CAMBODIA Culture

Why Budha sitting for religious concentration on Dragon?

2009-12-01T19:06:00.000-08:00

ភ្នំពេញ: ព្រះពុទ្ធរូបប្រក់នាគ ឬព្រះពុទ្ធគង់ប្រថាប់នៅលើពស់នាគរាជមួយមានក្បាល៧ ជាទម្រង់រូបភាព ដែលបង្ហាញឱ្យឃើញយ៉ាងច្បាស់លាស់ពីសិល្បៈវប្បធម៌ខ្មែរយើងនា សម័យកាលបុរាណ ពេលដែលលទ្ធិព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាបានចាប់កំណើតឡើងជាលើកដំបូង នាសតវត្សរ៍ទី២ នៃគ្រិស្តសករាជ ដោយទទួលឥទ្ធិពលពីប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា ។ ប៉ុន្តែដោយត្រូវលទ្ធិព្រហ្មញ្ញសាសនាគាបសង្កត់ លទ្ធិព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាក៏បាក់ស្រុតចុះថយ ឥទ្ធិពលរបស់ខ្លួន ។

ទោះបីជាមានការប្រយុទ្ធគ្នាក្នុងលទ្ធិព្រហ្មញ្ញសាសនានិយមយ៉ាងណា ក៏ដោយ ក៏សិល្បករចម្លាក់ខ្មែរមួយចំនួននៅតែគោរពស្រឡាញ់ ហើយខិតខំឆ្លាក់រូបបដិមាព្រះពុទ្ធជានិច្ច មិនអាចបោះបង់ចោលបានឡើយ ។ លុះមកដល់សតវត្សរ៍ទី៦នៃគ្រិស្តសករាជ សិល្បករចម្លាក់ខ្មែរយើងមានការកែច្នៃច្រើន ដើម្បីបង្កើនសម្រស់សោភ័ណភាព ដោយមានឆ្លាក់រូបព្រះកេសាព្រះអង្គឱ្យមានភ្នួងសក់កួចឡើងទៅលើ ក្រោមរូបភាពជាលក្ខណៈធម្មជាតិពិតៗរបស់មនុស្ស ។ លុះក្រោយមកទៀត សិល្បករចម្លាក់ខ្មែរយើង ក៏បានរៀបចំកែច្នៃ ឱ្យកាន់តែមានសម្រស់សោភ័ណភាពសុក្រឹតថែមទៀត គឺមានចម្លាក់ពាក់របាំងមកុដរស្មី ដែលបានបង្ហាញពីឋានៈជាព្រះមហាក្សត្រដ៏កំពូល ដើម្បីរក្សាព្រះនាមកិត្យានុភាពដ៏អស្ចារ្យ ក៏ដូចជារក្សាវង្សត្រកូល ព្រះរាជា ឬ ស្តេចគ្រប់គ្រងផែនដី ដែលឆ្លុះបញ្ចាំងឱ្យឃើញនូវទស្សនៈរីកចម្រើនពីរគឺ៖ ទស្សនៈព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាថេរវាទ ហិនយាន (មារាវិជ័យ និងការចេះត្រាស់ដឹង) ។

មិនតែប៉ុណ្ណោះសិល្បករចម្លាក់ខ្មែរយើង តែងឆ្លាក់រូបព្រះពុទ្ធមានកាយវិការខុសៗគ្នាដូចជា ឈានមុទ្រ (សម្មាធិ), ភូមិស្បសិមុទ្រ (យកធរណីជាសាក្សីក្នុងពេលផ្ចាញ់ផ្ចាលមារ), អភយមុទ្រ (ចូរកុំខ្លាច), ធម្មចក្រមុទ្រ (ការសម្តែងធម្មចក្រ), វរមុទ្រ (ការដាក់ទាន), និង វិតកិមុទ្រ (ការត្រិះរិះពិចារណា) ។

ដោយសារឥរិយាបថនេះហើយ ដែលនាំឱ្យយើងស្គាល់ព្រះអង្គជា “សមណគោតម” ។ ព្រះអង្គសមណគោតមនេះហើយដែលជាអាទិទេពមួយព្រះអង្គមានសន្តានចិត្ត អាណិតអាសូរ ដល់ជីវិតក្នុងលោក ព្រម ទាំងដឹកនាំជីវិតគ្រប់គ្នាទៅរកផ្លូវកុសលធម៌ និងប្រោះព្រំជីវិតទៅរកសិទ្ធិសេរី និងសុភមង្គលទៀតផង ។

ម្យ៉ាងទៀតការសមាធិរបស់ព្រះអង្គក៏បានបង្ហាញឱ្យយើងដឹងថា ជួនកាលព្រះអង្គគង់ប្រថាប់នៅលើផ្កាឈូករីក ជួនកាលគង់ប្រថាប់នៅលើសត្វពស់នាគរាជទៅវិញ ។ ប៉ុន្តែ!...ហេតុអ្វីបានជាសិល្បករចម្លាក់ខ្មែរយើងចូលចិត្តឆ្លាក់ រូបព្រះពុទ្ធអង្គគង់ប្រថាប់នៅលើសត្វពស់នាគរាជ ?

រឿងនេះវាទាក់ទងទៅនឹងផ្នែកមួយនៃជីវប្រវត្តិរបស់ព្រះពុទ្ធដែលបានលាតត្រដាងឱ្យឃើញថា៖
នៅពេលដែលព្រះអង្គកំពុងតែសមាធិស្មឹងស្មាធិ៍នៅក្រោមដើមពោធិព្រឹក្ស ក្បែរស្ទឹងនេរញ្ជរ ត្រង់ តំបន់ណេប៉ាល់ប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា...ពេលនោះស្រាប់តែមានភ្លៀងខ្យល់ ព្យុះ សង្ឃរា ព្រមទាំងមានផ្លេកបន្ទោរផ្គរ លាន់ទាំង៨ទិសបក់បោកយ៉ាងខ្លាំង ធ្វើឱ្យផ្ទៃមេឃងងឹតជុំជិត រុក្ខជាតិទាំងពួងរេរាំចុះឡើងៗ បាក់មែក ដាច់ស្លឹក ដាច់ផ្កា ដាច់ផ្លែ និងជីវិតបក្សីបក្សាទាំងឡាយកំពុងតែរងគ្រោះមហន្តរាយ ភិតភ័យយ៉ាងខ្លាំង សម្បើមអស្ចារ្យដែលបណ្តាលមកពីបាតុភូតធម្មជាតិគំរាមកំហែង ។ ដោយសារមើលឃើញព្រះអង្គនៅតែសមាធិជាដដែលអស់រយៈពេល៧ថៃ្ងកន្លងមកហើយ ទាំងហាលភ្លៀង ហាលខ្យល់ ក្តៅ រងាញ័រញាក់ និងមើលឃើញទិដ្ឋភាពគួរឱ្យអាណិតអាសូរ គោរពស្រឡាញ់ទៅលើព្រះពុទ្ធនោះ សត្វពស់នាគរាជមួយប្រកបទៅដោយវិចារណញ្ញាណឈ្មោះ “មុចិលិន្ទ” ក៏វារលូនទៅយ៉ាងសន្សឹមៗក្បែរបាទាទាំងគូរបស់ព្រះអង្គ ដោយយកខ្លួនរុំធ្វើជារង្វេលរាងមូល ព្រមទាំងងើបសិរសាទាំង៧ឡើង បើកពពាររាងដូចជារនាំងឆត្រសិល្ប៍ពិសិដ្ឋ ដើម្បីជួយការពារបិទបាំងគ្រោះធម្មជាតិ ហាក់បីដូចជាអង្វរករលន់តួដល់ព្រះអង្គថា៖ “ព្រះអង្គម្ចាស់! សូមព្រះអង្គយាងមកគង់ប្រថាប់នៅលើខ្លួនខ្ញុំព្រះករុណាមកចុះណា៎ ព្រះអង្គ!...” ។

