About Battambang province

Posted on February 19, 2013

Battambang province

The Battambang province of Cambodia lies in the far north-west of the country, with a capital city going by the same name. The region has an interesting history. Originally, during the Angkor period, the area was split in to many territories, namely Amogha Boreak and Bhima Boreak. Throughout this period, the region prospered due to the hospitable environment for growing fruit, vegetables, and other produce. In the 15th century however, when the Siamese army began to invade the regions to the northwest, the provinces’ locals were driven out of their homes, and land was confiscated. Three centuries later, until the 20th century, Battambang was under the rule of the Siamese. At the start of the 1900’s however, descendants of the people who once occupied the region demanded that land, which had been previously confiscated, should be returned to the rightful owners. These claims were based on the French Siamese Treaty of 1907. Indeed, the land was returned, and in the same year, the entire province was split in to three separate provinces, namely Battambang, Siem Reap, and Serei Sophorn. The areas then underwent a number of further alterations, both in geographical and textual terms, until the 1940’s. At this time, the province of Battambang was made up of 7 separate districts. In the following 40 years, the province underwent an excruciating ordeal of killings, torture, and other human rights abuses. This was conducted under the administration of Poi Pet. This period is now referred to as the period of the Killing Fields.
Finally in 1979, genocide was halted in the region, and the historic first election in the area was held in 1993. Between this period, and the current time, further changes were made to the districts which comprised Battambang. As it stands today, the province has 13 districts”: Banan, Thma Koul, Bat Dambang, Bavel, Ek Phnom, Moung Ruessei, Rotanak Mondol, Sangkae, Samlout, Sampov Loun, Phnum Proek, Kamrieng, and Koas Krala. The entire Battambang province spans over 11,500 square kilometers, and has a population of approximately 180,000 people.

Fresh Fruit and Food, selling along the road

The area is known locally and internationally as the “Rice Bowl” of Cambodia. This is because the economy of Battambang is extremely efficient in the production of rice, and additionally because of the comparative advantage and local endowments in the region. An estimated 2,400 square kilometers of land is used in rice production, with the figure growing consistently each year. This abundance of land results in over 500,000 tonnes of rice being produced annually, with around 300,000 of that being traded locally and internationally. Other successful industries include sweet potatoes, cassava, normal and red corn, a chillies. Indeed, industrial crops took up approximately 500 square kilometers of land – a far cry from the rice production fields, but nevertheless a significant proportion. Inflation in the area is a modest 1.6 percent in 2002, with an unemployment rate of just 2.6%. This is unsurprising given the amount of produce required to be harvested, and the variations of growing seasons leading to consistent, year long employment.

Cow cart is popular for local resident to transport or travel

As far as travel in and out of the province is concerned, a number of options are available. Roading is in place from Battambang to neighboring provinces, however the infrastructure lacks modern development, and can therefore take some time to travel in some parts. Movement by road will require the use of your own vehicle, or a shared taxi – which can be an excellent idea if you are on a budget. During the rainy season, which is typically in effect from June to October, an interesting method of travel is speed boat. The boat leaves from Siem Reap, and arrives a number of hours later in Battambang. Additionally, the cost is very reasonable, at around $15 USD. A service also runs from Phnom Penh, another neighboring province, and takes the best part of half a day. Prices for this service are around $20 USD. For those who wish to save their money and just want to enjoy the great and wild view should consider the train service between Phnom Penh and Battambang, taking 13 or so hours.

Temple in Battambang

Once you arrive in the province, there are a number of attractions for tourists to see. The area is home to some spectacular scenery, which makes walking, tramping, and sightseeing a must for any visitor. Numerous historic ruins are open to the public, including Wat Ek Phnom, which was constructed during the Bayon period. The temple and ruins lie 10 kilometers north of the Cobra River, and are at the bottom of a hill, hence only limited exercise is required to reach them. For a more enduring experience, Phnom Banan is a mountaintop temple built in the Angkor period. The temple is still in relatively good condition, however pillaging and looting was once rife in the area, and the effects of this are noticeable. Nevertheless, this is an excellent sight to see, and any tourists to the area should be sure to check out at least a few of the many temples, as they certainly build a cultural and historical awareness. Other attractions worth a note are the Phnom Sampeou Mountain, the Kamping Puoy Reservoir – an incredible engineering project, Wat Pee-Pahd – an important symbol of Buddihsm in Battambang, and the Gold Buddah Hill. As you can see, a tourist will not be lost for things to do in the province.

Finally, the climate is unlikely to provide any major impact on your activities. Any tourist should be sure of their travel dates, and know the corresponding season in which they will be visiting. As mentioned previously, the rainy season is from June to October, the cool season takes place between November and February, and the hot season runs from March to May.
As with any area in Cambodia, but in particular relation to Battambang due to the popularity of bush and mountain walks, you should never venture off the set trail, as land mines are still actives in some areas. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Banan Temple in Battambang

Banan Temple How to go: Location: Description: Adapts the architecture of mid 11th century and the end of 12th century the temple was first built by king, Ut Tak Yea Tit Tya Varman II (1050-1066) and then was finally built by the king, Jarvarman VII (1181-1219). The temple is located on the top of approximate 400-meter heighten mountain at Kon Tey 2 commune, Ba Nan District in 25-kilometer distance from the provincial town by the provincial Road No 155 parallel to Sang Ke River. At the mountain’s valley, there are Ku Teuk and two main natural wells, namely: Bit Meas and Chhung or Chhung Achey.

Banteay Sat in Battambang

Banteay Sat How to go: 105 km (2h) From Provincial Town. Location: Description: Historical Sites and Buildings, Location: Koh Village, Kaoh Chiveang Commune, Aek Phnom District.

Barsat Temple in Battambang

Barsaet Temple How to go: Location: Description: Was built during the reign of King, Soriyak Varman I (1002-1050) and located on a hill at Ba Set village, Ta Pun commune in 15-kilometer distance from the provincial town. Ba Set temple adapts the architecture of 11th century and built in 1036 and 1042. Next to the temple, there is 20 meters by12 meter and 10 meter depth pond. The pond is never dried, though in the dry season. In rainy season, the water level is higher than usual.

Dang Tung

Dang Tung How to go: 54 Km (3H:20mn) From Provincial Town. Location: Description: Nature wildlife and Preserves, Location: Danng Tung Village, Phlov Meas Commune, Rattanakmundul District.

Gold Buddha Hill

This one is for your journey to Sisophan if you are heading that way (60 km or so from Battambang ). It’s easy to spot from the road. See the Sisophan section for more details.

Kamping Puoy Reservoir

This gigantic civil-engineering project was central to the Khmer Rouge’s plan to irrigate the countryside around Battambang. Tragically, the construction of the Kamping Puoy Reservoir resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Unlike the victims of S21 and Choeung Ek most of the deaths o­n the Kamping Puoy project were caused by malnutrition, disease, overwork or mistreatment. The deaths were in short, preventable. A gripping, visceral and painfully honest account of life in Battambang under the Khmer Rouge was written by Haing S. Ngor, the Cambodian doctor, actor and community worker who won an oscar for the film The Killing Fields. His book Survival in Cambodia’s Killing Fields is perhaps the most eloquent account of day-to-day life during the Pol Pot period. It is laced with insights into the Khmer psyche and is ultimately a heartbreaking read. The Kamping Puoy Reservoir itself runs between two hills: Phnom Kol (or Phnom Ta Ngel) and Phnom Kamping Puoy Mountain. It is now a popular picnic site for residents of Pailin and Battambang because of its fresh air. Lotus flowers grow in the water and nearby you can buy lotus seeds to eat (they are delicious and taste a bit like sweet, uncooked peas). Takream Commune in Banan District is the nearest settlement.

