I. Introduction
II. Political Influence
a. The different between Buddhist activity in past and present
b. How political takes place in religious system
III. The way toward the declining of monastic discipline
a. The education
b. Economic pressure
IV. The role of Buddhist Monk in modernity in Cambodia
a. The monk support the HIV/AIDS people
b. Teaching the people about modernity
V. Conclusion
VI. Reference
Cambodia is an independent country with population of more than 7 million people. It is located in the South East Asia; Cambodia is shared border with Thailand to the west, in the North by Laos, and in the East by Vietnam.
According to the history, Buddhism first came to Cambodia in the 3rd B.C. However, it has come along with the rough road and finally had become a religion of the state. There are 95 per-cents of Cambodian are Buddhists. The Buddhist monks and its laity have got along well together in the developing Khmer society. But as the Buddhist words said “nothing in this world is permanence” so in 1975-1979 Buddhism almost disappear from this small land by political movement of Khmer Rouge. Thousand of monks were executed, defrocked, and force into labor camp; the temples were converted into warehouse, the documents were destroyed, the Buddha images were defaced and dump into the rivers. So it is evitable to talk about Buddhism by skipping over this darkness of Cambodian history.
After the Khmer Rouge was toppled by whom we called Cambodian People Party (CPP), and its Vietnamese supporters Buddhism had now reborn. But Buddhism itself has many hard works to do to face the new form of its new day and political field. After the massive destroyed by the civil war the Sangha has to work hard to rebuild it family again. This leads to have many obstacles for Buddhist monk in reforming the order. In the same reason, the way of life of Buddhist monks and their activities in the society is changed; the interference or political influence seems reveal more into Sangha; the education of Buddhist study is getting low, and the declining day by day of Buddhism. On the other hand, we can say the declining of Buddhism in Khmer society is come from what we called cultural pressure, and economic condition or the inspiring of political into sangha. Therefore, how does Buddhist monk in Cambodia behave themselves in the modern society? Can Buddhism stand on its own feet, and strengthen its discipline in order to help Khmer people from their problem which occurred in the present day in Cambodia?
II. Political Influence:
a. The difference between Buddhist activity in the past and present
Theravada Buddhism had played an important role in Khmer society for centuries. Khmer people decided to follow to Buddhism even it was a religion that required the followers to observe strict principle, and follow rigid precepts. They paid the highest respect to people who became Buddhist monks.
In the past, monk fulfilled essential roles in traditional Khmer society such as teachers and healers. They were practitioners whose role was closest to that of the modern psychiatrists. The monk provided kindly counseling and encouragement to the laity. They helped develop country resolving problem that occurred in Khmer society and interconnecting between the government and his citizens. We can take a good example as Prah Samdech Sangharacha Chhoun Nat who was the top hierarchical of monk, and an advisor to king Sihanu during the 1950s and 1960s (Sokha Venerable & Antonio, G.). By this explanation it shows us how Buddhist monks work and play their roles into Khmer society. It is the truth that whenever Khmer people celebrate some important events such as Khmer New Year, Bon Pjum Ben, and Water Festival they would do it in the temples where the people were regarded as the center and there will be conducted by the monks. Moreover, the Buddhist temple in Cambodia is the place where people could come to develop both mind and spirit as well as one of strongest influences on Khmer culture and tradition.
In the book called “Hem Chiev the Hero of the Nation” was said “in order to prevent the influencing from Thai culture the monks were sent by the government to teach the people about Khmer culture throughout the country, and many monks included Venerable Hem Chiev was also join the protesting to against the French tyranny by using umbrellas (was known as Songkream Chat or War of Umbrella). These monks were sacrificing themselves to protect Khmer culture, and Khmer language. There is an evident that during the colonization, French had used their policy to control Cambodia by forcing the people to abandon their culture, tradition and language so the clash between Cambodian and French authority was began. Finally, Ven. Hem Chiev and his accompanies were arrested and detained in Koh Trolarch island prison to death. According to this article, we can assure that the monk has very active work in their society during the past time in the purpose of developing their community and country. This is a short high light of some activities of monk during the past in Khmer society. So what is the monk activity in the present day?