ពេលនោះព្រះពុទ្ធក៏បើកព្រះនេត្រទាំងទ្វេភ្លាម ក៏ទតឃើញសត្វពស់នាគរាជមុចិលិន្ទយ៉ាងស្លូតបូត នៅតែស្វិតស្វាញតស៊ូនៅនឹងមួយកន្លែងពុំវារ ឬលូនចាកចេញទៅទីណាសោះ ទើបព្រះអង្គមានព្រះតំរិះក្នុងព្រះទ័យថា៖ “ឱសត្វពស់នាគរាជមុចិលិន្ទអើយ!...អ្នកពិតជាព្រះរាជសេនាព្រះ រាជបល្ល័ង្កស្មោះត្រង់ពិតៗជាមួយយើងហើយ!... ” ។
មួយសន្ទុះក្រោយ ពីព្រះអង្គឈ្វេងយល់រួចហើយ ទើបសម្រេចព្រះទ័យយាងទៅគង់ ប្រថាប់នៅលើសត្វពស់នាគរាជមុចិលិន្ទក្បាល៧នេះតែម្តង ។

នៅពេលដែលព្រះពុទ្ធបានយាងគង់ប្រថាប់នៅលើសត្វពស់នាគរាជមុចិលិន្ទ ក្បាល៧រួចមក ពេលនោះ មហិទ្ធិឬទ្ធិរបស់ពស់នាគរាជមុចិលិន្ទបានការពារព្រះអង្គជានិច្ច ទោះបីជាមានខ្យល់ព្យុះ ភ្លៀង ផ្គរបែបណាក៏ដោយ ក៏មិនអាចមកប៉ះពាល់ដល់ព្រះអង្គកាយពលរបស់ព្រះអង្គបានទេ ក្នុងការសមាធិ ដើម្បីប្រមើលមើលពីដំណើរជីវិតសត្វលោកទាំងឡាយដែលកំពុងតែជួបប្រទះនូវ រឿងហេតុផ្សេងៗជាប្រចាំនៅក្នុងសង្គមរស់នៅ ។

ហេតុដូច្នេះហើយបានជាសិល្បករចម្លាក់ខ្មែរយើង តែងតែបង្ហាញព្រះពុទ្ធអង្គ និងសត្វពស់នាគរាជមុចិលិន្ទ ដែលពពួកពុទ្ធសាសនិកនិយមបានឱ្យតម្លៃយ៉ាងខ្លាំងក្លាបំផុតទៅលើ ទស្សនៈផ្លូវកុសលធម៌ សច្ចធម៌ និងទស្សនៈឧត្តមភាព ព្រលឹងវិលវល់នៅក្នុងពិភពស្ថានលោកបច្ចុប្បន្ន និងទៅពិភពបរលោក (លោកខាងមុខ) ជាពិសេសទៅទៀត មិនគ្រាន់តែមនុស្សគោរពស្រឡាញ់ព្រះពុទ្ធប៉ុណ្ណោះទេ សូម្បីតែសត្វពស់នាគរាជមុចិលិន្ទ ឬសត្វស្វា ដំរី...(ក្នុងរឿងជីវប្រវត្តិព្រះពុទ្ធ) ក៏គោរពស្រឡាញ់ព្រះអង្គដែរ ។

រហូតមកដល់បច្ចុប្បន្នយើងនេះ សិល្បករសូនរូប ឬក៏សិល្បករចម្លាក់លោហធាតុ ទាំងមាសក្តី ទាំងស្ពាន់ក្តី ទាំងលង្ហិន ឬសំរឹទ្ធិក្តី ទាំងស៊ីម៉ងត៍ក្តី ៘ ក៏នៅតែសូនរូប ឬសិតរូបព្រះអង្គឱ្យគង់ប្រថាប់នៅលើសត្វពស់នាគរាជមុចិលិន្ទនោះដែរ ។

ទោះបីជួនកាលមានរបាំងមកុដរស្មីព្រះមហាក្សត្រ ឬក៏មានព្រះកេសា (សក់) វេញថ្កួញអង្កាញ់ៗដូចគូទខ្យងយ៉ាងណាក៏ដោយ ក៏នេះគឺជាជំនឿទៅលើលទ្ធិព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនានិយមក្នុងប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រ ប្រជានុរាស្ត្រខ្មែរ យើងដែលមានប្រាសាទបាយ័នជាសំណល់សក្ខីភាពបញ្ជាក់ស្រាប់ក្នុងសតវត្សរ៍ ទី១៣ ក្រោមរជ្ជកាលព្រះបាទជយវរ្ម័នទី៧ (១១៨៣ -១២១៨) នៃគ្រិស្តសករាជ ។

មកដល់សព្វថៃ្ង ក្នុងសតវត្សរ៍ទី២១ ប្រជារាស្ត្រខ្មែរយើងនៅតែបន្តមរតកជំនឿទៅលើព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាដដែល ៕

Why does God KONES have Elephant Head???

2009-11-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

នៅតាមប្រាសាទបុរាណខ្មែរនានា កាលពីពុំទាន់មានចោរលួចវត្ថុបុរាណ តែងមានព្រះបដិមា ព្រះអាទិទេពមួយបែបដែលមានព្រះកាយ (ខ្លួន) ជាមនុស្ស, ព្រះសិរសា (ក្បាល) ជាក្បាលដំរី ។

អ្នករៀនប្រវត្តិវិទ្យា និងសិល្បៈវប្បធម៌បានស្គាល់ច្បាស់ថា គឺជាបដិមារបស់អាទិទេពមួយអង្គឈ្មោះព្រះគណេស ដែលគេ ហៅក្លាយមកថា “ព្រះភឃ្នេស” ។ ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ ក៏នៅមានអ្នកខ្លះមិនបានដឹងរឿងរ៉ាវដើមយ៉ាងណាដែលនាំឱ្យព្រះអាទិទេព នេះមានព្រះកេសចម្លែកបែបនេះទេ ។ រឿងរ៉ាវអំពីព្រះអាទិទេពអង្គនេះមានមួយតាមរយៈរឿងព្រេងនិទាន និងរឿងមួយទៀតតាមរយៈ រឿងទេវកថា ។ ដោយឡែកចំពោះរឿងទេវកថាវិញមានសេចក្តីដូចតទៅ៖

