Keat Chan Thuch (L), the provincial chief monk who got drunk and beat a clergymen, he was allegedly the protégé of Cambodia's Supreme Patriarch, comrade Tep Vong (R), himself a former member of the communist politburo
Neth Khay, the peeping tom monk who videotaped naked women, showing the police the location of his hidden video camera
9 July 2010 Written by Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online
Since Buddhism is a state religion guaranteed by the Constitution and the fact that nearly all Cambodians are Buddhists, the recent reported decline of monk morality in the country is a cause of concern.
On several occasions, monks have been found of engaging in violent behavior or misconduct including having sex or watching pornography. There was a case where a provincial chief monk reportedly got drunk and beat a clergymen who didn't file a complaint for security reason since the bully monk is recognized as the king monk in the province. Recently, a monk was caught making a video of naked ladies who went to his monastery for religious watering, a belief that the water provided by the monk will release all bad incidents or bring luck to people. The investigation which led to an arrest was followed by an enormous sharing of that nude video via bluetooth from phone to phone. This apparently raised a question over the emerging development of technology infrastructure in Cambodia where people can widely access porn materials more easily. However, as suggested by Chan Nim, the issue is left to the conscience of the people on the proper use of technologies.
On the other hand, there are many well-behaved monks who understand the role of technology in promoting religious teachings. While it is now common to see many blogs initiated by young people who discuss social, technological or personal issues, there are now Buddhism-themed blogs such as Bodhikaram, Saloeurm, Khmerbuddhism. An extensive teaching of Buddhist philosophy is now accessible online in the form of short commentaries, dictionaries, podcasts, or textbooks in both English and Khmer. Moreover, there are a number of monks who are effectively maximizing the internet in order to reach a wider audience. Venerable Saloeurm Savath, for example, has been rigorously sharing many Buddhist teachings via face-book which acts as a natural linkage with his laypeople who can easily reach him for more explanation on certain Buddhist Principle or issues.
Pagodas and monks are part of Cambodia's cultural and educational heritage. They continue to contribute a lot in society. It is hoped that monk morality can be strengthened to encourage the people to affirm their trust and faith in Buddhism which has hugely contributed to national reconciliation and psychological peace, such as the case of survivors of the Khmer Rouge Regime that kept applying Buddhist teachings to transform their revenge and anger to hope and peace of mind.
On several occasions, monks have been found of engaging in violent behavior or misconduct including having sex or watching pornography. There was a case where a provincial chief monk reportedly got drunk and beat a clergymen who didn't file a complaint for security reason since the bully monk is recognized as the king monk in the province. Recently, a monk was caught making a video of naked ladies who went to his monastery for religious watering, a belief that the water provided by the monk will release all bad incidents or bring luck to people. The investigation which led to an arrest was followed by an enormous sharing of that nude video via bluetooth from phone to phone. This apparently raised a question over the emerging development of technology infrastructure in Cambodia where people can widely access porn materials more easily. However, as suggested by Chan Nim, the issue is left to the conscience of the people on the proper use of technologies.
On the other hand, there are many well-behaved monks who understand the role of technology in promoting religious teachings. While it is now common to see many blogs initiated by young people who discuss social, technological or personal issues, there are now Buddhism-themed blogs such as Bodhikaram, Saloeurm, Khmerbuddhism. An extensive teaching of Buddhist philosophy is now accessible online in the form of short commentaries, dictionaries, podcasts, or textbooks in both English and Khmer. Moreover, there are a number of monks who are effectively maximizing the internet in order to reach a wider audience. Venerable Saloeurm Savath, for example, has been rigorously sharing many Buddhist teachings via face-book which acts as a natural linkage with his laypeople who can easily reach him for more explanation on certain Buddhist Principle or issues.
Pagodas and monks are part of Cambodia's cultural and educational heritage. They continue to contribute a lot in society. It is hoped that monk morality can be strengthened to encourage the people to affirm their trust and faith in Buddhism which has hugely contributed to national reconciliation and psychological peace, such as the case of survivors of the Khmer Rouge Regime that kept applying Buddhist teachings to transform their revenge and anger to hope and peace of mind.
34 comments:
I just google and notice that 95% of Cambodian males is gay, 60% of them has a small dick, so they chose to work as whores for the White farang to bang their ass to get a life. If you are a Cambodian and has a bad time with your tiny dick, please consider us at:
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There are monsters in every sector of the society: Governments civil servants, clergy, military, police......That does not surprise me.