Khmer people pay highly respect to the one who is ordained as a monk, because the monk is regarded as the person who is more educated in both religious and worldly knowledge especially on Khmer culture and khmer literature. After the Khmer Rouge regime was finished, Buddhism was reborn and started developing from day to day. The roles played by the Khmer Buddhist monks in society were greatly decreased. The Grand Patriarch, the ranking Buddhist monk, who has traditionally been an advisor to the king, lost most of all his influence and power. The monks themselves lost their focus and became selfish. They don’t dare to share what they have in order to help Buddhism and their community (Sokha Venerable & Antonio, G.). As a recently in the land grabbing case, Ven. Loun Sovath who was became an activist in voicing for justice for the victim families in land-grabbing in Cambodia. Human Rights Watch has awarded a prestigious Hellman/Hammett grant to the Venerable Loun Sovath for his human rights defender work supporting communities facing forced evictions and land-grabbing in Cambodia (Ryan, S.). He was known as one of active monk who joint with the local to protest and voicing for justice and asking the authority for not using violence toward residents in the eviction. “The problem of people and the path of Buddha are not different. Buddha’s role was that man who saved the people. So we need to follow the peaceful path of Buddha. (Sochua ,M.)” Venerable Loun Sovath has became well-known monk in Cambodia on land rights and joined the protesting against land disputes in Cambodia such as in Siem Reap’s Chi kraeng commune with 175 families, Boeng Kak lake in Phnom Penh with 4000 families as a result of a joint project between a Chinese developer and a ruling party senator, and Prey Lang, where over 40,00 hectares of old forest have been granted in private concession to a Vietnamese rubber corporation, and mineral exploration permits have also been issued(Nathaniel, A.)
However, Ven.Non Neth, the supreme Patriarch of Mahanikaya sect of Cambodian Buddhism doesn’t see as Venerable Loun Sovath had been said, and he has issued a directive stating that all pagodas in Cambodia are no longer allow this monk (Ven.Loun Sovath) to stay(Nathaniel, A.). He has also confirm his attitude that Ven. Loun Sovath has involved in politics because this monk has joined protests with the villagers, and has gone to everywhere with human rights activists which is the abusing of Buddha’s rules. Whereas human rights defenders group was showing their perspective that there is no such a kind of this rule for monk in Buddhism as well as Ven.Loun Sovath was also claimed that “Ven. Non Ngeth’s comments were themselves politically motivated, since certainly it is no secret that the senior leadership of Cambodian Sangha has close ties to the ruling Cambodian People Party (CPP)” (Nathaniel, A.). After, this argument, there are many questions were asking to the monks about their rules in their society whether they can join and work hand to hand with their society or not. And how could the practice of loving-kindness and compassion turn to be a political act, and so on. So it is clear to say that the activity of monk in the present day has changes from its past. What is the cause of this changing? Does it have anything related to the political condition in Cambodia? If so how does it take part? These are the questions that we should raise up and discus about.