Phnom Banan

This Angkor-era mountaintop temple is definitely worth a look. At the top are beautiful views of the winding Sangker River set amidst sugar palm trees, rice fields and small villages. To the south you will see a mountain range that features a crocodile shaped mountain.

The temple itself is beautiful looking from the ground as well as the top. The structures are pretty much intact, but unfortunately like so many Khmer ruins, they have fallen victim to massive looting. Still, there are some interesting works to see. There are five temple structures, like Angkor, with the middle being the largest. (Use caution around the entrance to the center structure-there is a large hanging block-a headache-in-waiting for some poor soul). As with Preah Vihear Temple (close to the Thai border in the province of the same name), there are a couple of big guns on the mountaintop next to the ruins. The guns are still pointing down at the surrounding area as they were during the more recent years of the government-Khmer Rouge skirmishes.

It’s part of the sad irony of Cambodia that a place built for worship, harmony and tranquility was utilized as a place for making war. Looking down the hillside to the southwest you can see more of the ruins. As always, if you go looking around, STAY ON THE WORN PATHWAYS AND TRAILS- there may still be undiscovered landmines.

Phnom Kdoung

Phnom Kdoung How to go: 14 km (1h) From Provincial Town. Location: Description: Nature wildlife and Preserves, Location: Kdong Village, Phnom Sampov Commune. Banann District.

Phnom Sampeou Mountain

Definitely worth a visit, it’s about 15 km outside of Battambang city on the way to Pailin (Rt. 10). Since it’s closer to Battambang than Pailin, we’ll include it in this section, as it’s a trip that a lot of locals take from here. However, if you are going to Pailin just save it for a stop on the way. It’s easy to do if you have your own motorcycle; if not you can negotiate a bit higher price and have the share taxi stop there an extra 100 baht should do it, but don’t pay until you get to Pailin. Phnom Sampeu features an Angkor-era Baray-style pool; cave shrines with skulls and bones of Khmer Rouge victims and about seven hundred steps leading up to the main temple area, with its dynamite views. The mountaintop temple was built in 1964 and is a mix of old and new styles. As you approach the top, take the dirt path that you will see forking off to the right. It leads to another hilltop temple area about 400 meters away. In the back of that, away from the view side, is a stairway leading down to a cave. Inside are some of the skulls and bones from this area’s killing fields. Locals have brought them up here and set up a couple of shrines in caves for the spirits of the victims in the hope that they can finally rest in peace. It’s another sobering place in Cambodia. A bit further down is a cave with some small stalagmites and stalactites. Continuing the cave circuit, there is another cave area off from these areas that has a reclining Buddha and more skulls and bones nearby. It’s not a bad idea to bring a flashlight, although ladies working the temple have candles for a small donation. The stairway and the areas on the top are packed with Cambodians on holidays as they make the pilgrimage with family and friends to see this mix of the old, new and a part of the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge era. Also easy to get to (I don’t mean to imply that the road is good), just head out of Battambang on the road to Pailin about 15 km. As you approach, you’ll see the mountain and temple at the top and think that you are going to run right into it. The town next to the mountain has the same name. As you get into town you go by a school and small stands until you see a sign in Khmer and English (amazing) on the left for Phnom Sampeu. Turn left here and as you go toward the stairs you will note some bits of ruins on the left. Figure around 160 baht for the round trip moto-taxi.

Phnom Trong Morn Trong Tea

15 KM (40mn) From Provincial Town. Nature wildlife and Preserves, Location: Samnagn Village, Phnom Sampov Commune, Banann District.

Pich Chenda

Pich Chenda How to go: 44 km (2h) From Provincial Town. Location: Description: Nature wildlife and Preserves, Location: Treng Commune, Rattanakmundul District.

Prasat Sneng

22 km (1h:30mn) From Provincial Town. Historical Sites and Buildings, Location: Sneng Village, Sneng Commune, Banan District.

Prasat Snung

Characterizes as three separated stupas made of brick, located on a hill having 30-meter length and 20-meter width, in Snung pagoda’s area, Snung commune, Ba Nan District in 22-kilometer distance from the provincail town. According to the style at the gate, the temple is similar to other temples in 12th century. Behind the temple, there is another new constructing temple.

River Sightseeing & Boat Rentals

Just north of the Cobra Bridge, on the west bank, you will see a lot of boats hugging he riverbank. You can hire a non-motorized small wooden boat for around 4,000 riel, and a motorized boat (if available) for around US$ 5 an hour. It’s a pleasant way to wee the river life around Battambang town. There is also a boat you can take to Siem Reap for a smooth alternative to the lousy highway (see Coming and Going section).

Sek Sak

Is the natural resort, which has been popular since before the civil war time. Sek Sak stretches along the river bank full of plant, trees and bamboo-green nature in 500-meter length. Regarding to Sek Sak, tourists can also visit other attractive sites like Po Pus Pich Chen Da Dong Tong and Sa Ang speak, the pre-history site in five-kilometer to six-kilometer distance from each other. Sek Sak located in Treng commune, Rotanak Mondul District in 50-kilometer distance from the provincial town of Batambang along the National Road No 57, the former National Road No 10.

Wat Ek Phnom

Situated about 10 km north of the Cobra Bridge are the ruins of Ek Phnom. It was built during the Bayon period and unfortunately is much worse for the wear than Phnom Banan.It’s an interesting place, however, because there is a freshly constructed working temple right in front of the ruins. This temple, along with the temple ruins, is the center of holiday festivities for the people of the nearby village. They dress up in their Sunday best and have a celebration between the old and the new temples and climb all around the ruins with their families.

The ruins are on a very small hill so there is no workout involved in viewing them much of the temple is in shambles and was heavily looted. There are still some sitting Buddha images intact higher up on the walls. On the inside is a carving of a tug-of-war with participants tugging away on a serpent. The participants on the left have lost their heads to looters (they lost face), with the guys on the right still having their heads intact.

Ek Phnom is also easy to get to-just head north on the River Road (Road 1) a bit over 10 km (the road north of the Cobra Bridge snakes around a bit, but goes back to the river). As you are getting close to the temple, you will pass over a small concrete bridge. The road beyond will veer off to the right, but the modern temple is there to the left. Enter the new temple grounds and the ruins are located to the rear. Again, a round-trip moto-taxi is about 120 baht from Battambang.

Wat Gahndahl

Located on the east bank of the Sanker River, the temple is a simple and run down place. There is an unusual wall mural on the outside of the temple that features a progressing story of a bad dude that apparently killed his own mother and finally had to board a boat bound for hell. Strange, indeed.

The interesting feature of this wat is the Angkor replica about 110 meters sown a dirt path from the rear area of the temple. It was built in 1969 over a small concrete pool and is the pride of the monks staying there. They say spirits and relics of deceased monks are housed inside. Battambang is not short on temples and you will see many more around town and on the way to the sights outside of town.

Wat Pee-Pahd

Located between River Road 1 and Road 2, this temple is set amidst pleasant grounds and is an important spiritual center for Buddhism in Battambang.

Wat Tahm-rai-saw (White Elephant Pagoda)

Situated between Roads 2 and 3, this ornate temple is worth a look, especially during the Khmer New Year festivities when it becomes the happening place in town for festivities. Entertainment, classical dancing and plenty of water and powder being thrown by the masses in search of fun and good luck for the coming year.