ថៃ្ងមួយនៅពេលដែលព្រះអង្គសិវៈប្រាថ្នាយាងចាកចេញទៅសមាធិ តាំងសិល្ប៍នៅឯភ្នំសច្ចំមួយរយៈដ៏យូរឆ្នាំ ព្រះនាងអគ្គមហេសីព្រះនាងបព៌ទី (ប៉ារវ៉ាទី) ក៏សុំសំណូមពរដល់ព្រះស្វាមីថា “បើសិនព្រះអង្គឃ្លាតឆា្ងយពីខ្ញុំម្ចាស់យូរឆ្នាំបែបនេះ ខ្ញុំម្ចាស់សែនអផ្សុកខ្លាំងណាស់...តែបើសិនជាមានព្រះរាជបុត្រា នៅកំដរលេងនោះ ខ្ញុំម្ចាស់មិនដឹងជាសប្បាយរីករាយក្នុងព្រះទ័យយ៉ាងណាទេព្រះអង្គ !...” ។

ដើម្បីបំពេញព្រះរាជហប្ញទ័យរបស់ព្រះអគ្គមហេសី ព្រះសិវៈក៏ផ្តែផ្តាំដល់ព្រះនាងឱ្យយកកម្អែលខ្នើយរបស់ព្រះអង្គ យកមកសូនជារូបអាទិទេពតូចមួយរួមផ្សំទៅនឹងដំណក់ទឹកញើសនៅលើ ដើមទ្រូងរបស់ព្រះនាង រួចហើយយកទៅតម្កល់ទុកក្នុងរយៈពេលបីថៃ្ង ។

ព្រះនាងប៉ារវ៉ាទីក៏អនុវត្តន៍តាមព្រះរាជបន្ទូលរបស់ ព្រះអង្គទាំងអស់ ។ ...ទីបំផុតក៏បានព្រះរាជបុត្រាមួយអង្គមានព្រះនាមថា “ព្រះគណេស” ដូចព្រះរាជបំណងពិតប្រាកដមែន ។

លុះច្រើនឆ្នាំបានកន្លងផុតទៅ...។ ព្រះគណេសក៏ពេញរូបរាងស្អាតស្រស់សង្ហារមានសម្បុរឆោមលោមពណ៌គួរឱ្យ ស្រឡាញ់ជាទីបំផុត ពោរពេញទៅដោយចំណេះវិជ្ជាដ៏វិសេសវិសាល ហើយព្រះមាតាប៉ារវ៉ាទីតែងតែផ្តែផ្តាំឱ្យទន្ទឹងរង់ចាំផ្លូវ ព្រះវរបិតាដែលជិតយាងត្រឡប់មកពីសមាធិតាំងសិល្ប៍នៅឯភ្នំទេពសច្ចំ វិញ ។ ព្រះអង្គគណេសក៏តែងតែគោរពតាមព្រះរាជបញ្ជារបស់ព្រះរាជមាតាជាដរាប ដោយឈរទន្ទឹងរង់ចាំនៅពីមុខខ្លោងទ្វារមហាកំផែងវិមានអមតៈ ។

ថៃ្ងមួយព្រះអាទិទេពសិវៈក៏យាងត្រឡប់មកពីសមាធិតាំងសិល្ប៍នៅឯភ្នំ ទេពសច្ចំ លុះយាងមកដល់ខ្លោងទ្វារមហាកំផែងវិមានអមតៈ ក៏ប្រទះកំលោះបរិសុទ្ធរូបស្អាតស្រស់ប្រិមប្រិយមួយអង្គកំពុងឈររេរា ចុះឡើងៗនៅពីមុខនោះ ។ ព្រះសិវៈបោះជំហានមួយៗចង់យាងចូលទៅ...តែចូលមិនបាន ព្រោះព្រះគណេសជំទាស់គ្រប់ពេលវេលា ហើយដាក់លក្ខខណ្ឌយ៉ាងតឹងរ៉ឹងបំផុត លុះត្រាតែយកជ័យជម្នះលើក្បាច់គុនមហិទ្ធិប្ញទ្ធិមន្តអាគមលើខ្លួនសិន ។ ពេលនោះព្រះសិវៈក៏ផ្ទុះឡើងនូវកំហឹងប្រច័ណ្ឌ ប្រៀបដូចជាបន្ទុះភ្នំភ្លើង ក៏បង្កឡើងនូវឆាកប្រយុទ្ធគ្នារវាងព្រះរាជបុត្រ និងព្រះវរបិតាដែលពុំស្គាល់គ្នា ។ ការប្រយុទ្ធគ្នាបានប្រព្រឹត្តទៅយ៉ាងយូរពោរពេញទៅដោយសភាពក្តៅក្រហាយ ក្រៃលែង ។ ព្រះបិតាបានប្រើមហិទ្ធិប្ញទ្ធិមន្តអាគមគាថាខ្យល់បក់កំបុតត្បូងទៅលើ ព្រះគណេស ធ្វើឱ្យដាច់សិរសាប៉ើងខ្ទាតបាត់ពីព្រះកាយមួយរំពេច ។

ក្រោយពីធ្វើគតព្រះគណេសហើយ ព្រះសិវៈក៏យាងចូលទៅក្នុងប្រាសាទ ។ ពេលជួបព្រះអគ្គមហេសីព្រះនាងប៉ារវ៉ាទី ទើបដឹងថា ព្រះគណេសគឺជាព្រះរាជបុត្រទី២របស់ព្រះអង្គ ។ ព្រះអង្គស្ទុះចេញមកក្រៅជាបន្ទាន់ ខំរកមើលក្រែងឃើញព្រះសិរសាព្រះរាជបុត្រាជ្រុះនៅកន្លែងណា នឹងអាលរើសយកមកតភ្ជាប់ប្រស់ឱ្យរស់ឡើងវិញ ។ ព្រះសិវៈក៏ប្រកូកប្រកាសឱ្យគ្រប់អាទិទេពធំតូចទាំងអស់នាំគ្នាដើរ ជួយរកព្រះកេស ប៉ុន្តែនៅតែរកមិនឃើញ ។ មើលទៅពេលនោះប្រហែលអាទិទេពខ្យល់ (ព្រះពាយ) មិនបានចូលរួមជួយរកផងទេ ព្រោះបើសិនជាព្រះពាយជួយរកច្បាស់ជាឃើញមិនខាន ព្រោះទៅដល់ទីណាក៏ខ្យល់ទៅដល់ដែរ ។ ប៉ុន្តែមានអ្នកខ្លះសន្និដានថា ប្រហែលជាព្រះកេសនេះធ្លាក់ចូលទៅក្នុងលំហរសុញ្ញកាស (LE VIDE) ទេដឹង បានជាគ្មាននរណារកឃើញសោះ ។

