Cambodia Celebrated Visaka Bochea Day

About 10,000 people including 480 Buddhist monks, laypeople and other people from government officials, parliamentarians and senators have gathered and celebrated Visaka Bochea Day Festival which is the full moon day of sixth lunar month at the Phnom Preah Reach Troap-Udong in Ponhear Loeu district in Kandal province on 28 April, 2010.

The celebration of Visaka Bochea Day 2554 was organized by the Ministry of Cults and Religion and the National Committee for Organizing National and International Festivals (NCONIF), and presided over by Samdech Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly to respect the Buddha Lord who passed away 2554 years ago.

Samdech Heng Samrin said that Visaka Bochea Day is the most important traditional ceremony in the Buddhism in Cambodia. It is a ceremony that Cambodian people in the country always celebrate in the monasteries every year with pleased minds on full moon day of Visaka month for the Buddha’s Memorial Day.

“Every year, Cambodia is very happy to celebrate Visaka Bochea Day to respect and remember our Buddha Lord’s enlightenment and passing away in the world. This year’s celebration has been well organized and progress and there are so many people who have participated in the event,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly during an interview at the celebration at Phnom Preah Reach Troap in Udong district, Kampong Speu on April 28.

Due to the full peace, political stability, development and the progress, all religions especially Buddhism now has been developing in Cambodia, and the Buddhism has taken such a deep root in the hearts of culture and tradition in Khmer people, he said, adding that for this year’s celebration, the Royal Government also accepted the duty as a house owner in the role of Buddhism country among other countries in the world in order to celebrate the ceremony of the “4th Trail of Civilization” on the full moon day of Visaka Bochea on the 28th of April at Bayon Temple in Siem Reap province.

Samdech Preah Sangkareah Bou Kry, Leader of the Dhamayut Buddhist sect in Camnbodia, said that that Visaka Bochea Day is very important for all Buddhist followers in the world. It has also officially recognized by the United Nations (UN) as the World Heritage Day on December 13, 2009. Samdech added that Visaka Bochea is celebrated in order to remember three important events in which when Buddha was born into the world, when the Buddha attained enlightenment, and he passed away.

“Today, Buddhism is already 2554 years old, having become a very large part of the heritage in Asia, still strongly stands and being venerated by hundred thousands people in the world, especially Khmer citizens,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly on April 27 in Phnom Penh.

Samdech stated that Visaka Bochea Day, all Khmer people including the King, leaders of the Royal Government, Buddhist monks in all ranks and all Buddhist lay devotees with happy faces and beautiful clothes, the hands holding various worshiped things such as followers, joss sticks and perfumes to worship the Buddha whose relics enshrined in a stupa erected on the mountain of Preah Reach Trop or Attharassa in the area of Udong Mountain, Ponhea Loeu district in Kandal province.

Regarding to the history of Visaka Bochea Festival, he said that this traditional ceremony has been practiced by Khmer people from generation to generation since Buddhism was brought to the land of Sovannaphumi by the two elder Buddhist monks known as Sonatthera and Uttharathera.

Cambodia chronicles mentions that the Buddha’s relic was brought to Cambodia since 1957 by former King Norodom Sihanouk. The former King Norodom Sihanouk obtained the Buddha’s relic from India and the relic was initially enshrined in Phnom Penh, former stupa located in front of the Railway Station in Phnom Penh today.

After the construction of new stupa was begun on the mountain of Preah Reach Trop in Udong in 1996, on the full moon day, month of Migasira, 2546 B.E or on the 19th December 2002, the King Norodom Sihanouk, the two leaders of Buddhist Sects, Buddhist monks, and government officials in all ranks with a congratulation of many people marched and brought the sacred relics from Phnom Penh to enshrine in the stupa where it has been completely built at the mountain of Preah Reach Trop or Udong.

According to Samdech Preah Sangkareach Bou Kry, the profound meanings of Buddha’s teachings including the consequence of practices in Dharma, it makes wholesomeness that is a good state rooted in minds through the theory of Kamma and pointed out the way for practice which is referred to the Eightfold Noble Path and leading those who insert an effort, possibly attain peacefulness throughout the mental, verbal, and physical practice until the peace, mutual tolerance from even a small family up to the whole society and the world.

Parents’ Words of Wisdom

My Beloved Children:

Your goodness and your success are the hallmarks of our happiness. We, your parents, never have evil or vengeful wishes towards you. We only have good wishes, tender care and love for you in our hearts. We have no room for harmful thoughts or evil acts to tarnish our good intention for you.