ក្មួយរបស់ខ្ញុំដែលបួសកាលពីថ្ងៃ ទី២១ ខែសីហា ឆ្នាំ២០១៣។

អ្នក​ស្រី ពាន់ ភួង​បុប្ផា ​ក្រុង​ពាលី​ថត​រឿង​និយាយ​ពី​ទឹក​ភ្នែក​ឈើ​គ្រញូង

អ្នក​ស្រី ពាន់ ភួង​បុប្ផា ​ក្រុង​ពាលី​ថត​រឿង​និយាយ​ពី​ទឹក​ភ្នែក​ឈើ​គ្រញូង Trackback

ផ្សាយ​ក្នុង​ផ្នែក​ ភាពយន្ត-វីដេអូ ដោយ dum.vannakkumnith កាលពី 2 days ago 3 Comment(s)

អតីត​អ្នក​ដឹក​នាំ​រឿង​របស់​ទូរទស្សន៍ CTN អ្នក​ស្រី ពាន់ ភួង​បុប្ផា បាន​ធ្វើ​ពិធី​ក្រុង​ពាលី​ថត​រឿង​ថ្មី​មួយ កាល​ពី​ព្រឹក​ម្សិលមិញ​នេះ។ រឿង​នោះ គឺ​​ជា​ប្រភេទ​ខ្សែ​ភាពយន្ត​បុរាណ​សម្រាប់​ដាក់​បញ្ចាំង​នៅ​តាម​រោង​ភាពយន្ត​នានា ដែល​សាច់​រឿង​និយាយ​ពី​ទុក្ខ​វិយោគ​របស់​ឈើ​គ្រញូង ។

សកម្មភាព​កំពុង​ធ្វើ​ពិធី​ក្រុង​ពាលី ចាប់​ផ្តើម​ថត​រឿង “វិញ្ញាណ​លោក​ម្ចាស់​គ្រញូង” ម្សិលមិញ

រឿង​នោះ មាន​ចំណង​ជើង​ថា “វិញ្ញាណ​លោក​ម្ចាស់​គ្រញូង” ដែល​សម្ដែង​ដោយ​លោក អ៊ុន សុធា កញ្ញា តូតា លោក ស៊ឹម សោ​ភ័ណ្ឌ អ្នក​នាង ទូច ស្រី​លក្ខណ៍ លោក ដែន សក្កដា និង​តារា​សម្ដែង​ល្បី​ឈ្មោះ​ជា​ច្រើន​រូប​ទៀត។
ថ្លែង​នៅ​ក្នុង​ពិធី​ក្រុង​ពាលី​ចាប់ផ្តើម​​ថត​រឿង​កាល​ពី​ព្រឹក​ម្សិលមិញ អ្នក​ស្រី ពាន់ ភួង​បុប្ផា បាន​បញ្ជាក់​ថា រឿង​នេះ គឺ​ជា​សារ​អប់រំ​មួយ ដល់​ក្រុម​អ្នក​រក​ស៊ី​កាប់​ឈើ​គ្រញូង​នានា​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា ដែល​អ្នក​ស្រី​យល់​ថា​ជា​ចំណែក​តូច​មួយ ខណៈ​ឈើ​គ្រញូង​ក្នុង​ស្រុក​ បាន និង​កំពុង​រង​ការ​កាប់​ជួញ​ដូរ​ឥត​ស្រាន្ត។

កញ្ញា តូតា (តួ​នាង​ កែវ) និង​លោក អ៊ុន សុធា (តួ​លោក​ម្ចាស់​គ្រញូង) ពេល​កំពុង​ថត​ឈុត​ហោះ​កាត់​ព្រៃ

អ្នក​ស្រី​ថ្លែង​ថា “មើល​រឿង​ហ្នឹង​ហើយ គាត់​នឹង​កាន់​តែ​ចាប់​អារម្មណ៍​ថា ឈើ​គ្រញូង​ក៏​មាន​ជីវិត វា​ក៏​មាន​សាច់​ឈាម​ដែរ។ ដូច្នេះ ​ពេល​គាត់​កាប់ គាត់​នឹង​នឹក​ឃើញ!”។ អ្នក​ស្រី ពាន់ ភួង​បុប្ផា សង្កត់​ធ្ងន់​ថា លោក ម្ចាស់​គ្រញូង​ដែល​ជា​ជន​រង​គ្រោះ បាន​ធ្វើ​សារ​ថា “សូម​កុំ​កាប់​បំផ្លាញ​ខ្ញុំ​ទៀត បើ​អ្នក​ថែ​រក្សា​ខ្ញុំ ខ្ញុំ​នឹង​ថែ​រក្សា​អ្នក​វិញ”។
វិល​មក​ដំណើរ​រឿង “វិញ្ញាណ​លោក​ម្ចាស់​គ្រញូង” វិញ អ្នក​ស្រី ពាន់ ភួង​បុប្ផា បាន​គូស​បញ្ជាក់​ថា រឿង​នេះ ដំបូង​ឡើយ​និយាយ​អំពី​ ការ​ភ្នាល់​គ្នា​មួយ​របស់​អ្នក​ស្រុក​ម្នាក់​ឈ្មោះ​ តំ ដែល​បាន​លេង​ល្បែង​ភ្នាល់​ឈ្នះ​គ្រែ​គ្រញូង​មួយ។ តាម​គ្រូ​ទាយ​បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា គ្រែ​នេះ មាន​ដួង​វិញ្ញាណ​ថែ​រក្សា ដូច្នេះ​ហើយ​មាន​តែ​ស្រី​ក្រមុំ​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ​ទើប​អាច​ដេក​បាន។
ក្រោយ​មក​នាយ​ឈ្មោះ​តំ និង​ភរិយា បាន​ប្រគល់​គ្រែ​នេះ​ទៅ​ហើយ​ប្អូន​ថ្លៃ ស្រី​ឈ្មោះ​នាង កែវ ជា​ស្រី​ក្រមុំ​មាន​រូប​ឆោម​លោម​ពណ៌​ប្រើ​ប្រាស់។ នាយ តំ បាន​លួច​គយ​គន់​សម្រស់​នាង កែវ ជា​ប្អូន​ថ្លៃ​រាល់​ថ្ងៃ។ លុះ​ថ្ងៃ​មួយ​ទ្រាំ​មិន​បាន ក៏​ដាច់​ចិត្ត​ចូល​ទៅ​ចាប់​បង្ខំ ក៏​ត្រូវ​លោក​ម្ចាស់​គ្រញូង​ដែល​ជា​ដួង​វិញ្ញាណ​ថែ​រក្សា​គ្រែ ចេញ​មក​ជួយ។

កញ្ញា តូតា អ្នក​នាង ទូច ស្រីលក្ខណ៍ និង​លោក ស៊ឹម សោភ័ណ្ឌ ក្រោយ​ចប់​ពិធី​ក្រុង​ពាលី​

