but not limited to claiming to be ‘a representative of Buddhism’, ‘an attack on him is an attack on Buddhism’, he no longer has any anger, and that he is a ‘representative of the human race’. The extent of his megalomania sees no bounds.
Bordering On Claims Of Buddhahood And Arahantship:
In this video, archived and commented on by Dhamma Sangha, Hoang declares that he “overcame the entirty of my suffering, in two and a half years", and “got to taste Nirvana".
Another clip warranting an entire post, Hoang’s blatantly false assertions left me speechless. Nirvana is not a ‘heavenly world’; I was under the impression this was one of the first teachings newcomers learn, but apparently, 23 years of studying Buddhism weren’t enough for Hoang to figure this out.
Without saying it outright, he’s calling himself enlightened; What else would constitute overcoming the enirarty of one’s suffering and tasting Nirvana?
This is a major taboo in Buddhism; false claims of spiritual attainment are an offence punishable by permanent expulsion from the Sangha:
“When a monk is ordained he should not lay claim to a state of further-men, even thinking: ‘I delight in solitude’. Whatever monk, of evil desires, filled with covetousness, lays claim to a state of further-men which is non-existent, not a fact—to meditation or to a deliverance or to contemplation or to an attainment or to a way or to a fruit—he becomes not a (true) recluse, not a son of the Sakyans. As a palmyra palm, cut off at the crown, could not become one for further growth, even so a monk, of evil desires, filled with covetousness, having claimed a state of further-men which is nonexistent, not a fact, becomes not a (true) recluse, not a son of the Sakyans. This is a thing not to be done by you as long as life lasts.”
The Lion’s roar is only declared by Buddha and other advanced Noble Disciples. (DN 8, MN 11, and MN 12). It’s as grandiose as delusions can get in a Buddhist context, akin to declaring yourself as an almighty God in Theism.
School of Tri Dao:
As previously mentioned, Hoang created his school of Buddhism; another major offense, entailing torment in hell:
“Bhikkhus, there are these five incurable lesions’ that lead to the plane of misery, that lead to hell. What five? One deprives one’s mother of life; one deprives one’s father of life; one deprives an arahant of life; with a mind of hatred one sheds the Tathagata’s blood; one creates a schism in the Sangha. These are the five incurable lesions that lead to the plane of misery, that lead to hell.”
AN 5.129
As we’ve already covered, Hoang’s ‘order’ lacks any structure and discipline. His students are most likely just his personal friends.
Sainthood:
Taking a page from Christianity, Hoang canonises people as Saints under his school. This is obviously not applicable within a Buddhist context. In a T-shirt design advertised by Hoang, Arahantship is taken as ‘Buddhist Sainthood’, meaning that his canonisation of Saints is a claim of enlightenment (another huge taboo):
Here are some examples:
According to Hoang, giving him money is a qualification for Arahantship, which is honestly hilarious.
More Power Fantasies:
He forgot to include his 40-plus criminal charges, severe delusions, and schizophrenia on his resume.
These posts make what was already apparent even more so: Hoang wants to role-play his power fantasies. At first, it was a Ph.D. Doctor, then a security guard, now a Buddhist monk. What do these positions have in common? They are culturally viewed as figures of authority; people who exhort a level of influence and control over others. Instead of achieving these statuses through fair means, Hoang aspires to imitate them. Why so? As Dhamma Sangha puts it: “Because it is EASIER for you to feed DELUSION than speak the TRUTH.” Ironically, if Hoang ordained at the time he began pretending to be a monk, he would’ve already been well on his way to achieving Ajahn status, and perhaps even the spiritual attainments that he falsely claims. But that would require what Hoang lacks: self-discipline.
