Buddhism and Ecology

Image of Buddha at the main on top of the Sosir Hill shrine in Kep Province. Photo Al Rodas 2012.

The report of an European Union Delegation to Cambodia, says that ‘environmental and natural resources in Cambodia are threatened by short-sighted over-exploitation on an increasing and threatening scale. This reduces the Country’s overall natural capital, yet whilst great benefits flow to the few; equally great burdens fall on the many.’

Actually, there are thousands of pages on issues like this about Cambodia, mostly produced in English and French with some Khmer translations that few read or analyses. Most of those reports are true, of course, but they remain in archives and, in many occasions, are overlooked or despised by Cambodian leaders as arrogant meddling of Westerns.

Cambodians smile a lot

For Cambodians, smile means harmony, welcome to others and peace. It comes probably from Buddhism, where smile is considered a spiritual virtue. Photo Al Rodas.

I asked Lim Socheat to explain to me why Cambodians smile too much. When he listened my question, he smiled and tried to explain me. The topic came because an European friend asked me the meaning of the Cambodian smile. We smile very much in most Latin American countries, though I can say that in some regions there are more smiling behavior than others. The African smile is also attractive plus their persons involved with music and dance in their daily life. In Asia, not every country is smiling, for example, Chinese people do not smile to strangers. 

Dogs are friends!

I know we have many problems with human rights just now, but dogs in Cambodia face a worst fate. At least humans can join and create associations to defend their rights, but dogs, evidently, no. Then I declare myself a dogs’ right advocate also, including cats, tigers, monkeys, elephants, the pristine Cambodian jungles under threat and even the tiny sea horses of the Sihanoukville Bay destroyed under the idea they are natural medicine.

Government asked to remove Judgement Day advertisement

Phnom Penh. The Judgment Day would be this coming Saturday, May 21st, according to a US evangelist pastor of 89 years old, Harold Camping, assuring that Jesus will return to the earth this weekend and that the event will cause an universal cataclysm. The suggestion was expressed in Cambodia, a mostly Buddhist country, through some signs of Cambo Advertising Co, to which the government asked to remove it in order to avoid public unrest. Camping did already a similar prediction in 1994, but his followers think that this time the religious man has found the exact end-of-the-world’s date in the Bible. In 2007 the Ministry of Religious Affairs forbade evangelical groups from doing religious propaganda in the villages, because they were crushing with pagodas. Freedom of religion is contemplated in the National Constitution, though Buddhism is established as the State official religion. Officials at the municipal department of commercial advertising said that the billboards had not license.

New Buddhist shrine opened in Sihanoukville

The Buddhist authorities of Sihanoukville opened a new shrine in the city near the Independence Monument in a program that lasted for three days (March 18 to 20.) A number of 560 Buddhist monks coming from provinces as Preah Sihanouk, Kompong Cham, Takeo, Siem Reap, Kratie and Svay Rieng assisted to the ceremonies leaded by Reverend Savoung Sarat, Buddhist authority in the province.

By Chhin Sieng

A Cambodian wedding

A Cambodian wedding, following the Buddhist rituals, takes three days and three nights. It costs to the bridegroom family about 3,000 US dollars as February 2011 and that is maybe the minimum number, but arranges can be done between the two families. If you are a foreigner willing to married a Cambodian lady, international standards will be followed The wedding ceremonies include religious moments like the blessing of the Buddhist bonzis, singers and musicians are contracted, there is a big dinner party, moments for the families, moments for the friends and guest are expected to let a money contribution inside the envelop they received as invitation. Have you been in a Cambodian wedding? How was it? Have you married a Cambodian? How is a Cambodian wedding in another religion? Are you a foreign woman and married a Cambodian man?

Christmas in Cambodia

Last week a friend of mine in US asked me how is a Christmas Day in Cambodia. Technically there is not a ‘Cambodian Christmas.’ The reason is simple: Cambodia is mostly a Buddhist country. As Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, something parallel to Christmas in the Cambodian culture would be Vesak, held in May or June.

Pchum Ben, Ancestors’ Day

 

The crematorium of Lower Pagoda (Wat Kraom) in Sihanoukville.

 

Pchum Ben or the Ancestors’ Day, is a Cambodian Buddhist and Brahmanism festivity where Cambodians of those religions pay a respect to the spirits of their ancestors and deceased relatives. In harmony with this cultural-religion tradition, the Cambodian Catholic Church has also its annual All Souls Day that is universally celebrated on November 2, but in the Cambodian Catholic communities it is during the traditional Pchum Ben.