តាំង​ពី​នោះ​មក លោក​ម្ចាស់​គ្រញូង និង​នាង​កែវ ក៏​បាន​ស្គាល់​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​គ្នា​រហូត​ក្លាយ​ជា​សេចក្តី​ស្នេហា​ស្មោះ​ស្ម័គ្រ។ ដោយ​សារ​សម្រស់​ស្រស់​សោភា នាង កែវ ត្រូវ​បាន​បុរស​ជា​ច្រើន​បាន​នាំ​ចាស់​ទុំ​ចូល​ចែចូវ ប៉ុន្តែ​ត្រូវ​លោក​ម្ចាស់​គ្រញូង បន្លាច​ឲ្យ​ភ័យ​រត់​ត្រឡប់​វិញ​រាល់​លើក។ ដោយ​សារ​តែ​បែប​នេះ អ្នក​ស្រុក​យល់​ថា នាង កែវ ជា​ស្រី​ចង្រៃ ក៏​រក​វិធី​កម្ចាត់​នាង​ចេញ ដោយ​បាន​អញ្ជើញ​គ្រូ​ដែល​មាន​មន្ត​វិជ្ជា​មក​ពី​គ្រប់​ទិស​ទី​មក​រួម​គ្នា​កម្ចាត់​ ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ស្នេហា​នាង កែវ និង​លោក​ម្ចាស់​គ្រញូង​ជួប​ឧបសគ្គ​។
ចង់​ដឹង​ថា ពួក​គេ​មាន​វាសនា​បែប​ណា និង​មាន​ឧបសគ្គ​អ្វី​ខ្លះ​ទៀត​ឬ​អត់ សូម​រង់​ចាំ​តាម​ដាន​រឿង​ខាង​លើ​នេះ។ អ្នក​ស្រី ពាន់ ភួង​បុប្ផា រឿង “វិញ្ញាណ​លោក​ម្ចាស់​គ្រញូង” ទាំង​គិត និង​សរសេរ​គឺ​១​ឆ្នាំ។ ដោយ​ឡែក​ដំណើរ​ការ​ថត គឺ​ប្រមាណ​១​ខែ ហើយ​ក្រោយ​ពី​បញ្ចប់​ការ​ថត និង​កាត់​ត​កែ​សម្រួល​បច្ចេក​ទេស​រួច គ្រោង​ដាក់​បញ្ចាំង​ចុង​ខែ​ធ្នូ ឬ​ដើម​ខែ​មករា​ឆ្នាំ ២០១៤​ខាង​មុខ។ ដូច្នេះ​សូម​កុំ​ភ្លេច​រង់​ចាំ​តាម​ដាន​ទាំង​អស់​គ្នា…!!!

 
អត្ថបទ៖ ទារិកា

ខ្សែ​ជីវិត ពេជ្រ សោភា ល្មម​ជា​គំរូ​បាន!

ខ្សែ​ជីវិត ពេជ្រ សោភា ល្មម​ជា​គំរូ​បាន! Trackback

ផ្សាយ​ក្នុង​ផ្នែក​ Sabay តារា ដោយ dum.vannakkumnith កាលពី 36 days ago 15 Comment(s)

ជា​រឿយ​ៗ តារា​ចម្រៀង​ល្បី​ឈ្មោះ​របស់​ផលិតកម្ម​រស្មី ហង្សមាស តែង​រំលឹក​ពី​ប្រវត្តិ​អតីតកាល​ដ៏​ជូរ​ចត់​របស់​ខ្លួន​រាល់​ពេល​មាន​ការ​សាកសួរ។ ពេល​នេះ​ក៏​ដូច​គ្នា កញ្ញា បាន​បើក​កកាយ​ជា​ថ្មី​ថា ជា​ផ្នែក​មួយ​នៃ​ការ​រក​ប្រាក់​ផ្គត់​ផ្គង់​គ្រួសារ​ដ៏​អត្តខាត់​មួយ កញ្ញា ដែល​កាល​ណោះ​នៅ​ជា​កុមារី​នៅ​ឡើយ ត្រូវ​ប្រឹង​ប្រែង​យ៉ាង​ត្រដាបត្រដួស​ជាមួយ​មុខ​របរ​តូច​តាច​មួយ​ចំនួន​ជាមួយ​ម្តាយ មុន​ក្លាយ​ជា​អ្នក​សិល្បៈ​មាន​កេរ្តិ៍​ឈ្មោះ​ដូច​សព្វ​ថ្ងៃ។
ការងារ​ដែល​កញ្ញា ពេជ្រ សោភា ធ្លាប់​ពឹង​ផ្អែក​មុន​ចូល​សិល្បៈ​មាន ទី​១ ជា​អ្នក​លក់​អំពៅ​សាង ទី២ ជា​អ្នក​លក់​ពង​ទា​នៅ​តាម​សួន ទី៣ ជា​អ្នក​លក់​ខ្ចៅ និង​ទី​៤ គឺ​ជា​អ្នក​លក់​ត្រកួន ដែល​ការងារ​ទាំង​នេះ កញ្ញា បាន​ធ្វើ​តាំង​ពី​កញ្ញា ទើប​ឡើង​មក​រាជធានី និង​មាន​អាយុ ៩ឆ្នាំ​ម្ល៉េះ។ លុះ​បន្ត​ដល់​អាយុ ១៣ ឆ្នាំ​កញ្ញា ក៏​ធ្លាប់​ជា​អ្នក​លក់​ម្ជូរ​ផង​ដែរ។
យ៉ាង​ណា កញ្ញា​នៅ​មាន​ជីវិត​តស៊ូ​ច្រើន​ទៀតជាមួយ​អ្នក​មាន​គុណ មុន​ល្បី​ឈ្មោះ​ដូច​សព្វ​ថ្ងៃ។
វដ្ដ​ជីវិត
ថ្វី​ត្បិត​កើត​នៅ​ក្នុង​សង្កាត់​បឹង​សាឡាង​ក៏​ពិត ប៉ុន្តែ​កញ្ញា​ពេជ្រ សោភា​បាន​ទៅ​រស់​នៅ​ជាមួយ​ឪពុក​ម្ដាយ​របស់​នាង​នៅ​ឯ​ស្រុក​កំណើត​ខាង​ម្ដាយ ក្នុង​ខេត្ត​ព្រៃវែង តាំង​ពី​តូច​ក្រូច​ឆ្មា ។ នៅ​ពេល​មាន​​អាយុ៦ឆ្នាំ ក្រុម​គ្រួសារ​របស់​កញ្ញា ​បាន​វិល​មក​រស់​នៅ​ក្នុង​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ​វិញ។ កាល​ណោះ​ផ្ទះ​របស់​នាង គឺ​ស្ថិត​ក្នុង ភូមិ​សំបុក​ចាប សង្កាត់​ទន្លេបាសាក់ ខណ្ឌ​ចំការមន រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ ។ នៅ​លើ​ដី​រាជធានី​នេះ កញ្ញា និង​ឪពុក​ម្ដាយ​បាន​ប្រឹង​ននះននៀល​យ៉ាង​ច្រើន​ជាមួយ​ការងារ​កំប៉ិកកំប៉ុក​មួយ​ចំនួន ដោយ​សុំ​ត្រឹម​តែ​មួយ​រួច​ខ្លួន​មួយ​ថ្ងៃ​ៗ​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ​ មិន​ដែល​រំពឹង​ឡើយ​ដល់​ការ​រើ​បម្រះ​ពី​ភាព​ក្រីក្រ។
សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​គ្រួសារ​របស់​កញ្ញា​នៅ​ពេល​នោះ គឺ​ពិបាក​​ហៅ​លែង​លឺ ដែល​មាន​ពេល​ខ្លះ កញ្ញា ​មិន​មាន​បាយ​ហូប​គ្រប់​គ្រាន់​នោះ​ទេ។ ចំណែក​ផ្ទះ​របស់​កញ្ញា​​​វិញ ពេល​ភ្លៀង​មក​ម្ដងៗ​មិន​មាន​កន្លែង​ដេក​ពួន​នោះ​ឡើយ ព្រោះ​ដំបូល និង​ជញ្ជាំង​មាន​ការ​ធ្លុះធ្លាយ​ច្រើន​កន្លែង។
ពលិកម្ម​អ្នក​មាន​គុណ
អ្នក​មាន​គុណ​ទាំង​ពីរ​របស់​កញ្ញា ពេជ្រ ​សោភា គឺ​ឪពុកឈ្មោះ ស៊ួ សាវ៉ាន បច្ចុប្បន្ន មាន​អាយុ​៧៧ឆ្នាំ និង ម្ដាយ​ឈ្មោះ ស៊ួ សុភាព អាយុ៦៧ឆ្នាំ ។ នាទី​ជា​អ្នក​បី​បាច់​កូន លោក​ទាំង​ពីរ បាន​ធ្វើ​ពលិកម្ម​ជាច្រើន​រាប់​មិន​អស់ ក្នុង​នោះ​មាន​ទាំង​ដើរ​បេះ​បន្លែ​​ផ្សេង​ៗ​តាម​ទី​សាធារណៈ​ផ្សំ​យក​ទី​លក់ លក់​ខ្យង​ខ្ចៅ និង​ធ្វើ​ជា​កម្មករ​សំណង់ ជាដើម។ កញ្ញា ពេជ្រ សោភា ថ្លែង​ថា ជា​កម្មករ​សំណង់ ពេល​ខ្លះ​ឪពុក​របស់​នាង ដើរ​មក​ដល់​ផ្ទះ​វិញ ដួល​សន្លប់​ទាំង​កណ្តាល​ភ្លៀង​ទៀត​ផង ព្រោះ​តែ​ធ្វើ​ការ​លើស​កំលាំង និង​ហូប​មិន​គ្រប់​គ្រាន់ ដោយ​សារ​ជីវភាព​ខ្វះ​ខាត។ មិន​អស់​នៅ​ឡើយ ទាំង​ម្ដាយ និង​ឪពុក​របស់​នាង គឺ​សុទ្ធតែ​ធ្លាប់​ធ្លាក់​ពី​លើ​ចុង​អំពិល​ដូច​គ្នា ក្នុង​នោះ​បាន​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ឪពុក​របស់​នាង​ពិការ​ដៃ​ម្ខាង​​រហូត​មក​ដល់​បច្ចុប្បន្ន​ផង។