Other posts include him standing with his ‘bodyguards’ (possibly due to persicatory delusion or paranoia), and claiming that hundreds of people attended his mother’s funeral when only dozens are visible (delusion of grandeur) (Credit to Dhamma Sangha once again for the screenshots):
Ignorance, Lies, And Defamation
Criminal record and mental issues aside, when it comes to Dhamma, Hoang isn’t well-learned. Though he claims over 20 years of study, his knowledge is rudimentary at best. During his ‘talks’, he often tells non-truths and makes outright defamatory and offensive statements. Dhamma Sangha immaculately demonstrates this in a series of videos, archiving and commenting on his most appalling content:
While all of these clips are worth their own discussion, I’ll go over just the highlights:
Lacks knowledge of basic concepts.
Wished for his mother to suffer, claiming that she ‘taught him to hate’. It’s deeply repulsive, given that this was only months after her passing and was posted publicly on the internet.
The third video describes what is rumored to be a confrontation between a senior monk regarding Hoang’s questionable past, whom Hoang describes as a cancer to society.
Erroneously claimed monks can drink. Defames Ajahn Sumedho, a well-known Thai Forest monk, by asserting that he drank wine during a Dhamma talk.
Potential For Grooming/Sex Abuse
Let me be clear, this is completely speculative. No concrete evidence points to any illegal acts between Hoang and his followers. What I think is of note is rather the potential for sexual misconduct given his 2015 lewd battery against a minor(s) charges and access to young children.
In addition to the minors that he’s ‘ordained’, Hoang has been pictured with many young boys and girls as young as 8:
“Diagnosed Delusion and incompetent to stand trial, he avoided 15 yrs in prison and 15 yrs on the sex offenders list.
would you not be a little concerned if this was your daughter? He is not "rehabilitated", he just changed outfits.
Highly inappropriate, spending his time on the beach with YOUNG girls in bikinis.”
Dhamma Sangha
Post from Dhamma Sangha on Facebook
As alluded to in Dhamma Sangha’s video above on false claims about drinking, Hoang may be bisexual, meaning that children of both genders are at risk.
Potential For Financial Fraud
Once again, I must state that this is completely conjectural. Hoang has never been charged with any financial crime. However, he has posted many times, asking for donations from his viewers (a red flag in itself), claiming that the funds will be used for hurricane relief, for monks and students, novice programs, and female ordination. Whether this is the case or not is questionable:
Hoang enjoying a vacation to Universal Studios (Who paid for this? How could this possibly constitute teaching students or monkly duties?).
As Dhamma Sangha claims (and can be inferred from Hoang’s content), Hoang lives in the comfort of his parents’ condo, not a forest or monastery. Enormous amounts of Buddhist-related decor can be seen in the background of his videos, and his closet must be packed as well, as seen by his expansive attire of robes and hoodies. Hoang also posts about his frequent travels. All of this begs the question: Where does the money for these luxuries come from? The only possible sources of income are from his parents, his day job as a social worker, or donations from his supporters. Given the history of lies and delusion, how can Hoang be trusted to fulfill his promises? The description of how contributions will be used appears vague. ‘Supplies for monks experiencing disasters’ could mean literally anything; do ‘supplies’ include buying Hoang a new pair of glasses or vacation flight tickets? Not to mention the fact that he’s already soliciting under pretenses; people assume that they are donating to a legitimate figure of religious authority, which Hoang is anything but. Even if his use of the donations is faithful, this fact alone warrants concern.
Meeting with Rinpoche:
One of Hoang’s most bizarre series of posts revolves around a supposed meeting with an unnamed Tibetan Buddhist Rinpoche. This meeting has been delayed countless times, and his requested contributions vary, at some points being $700, and at other times $1,200, as shown in the video below:
This begs many questions: Who is the Rinpoche? When is the meeting happening? Did it already take place? Can someone contribute less than $1,200 and still participate? Can someone have the meeting for free since the amount is merely a suggested contribution? If one’s donation is deemed insufficient, can they be refunded? What exactly does ‘promoting Buddhism’ entail that would require financial investment? What factors decide the suggested donation amount? Is there any way to confirm where the money goes besides taking Hoang at his word? How shameless can one be to beg for over a thousand dollars with a straight face?
I haven’t found any answers to this as of yet; however, it’s likely that Hoang simply gave up on this ‘meeting’ since I couldn’t find any evidence of it having taken place. Nobody was willing to shell out 1.2k for a meeting with a fake monk and an unrevealed second person? Color me shocked.
