By Ung Chamroeun
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
This important Buddhist celebration for the religious life of Cambodian people will end during the next full moon, in two weeks.
The festival of the dead: Since Thursday 28 September, the Kan Ben period started. This is an occasion for faithful Cambodian Buddhists to pay tribute to their departing ancestors (Pret) in the pagodas, through the help of monks. This sacred period will end in two weeks, in October. During this time, the sky is supposed to become more and more obscure as it is darkened by the harvest sky of Lord Yama (Yumreach), the king of the netherworld, who releases the soul of the dead so they can visit the people alive for a short period of time. The fifteenth day (11 October), on the full moon, is called Pchum Ben or the “gathering of the Ben” (the Ben designates the foods offered to the spirit, they consist of rice cakes and other foods).
For Miech Ponn, the advisor for the Khmer custom committee at the Buddhist Institute, this ceremony is very important, and it is necessary for Cambodian people to go to the pagoda to bring offerings. “The participation of the people is necessary for the monks, and for themselves. This is an occasion that allows people to dedicate themselves to religion, and to support monks who are not allowed to leave their pagodas to beg for their alms, according to the tradition,” Sophoan, a 42-year-old Phnom Penh woman, said.
At 4:00 AM, before sunrise, the faithful, mainly the youths, travel to pagodas to throw the “Bay Ben” (rice thrown along the stupas and viharas), accompanied by monks’ prayers. However, most of the time, old people tend to criticize the adolescents for taking advantage of this religious ceremony and turning it into a rendez-vous location between girls and boys.
The festival of the dead: Since Thursday 28 September, the Kan Ben period started. This is an occasion for faithful Cambodian Buddhists to pay tribute to their departing ancestors (Pret) in the pagodas, through the help of monks. This sacred period will end in two weeks, in October. During this time, the sky is supposed to become more and more obscure as it is darkened by the harvest sky of Lord Yama (Yumreach), the king of the netherworld, who releases the soul of the dead so they can visit the people alive for a short period of time. The fifteenth day (11 October), on the full moon, is called Pchum Ben or the “gathering of the Ben” (the Ben designates the foods offered to the spirit, they consist of rice cakes and other foods).
For Miech Ponn, the advisor for the Khmer custom committee at the Buddhist Institute, this ceremony is very important, and it is necessary for Cambodian people to go to the pagoda to bring offerings. “The participation of the people is necessary for the monks, and for themselves. This is an occasion that allows people to dedicate themselves to religion, and to support monks who are not allowed to leave their pagodas to beg for their alms, according to the tradition,” Sophoan, a 42-year-old Phnom Penh woman, said.
At 4:00 AM, before sunrise, the faithful, mainly the youths, travel to pagodas to throw the “Bay Ben” (rice thrown along the stupas and viharas), accompanied by monks’ prayers. However, most of the time, old people tend to criticize the adolescents for taking advantage of this religious ceremony and turning it into a rendez-vous location between girls and boys.
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