កញ្ញា ពេជ្រ សោភា ពេល​បង្ហាញ​មុខ​ក្នុង​កម្មវិធី​ CNC 2013 នៅ​ចេនឡា​ក្នុង​ពេល​កន្លង​មក

ទាំង​នេះ បាន​នាំ​ឲ្យ​កញ្ញា​ចង​ចាំ​ដក់​ជាប់​ក្នុង​ចិត្ត​គ្មាន​ថ្ងៃ​ភ្លេច ហើយ​ពលិកម្ម​ជា​ច្រើន​នោះ របស់​អ្នក​មាន​គុណ បាន​ប្រែ​ក្លាយ​ជា​មោទនភាព ក្នុង​ពេល​ដែល​កញ្ញា​បាន​ដើរ​មក​ដល់​ចំណុច​ជោគជ័យ​សព្វ​ថ្ងៃ ក្រោម​ការ​តស៊ូ​ននះននៀល​របស់​លោក​ទាំង​ពីរ ក្នុង​នោះ កញ្ញា ថ្លែង​ថា កញ្ញា​មាន​មោទនភាព​ណាស់ ដែល​បាន​កើត​មក​ជា​កូន​អ្នក​ក្រ ពិសេស​ជា​កូន​របស់​ពុក និង​ម្តាយ​របស់​កញ្ញា​តែ​ម្តង។
សិល្បៈ​បាន​ប្រែ​ក្លាយ​ក្រុម​គ្រួសារ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ពន្លឺ
ខ្សែ​ជីវិត​ដ៏​អាប់​អួ​របស់​ក្រុម​គ្រួសារ​កញ្ញា ពេជ្រ សោភា បាន​រក​ឃើញ​ពន្លឺ​នៃ​សុភមង្គល ក្រោយ កញ្ញា បាន​ប្រឡង​ជាប់​លេខ ១ ក្នុង​ការ​ប្រឡង​ចម្រៀង​មួយ​នៅ ផាកវ៉េ ដែល​ពេល​នោះ​កញ្ញា ទើប​មាន​អាយុ ១៦​ឆ្នាំ​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ ការ​ប្រឡង​នោះ គឺ​មិន​មាន​ពាន​រង្វាន់​អី​ទេ គឺ​ប្រឡង​យក​ប្រាក់​រង្វាន់​តែ​ម្តង ដែល​ក្រោយ​មក កញ្ញា បាន​ជាប់​ជយលាភី​លេខ ១ ទទួល​បាន​ប្រាក់​រង្វាន់​មួយ​ចំនួន​យក​ទៅ​ជូន​ម្តាយ ទិញ​ធុង​ទឹក​អំពៅ​សម្រាប់​រុញ​លក់។
ដោយ​ឡែក​កញ្ញា បាន​មក​ច្រៀង​នៅ​ក្នុង​ភោជនីយដ្ឋាន​រាត្រី​មួយ ជិត​ទីស្ដីការ​ក្រសួងទេសចរណ៍​ចាស់ ដោយ​បានទទួល​ថ្លៃ​ឈ្នួល​ក្នុង​​មួយ​យប់​២ដុល្លារ​កន្លះ ហើយ​ក្រោយ​មក ក៏​ត្រូវ​បាន​ថៅកែ​តម្លើង​ឲ្យ​៣ដុល្លារ។ លុះ​ច្រៀង​នៅ​ទី​នោះ​បាន​ជិត​១​ឆ្នាំ ក៏​ត្រូវ​បាន​មជ្ឈមណ្ឌល​ស្ប៉ាក​ចាប់​អារម្មណ៍ ហើយ​បាន​ហៅ​នាង​ទៅ​ច្រៀង​នៅ​ទីនោះ ដោយ​បាន​តម្លៃ​ខ្លួន​ក្នុង​មួយ​យប់​ ៥ដុល្លារ។