Our love for you is infinite and pure. We are not sad or embarrassed if you lack material luxuries, but we are truly sad and embarrassed if you are wicked or cruel.

We are glad and contented to see you succeed in life. You are good and capable, have an honest job, and warm family relationship. We are especially proud to see you have become a good person.

We are not gods but we are more than gods.
We are not Brahma but we are more than Brahma.
We give you life that nobody else can give you, not even gods or Brahma, and we give you infinite love.

We wish you a valuable and successful life full of enlightenment and contentment. This is the sole reason why we always take this precious time to say these words of wisdom to you. Please take time to read this “Parents’ Words Of Wisdom” with care and diligence.

Try to digest its meaning and apply to life’s circumstances so that progress, success and goodness will be yours.
With best wishes from your parents,


From: “Parents’ Words Of Wisdom” - Buth Savong

Blessing 2

Associating with the wise

A Wise Person

1. Knows the difference between good and bad.
2. Positive and cheerful with a kind and warm heart.
3. Thinks, speaks and behave in good and positive ways.
4. Honest, trustworthy, clear, happy, and causing no problems to themselves or others.
5. Uses their internal wisdom to live their life happily and positively.
6. Can be someone from any social background, have little or no education, money or material wealth.

The Characteristics of a Wise Person
A wise person knows what is right and wrong and conducts their life accordingly.
1. Always thinks acts, speaks positively, and is also cheerful and kind.
2. Will make it a habit to give to charity, to those less fortunate, to help support those who act in a good way towards other too.
3. Will not seek revenge from others misdeeds towards them, or want to cause hurt to anyone.
4. Manage situations with a calm, compassionate manner, in the belief that doing good deeds is the merit that we need.
5. Only speaks the truth in an appropriate way, speak in a manner that offers compassion for others, and words that will forge harmony within a family or any group of people.
6. Seeks to earn an honest living, compassionate towards others, generosity and gives to charity, keeps the precepts and meditates.
7. Constantly perform good actions and deeds.

A Person Who is Wise
1. Grateful to those who have helped them in the past.
2. Stays away from doing anything wrong or bad.
3. Encourages other to do good deeds and acts as positive role model.
4. Always helps those who are less fortunate than themselves.

The Way to Recognize a Wise Person
A wise person will…
* Support others to do the right thing and encourage them to reject negative habits e.g. smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs and stealing.
* Encourage others to think positively, do good deeds, keep the precepts, meditate, pray before bedtime, take their studies seriously, and be generous.
* Not abandon you if you are down on your luck.
* In Buddhism such a friend has a special name, a good friend or “Kalyanamitta”, or a true friend “Patirupamitta”.
* Not interfere with other people’s business and will only offer advice or reflection.
* Act with good intention at all times.
* Support good habits including; being polite, punctual, tidy and hard working.
* Only do that which reflects the integrity of their beliefs; they intensely loathe gossip and the spreading of rumors.
* Gladly accept the advice and feedback of others and is willing to listen.
* Not feel a loss of dignity if the person giving the comments should be different to them in many ways, but feels a sense of ease if the remarks are pertinent to their self improvement.
* Remain calm and steady if someone gets angry or aggressive with them.
* Display honor and integrity in upholding the discipline and regulations of the organizations they are involved with or represent.

Way to Mix with the Wise
1. Spend time in the company of the wise.
2. Sit near each other.
3. Share respectful and honest friendship with one another.
4. Listen to the advice of the wise person who offers Dhamma.
5. Try to remember the advice and the Dhamma.
6. Try to reflect and understand the meaning of the Dhamma.
7. Aim to practice and emulate what the wise person offers you.

There are two types of a wise
1. External wise: An individual, who behaves well, follows strong moral and ethical principles and uses their wisdom in everyday life.
2. Internal wise: In internal wise one is us when we think, speak or act in good ways.

The Benefits of Mixing with the Wise
1. A clear, bright mind and ability to perform good deeds.
2. Gain knowledge, clear and firm in their beliefs, balanced, fair and steady.
3. Understand what is right and good.
4. No concern or difficulties.
5. Gain respect from other people.
6. Happy, calm and free from all harm.
7. Able to establish themselves and gain promotion with ease.
8. Will enter the heaven after death.
9. Can enter Nibbana after death.