Acceptance From The Larger Monastic Community
Given his mental illness, Hoang is not of sound judgment. He is severely sick and deserves to be in an environment where his condition can be properly managed. Unfortunately, Hoang came under the perfect conditions to exacerbate his delusional fixations. He acquired a friend group of yes men who coddle him, a massive online following to bolster his bloated ego, and worst yet, mainstream Buddhists who engage with his fantasies:
It’s difficult to comprehend how a mentally ill charlatan with charges of lewd battery against minors can be found in the presence of modern Buddhist leaders with the caliber of Bhikkhu Bodhi. Bodhi’s works on Pali texts introduced early Buddhism to a whole new western audience; he was many people’s introduction to the religion, including me. To see a scholar of such status play a part in Hoang’s role-play fantasy is deeply saddening.
The monastics interacting with Hoang are either unaware of his condition or choose to ignore it. Neither of these two options is especially flattering for those involved. If there wasn’t knowledge of Hoang’s past, then shame on the monastics for not properly vetting him. If it were known, then shame on the monastics for associating with a Kūṭajaṭila. One of the Buddha’s most important teachings is association with the wise, something Bodhi himself wrote about:
“Not associating with fools, associating with the wise, and venerating those worthy of veneration: this is the highest blessing.”
Sn 2.4 - as translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi himself
What Can We Do?
If you follow Hoang on any of his social media, please unfollow. The massive audience he’s cultivated only serves to damage all those involved. The follower count fuels his megalomania, dragging him deeper into delusion. As he loses his grasp on reality, he also loses his shame and takes advantage of a vulnerable young audience.
If you are a monastic or a prominent figure in the Buddhist community, do not associate with this dangerous individual. Don’t invite him to seminars, don’t follow him on his socials, don’t speak with him, don’t interact with him in any way, shape, or form.
The broad Buddhist community can and should expect better from religious leaders. Is it really too much to ask for monastics not to associate with a brazen heretic? It is just so difficult to ignore a sham with no regard for the teaching? I don’t think I’m asking for much here. If you are inspired to do so, I’d encourage reaching out to the leaders who publicly associate with Hoang and informing them of his past.
Hoang has been sick for a very long time, with many mental health professionals attempting to help him to no avail. As Dr. Poorman stated in court transcripts, he’s “been compliant on medications for several years without improvement.” Delusional disorder is notoriously difficult to treat. If licensed mental health doctors and years of anti-psychotic medication weren’t able to improve Hoang’s condition, what good would anyone else do? Ideally, Hoang should reside in a treatment center dedicated to treating people with severe mental illness, under supervision from professionals. He should not have access to a massive online audience of young children.
As far as reporting Hoang’s social media goes, hard evidence of a breach of the terms and conditions must be provided. This can come in the form of one of his videos, posts, or livestreams. The closest I’ve found to a potential breach is him calling on his followers to find the IP address of an individual, spreading misinformation, and defaming people such as Ajahn Sumedho. If you find any compelling evidence of a terms of service violation, here are instructions on how to report Hoang on all his platforms:
If you have evidence of Hoang committing a crime, please report this matter to the relevant authorities.
Conclusion
The case of Hai Hoang is a cautionary tale. One we hear of too often in the modern media landscape: a mentally unwell individual acquires a large following through their charismatic appeal and exploits their audience’s trust in various ways. But more than that, it’s a story of how social media and figures of authority prop up an unwell individual, enabling them to have their way with the impressionable.
Charlatans like Hoang will lead to the Dhamma’s demise, it’s not women ordaining, ‘the woke mob’, or whatever other culture war issue. The decline will come from within. As long as monastics stand by these heretics, they stand with those who bring the demise of the Dhamma.
“Again, in the future there will be bhikkhus who are undeveloped in body, virtuous behavior, mind, and wisdom. They will give dependence to others but will not be able to discipline them in the higher virtuous behavior, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom…
Thus, bhikkhus, through corruption of the Dhamma comes corruption of the discipline, and from corruption of the discipline comes corruption of the Dhamma.”