បន្ត​មក​ទៀត កញ្ញា ពេជ្រ សោភា ក៏​បាន​ចូល​ច្រៀង​ឲ្យ​ផលិតកម្ម​រស្មី ហង្សមាស នៅ​ឆ្នាំ ២០០៣ ក្រោយ​ពី​ផលិតកម្ម​មួយ​នេះ ចាប់​អារម្មណ៍​កញ្ញា ពេល​បង្ហាញ​មុខ​ក្នុង​កម្មវិធី “ជួបជុំ​មិត្ត​សិល្បករ”។ រហូត​មក​ដល់​ឆ្នាំ ២០០៤ ទើប​កញ្ញា​មាន​បទ​ចម្រៀង​ចេញ ហើយ​បទ​ដែល​ទទួល​ការ​ចាប់​អារម្មណ៍​នោះ គឺ​មាន​បទ “បេះដូង​ត្រដរ​ខ្យល់” ដែល​កញ្ញា បាន​ច្រៀង​ដំបូង​នៅ​លើ​ឆាក​តន្ត្រី Best of the Best។ ក្រៅ​ពី​នេះ មាន​បទ “Better Day” “ស្ដាប់​បេះ​ដូង​អូន​ផង” “នារី​ល្ងើ​ស្មោះ​ស្នេហ៍” “ស្រី​ល្ងង់”  និង​បទ​ “ចាំ​បង​មាន​ថ្មី​ចាំ​បែក​ពី​អូន” ជា​ដើម។
ព្យុះ​ក្នុង​សិល្បៈ
មិន​ខុស​អី​ហ្នឹង​អ្នក​សិល្បៈ​ឯ​ទៀត​ៗ ក្រោយ​ផ្តើម​មាន​កេរ្តិ៍​ឈ្មោះ កញ្ញា ពេជ្រ សោភា ក៏​ធ្លាប់​ព្យុះ​ព័ត៌មាន​មិន​ល្អ​ជា​ច្រើន​បោក​ផ្ទប់​ផង​ដែរ ក្នុង​ព្យុះ​ព័ត៌មាន​ធំ​បំផុត​នោះ គឺ​មាន​ព័ត៌មាន​ចុះ​ផ្សាយ​ថា កញ្ញា​ជា​ស្ត្រី​មាន​កូន​មួយ​ទៅ​ហើយ មុន​ចូល​សិល្បៈ និង​រឿង​យក​ប្តី​គេ​ជា​ដើម។ ប៉ុន្តែ​កញ្ញា បញ្ជាក់​ថា កញ្ញា មិន​ដែល​មាន​រឿង​ទាំង​នោះ​ទេ ហើយ​បន្ត​មក កញ្ញា បាន​ចេញ​មុខ​តតាំង​ម្តង​ហើយ​ម្តង​ទៀត រហូត​ព័ត៌មាន​ទាំង​នោះ​ស្ងប់​ស្ងាត់។
យ៉ាង​ណា​ក៏​ដោយ កញ្ញា បាន​ទទួល​ស្គាល់​ថា ធ្លាប់​មាន​គូ​ដណ្តឹង​ម្នាក់ ប៉ុន្តែ​បាន​បាក់​បែក​គ្នា​វិញ ក្រោយ​មើល​ឃើញ​ថា មិន​អាច​រស់​នៅ​ចុះ​សម្រុង​គ្នា​បាន ហើយ​មក​ទល់​នឹង​ពេល​នេះ គឺ​មិន​ទាន់​មាន​អ្នក​ថ្មី​ទៀត​ទេ ព្រោះ​រក​អ្នក​ទុក​ចិត្ត​មិន​ទាន់​បាន។
ដក់​ជាប់​នូវ​គុណូបការៈ​របស់​អ្នក​មាន​គុណ កញ្ញា ពេជ្រ សោភា តែង​រំលឹក​នូវ​គុណ​បំណាច់​នោះ នៅ​ស្ទើរ​គ្រប់​ទី​កន្លែង ក្នុង​នោះ រាប់​ទាំង​នៅ​លើ​បណ្ដាញ​សង្គម Facebook របស់​កញ្ញា​ផង ស្រប​ពេល​ថ្មី​ៗ​នេះ​ទៀត កញ្ញា បាន​និយាយ​នៅ​លើ​ឆាក​តន្ត្រី “តារា​ឯក” របស់​ទូរទស្សន៍​ប៉ុស្តិ៍​លេខ ៣ ថា​ ក្នុង​មួយ​ជីវិត​នេះ មនុស្ស​សំខាន់​បំផុត​របស់​កញ្ញា មាន​តែ​ពីរ​នាក់​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ នោះ​គឺ​ឪពុក និង​ម្តាយ​របស់​កញ្ញា៕

អត្ថបទ៖ សុខ ម៉េង

តើ​​ព្រីម​ លីហ្សា មាន​ប្រាក់​មក​ពី​ណា​ទិញ​សំលៀកបំពាក់​ខ្ទង់​ម៉ឺន​ដុល្លារ?

តើ​​ព្រីម​ លីហ្សា មាន​ប្រាក់​មក​ពី​ណា​ទិញ​សំលៀកបំពាក់​ខ្ទង់​ម៉ឺន​ដុល្លារ? Trackback

ផ្សាយ​ក្នុង​ផ្នែក​ Sabay តារា ដោយ bin.bunna កាលពី 3 hours ago 8 Comment(s)

នៅ​ពេល​នឹក​ដល់​ឈ្មោះ​ ព្រីម លីហ្សា​ តារា​សម្ដែង​Sexy នៅ​ក្នុង​ពិភព​សិល្បៈ​ គឺ​គេ​ច្បាស់​ណាស់​ថា នាង​ជា​អ្នក​លេង​សម្ភារៈ​និយម​ដាច់​គេ​ក្នុង​ចំណោម​តារា​ស្រី​ល្បីៗ ​ក្នុង​ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រ​កម្ពុជា។ ប៉ុន្តែ​មាន​មនុស្ស​តិចតួច​ណាស់​ដែល​​បាន​ស្គាល់​ប្រវត្តិ​របស់​នាង​ឲ្យ​បាន​ស៊ី​ជម្រៅ​។ តើ​ព្រីម​ លីហ្សា​ គឺ​ជា​នរណា? លីហ្សា មាន​ប្រាក់​មក​ពី​ណា​ទិញ​សំលៀក​បំពាក់​ក្បែរ​ម៉ឺន​ដុល្លារ​នោះ​?