The Story of Magha Puja

Buddha's Bone Procession in 2002

The Trail of Civilization and Art Performance - Cambodia 2010

The Life of Buddha. BBC (English Subtitle)

Preah Siddhattha - Khmer Version

Moggallana and Angulimala

Preah Angulimala - Thai Version

The Life of Buddha (Cartoon in Khmer)

Life of the Buddha in Thai

Dr. Buth Savong

Lok Krou KEO Vimuth

Blessing 1

Not Associating with Fools

How can we know our friends are fool?

Three main features of a fool

1. Have constant negative thinking, harboring harmful thoughts of revenge, envy and jealousy.

2. Tells lies regularly, speaks a low level of language, use abusive speech, and constantly chatters about unimportant things.

3. Behave in an abusive ways towards others. E.G. bulling and encouraging them to behave in similarly negative ways.

Actions of a fool

1. Encourages others to behave badly such as young individuals, who are naive the world, are easier to be persuaded than adults.

2. Involves themselves in other people’s school or college life, business affairs and at work such as cause problem for other with their aggressive, abusive language and negative attitudes.

3. Spreads gossip and rumors about other people such as spread negatively through mobile phone, the internet and emails.

4. Spreads their own unhappiness outward as they don’t like seeing other being positive and happy.

5. Disregards rules and regulation, can be untidy and has no sense of discipline.

6. Not easily listen to the wise or accept advice and may fiercely reject any feedback about their behavior.

Tips on how to recognize a fool

1. Does not follow acceptable standards of behavior, pushes boundaries and argumentative.

2. Try hard to persuade other to follow their example. Give example to other and even offer advice on how to be foolish.

e.g. persuade their friends to skip school, steal other’s money, or use drugs

3. Behavior and speech is of a coarse standard and unacceptable for good people to be around, to imitate or to follow.

Why being a fool is really dangerous

1. Believes what they do is okay when it is clearly wrong.

2. Suffers the loss of their good reputation and become a family and public embarrassment.

3. Unpopular, mistrusted and lose the respect of their families, true friends and others.

4. Brings problems to their families with shame and disgrace.

5. Experience loss of their dignity and the chance of a successful and happy future.

6. Experience more illness and problems than the wise.

7. Damages and destroys their goodness in this life and future lives.

8. In Buddhist belief, a foolish person will enter Hell after death.

What do we mean when we say “Associating or Mixing with a fool?

* It can mean spending time with them at school, at work, when studying, as friends, in chat rooms, by texts, by emails, and by internet contact.

* We can be sharing their company, have friendships, even marry a fool and can be in a family with fools too!

* We can trust, admire, praise, promote and even lend thing to fools.

The consequences of mixing with a fool

1. Believe in what is false to be right.

2. Viewed by the company you keep, as being untrustworthy, unreliable and like the company you mix with. “Mud Stick”!

3. If by mixing with the foolish and copying their behavior, then your future is at stake and can be seriously jeopardized.

4. You can feel very frustrated as the fool will not listen to your good advice or even think of changing their behavior.

5. You can face increased difficulties, problems and illness by mixing with the foolish.

6. Your future in this life can be damaged and for the next life you could go to the hell.

There are two types of fool

1. External fool: close family members, friends, or fellow colleagues.

2. Internal fool: ourselves.

Ways in which we can help our self not to mix with fools

1. Be continually aware of not behaving with negative actions or speech.

2. Place your thoughts on the positive and start the day with a cheerful smile.

3. Stop thinking about what happened yesterday as it is past. Learn from mistakes and don’t repeat them.

4. Practice forgiveness of others and yourself. Continue doing good deeds.

5. Practice good deeds, keep the precepts, and meditate regularly.

6. Avoid speaking to, listening to or reading about fools.

7. Try to accumulate good deeds, by thinking, reading listening and speaking positive things. E.g. Reading Dhamma, listening to wise monks, and speaking about those who do good deeds.

8. Be careful not to be negatively influenced by a fool.

9. To counter their influence we must meditate, do good deeds and keep the precepts.

10. Keep your mind as clear as possible by meditation practice and full of happy, joyful thoughts.

11. Practice being cheerful, happy and loving, with a smile like the sunshine to spread and light up the dullest of days!

12. Continually remind ourselves that there is nothing more important than striving towards the elimination of the “Internal fool”.

The benefits of not mixing with a fool

1. Not being negatively influence to do misdeeds or wrong things.

2. Able to keep doing good things.

3. Will be able to do even more good deeds now and in the future.

4. Not to be influenced or negatively harmed by fools.

5. Not to be influenced or negatively and optimistically

6. You will have a happy and bright future.

7. To be happy within yourself and with those around you.

8. You can help encourage others not to be influenced by fools, as you will be a positive role model for them to follow.