ចំណែកឯព្រះសិវៈវិញ ទោះបីជាខិតខំប្រើមហិទ្ធិប្ញទ្ធិទិព្វគ្រប់បែបយ៉ាងណាក៏ដោយ ក៏នៅតែរកពុំឃើញទាល់តែសោះ ។ ដោយអស់តំរិះនឹងឈ្មុសឈ្មុលរុករកទៀត ព្រះអង្គក៏យាងត្រឡប់មកវិមានអមតៈវិញទាំងក្តីអស់សង្ឃឹម និងសោកស្តាយ ជាទីបំផុត ។ នៅពេលព្រះអង្គយាងមកដល់ព្រៃសួគ៌ាមួយ ក៏ប្រទះនឹងកូនដំរីមួយ ក៏សម្រេចកាត់ក្បាលកូនដំរីនោះយកមកតភ្ជាប់ទៅនឹងដងខ្លួន ព្រះរាជបុត្រាទី២ ព្រះគណេសតែម្តង ។ ចាប់តាំងពីពេលនោះមក ព្រះគណេសអាចរស់រានមានជីវិតវិញបានដូចគេដូចឯង តែក្នុងលក្ខណៈជាអាទិទេពមានភាពចម្លែកអស្ចារ្យជាងគេ គឺមានដងខ្លួនជាមនុស្ស ក្បាលជាសត្វដំរីជារៀងដរាបមក។

សូមបញ្ជាក់ថា នេះជារឿងរ៉ាវអាទិទេពក្នុងលទ្ធិព្រហ្មញ្ញសាសនា ដែលបានពង្រីកអំណាចឥទ្ធិពលរបស់ខ្លួនយ៉ាងខ្លាំងក្លានៅក្នុងប្រទេស កម្ពុជាចាប់តាំងពីសតវត្សរ៍ទី ១ ដល់សតវត្សរ៍ទី១២ នៃគ្រិស្តសករាជ ។

នៅលើព្រះសិរសាជាក្បាលដំរីនៃព្រះគណេសនេះ គេឃើញមានភ្លុកម្ខាងត្រូវបាក់ ។ មិនមែនជាការបាក់ដោយចៃដន្យទេ គឺជារូបភាពដើមដែលសិល្បករឆ្លាក់បែបនេះ ព្រោះមានរឿងរ៉ាវថា ពេលមួយនោះព្រះគណេសបានប្រយុទ្ធជាមួយនឹងព្រះ “បរាសុរាម” ដែលជាអវតារបែងភាគរបស់អាទិទេពព្រះវិស្ណុ ។ ហេតុដូច្នេះហើយបានជាសិល្បករតែងឆ្លាក់រូបលោកមានពោះកំប៉ោង ព្រះហស្ថកាន់ថាសម្ហូប កាន់ដំបងខ្លី និងកាន់កង្វារទំពក់ ។ ព្រះកេតនភណ្ឌរបស់ព្រះអង្គវិញគឺ ខ្សែរឹត ។ យានជំនិះព្រះអង្គគឺសត្វកណ្តុរ ៕

Style for Parties

2009-09-25T02:30:00.000-07:00

Pchum Ben Festival

2009-09-03T23:08:00.000-07:00

Most of Cambodian people are Buddhism. Therefore, we are all celebrating Buddhist ceremony. Pchum Ben is one of the longest ceremony in Buddhism believe. There are fifteen days and often held between September and October. Pchum Ben is the festival of the dead. It is a Buddhist ceremony where people take food offerings to the temple to offer to ancestors and friends. Through the virtue of the sermons (by monks), the offerings are given to spirits of the dead. It is to commemorate the dead. It is also a social time, where people gather and share food such as "num onsam" and "num korm". Any visitor will be welcomed to share food."Prets" are the damned. They were sent to hell to suffer as they caused others to suffer. These are very serious offenders of hell. During Pchum Ben, offerings to "prets" are also given because they cannot receive offerings without the sermons from monks. It is to lessen the anguish and suffering of your ancestors who are prets. How do you know if your ancestors are among the “prets”? You don’t. You give offerings just in case you have ancestors who are. The deceased, who have no neighbors, friends or families to get commemorated as well.
You have to understand that in addition to Buddhism, Cambodians also practice animism and ancestor-worship respectively. It’s Cambodian culture. Ancestor-worship serves as a social function, rather than a religious function. The purpose of ancestor worship is not to seek favor, but to fulfill filial duty. I don't doubt that people do it to seek favor, but that's not the objective.When people make offerings to possible "pret" ancestors, they don't do it to assume that all their dead relatives are "prets". It is in case there are ancestors who are "prets". It is filial duty. No one thinks that are better than their ancestors, but better safe than sorry.
These are all about my idea. I am very welcome for the correction.
By the ways, Tomorrow is the first day of Pchum Ben festival. Hope everyone would enjoy the days !

Poem-Doeum Chhoeu Teal Raksa Srok

2009-09-03T01:42:00.001-07:00

Sryle for Party

2009-08-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

Cambodian Style

2009-08-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

Cheife

2009-08-24T23:41:00.000-07:00

Alert

2009-08-24T23:39:00.000-07:00

7 July 2009

2009-08-24T23:35:00.001-07:00

The day of registering Preash Vihea as the World Heritage Site

Khmer Poem - Mother

2009-08-24T00:46:00.001-07:00

Born_khmer

2009-08-18T01:29:00.000-07:00

KH Modern Clothing Style

2009-08-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

Khmer Modern Clothing Style

2009-08-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

Khmer Modern Clothing Style

2009-08-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

Discusion Team

2009-08-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

Discus Ion Team

KH modern clothing

2009-08-02T22:11:00.001-07:00

Style for any parties

2009-08-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

New Year Tradition

2009-07-27T23:03:00.000-07:00

There are a number of different cultural activities which take place during the New Year. The activities encompass the religious believes and other cultural aspects.

Looking back, Khmer songs from the 60s and 70s provide insightful details to capture the New Year traditions. A song by legendary Khmer singer Sothear Serey Ros called "Chnam Tmey Mok Dol Hauy" or "The New Year Has Arrived" described how a group of girls got ready for the New Year by curling their hair, getting new dresses and doing make up. The daughters implore their parents not to stop them because the New Year only comes around once a year. Even if parents do give a big fuss, they cannot stop the girls. Sothear described a three-day festival of singing and dancing. They play the traditional games like Chhoung and Teang Prot (tug-of-war). While having fun, the girls should not forget to offer foods to the monks for blessings in the next life. The song was sung with the beat of Roam Kbach--a slow traditional dance beat.

The song "Phamuorng Tortea" (a type of silk dress for women) also sung by Sothear described how the guys and girls interact in the New Year. The song begins by describing a girl on her way to the temple wearing Phamuorng (silk dress) while others play a tug-of-war game. The young men secretly peeked and admired the young women around them. The women, at the same time, peeked at the handsome young men garbed in their finest for the occasion to impress the girls. One of the young men then began to flirt with the girls. The song went on to describe how her new dress made her look irresistible and the men drooled over her.