កញ្ញា ព្រីម​ លីហ្សា កើត​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​២៥ ខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ​១៩៩៣។ នាង​កើត​នៅ​ប្រទេស​សិង្ហបុរី ជា​កូន​ទី​៥ ក្នុង​ចំណោម​បងប្អូន​៦នាក់។ ព្រីម​ លីហ្សា ជា​កូន​កំព្រា​ឪពុក​  តែ​នាង​មាន​ម្ដាយ​ឈ្មោះ កែវ កល្យាណ​​បច្ចុប្បន្ន​វ័យ​៦៣​ឆ្នាំ ដែល​ជា​កូន​ខ្មែរ​កាត់​ចិន​ ដោយ​លោក​តា​ព្រីម លីហ្សា ជា​ជន​ជាតិ​ខ្មែរ និង​ជីដូន​ជនជាតិ​ចិន​ទាជីវ​​ នៅ​សិង្ហបុរី​។ ឪពុក​ព្រីម លីហ្សា ឈ្មោះ ស្ទីវ វិនហ៊ី ជនជាតិ​ចិន​រស់​នៅ​ប្រទេស​សិង្ហបុរី​ដែល​លោក​គឺ​ជា​អ្នក​ជំនួញ​នាំ​ផលិត​ផល​គ្រឿង​សមុទ្រ​រវាង​កម្ពុជានិង​សិង្ហបុរី។
នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​១៩៩៩ ព្រីម​ លីហ្សា បាន​ចាក​ចេញ​ពី​ប្រទេស​សិង្ហបុរី មក​រស់​នៅ​ទី​ក្រុង​ភ្នំពេញ​​ ដែល​មក​តាម​ម្ដាយ​ ដោយ​មក​រក​ស៊ី​នៅ​​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា បន្ទាប់​ពី​ឪពុក​ព្រីម លីហ្សា​ ស្លាប់​ដោយ​សារ​ជំងឺ​។ លីហ្សា​បាន​រៀន​នៅ​សាលាមត្តេយ្យ​ មួយ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​សិង្ហបុរី។កុមារី​ព្រីម​ លីហ្សា​នៅអាយុ​៦ឆ្នាំបាន​ចូល​រៀន​នៅ​សាលា​ឯកជន​ញ៉ូវតុនធីឡាយ​និង​បាន​ចូល​រៀន​នៅ​សាលា​វិចិត្រ​សិល្បៈ​រហូត​ដល់​ថ្នាក់​ទី​១០​។
អាយុ១៣ ឆ្នាំ ព្រីម លីហ្សា បាន​ហក់​ចូល​ក្នុង​ពិភព​សិល្បៈ​លើក​ដំបូង​ក្នុង​ឆ្នាំ​២០០៦​ ដោយ​រៀន​ផង​ចូល​សម្ដែង​សិល្បៈ​ផង​។ “ខ្ញុំ​ស្រឡាញ់​សិល្បៈ​ ហើយ​ស្រប​នឹង​ម៉ាក់​គាត់​ចូលចិត្ត​ដែរ គាត់​ក៏​ជំរុញ​ខ្ញុំ​ឲ្យ​ចូល​សិល្បៈ។ មួយ​ទៀត​កាល​ខ្ញុំ​រៀន​នៅ​សាលា​វិចិត្រ​សិល្បៈ ខ្ញុំ​ចេះ​សិល្បៈ​ច្រើន​ ជាពិសេស​របាំ​ប្រពៃណី ហើយ​ខ្ញុំ​ក៏​ចាប់​អាជីព​សិល្បៈ​នេះ​ទៅ​។ ​ព្រីម ​លីហ្សា និយាយ។
គេ​នៅ​ចាំ​បាន​ថា ផលិត​កម្ម​ដំបូង​គេ​ ដែល​នាង​បាន​ថត គឺ​ផលិត​កម្ម​ឆ្លងដែន, ប៊្លូដាយមីន, និង​ផលិត​កម្ម​ បុប្ផា។ ជាបន្តបន្ទាប់ ​នាង​បាន​ថត​សម្ដែង​ខារ៉ា​អូខេ និង​ដើរ​តួសម្ដែង​ ឲ្យ​ផលិត​កម្ម​ FCI,​ SSB, ​ហង្សមាស, និង ​Sunday ជាដើម​។
បន្ទាប់​ពី​នាង​ចូល​ក្នុង​ពិភព​សិល្បៈ​ ព្រីម លីហ្សា ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​ទទួល​ស្គាល់​ថា ជា​តារា​ស៊ីវិល័យ ដែល​ហ៊ាន​ចំណាយ​ប្រាក់​​លើ​សម្ភារៈ​ថ្លៃៗ មិន​ចាញ់​តារា​ល្បី​បរទេស ឡើយ​។ នាង​បាន​ចំណាយ​ប្រាក់​ទិញ​សំលៀក​បំពាក់​ក្នុង​១​ឈុត​អាច​ពី​៨ពាន់​ដុល្លារ​​ដល់​១ម៉ឺន​ដុល្លារ។ កញ្ញា ​ព្រីម​លីហ្សា​ និយម​ប្រើប្រាស់​​ផលិត​ផល​ម៉ាក​ល្បី​ៗថ្លៃៗ ដូចជា គ្រឿង​ផាត់​មុខ ទឹក​អប់ ម៉ាក MAC, CHANEL, YSL, រ៉ូបLouis Vuitton និង Versace។
ដោយ​សារ​តែ​នាង​បាន​ចំណាយ​ប្រាក់​ក្បែរ​ម៉ឺន​ដុល្លារ​ លើ​ការ​ទិញ​សំលៀក​បំពាក់​​ ដើម្បី​ចូលរួម​កម្មវិធី​ធំៗ ជាពិសេស​កម្មវិធី​អាណាចក្រ​តារា​ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ និង​​នាង​បាន​ត្រៀម​សំលៀក​ពាក់​រួចរាល់​ហើយ​ ចូលរួម​កម្មវិធី​អាណាចក្រ​តារា​២០១៣​នៅ​ពេល​ខាង​មុខ​នេះ​ទៀត ត្រូវ​បាន​មជ្ឈដ្ឋាន​នានា​ ចោទ​សួរ​ថា​ តើ​នាង​បាន​ប្រាក់​មក​ពី​ណា​ដើម្បី​ទិញ​សម្ភារៈ​ថ្លៃ​ៗ​បែប​នេះ បើ​នាង​គ្រាន់​តែ​ជា​តារា​ដែល​គេ​មិន​សូវ​ស្គាល់​ក្នុង​ស្រុក តែ​មាន​ទីផ្សារ​ក្រៅ​ស្រុក​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ​នោះ​។

ព្រីម លីហ្សា​ ពេល​ចូលរួម​កម្មវិធី​អាណាចក្រ​តារា​២០១២

នៅ​ថ្ងៃនេះ កញ្ញា​ព្រីម លីហ្សា បាន​ស្ម័គ្រចិត្ត​​ផ្ដល់​កិច្ច សម្ភាសន៍​ជាមួយ​ Sabay ដើម្បី​ស្រាយ​ចម្ងល់​មួយ​ចំនួន​ដែល​ទាក់ទង​នឹង​បញ្ហា​នេះ។ ខាងក្រោម​នេះ​ គឺ​ជា​កិច្ច​សម្ភាសន៍​ទាំង​ស្រុង​រវាងSabayនិង​​នាង​កញ្ញា ព្រីម លីហ្សា ៖ ​​

• សំណួរ៖

Sabay៖ ព្រីម លីហ្សា ដែល​ជា​តារា​សម្ដែង និង​បង្ហាញ​ម៉ូដ ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​ដឹង​ថា មិន​សូវ​មាន​ទីផ្សារ​ទេ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្រុក​ ប៉ុន្តែ​អ្នក​នាង​សំបូរ​នៅ​ឯ​ក្រៅ​ស្រុក​ តើ​មាន​មូលហេតុ​អ្វី​ដែរ​អ្នក​នាង​?
ព្រីម លីហ្សា៖ ដើម​ឡើយ​ខ្ញុំ​គឺ​ប្រឡូក​ជាមួយ​ផលិត​កម្ម​ក្រៅ​ស្រុក ដូច្នេះ​ហើយ​ ខ្ញុំ​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​ស្គាល់​ច្រើន​។ ម្យ៉ាង​គឺ​ចង់​មិន​ចង់​ តម្លៃ​ខ្លួន​នៅ​ក្រៅ​ស្រុក​ថ្លៃ​ជាង​ក្នុង​ស្រុក​ ដូច្នេះ​ហើយ​ទើប​ផលិត​កម្ម​ក្នុង​ស្រុក​មិន​ហ៊ាន​ហៅ​ថត ឬ​សម្ដែង​ផ្សេង​ៗ។ បន្ថែម​លើ​ហេតុ​ផល​នេះ គឺ​លីហ្សា​មាន​អ្នក​ជំនួយ​ការ​នៅ​ប្រទេស​សិង្ហបុរី ដោយ​លីហ្សា​ឲ្យ​ប្រាក់​ខែ​គេ​ក្នុង​១ខែ​៣០០០​ពាន់​ដុល្លារ​ ដូច្នេះ​ហើយ​លីហ្សា​មិន​ខ្វះ​ទីផ្សារ​ក្រៅ​ស្រុក​នោះទេ។
Sabay ៖ នរណា​ៗ​ក៏​និយាយ​ដែរ​ថា រាល់​ពេល​ដែល​អ្នក​នាង​ទៅ​សម្ដែង​នៅ​ខាង​ក្រៅ​ប្រទេស​​គឺ​ទំនង​​​​ជា​​កញ្ញា​​នឹង​កើប​ប្រាក់​ច្រើន​ហើយ​​តើ​អ្នក​នាង​បាន​តម្លៃ​ខ្លួន​ទៅ​សម្ដែង​នៅ​ទី​នោះ​ប៉ុន្មាន​ដែរ​?​
ព្រីម លីហ្សា៖ ចាស៎​! មែន​ហើយ​បង គឺ​ខ្ញុំ​ចេញ​ទៅ​ម្ដង​ៗ​អាច​សល់​ប្រាក់​ខ្ទង់ពាន់ ​ហើយ​ពេល​ខ្លះ​ខ្ទង់​ម៉ឺន​ក៏​មាន​ដែរ។ ខ្ញុំ​ចំណាយ​ពេល​ទៅ​សម្ដែង​ពេល​ខ្លះ​ពី​មួយ​អាទិត្យ​ ទៅ​១ខែ តាម​ការ​អញ្ជើញ​របស់​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន​មួយ​ចំនួន​ឲ្យ​ចូលរួម​សម្ពោធ​ហាង​ខោអាវ ដែល​មាន​ម៉ាក​ល្បី​ៗ​នៅ​ក្រៅ​ប្រទេស​។

