The cycle of sufferings and tears are within us, breakthrough this cycle if we want stop sufferings and tears

Op-Ed: Venerable Preah Krou Luon Sovath

Cambodian proverb says "ចុះទឹកក្រពើ ឡើងលើខ្លា Choh Tirk Kropeur, Lerng Leur Klaa or means step down into the water face alligator, climb up to the ground face tiger". This proverb teaches us the "reality" that all Cambodian people especially Cambodian Buddhists must be mindful to accept this truth and search for alternative solutions to eliminate this unfavorable truth. While the 7 Makara Day has been approaching and it is a dividing day for Cambodian politicians and general people, the violence in Borei Keila has been remarkably occurring before this remarkable arrival day. If we do a Dhamma analogy with the Khmer proverb saying above, we can see that the Pol Pot regime is a deadly situation that Cambodian people were drown into the water full of alligator; 7 Makara Day is a deadly situation that Cambodian people were preyed by the tiger. As the matter of fact, the violation on the residential rights in Borei Keila as well as other places entire Cambodia are evidently witnessing the suffering and tears perpetuated by the tiger on the ground? It seems we were drown into the water, Cambodian people were died faster than Cambodian people who are preyed by the ground tiger. 3 years, 8 months and 20 days in the water might not be able to compare the suffering and tears of 33 years facing with the lingering ground tiger. If Cambodian people cannot escape from these two beasts, the suffering and tears are still pending on them.

Buddha taught that "the cycle of suffering is within us, if we cannot break through this cycle, we still experience sufferings and tears".