A song "Ongkunh Khei Bei" (Ongkunh with 3 heads) by Samouth Sin, Sothear Ros and Ron Pen mentioned the Ongkunh game which typically played during the New Year and how it led to love and marriage. The song started with Samouth throwing the Ongkunh and hitting the target pieces of the women's team. As he threw the Ongkunh he tried to memorize the face of the girl in the women's team he wanted to jours (to hit the losing team member by using Ongkunh to tap on the knee cap). Her Ongkunhs were arranged in a 3-head type and if he won he would get to tap her. She responded that if he hit the head Ongkunh first, he will loose. When she won, she will Jours him instead. Then he compared the tapping on the knee to telling their relatives about them. As she gets to jours him, it is like knowing his feelings and he will remember her for the rest of his life. She requested him not to jours her too hard and to leave some for tomorrow. She told him to tell his aunt and uncle to ask her for her hand in marriage in the New Year.

In the song "Bos Chhoung Chnam Tmey", Samouth and Sothear sang in a duet about the Chhoung game. This song is one of the actual beat and format used in playing the game as described in the later sections.

There are many various songs about dancing in the New Year such as "Roam Vong Chnam Tmey", "Saravan Chhnam Tmey", "Roam Leng Jole Chhnam", "Khae Chaet Chole Chhnam", and "Komsan Chhnam Tmey". These selected oldies described the culture for the New Year and passed on to the next generation the joy and the celebration of the New Year.
Read more.............

Khmer Chhankitek Calendar

2009-07-27T22:50:00.000-07:00

Years

Cambodians use both Sak and animals to reckon the year. Below is a table of animal years and Saks with corresponding years in different eras.

Sak

Calculating Sak from different eras

From Jolak Sakaraj, take a modulus of the year by 10 and the remainder is the Sak. If the remainder is 0, then it implies 10. For example: 2004 AD is 1366 JS. So 1366 mod 10 is 6 which is Chor Sak.

From BE, subtract the year by two then take the modulus of 10. The result is the Sak number just like above. For example in 2004 AD, the BE is 2548. So (2548 - 2) mod 10 is 6 which is Chor Sak.

Finding an animal year from a given era

For BE, the year 1 BE starts as Masagn (year of the snake). To find the animal year, add 5 to BE and take a modulus of 12. The result is the index number of an animal year. For example: For 2004 AD, 2548 BE + 5 is 2553. Then 2553 mod 12 is 9. The ninth animal is Voke (Monkey).

Jolak Sakaraj starts the first year as Koar (year of the pig). To find the animal year, add 11 to the era then take a modulus of 12. The result is the index number of an animal. For example: For 2004 AD, 1366 +11 is 1377. Then 1377 modulus 12 is 9. Voke (Monkey) is the 9th animal.

Animal

Below is a list of common Khmer art that represent the 12 animals.

Months

1.Lunar Month

Khmer lunar months are represented using Reak. According to Horas, Reak is group of star constellations that represent each month. Below is a list of lunar months with corresponding Reaks and the number of days.

2.Solar Month

Khmer solar month corresponds to western zodiac symbols. A year is divided into 12 Reaseys. Reasey is the measurement of the path of the sun and the moon that is divided into 30 degrees each. Below is a list of months and its meaning

Days of the Week

The table below shows the day of the week and its corresponding planets or celestial bodies. Color for Khmer traditional attire for each day of the week is also listed.

Seasons

1.Lunar Season ()

This season is based on the lunisolar calendar. There are only 3 seasons defined per year. [CHH67]

2.Solar Season

There are four seasons based on the solar calendar. [CHH67]

3.Ancient Season ()

The ancient seasons are not used today but it is shown here as a reference. There are 6 ancient seasons. [CHH67]

Traditional Ways of Counting Age

An animal year can be traced from oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s age or vice versa. The tradition methods typically uses fingers to count with specific instructions.

1.Find your age from the animal year

This assumes that you have some idea of how old you are in a range of 10 years. Use the table on the right to determine the number to count for a specific age.

Use your multiple of ten of your age to determine the count. Example, for the age around 30, the count is 6.
Start from your birth animal year and count to the successive animal year for the number of time found in step 1. Example, assume I was born on the year of Dog (Jor) and I am around 30. So I would count 6 times as Kaor, Jute, Chlov, Karl, Thos, and Rorng. Notice I didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t count Jor as 1 but count Kaor instead.
Now use your finger to keep track of the count, and continue until you reach the current year. The final count is added to your multiple of ten number of your age. Example: Continue from step 2, I would count, Masagn as 1, Momee as 2, Momay as 3, Voke as 4, and Roka as 5. If the current year is Roka, then I stop here. There so I am 30 + 5 or 35 years old.

Example for birth year of Jor and assume this year is Roka:

2.Find animal year from your age ^[C4]

The 12 orange dots are the different positions used in this method. The animal years are positioned for the year of Roka (2005). This varies from year to year. The current animal year starts at "Current Year" arrow (second knuckle of the pointing finger) and counts clockwise to the successive years. The flower star is where you start if the age is at least 10 years old or else start at the blue star marked as 1 going counter clockwise up to 9.

Assume you are older than 9 years old, start counting from the tip of the pointing finger (flower star) clockwise every second position. You count just the multiple of ten such as 10, 20, 30, and 40 until it reaches a multiple of ten of a specific age. As an example, for 35, I would count 10, 20, and then 30.
If the age is a multiple of ten, that was your final position. Else, count from the current position by backward (counter clockwise) one position at a time until it reaches a specific age. So for the 35, from my early position, I count counter clockwise 31, 32, 33, 34, and then 35 arriving at the dot marked "11 Jor".
The last step is to determine what animal belongs to that final position. For 2005, the animals are already marked. For a different ear, start counting the current year animal at the brown arrow *. Count clockwise until it reaches your final position. That is the birth animal year for that age.

* Notes: This method has been modified. The original method is to start positioning the year at the five-star (lowest point of the pointing finger). But this missed by one year; so to make it works I move the start position up to the Current Year arrow.

Religious Events

Here is a list of common Khmer religious day based on [C4]. Many of these are holidays in Cambodia but some are not.