b. How politics influence in religious system
Following the defeat of the Khmer Rouge by forces of the Vietnamese government, Buddhism initially remained officially suppressed within Cambodia. Following challenges to the legitimacy of the Vietnamese-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea, policies towards Buddhism began to liberalize starting in the summer of 1979. A group of monks who had been exiled and re-ordained in Vietnam during the Khmer Rouge period were sent to Cambodia, and in 1981 one of their numbers, Venerable Tep Vong, was elected the first sangharaja of a new unified Cambodia sangha, officially abolishing the division between the Thommayut order and the Mahanikay. The ordination of new monks was sponsored by the government as a public show of piety and lifted restrictions on ordination (Wikipedia). The book called “Cambodian Buddhism History and Practice” by Ian Harris was also stated that on September 19, 1979, there seven former monks between twenty and sixty years old were carefully chosen to re-ordain with government approval at Wat Unnalom name as Vens. Koeut Vay, Sovanna Chot Prak Dith, Idanthero Non Nget, and Dhammasatha Ken Vong (the others three doesn’t mention in the book), and there is a clear that these seven monks were seldom was described by their enemy as “Vietnamese monks in Khmer robes”. So it is a sign to show that the government just establish their policy to every angle of social ministry within the country so that it makes them easy to control and maintain their power. But it is later on turn to be a term of “Nepotism”. These monks seem have more power to control sangha community as in case Ven. Loun Sovath, and the others who were active in social activity they can arrest or even decree the law to evict the monk from sangha community.
There are cases which concern about Buddhist monk in Cambodia. For instance, The Vipassana Dhura Buddhist Meditation Center which located at the foot of the Oudong Mountain where the youthful advocate of human rights Sam Bunthoeun was appointed president and chief abbot in 1996. Seven years later in February 2003, aged just 47, he was gunned down by two unknown assailants at Wat Lanka in Phnom Penh, after he encouraged monks to register and vote in the National Assembly elections at that time. No-one has ever been arrested and the investigation remains open till the present (Andy’s Cambodia).
On the other case, Mr. Choung Choungy, a lawyer of Sam Rainsy Party has ordained as a monk on Thursday, 05 January 2012 after he was charged with helping a prisoner escape jail. There is no doubt to say that the cause of instability in Buddhism is come from the political confliction. And Buddhism itself does stand on their feet but base on its government.
It is not only the case of high rank monk in Cambodia, but it was also for the overseas students who came to study abroad such as in India, Thailand, Burma, and Sri Langka and so on. These students were form themselves as an association. At least 7 Buddhist Associations were formed in Thailand. These associations annually have Youth Summer Ordination in their fatherland in order to help develop their community. In 2009, Cambodian Student Association in Chiang Mai, Thailand was planned to have Youth Summer Ordination in Koh Thom district, Kondal Province, Cambodia. At first the officer was signed on the permission paper which mentioned that they would allow this association to run this activity, but later on thing was changed the officer was immediately erased the signature on the paper without given a clear reason. All the excuse that they gave was “if they allow this association to run the Youth Summer Ordination that means the foreign culture (Thai culture) will be introduced to Cambodia which will affect to Khmer culture”. For some associations they would not dare to use their name to ask permission for running summer ordination in Cambodia because they know well that “when the authority learn that they are come from Thailand then their asking will be useless, so it is better for them to use local association (the association which formed in the Cambodia) to ask permission for them. In case the permission was given then the association has to submit officers the document that they are going to use or to teach the people during the ordination. It means the authority will be careful on checking to document as it may be a political persuasive or it may affect to the current government (personal interview with Sroeun, B. Venerable).
III. The way toward the declining of monastic discipline
a. Education
During the civil war, many monks were executed especially the Buddhist scholars, Buddhist document were destroyed, the temples were converted into storehouse, prison as well as extermination camp, the Buddha images were defaced, so the quality and standards of the Cambodian Sangha have remained low as the loss of well educated monks. In the 1990s, only some 20 percent of monks who are under 25 years of age received some formal training, mainly from lay teachers whose qualifications tended to be basic. The first secondary school for monks re-opened in 1993, followed in 1997 by a preparatory class of the re-opened Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University.
Many Buddhist monks who were eager to have good education and good job they would disrobe and go for their study as laity life, and some of them would leave their country to study abroad such as Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka as well as India. By the way, Cambodia is the poorest country in South East Asia, in this lately the government had welcomed to the foreign investors to invest in this country, so their companies need the one who is skillful in accounting, business management, computer science, and so on. Thus it is one of the most inspiring cases toward the monk. It is not only the one who were disrobed but also for the monk who is remaining themselves as a monk were turning themselves to study these high tech subject rather than Buddhist vinaya (rules) or Buddhist philosophy. It doesn’t mean that these monks don’t have any interest in Buddhism but their family condition and also their society condition were forcing them to do so.