AN 5.79
Hoang’s rise to prominence reflects a broader cultural issue: the death of substance. People want fast-food spirituality, and Hoang delivers. This is something Ronald E. Purser writes about in his famous best seller: “McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality.” Who wants to sit down and read heavy Suttas when you can just watch a TikTok of a monk regurgitating the age-old self-affirming falacy of ‘drinking in moderation’?
It taps into people’s worst inclinations: self-affirming thought bubbles, the replacement of initiative with lofty speech, and just plain sloth and torpor (thīna-middha). Whoaing people with pretentious talks on how women and queer people deserve basic respect is what Hoang does best. He’s taught himself to replace the substance of his speech with charisma. This is another trend apparent in Hoang’s content: he uses his progressive politics to mask criticism. When someone calls out Hoang on his insane claim of ordaining 500 women, his response is to cry sexism. This is exactly the kind of pompous righteousness that the Buddha cautions us to avoid.
“For one detached from perception there are no knots; for one liberated by wisdom there are no delusions. But those who have grasped perceptions and views wander in the world creating friction.”
Sn 4.9
Boasting about how much of an inclusive social justice warrior you are doesn’t make one a better person. Dissociation from hatred, greed, and delusion is the way to spiritual attainment. Until Hoang realises this, he will be trapped in his own personal hell. Hoang should fear not the finite confinement of a jail cell, but the expansive suffering dealt to those of wrong conduct. As the Buddha told Aṅgulimāla (the murderer who converted and became enlightened) after he was assaulted during an alms round:
“Bear it, brahmin! Bear it, brahmin! You are experiencing here and now the result of deeds because of which you might have been tortured in hell for many years, for many hundreds of years, for many thousands of years."
MN 86
And as the parable of Aṅgulimāla shows us, it’s never too late to abandon one’s destructive ways.
With stories of heretics and offenders of this magnitude, it’s all too easy to give in to anger and hatred. I would implore the audience to consider this sacred teaching:
"Having slain anger, one sleeps soundly; Having slain anger, one does not sorrow; The killing of anger, O devată,
With its poisoned root and honeyed tip: This is the killing the noble ones praise, For having slain that, one does not sorrow."
SN 1.71
We should have compassion (karuṇā) for Hoang; he’s in a terrible predicament and will face enormous suffering unless he changes his ways. The hole he’s dug for himself is deep, and, unfortunately, he wishes to bring others down with him. There are no winners here, only losers. Hoang will carry the guilt of what he’s done (which he uses delusion to cope with) for the rest of his days, and the damage he’s inflicted on others can’t be undone. Hopefully, Hoang will reform, and the people he’s manipulated can flip the page to a brighter chapter.
Final Thoughts
For anyone who managed to read through this entire post, I owe you my utmost gratitude.
Once again, thank you to Dhamma Sangha for providing so much crucial evidence; this article wouldn’t be possible without them. There’s also a lot left out of this post for the sake of concise writing that doesn’t derive from its main premise. One of these details is the existence of false Buddhists of other denominations, which I may or may not expand on in future postings (the fake Buddhist cinematic universe). If any errors were made in this article, important details left out, or whatever else, feel free to address them in the comments.
It would be much appreciated if you share this post with anyone who it may concern, or generally spread awareness of Hoang’s worrisome activity.
If you enjoyed this article, feel free to subscribe to Chuddha Productions for more Dhamma-related postings.
If you’d like to continue the discussion, you’re welcome to comment on the case, whether you have anything new to add or just general opinions.
All best wishes to Hai “Harry” Hoang, his followers, other Buddhists, or anyone else who may come across this piece.
If you’d like to support earnest monastics, here’s a GoFundMe to help drill a well for a Polish hermitage:
Thank you, and peace and love to all ✌️
Thank you for sharing. Is Bhikkhu Bodhi aware of this? I’m confused how Ajahn Tri Dao has a picture with him.