Meak Bochea ( ): 15 Keit of Meak (Magha). A celebration of the Meak month to remember the monks meeting representing 4 different entities.
New Year (): This does not base on lunar calendar. Cambodian New Year celebration occurs on April 13 or 14 to April 15 or 16. This occurs no earlier than 4 Keit of Chait and no later than 4 Keit of Visak (Vaisakha). It is one of the biggest holiday celebrations.
Pisak Bochea (): 15 Keit of Visak/Pisak (Vaisakha). The offering of the month Visak. This is a celebration of the birthday of Lord Buddha.
Jole Preah Vosa (): Occurs on 15 Keit of Ashad or 15 Keit of Thutiyasadh for leap-month year. This signifies the entering into the rainy season.
Kann Ben 1st -14th (): Occurs on 1 Roaj to 14 Roaj of Phutrobot. This is the commemoration of the spirits of the dead. The commemoration takes place in the temple from day 1 to day1 4. It is also known as Dak Ben.
Pjum Ben (): After the day 14 of Kann Ben, on 15 Roaj of Badrapadha, Pjum Ben occurs. It means the combination of all Ben or commemoration of the spirits of the dead.
Jegn Preah Vosa (): Occurs on 15 Keit of Asuj. It means the end of the rainy season.
Kathin (): Occurs on the day after Jegn Preah Vosa on 1 Roaj of Asuj. The festival centers on the temple to give offering to the monks.
Sompeas Preah Khae (): Occurs on 15 Keit of Kardek. This is a traditional celebration since the ancient time. It means to give respect to the moon.

Khmer Terminologies

Adhikameas: (): A leap year with extra month. The month of Ashad becomes two months: Badhamasad and Thutiyasad) with 30 days each. This leap-month year has 384 days compare to a normal 354-day year.
Adhikavereak: (): A leap year with extra day. Jays has 30 instead of 29. The Adhikavereak year has 355 days. This is also known as Chhantrea Thimeas.
Ashad Thum (): Translated as big Ashad. This is a common term for Adhikameas. See Adhikameas.
Ashad Toch (): It is translated as small Ashad. It refers to a non-leap year where Ashad month is a single month.
Ayun Songkran (): New Year (Songkran date) calculation using lunar (lunisolar) calendar system.
Buddhist Era () (BE): Era started when Buddha passed away at the age of 80 on 544 BC. To calculate the BE date from AD, add 544 years to AD date. The BE dates of well-documented historical events may be off by one year, since the CE and BE calendars start their years on different months (January and May, respectively). But for Cambodians, New Year starts in April and new BE year begins on the Laeung Sak day of the New Year. Thai calculates BE year differently. Thai adds 543 instead of 544 to get Thai BE equivalents. [ANT00]
Chhankitek (): This translated to lunar calendar which is a type of calendar that is based on the movement of the Moon. But Khmer calendar is actually lunisolar calendar, which based on the moon movement and also based on the synchronization with solar calendar.
Chhantrea Thimeas (): A synonym for Adhikavereak. See Adhikavereak.
Jolak Sakaraj ( ): An era that is assigned by King Botum Suriyeakvong (RBHbTumsuriyvgS ) to start on 1183 BE. To find this era from BE, subtract 1183 from BE year. This is also known as small Sakaraj (sakaraj toch).
Keit (): A naming of days in the Khmer calendar that counts from the first day of the month to next 15 days. It counts as 1 Keit, 2 Keit, to 15 Keit. These days fall in the waxing state in the lunar phase. It is from the new moon to the full moon.
Kneit (): The state of Keit or being in the phase of the moon waxing. It is from the new moon to the full moon.
Leark Kae (): Common term for leap-month year or Adhikameas.
Leark Tgnai (): Common term for leap-day year or Adhikavearak.
Moha Sakaraj () An era based on 78 AD. It is supposedly started by the Shakas and adopted by the King Kanishka. The National Calendar of India uses this era and it is called Saka Era (78 AD = 0 Saka). So to find Saka, subtract 78 from AD. Khmer source indicates that the King Ketumalea (RBHektumala ) adopted the era 1 Saka = 621 BE. The assignment seems to have inconsistency. To find Moha Sakaraj, subtract 622 from BE. Moha Sakaraj also known as big Sakaraj and Jolak Sakaraj is known as small Sakaraj.
Moha Songkran (): The predictions that are made by the Horas about the coming year. The prediction includes astronomical events such as eclipse, the cultural prediction of the New Year angels, and other overall prediction of the year.
Roaj (): The naming of day in the Khmer calendar that count from the 16th day of the month to end of the month. It counts as 1 Roaj, 2 Roaj, to 14 or 15 Roaj depending on the month. These days fall in later half of the month after the first 15 days of Keit. This is in the waning state of the lunar phase. It starts from the full moon to the new moon.
Ronoch (): The state of Roaj or the state of the moon waning phase. Waning state starts from the full moon to the new moon.
Sak (): Sak means year. Sak system uses the Sanskrit words to imply the number 1-10 with the word Sak added to the end. These unique words are used to reckoning the year with the animals years. This forms a 60-year cycle.
Sakaraj Thom (): It means big Sakaraj. A common term for Moha Sakaraj. See Moha Sakaraj.
Sakaraj Toch (): It means small Sakaraj. A common term for Jolak Sakaraj. See Jolak Sakaraj.
Samagn Songkran (): New Year (Songkran date) calculation using the solar calendar.
Songkran (): The time that the Sun enter the Mesa Reasey from Mena Reasey. It is the New Year day. It is on April 13 or 14 in Gregorian calendar.
Soriyeakitek (): A type of calendar that is based on the movement of the Sun. The international calendar or Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar.
Tgnai Kaor ( ): The day that the monks shave. This falls on 14 Keit and one day before the end of each month (either 13 or 14 Roaj).
Tgnai Pegnboramei (): The full moon day which occurs on 15 Keit of each month. This happens when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth and the Sun.
Tgnai Sel (): Holy day in the Buddhist religion. The day is set to be on 8 Keit, 15 Keit, 8 Roaj and the last day of the Khmer month (either 14 or 15 Roaj).
Tngai Laeung Sak (): the day to increment Sak which is the last day of the New Year celebration.
Tgnai Songkran (): day of the Songkran. See Songkran.
Tngai Vonobot (): the second day of the New Year celebration.

Khmer Clothing Style

2009-07-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Modern Clothing Style

2009-07-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Cambodia's Water Festival (The pirogue Racing Festival)

2009-06-28T23:13:00.000-07:00

The Tonle Sap or "Great Lake" as it's called is more than just a body of water giving life to Cambodia and Southeast Asia. The Tonle Sap represents a people's identity and way of life for the thousands of Cambodians who call the riverbanks home. These people float in boats that are both homes and businesses along the muddy waters day in and day out. And they give to the water as it gives to them.
The Tonle Sap is one of the most fish abundant lakes in the world and the silt deposits left behind by the annual floods have created fertile ground for agriculture. It's no surprise that one of Asia's greatest ancient civilizations developed near this lake and today much of Cambodia's livelihood still depends on its output. So dependent are Cambodians that the government vigorously enforces fishing bans from March to November. Many people depend on the Tonle Sap and its ebbs and flows to maintain life and everyone in Southeast Asia recognizes this fact of life.
Along the banks of the Tonle Sap, people have celebrated the river's gifts for centuries. People celebrate its change of flow and welcome the swelling banks that bring in good fortune for families of fishermen. During the rainy season the Tonle Sap reverses direction, flooding the lake, increasing its size almost tenfold, making it the largest freshwater body in Southeast Asia. And the people along the banks of the Tonle Sap find good reason to celebrate their Great Lake and take joy in its natural changes. The Tonle Sap is the only waterway in the world that flows in opposite directions at different times of the year. Once an arm of the sea, the Tonle Sap is a true natural phenomenon.