Tep Vong , Lon Nghet....are not a saint people. They are the worst monks in Cambodia of all times.
Very great reflective article Sopheap. You are shedding light for those who don't understand Buddhism. Your essay is enlightening! Cheer!
Look at Keat Chan Thuch drunkard monk,look at comrade Tep Vong faces.Tep Vong who asked his subject Long Kim Leang to beat protester monks in Phnom Penh. All of them are Ah Hun Sen clans and Vietnamese slaves. Go to hell all of above.
Even a priest is caught misbehaving so this is not surprise since every religion have its own flaw.
COMMUNIST MONKS STOP THE SLAUGHTER
Buddhist monks under the leadership of Tep Vong and Non Nghet will destroy our Khmer Buddhism. Now, they started sending their monks oversea to destroy our Khmer community.
They sent comrade monk Long Kimleang to San Jose, California. This monk monster is protected by a group of people, at Wat Khmer San Jose, who want to gain benefits from the CPP.
When those monk monsters gain power in the US, they will destroy our Khmer community just like what they did in Cambodia.
This is becaue Khmer has a communist follower to be a chief monk like Tep Vong. What kind of Theology school Tep Vong had attend? None. Only Communist Theory school that he had attended. So not to wonder why Budhism on the verge of collapsing in Cambodia.
I am wondering why khmer community in San Jose didnt kick that Long Kimleang out of the Temple. He is a communist monk and he is there to spy for CPP .... according to what I heard .
Poster 12:03 PM
You got to be one of those gay men the way you type your English .
I don´t care about the religions, buddhist or not buddhist. There Bad monks and bad priests in the Buddhists,Christans and Muslim religions. Biut there are not the maóriry. Don´t make amalgame.
Especially for Buddhism, If you analyse well our history, You can see that the khmer Empire has declined to almost nothing in the map, since Jayavarman had embraced Buddhism.
Is it true?
To the author,
Decline? What methodology you conduct to research on this topic? What data or chart or figure you use to show? Or may be you compare to the monks during Buddha's era? In fact, bad monks also emerged at that time also.
Yes, It is only minority not majority in monk community.
Yes it ´s not the Buddism that has declined, But our Country since Jayavarman VII shifted the Country from Bhramanism to Buddhism.
With the Buddhism Cambodian people believe in the so-called Karma and become passive, not reacting to the abuse of power and the poverty.
Mr 12:03.
I am not against gay and lesbian people. I cinsider them as Human being as us, with our defaults and qualities. But you are stupid and wrong when you said 95% of Cambodians are gay......No-one believe you.
Dear Sirs,
May I clearify that this former monk Neth Khay is a short mental person so he like to take pictures of nake girls. This is a nature of a man who are curious to see nake girls.
But is there any law or tradition that Cambodians used to blame the girls who were naked in a public room like those were in the pagoda of Sras Chak in Phnom Penh?
I do not blame only the person who take pictures of those stupid naked girls but they were the promoters of nake photos in such a place like pagoda.
They must realised that the room has a hole that can be seen from the outside. In their home bathroom, they can do what they want because they surely khow that it is safe for them to take off their clothings. In the suspected bathroom in the pagoda, there are many sarongs and kramas that they can use to change clothes.
Most of the Cambodians are used to take shower in the room or outside by using their sarong. It seems to me that the video pictures were made by a professional person and they were not made by a simple person like this one. In order to undermine Buddhism in Cambodia or in the world.
Thank you for your kind understanding of my opinion and consider as a proof to a good judgement.
Ly
Just take a look at Kiet Chantuch Monk-drunkard Face! beating up people all over the temple...
Bunch of crooke and bad monks out there taken advantage on believers, i hope authority continue to investigate within all the temples throughout the country, not just Wat Srah Chak alone..!
To poster 3:50 PM
You can type but I think you are incapable of searching and finding the truth so , what you are saying is from your heart without the facts.
Dear Mr Ly 6:00
You must thank the crooked monk, voyeur of naked women. Thank to him, the stupid women and men will stop believing in this stupid " blessed bath".
Thank you crooked monk.
