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By
: L.Angkor, Picture by : Jon Bugge.
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Monks in Battambang province
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The familiar
sights of swathes of saffron and bright orange robes
will be less common vista. While the rains establish
their ancient routine the Sangha (the monastic community)
prepare to retreat within the confines of their
pagodas. This self-imposed isolation will last three
months and gives a chance for monks to pray and
contemplate.
Vossa is adopted from the Pali language: "Vossak"
means rain or rainy season. Originally, Choul Preah
Vossa would last for four months: from 1 Roch of
Asarth to 15 Koert of Kadeukk (25 of July to 19
of November), nowadays they shorten it to three
months: from 1 Roch of Arsath to 15 Koert of Aksuch
(25 of July to 21 of October). |
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Translated
as Hinayana. This school is also known as theravada,
which means the "Teaching of the Elders".
This is the form of Buddhism practiced in Cambodia,
Laos, Thailand and Mynamar.
Thus it also goes under the title The Southern School.
The other form is Mahayana - The Greater Vehicle.
They can also be more roughly divided geographically,
the Mahayana being dubbed the Northern School and
visa versa. This type of Buddhism spread northward
- and thus is found in Nepal, Tibet, Vietnam, Korea,
Mongolia, China and Japan. This split within Buddhism
occurred shortly after the death of the Buddha.
The "lesser" and "greater" refer
to the amount of teachings which each school holds
sacred. The Hinayana holds only the core teachings
of the Buddha: those canonical texts recognized
during early Buddhist history. The Mahayana holds
these sacred but also texts and interpretations
that occurred after the death of the Buddha. This
was allegedly a move to be able to answer the needs
of the normal people, essentially to make it more
accessible. The Northern School christened Theravada
with the pejorative name Hinayana - while this referred
to the Lesser Vehicle it also implied theirs was
the Greater Vehicle. Thus nowadays, more often than
not, the two school are known as Mahayana and Theravada.
Whilst now subscribing to Hinayana, Cambodia used
to practice Mahayana, between 9th and 13th century.
Whilst the two school differ on many aspects it
is still the cessation of suffering and Nirvana
that unties them as common goals.
Through Buddhist custom and tradition, all monks,
from every pagoda must attend Bonn Choul Preah Vossa
and then stay in the pagoda for the following three
months. During this period all of these pagodas
always keep Tean Preah Vossa: the candle of Bonn
Choul Preah Vossa, alight for the full three months.
Tean Preah Vossa, which is one of the most important
things in Bonn Choul Preah Vossa, is made of honey
beeswax. The sheath of the candle is made of wood.
The candle measures 2 Chabs (a circle of two palms
together) in width and 2 Harth (about one meter)
in height with many kinds of artistic adornments
on the surface. Inside the wooden sheath there is
a cotton thread as a candlewick. Honey beeswax is
scarce, therefore people have adapted a new idea
and often use kerosene instead of beeswax to put
in the wooden sheath and cover with beeswax on top.
But now there are many Tean Choul Preah Vossa on
the market, which are produced by factories for
Buddhist countries. The king, or members of the
royal family always light Tean Preah Vossa in the
Royal Palace during this ceremony. |
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During Bonn Choul Preah Vossa,
Monks remain in the pagoda. This usually coincides
with the raining season and people would bring
food to offer to the monks.
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| A day before
Bonn Choul Preah Vossa, Buddhist devotees go to
pagoda with food. Then the monks salute the Buddha
and pray for the souls of all Khmers; devotees offer
food to the monks at lunchtime and the monks preach
in the afternoon. This is in preparation for the
actual day of the ceremony. In the afternoon of
the first day of Bonn Choul Preah Vossa, they ceremoniously
circle around the temple three times with Tean Preah
Vossa and other daily necessities such as clothes,
toothbrushes, soap, etc and then place the items
together inside the temple to be divided among them.
During this time a senior monk (one who has been
a monk longest) announces that this is the |
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Monks must remain in their pagodas
during this period.
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first day
of the three months of Bonn Choul Preah Vossa. During
this period, we are not allowed to go anywhere and
all monks who are seated with him repeat the pledge
after him.
If they have any special things to do: such as if
their mother or father falls sick they can leave
the pagoda by seeking permission from the Abbot.
Even when granted, this leave of absence |
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cannot exceed seven
days.
If for some valid reasons that a monk is not able to attend
the opening ceremony, the absentee monk can attend Bonn
Choul Preah Vossa later: on 1 Roch of Srarp (24 of August)
and stay in pagoda for three months, just like the other
monks.
This concept of the monks retreating from public is one
that harks back to bygone eras. However, even if taken
from antiquity, it forms part of the rich variety of rituals
and ceremonies within the year, which play an important
role in defining modern day Cambodia. |
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B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com |
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