One of the largest festivals of Cambodia revolves around the Tonle Sap. The three-day Water festival of the reversal of the waters of the Great Lake is celebrated in October or November depending on when the waters reverse and flow back into the Mekong River. Boat races, the largest part of the festival, are held at the capital, Phnom Penh. Each village has the opportunity to join in the boat races and usually they do. The boats are usually dugout canoes with a prow and stern that curve upward. The boats are elaborately decorated and carved to represent the village. The prow is painted with a large eye like those that decorated the war vessels of ancient times.
A boat can have as many as 40 rowers. Pairs of boats race each other for the first two days. A race including all the canoes takes place on the last day of the festival. The purpose of this race is to make the god of the river happy so that there will be many fish and the rice crop will be plentiful. The Water festival, while celebrating the reversal of the waters, also marks the beginning of the year's fishing season.
Up to a million people from all walks of life and from all over the country flock to the banks of the Tonle Sap to watch the boat races and to celebrate the Tonle Sap. With the city filled to full-capacity at this time, it's no surprise that it takes on a carnival air and feeling felt by everyone. Live concerts are held, food stands are set up, and children and adults alike take rides on ferris wheels to celebrate the joy; at night, fireworks light up the sky and people dance in the street. People from the countryside throughout Cambodia come to the festival, many traveling down the three rivers that run through the city. Some come to race their long, hand-carved boats. Others come to see the three days of boat races and take part in the festivities or to take advantage of the many things for sale. This is Cambodia's version of Mardi Gras and many throughout the world look forward to attending just the same.
Just like at Mardi Gras, the crowds at the Water festival are huge. To contain thousands of festival-goers, police barricades stop motorized traffic, letting only bikes and people on foot through. Because it is a festival, school is canceled and many workers are off work. This large crowd of people fills the streets of the city within ten blocks of the Tonle Sap and the Royal Palace and the city explodes with excitement.
The Water festival also coincides with the full moon of the Buddhist calendar month of Kadeuk. The Cambodians believe that the full moon is a good omen which promises a bountiful harvest. On this night, people gather to give thanks to the moon and to pray for the upcoming season. Special food is prepared for this occasion that includes fruits, vegetables and Ambok-a Cambodian specialty. Worshippers light candles and burn incest while offerings are given. The chief priest lights the candles and as it drips on the banana leaves spread beneath the candles, predictions are made. Cambodians believe that the shape of the melted wax created on the leaves, predicts the harvest of the coming year. But whatever the prediction, it does not dampen the spirit of the Water festival and people excitedly look forward to the upcoming fishing season and giving thanks to the ever-nourishing waters of the Tonle Sap.

Khmer New Year

2009-06-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

When seeing or hearing the word `Khmer' such as `Khmer New Year', Khmer Community, or Khmer Temple, many people are not familiar with the word `Khmer', and they ask what "Khmer" is? We would like to take this opportunity to provide a brief explanation about the word "Khmer". In practice, the two words, Khmer and Cambodian, can be used to replace each other. For example, Khmer New Year or Cambodian New Year, Khmer People or Cambodian People except `Khmer Rouge'. Kampuchea is a country of Khmer people. Kampuchea can be called [Khmer country]. The French call Kampuchea "Le Cambodge" and call the Khmer male "Le Cambodgien", the Khmer female as La Cambodgienne. A bit different from French, English usage names Kampuchea "Cambodia" and the Khmer people "Cambodian." However, the full definition of what is Khmer and what is Cambodian remains a large topic for Khmer or Cambodian intellectuals to discuss, so we leave this discussion alone.
Now, we would like to provide a brief description about Khmer or Cambodian New Year for people to get to know Khmer Culture better. In Cambodia, Khmer New Year is the greatest traditional festival, and also it is the greatest national holiday because it is three days of festival and sometimes can be four days. Khmer New Year begins on April 13th or can be on April 14th, depending on the "MohaSangkran," which is the ancient horoscope. In fact, Khmer New Year originally began on the first day of the first month in lunar calendar, which can be in November or the beginning of December. In the Angkor Era, the 13th Century, the Khmer King, either Suriyavaraman II or Jayavaraman VII, was the one who changed the New Year to the fifth month of the lunar calendar, in April by the solar calendar. 95% of Khmer populations are farmers, and the period from November through March is the busiest season for Khmer farmers to reap or harvest the crops from the rice fields. Khmer people can find free time in April because there is no rain, and it is very hot, so Khmer farmers have the time to take vacation after they have worked very hard to gather the rice crops from their rice fields to get their income. Therefore, April is the right time for Khmer in Cambodia to celebrate New Year. The Khmer New Year festival originated from Bramhmanism, a part of Hinduism, which was a religion that Khmer believed in before Buddhism. Later on Buddhism became associated with the festival and then took all the important roles in the festivity.
Usually, Khmer New Year is celebrated for three days:
The first day of New Year is called as Moha Sangkran, and it can be described simply as the inauguration of the New Angels who come to take care the world for a one-year period. People need to clean and decorate the house and also prepare fruits, flowers, drinks and some Buddhist tools for the New Year inauguration and to welcome the New Angels at every single home. Elderly people like to meditate or pray the Dharma at that time because they believe that any angel who comes to their houses at that time will stay with them and take care of their family for the whole year. Actually, in the morning at the first day of New Year, most Khmer people prepare food to offer the monks at Khmer temple to get blessed. It is a great time for boys and girls to play traditional games together at the temple or any field or playground in their village because it is only at the New Year time that boys and girls are allowed to play or to get together. Also it is a wonderful time for single people to search for the special partner to get married in the future. In the past 30 years, "Dating" did not exist in Cambodia.
The second day of New Year is called as Wanabot, which means day of offering gifts to the parents, grandparents and elders. Usually, Khmer People like to share gifts or presents to employees and also donate money or clothes to poor people. In the evening, people go to temple to build a mountain of sand and ask the monks to give them a blessing of happiness and peace.
The third day is called as day of "Leung Sakk;" that means the year starts to be counted up from this day, for example it is when the year of 2000 would change and begin to be 2001. Traditionally, in the morning, we used to go to the temple to perform the ceremony of the mountain of sand to get blessed. In the evening, to complete the New Year festival, our Khmer people need to perform the last ceremony, called as "Pithi Srang Preah", which means giving a special bath or a special shower to Buddha statues, the monks, elders, parents, grandparents to apologize for any mistake we have done to them and to gratify them. Everyone must have a wonderful time during this ceremony because it is a great opportunity for everyone, young and old, man and woman to have much fun by spreading out water to each other.
Khmer New Year is not just the great traditional festival for Cambodian, and it can make Cambodian to build up many unforgettable souvenirs.