Hey guy, If you think the Khmer Empire was declined by Buddhism, that's not right. In contrary, Khmer Empire was declined by Khmer Who wanted power and not following the Buddhism. Buddhism teach us the way to prosperity but we ruined our Country by ourselves. If no Buddhism, may be no more Khmer in the map. Luckily to have Buddhism in Cambodia.
It never decline of Buddah Monk Motality in Cambobia after Pol Pot! We have only Hochi Monk! is here to destroy Cambobian moral and religion!
Can you see King and KinG Kong! you are worship and bless by evils!!!!!!
HEY! Tep Vong has a beautifull flowering robe! What kind of religion it is! Animal farm????
HEY! Tep Vong has a beautifull flowering robe! What kind of religion it is! Animal farm????
Ly,
Stop blaming the victims and stay focussed on the perpetrator!
If I went to see my friend who needed help at midnight and got robbed in Phnom Penh, should I blame myself for goint out at night and thus putting myself in a position of being robbed or should I blame the robber?
No excuse for bad behaviour!
Ly,
Stop blaming the victims and stay focussed on the perpetrator!
If I went to see my friend who needed help at midnight and got robbed in Phnom Penh, should I blame myself for going out at night and thus putting myself in a position of being robbed or should I blame the robber?
No excuse for bad behaviour!
Who cares!
Ly! your perception is wrong in relation to morality and appropriate assistances helping people.There are forbidden rules supposed to be adhered to compsulsively in order to be a monk and allowable rules adjusted accordingly to time and places.
Monkhood now becomes a shelter which is not restricted due to compassion on humanity in order to grow with study of humanity of buddhism.
Destruction is facing cambodia because there are so many crook monks under ignorant of so called Supreme patriach and materalistic clans.Material focus is not path of buddhism,otherwise buddha would not got away from material life and as king to become monk.Now monk thrives for power and materials because the ignorance of more peaceful life of searching for UNDERSTANDING(Bothi).
Major change is required to keep cambodia survived physically and culturally.
Remember that to kill a nation is to kill her culture and her intellects(intellectuals).
Please watch out for your heritages,cambodians!
Peasant
Sadly, no, you're all wrong:
The purpose of Theravada Buddhism is to preserve, practice and teach the doctrine of the historical Buddha.
Guess what?
That isn't the same thing as "Cambodian tradition" or "traditional Cambodian culture".
Guess what?
That isn't the same thing as giving shelter to the poor, cripples and homeless people.
Cambodians are capable of doing all three things.
Maybe.
Eventually.
But the purpose of monastic practice is not what Cambodians commonly assume, and, sadly, those "common assumptions" are often the result of old Vietnamese-propaganda from the "Liberation Front" times.
blame it on the KR era! they killed off a lot of highly educated buddhist monks. what is is mostly young and ill-discipline ones, and the older monks are getting older, literally. cambodia has to hustle up to train more educated monk like lord nath chhoun.
Dear all;
we human being should never look down Buddhism or other religion because of practitioners. we, high animals, should see the exact lession.
Mr. AD kon khmer,
if don't keep changing this fucker govement our country will getting down . angkor wat siem reap is kindom of vietnam has been vietnamese colony seen long time no body fucking care .
full of hatred in here. you either like hun sen or not.. Cambodia is at war with Thailand who want Khmer land and preah vihear. Cambodia is bigger than hun sen.. its not about hun sen now its about Cambodia.. Its time for khmer to stand together, stop fighting each other.. and the article about monks.. monks are human. human are sinners.. so they will sins.. only God is holy..
Thank for all you thinking about our Buddhism and our Buddhist monks,we are all see only Buddhist monks, do good and do bad. But we do not see the begging and middle or before that people became Buddhist monks. i mean what did they do before they became monks. if they were a bad men then when they became monks how can they become a good monk.
so that is not only monk's problems, but also our Buddhist problems. Please joint together find the good solution for our lovely Buddhism and our Buddhist monks. http://thekhemarastudentfoundation.blogspot.com/
Hun Sen + Tep Vong + CPP = Hanio's slaves. They are distroying Khmer buddhism and society by way of slowly injecting Ho Chimin's evil imperialism over Cambodia. Sadly, Ho's plan of taking control of Cambodia is a success. As everyone can see, there are intrusions of the Viets' influences in every aspect of Khmer lifes such as religion, government, busuness, and the list goes on.
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