The low numbers and quality of education for monks and the generally poor discipline of the monks in Cambodia today remain one of the great socio-cultural problems of the country and its recovery as a moral community. The weakness of the Sangha and lack of resources at the Ministry of Religious Affairs have prevented these institutions from introducing meaningful education reform in a country where local masters at the wat and national levels are simply no longer there (Khmer Buddhist Educational Assistance Project).
b. Economic Pressure
According to the study of UNDP Human Development Report 2011 was showing the statistics that 28.3% of Cambodians live on less than $1.25 (purchasing power parity) per day. This is not affect only to laity life but also to the Buddhist monk who was living their lives by supporting of the people around them. Most of the temples in the rural area were unable to establish the Pali school for monk and novice to study, and some of them don’t even have enough supporters to support the temple. Most of the monks just ordained as a monk for a short time as they found themselves have nothing to do to improve their qualities of lives, so it is better for them to leave the order and live their lives as normal person. One of the most important points is that, the temple does not have fund from the government to run the activity in the temple such social work or constructing the Buddhist schools. Some temples that are used to be a Pali school were closed as they can’t afford the salary for the lectures, everything they have to pay by the temple itself. For the one who want to further their study in Buddhism they have to go to the county where they will face a hard thing for place to live as well as to afford themselves. However, some people have been voicing out about the one who just ordain as a monk find the way in the purpose of earning money to support their family. According to the observation, five of eight monks were disrobe after they finished from their bachelor degree each year, and most of them don’t even finish their high school degree. Therefore, the pressure of the economic crisis has influence to the life of Buddhist monk in Cambodia, which leading toward the declining of Buddhist monk discipline in the future.
IV. The role of Buddhist Monks in modernity in Cambodia
In spite there are a numbers of conflictions between the monks and their society as I mention above, the monk in Cambodia still pushing themselves forward in order to help his people to struggle for the modernity in Cambodia. In addition, the monks have been work in various activities to educate the people to stand firmly in this changing age such as working with the HIV/AIDS people, and educating people about cause and effect of modernity toward Khmer culture by using the Buddhist perspective.
a. The monks support HIV/AIDS people
Cambodia was known as one country which there is many people who is living with HIV. For one who has affected by HIV was considered themselves as hopeless, fear, and anti-social. They also feel that they have brought a bad reputation to themselves as well as their family. By this reason the spaces of discrimination keep on growing. Most of them didn’t even dare to see the other. There are also many children was lost their parents because of HIV. So the monk have been playing an active role to link the Buddhism and their local people by providing them the care and install the Buddhist perspective into their mind so that it would help the patients feel better and confidently facing the problem in their lives.