CAMBODIA Culture

2009-06-15T01:32:00.000-07:00

People

Cambodians comprise a variety of kids who are commonly called Khmer. The Khmer constitute about 90 percent of the population. The population also includes a diversity of other ethnic backgrounds: Chinese, Vietnamese, Chams, and hilltribes, called Khmer Roeu.
The Khmer are believed to have lived in the region from about the 2nd century CE. They may constitute a fusion of Mongul and Melanesian elements. They have been mainly influenced over the centuries by the powerful Indian and Japanese kingdoms. The Khmer-Loeu - or upland-Khmer - are one of the main tribal groups and live in the forested mountain zones, mainly in the North-East. Traditionally, the Khmer-Loeu were semi-nomadic and practiced slash and burn agriculture. In recent years, because of their increasing numbers, they have turned to settled agriculture and adopted many of the customs of the lowland Khmer.
There are about 500.000 Cham-Malays, descended from the The Chams of the royal kingdom of Champa, based in the present day central Vietnam. They now constitute the single largest ethnic minority in the country. The Chams were badly persecuted during the Pol Pot regime and their population more than halved. They are Muslims and their spiritual centre is Chur-Changvra near Phnom Penh. The Chams are traditionally cattle traders, silk weavers and butchers. The Chinese migrated in the 18th and 19th century to Cambodia, where most of them became involved in commerce. During the Pol Pot years and later many Chinese left the country or were killed. Today there is a population of about 100.000 left in Cambodia. Estimated 200.000 Vietnamese live in the country today. The southern part of Cambodia has always had many inhabitants of Vietnamese decent as well as the area around Phnom Penh.

Religion

The Cambodian religions on the whole are strongly influenced by early Indian and Chinese cultures. As early as the beginning of the Christian era the Indian traders brought - along with their products - their religion to the first Khmer state in Funan. Most of them were followers of Brahmanism (a forerunner of Hinduism), which merged with the existing animistic beliefs into a kind of new religion - hinduistic and local deities existing side by side.
During the Angkor period, which started at the beginning of the 8th century, various Hindu sects were promoted by the Angkor kings, especially the cults of Shiva and Vishnu, which is still to be seen in the art and architecture of that period. Jayavarman II crowned himself as a reincarnation of Shiva and reigned on the basis of the Hindu concept of the god-kings or devaraja. Hindu cosmology had a great impact on the whole Cambodian culture. Today, almost 90% of the population are Theravada-Buddhists - the faith has had a formative influence on everyday live and still has. It was reintroduced as the national religion in 1989.
Theravada-Buddhism entered the country in the 13th century and began to spread under King Jayavarman VII in the whole country, till it became state religion in the 15th century. As a popular religion, it held great attractions to a population which for many centuries had been denied access to the more elitist and extravagant devaraja cult. Many Cambodian males at some point of their lives, spend time in a Buddhist monastery and almost every village has a Buddhist temple - or wat - around which village life centers. Buddhist rituals follow the lunar calendar and there are several significant religious holidays and festivals that are widely observed.
Cambodian Buddhism appears an easy going faith and tolerates ancestor and territorial spirit worship, which is widely practised. There are often small rustic altars to the guardian spirits in the corner of pagodas. Many Khmer communities have achars, who share in the spiritual guidance of people but do not compete with the monks. Most important ceremonies - weddings, funerals, coming of age - have both Buddhist and animist elements. Today other religions in Cambodia are Islam and Christianity - there are around 500.000 Cham-Muslims belonging to the Sunni school and approximately 60.000 Christians, most of them Roman Catholics. Almost all the Chinese in Cambodia are Taoist or Confucianist.

Arts & Architecture

The height of Khmer art and architecture dates from the Angkor period. All the surviving monuments are built of stone or brick, and all are religious buildings. The culture and art of the early kingdoms of Funan and Chenla were central to the evolution of Angkorian art and architecture. Relics of the pre-Angkorian periods have been found all over South-Cambodia. Most of it is Hindu art, but a number of Mahayana-Buddhist Bodhisattvas have been found also. During Angkor period, architecture and its decoration were governed by a series of mystical and religious beliefs.
Common motifs in Khmer sculpture are apsaras (celestial nymphs), which have become a kind of symbol of the Khmer culture. The apsaras are carved with splendidly ornate jewellery, clothed in the latest Angkor fashion and represented the ultimate ideal of feminine beauty of that time. Other motifs are nagas (sacred aquatic snakes), which play an important part in Hindu mythology and are possibly more than any other motif charac-teristic of Southeast Asia. Most of these motifs have been taken from Indian art and have been modified into what is now known as traditional Khmer art.
Temples were designed to represent the cosmic Mt. Meru, the home of the gods of Indian cosmology, surrounded by oceans. Angkor literally means "city" or "capital", Wat means "temple". Angkor Wat is the largest and most famous of the architectural masterpieces of Cambodia and probably the largest religious building on earth. Conceived by Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat took an estimated 30 years to build. It is generally believed to have been a funeral temple for the king. It has been continuously occupied by monks and is well preserved.
Intricate bas reliefs surround Angkor Wat on four sides. Each tells a different story. The most celebrated of these is "The Churning of the Ocean of Milk", which is located on the east wing. Again, the central sanctuary of the temple complex represents Mt. Meru, the five towers symbolize Meru's five peaks, the enclosing wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond.
The symmetrical towers of Angkor Wat are stylized on the Cambodian flag and have become a symbol of Khmer culture.

Language

The official Cambodian language, called Khmer, is part of the Mon-Khmer family, enriched by the Indian Pali and Sanskrit languages and influenced by Thai and French. Khmer is related to the languages spoken by hilltribe people of Laos, Vietnam and even Malaysia. It has no tones and the script is derived from the South-Indian alphabet, written from left to right and leaving no space between the words. English and French are spoken also - French mainly by some old people, whereas the younger generation learns English.

CAMBODIA Culture

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Why does God KONES have Elephant Head???

Style for Parties

Pchum Ben Festival

Poem-Doeum Chhoeu Teal Raksa Srok

Sryle for Party

Cambodian Style

Cheife

Alert

7 July 2009

Khmer Poem - Mother

Born_khmer

KH Modern Clothing Style

Khmer Modern Clothing Style

Khmer Modern Clothing Style

Discusion Team

KH modern clothing

Style for any parties

New Year Tradition

Khmer Chhankitek Calendar

Years

Sak

Calculating Sak from different eras

Finding an animal year from a given era

Animal

Months

1.Lunar Month

2.Solar Month

Days of the Week

Seasons

1.Lunar Season ()

2.Solar Season

3.Ancient Season ()

Traditional Ways of Counting Age

1.Find your age from the animal year

2.Find animal year from your age [C4]

Religious Events

Khmer Terminologies

Khmer Clothing Style

Modern Clothing Style

Cambodia's Water Festival (The pirogue Racing Festival)

Khmer New Year

CAMBODIA Culture

2.Find animal year from your age ^[C4]