The ecology monks are walking a fine line between their traditional responsibilities as spiritual leaders and their new practice as social activists.
They are consciously using the former to support and even justify the latter, to counter the criticisms that their environmental efforts are inappropriate for monks.
The result is a complex interplay between traditional religious concepts, symbols, and rituals, and moral debates of political and economic issues.
While the focus of specific activities such as tree ordinations is predominantly on local areas, the innovative use of traditional rituals, such as the parade and skits accompanying the phaa paa ton mai ceremony, and the implication of signs like the one nailed to the tree in Nan, place the issue on a national political level as well.
Through the use of words like chaat, the monks raise issues that question the role and responsibility of the local and national governments in deforestation and conservation.