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| Shrines have been set up around the bodhi tree in Sanlong commune that sprang back to life after being cut down. Photo by: ROTH MEAS |
Villagers eat, love and pray to ‘magical’ tree
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Roth Meas
The Phnom Penh Post
VILLAGERS in Kandal province have been praying to a bodhi tree and drinking tea made from its roots and bark after it suddenly sprang upright, having been cut down and knocked over last year.
The 200-year-old tree in Sanlong commune, about 40 kilometres from Phnom Penh, attracted curiosity when its trunk, which was lying on the ground, began standing upright again two weeks ago. “My dog was barking, so my wife looked out from the house and saw the tree base was slowly standing upright again,” said villager Khai Lorn, 48.
Buddhist priest Sok Suon said a man who lived next to the tree dreamed that its spirit was helping to bring it back to life, so monks erected umbrellas and a tent nearby for people to gather and pray.
“The bodhi tree is supposed to be a magical tree because the Buddha gained enlightenment under one” said the priest.
The tree was felled to make way for a road-widening project on November 18. Over the past two weeks, said Sok Suon, hundreds of people have come to pray to the tree and cut bits of root or bark off it in the hope that it will help cure diseases.
Health officials in Kandal province stressed that drinking bark or roots from a bodhi tree was a folk remedy and not supported by medical evidence. Prak Phan, deputy director of the province’s department of health, said medical workers would educate people nearby so they could avoid any danger.
However, practicioner of traditional Khmer medicine Phka Chhouk, said that trees of the fig family were often used to cure ailments, and could help treat syphilis.
One keen to try the tree was Srey Sorn, 60, of Prey Chrouk village in Kandal’s Bak Dav commune. “I got some bark to boil after I prayed to the tree to cure my stomach disease. The traditional medicine man says that so far, roots or bark from the tree haven’t poisoned anyone.”
Village chief Ly Chamroeun, 45, said that the tree had now been moved to private land so people could keep praying to it.
Superstition runs rife in the countryside. Last week, people in Kandal province's Saang district organised a spirit wedding for two snakes.
15 comments:
A tree trunk got more respect than the king. I'm not sure what to make of Cambodians?
pathetic! this is the 21st century people....
21st century but people still believe in God . Where is God ? Has anyone seen him ? People in this world believe in something depends on who they are .
What a pathetic bunch of idiots Khmer people are! A tree that spawn new life because of the fucking roots that have not been dug. You can cut the tree stump down, but if you dont dig or cut out the roots eventually it will spawn new life with new stems. What a joke!!! This is a new fucking Century and others are working toward Space Technologies while Cambodians are still worshiping dead Budhi Tree. No wonder your land deserves to be ruled under foreign dominations. Get a life you old fart!!!
Khmer America (CPP)
some may say pathetic, but how about other around the world that is praying and worshiping 'toasted bread that appear to have "Jesus" face on it' or a stone statue that "appear" to cry blood, etc,.. some believe in science some believe in different religion but what ever they believe in, if they are not harming anyone but having a sense of happiness for them self by all mean let it be. who are you to judge.
KI team could you please Post my article below in your bloge.
The united state, European union, King, Funcipece, CPP, and 92 precent of cambodia people are not with Mr. Sam rainsy, except Thai thuge that give rainsy hope but Thai thug only used SRP for their benifite, and SRP organization are totaly mess, mess, and messy, now as we clearly see How low, low, low and inexperienced Mr.Sam is? wasn't it right?. Based on negative preach and master in criticising skile stratergy Sam very wishly to divide, divid, and divide our Khmer, and his bige liar skile in sucking our money to support his family morgages in franch, what else Mr. supprior Rainsy can do, ....see any..... any.....no, none nothings, wasn't it right?. Same is Chines, alway smarte in Business.
Can any body could tell me what his father sam Sarry had don any goods things at all,.
Now we clearly see Same family are enslave us most of the time for gaining personal power and wealthy rich. All KI Editor are highly interlected and much more capable smarter than Rainsy, Now I can see KI and other SRP supporter could run SRP by their own, and we all clearly, clearly, and clearly see Mr. Same braind capacity are absolutely imposible to leade us to fictory, for now and for 15 years ahead, No ways that this man Same no longer in our dream, hope any more. He Same aroused our anger against Veit, agianst Cpp, Against all Khmer, do you stile thing if Mr.Sam are ellected to be leader, you think he going to eliminate Veit,? He can eliminat all CPP, does he strong anought to dealt with thia thug?.NOOOOOOO Nooooo and Nooo uslese Sam not at all. we absolutely, see futur with rainsy is about Rainsy his own greedy hunger and cheat all of us. Khmer help khmer not chines Rainsy. As I see You KI must positively chang to fairly ways in your professionalism to totaly focus on re build supperior cultur among Khmer any things that lead to preach stronger Khmer. Best Regards Mike
The ones who call other people pathetic need to take a look at themselves.
OK, a tree is cut down; part goes to lumber to build a house, part goes for cooking and fire for keeping warm, and part is to bow down to worship. Now, who is more smarter, the tree or the people?
My dear 6:24AM,
I have no idea who the heck you are. You call yourself Mike which is a Western name but your writing is nothing Western at all. Your English should be much better to fit your name. You must be one of the fake CPP Phds, as usual with no education to show. Your poor writing as well as your very poor political analysis do not deserve to posted here in KI where thousands of people come here to get news about our homeland. On top of that you post your comments everywhere regardless of the article topic. If my writing is bad, it's quite erstandable because I'm not a Mike or a John, etc...
Have a nice day!
culture of stupidity!
Anything worshipable in Cambodia under Hun Xen rule such as drinking cow dung, having sex with baby to cure aids ect...
This is Cambodia.. That's why the guy name Mike, a pedophile, above wants to take advantage of our country.
With poor education which lead to believe in almost any things. That is why Hun Sen winning the election by just give msg and a couple of sarongs. It is very easy to brain wash an uneducated person then the educated one.
There are more need to be done in Cambodia, especially Education.
from the look in the picture, the land is sloped and thus the tree had to upright itself by force of nature. if it's a flat ground and the tree moves by itself, when i see and photographed, then i would believe that this tree stump is special, otherwise, it's really hard to convince me to believe in this tree, in particular. yes, superstitious people. they say old habits die hard, so true! for me, i like everything modern, not ancient way, you know!
the people in the pictures looked like hill tribe people that believe in animism, force of nature, etc... i encourage cambodia to become more modernized, please! leave superstition to yourself, ok! actually leave superstition for the tv show called "taboo"!
First of all
Mike received Khmer citizenship card and the right to vote in the kingdom. He also received SMG and Rice from CPP. He spent his spare time learning English as well.
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