Buddhist Monks in Cambodia have been participated in “Peace Development School” where they can learn, and train about health care, and HIV/AIDS. After training more than 1,100 monks has returned back to their village to teach people who are living with HIV how to stand with HIV by prevention service, and home base-care. Moreover, most of them had establish a center to help those needy children who been affected by HIV/AIDS. “Training these caring, compassionate monks in practical health care and community development skills is a logical way to use existing cultural and religious structure to bring about a positive response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Cambodian society (Buddhist monks provide HIV/AIDS Care, USAID). ”
b. Teaching the people about cause and effect of modernity
Coming along with a rough way of history, Cambodia was considered as the poorest country in South East Asia who has a majority of people are uneducated. There is a clear evident that during the civil war (1975-1979) two millions people were killed included scholars, and educated people. After, the war was over everything was new to the people even the government. As the old people said “The uneducated people can easily get influence by thing around them.” In this recently, the monks came from different Buddhist high school and university in Cambodia have establish a project called “Buddhism and Khmer Society.” These monks teach the people to be aware of the modernity in Cambodia that it may bring them both negative and positive result. If it is a negative result so it may affect massively to khmer culture, but if it is a positive result then the people have to know how to use it in the right way. Foreign culture, on the other hand can kill the Khmer culture if the people just accept it without any reason. Ven. Oun Sovanna, the student of Soramarith Buddhist High School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia was express his feeling that “I was worried about the future of the youth in Cambodia they would lost their identity if the foreign culture keep introducing to Cambodia.” Nowadays, the young people in Cambodia were convinced themselves with new fashion such clothes, mobile phone, and the internet. These new technology would lead the country to reach a big change in Khmer society, and it would also bring us the advantage, and the disadvantage to our country if we all use it in the wrong way. For example, the young Cambodian was misunderstanding with the Valentine Day. According to the Dhamma talk on youtube by Buddhist monk was stated that “many boys and girls regard this day as the day that they have to express their love to each other. Most of the girls were lost their virginity to the boy, because they they think that it is a good way for them to do that in the valentine day as a sign to show their honesty toward the boys (Valentine Day Kill khmer Culture, Youtube).” It is one of the big problems in Khmer culture and tradition that the girl should do such a shame thing by having a sex with the boy before their married. Therefore, these monk were express strongly that Cambodian girl should be aware of this foreign culture because it is going to be a mass impact to Khmer culture and tradition in the future if we don’t stop from now.
V. Conclusion
Buddhist monk and modernization in Cambodia should be go along together in order to develop their society. Buddhist monk has to play their role in order to develop their community as the social worker by helping the poor or the victim’s people out of the suffering, whereas the government has to pay their great intention to support Buddhism and they should not ban the monk from their activities the society. The belief and morality of people in one particular country is the most import factor that the government has to think of. One country will live in peacefully when the people have the same belief especially their morality. The path of the Buddha is to lead his people toward the liberation and attain the ultimate goal of happiness. The monk lives their lives by the supporting from the people, so why can’t the monk help them when they are in trouble especially with the injustice and the abusing of land grabbing in Cambodia. The education of the monk is very important. In order to follow changing of the society in Cambodia the government has to encourage its people to support more Buddhist monk so that they would be able to find a new idea to improve the quality of life of the lay people, and help the people to avoid from any problem which occur in the Khmer society. The political should not take part in religion but they should have strong support toward Buddhist monk who is active in helping the society. So the problem in the one particular country would end when everyone understands each other.
VI. References
1. Buddhist monks provide HIV/AIDS Care http://www.cambodia.usaid.gov/
2. Khmer Buddhist Educational Assistance Project/ http://www.keap-net.org/
3. Nathaniel, A,./ Venerable Luon Sovath with Politics of compassion/ http://www.berkleycenter.georget.edu/ June 29, 2009
4. Personal interview with Sreoun,. B. Venerable, Committee of Cambodian Student Association at Wat Saun Dok, Chiang Mai, Thailand, January 28, 2012
5. Ryan, S.,Ven.Loun Sovath award http://blog.witness.org/ June 28, 2011
6. Sara, C,. the Nation/ Solve Cambodia’s land crisis in court Not with Bullets/ http://www.hrw.org, September 12, 2009
7. Sochua, M,./ http://phnompenhpost.com/ October 4, 2011/
8. Sokha Venerable with Antonio ,.G, Readers’ submissions/ http://www.taleofasia.com/ June 18, 2008
9. Valentine Day Kill Khmer Culture/ http://www.youtube.com/
10. We are all Human Right Defenders/ http://www.licadho-cambodia.org/ May 09, 2009
11. http://www.holiday-in-angkor-wat.com/
12. http://www. sumeru-books.com/
This is just a research work of one of Cambodian Student in Thailand
I would like to say thank you for sharing this report to my blog. May you succeed in you life!
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