Sabay ៖ រហូត​មក​ទល់​នឹង​ពេល​នេះ​ តើ​​កញ្ញា​​បាន​ទៅ​ប៉ុន្មាន​ប្រទេស​ហើយ​?
ព្រីម លីហ្សា ៖ ប្រទេស ​ដែល​ខ្ញុំ​បាន​ទៅ​ចូលរួម​កម្មវិធី​ និង​ថត​ម៉ូដែល ​ឲ្យ​ផលិត​ផល ​របស់​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​នោះ​រួម​មាន​ប្រទេស​វៀតណាម សិង្ហបុរី និង​ថៃ។ ដោយ​ឡែក​ប្រទេស​ដែល​ខ្ញុំ​ធ្លាប់​ដើរ​លេង​រួមមាន​សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​ជាដើម​។

Sabay ៖ សំណួរ​មួយ​ដែល​ខ្ញុំ​មិន​អាច​អត់​សួរ​បាន​នោះ គឺ​អ្នក​នាង​តែង​តែ​ប្រកាស​ប្រាប់​សាធារណៈ​ជន​ តាម​បណ្ដាញ​សារព័ត៌មាន​ថា សំលៀកបំពាក់​ដែល​អ្នក​នាង​ប្រើ​នោះ គឺ​មាន​តម្លៃ​ថ្លៃ​រាប់​ពាន់​ដុល្លារ​ ចាប់​ពី៤​ពាន់​ដុល្លារ​ ទៅ​ដល់​​៩​ពាន់​ដុល្លារ​ ហើយ​ស្ទើរ​តែ​តារា​មួយ​ចំនួន​មិន​ហ៊ាន​ទិញ​ប្រើ​នោះ​ទេ​ តើ​កញ្ញា​មាន​ប្រាក់​មក​ពី​ណា​ដើម្បី​ចំណាយ​លើ​សម្ភារៈ​និយម​នេះ​?
ព្រីម លីហ្សា ៖ ការពិត​បង​! ខ្ញុំ​ចូល​ចិត្ត​ទិញ​របស់​ថ្លៃ​ៗ​មក​ប្រើ​ ព្រោះ​តាំង​ពី​តូច​មក​ខ្ញុំ​ចូលចិត្ត​ធ្វើ​អ្វី​ឲ្យ​ប្លែក​ពី​គេ​ ហើយ​នៅ​លើ​ពិភព​សិល្បៈ​ខ្ញុំ​ចង់​បង្ហាញ​របស់​ថ្លៃ​ដូច​តារា​បរទេស​ដែរ ពួកគេ​ប្រើ​របស់​ថ្លៃ ខ្ញុំ​ក៏ចង់​ដូច​ពួកគេ​ដែរ។ និយាយ​ពី​ថា ខ្ញុំ​បាន​ប្រាក់​មក​ពី​ណា​នោះ​ គឺ​ខ្ញុំ​បាន​មក​ពី​ពេល​ខ្ញុំ​ចូលរួម​កម្មវិធី​របស់​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន​នៅ​ឯ​ក្រៅ​ប្រទេស​ ដែល​ទៅ​ម្ដង​អាច​សល់​ប្រាក់​បាន​ខ្ទង់​ពាន់​​ឯ​ណោះ ដូច្នេះ​ហើយ​ខ្ញុំ​ក៏​ដក​ប្រាក់​ខ្លះ​ទិញ​ផលិត​ផល​របស់​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន​នោះ​ទៅ​ ទី​១​ដើម្បី​ទំនាក់ទំនង ទី​២​បង្ហាញ​ថា តារា​ខ្មែរ​ក៏​មាន​លទ្ធភាព​ទិញ​សម្ភារៈ​ថ្លៃ​ៗ​ដែរ​។​

Sabay ៖ នៅ​ក្នុង​ពិភព​សិល្បៈ​ពាក្យ​ចចាមអារ៉ាម​ តែង​តែ​លើក​ឡើង​ថា ​កញ្ញា​​មាន​​អ្នក​ជំនួញ​តាម​ស្នេហ៍ និង​មាន​អ្នក​​ចិញ្ចឹម​តើ​រឿង​នេះ​ពិត​ទេ​?
ព្រីម លីហ្សា ៖ រឿង​​អ្នក​តាម​ស្រឡាញ់​ គឺ​មិន​ខ្វះ​ទេ​បង​ ប៉ុន្តែ​រឿង​ថា មាន​អ្នក​ចិញ្ចឹម​ គឺ​ខ្ញុំ​មិន​អាច​ទទួល​យក​បាន​នោះ​ទេ​។ រហូត​មក​ទល់​នឹង​ពេល​នេះ គឺ​គ្មាន​ទេ​អ្នក​ចិញ្ចឹម​ គឺ​អ្វី​ៗ​ខ្ញុំ​ប្រឹង​ដោយ​ខ្លួន​ឯង និង​បាន​របស់​ពី​ការងារ​សិល្បៈ​តាម​រយៈ​ទៅ​ចូល​រួម​កម្មវិធី​​ ហើយ​ខ្ញុំ​និយាយ​​ដដែល​ គឺ​ចង់​បញ្ជាក់​ថា ខ្ញុំ​បាន​ប្រាក់​ពី​កម្មវិធី មិនមែន​បាន​មក​ពី​អ្នក​ចិញ្ចឹម​នោះ​ទេ។​
​
Sabay ៖  នៅ​ក្នុង​ពិភព​សិល្បៈ​​រំ​រឹត​ដោយ​ពាក្យ​ចចាមអារ៉ាម​បែប​នេះ តើ​​កញ្ញា​​ គិត​ថា វា​អាច​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ប៉ះពាល់​ដល់​ជីវិត​ឯក​ជន​យ៉ាង​ម៉េច​ដែរ​ទេ?
ព្រីម លីហ្សា ៖ ថ្វីបើ​អ្នក​សារព័ត៌មាន​បាន​សរសេរ​រិះគន់​ខ្ញុំ​ពី​រឿង​ថា ខ្ញុំ​កូន​កាត់​វៀតណាម ឬ​ខ្ញុំ​មាន​ស្នេហា​រញ៉េរញ៉ៃ​ក្ដី ក៏​ខ្ញុំ​មិន​ខឹង​អ្នក​សារព័ត៌មាន​ដែរ គឺ​ខ្ញុំ​រង់​ចាំ​បក​ស្រាយ​ជានិច្ច​។ “ធ្វើ​ម៉េច​បើ​ខ្ញុំ​ជា​សិល្បៈ​ អ្នក​សិល្បៈ​គឺ​ត្រូវ​តែ​រង​សម្ពាធ​ពាក្យ​ចចាមអារ៉ាម​មិន​ខាន​”។ ប៉ុន្តែ​ឥទ្ធិពល​ព័ត៌មាន​នោះ​មិន​ជះ​ដល់​ជីវិត​ឯក​ជន ឬ​ការងារ​សិល្បៈ​​អ្វី​នោះ​ទេ។ ប្រសិន​បើ​យើង​ស្អាត​ស្អំ​ គឺ​យើង​មិន​ខ្លាច​អ្វី​ទាំង​អស់។

Sabay ៖ តើ​​កញ្ញា​​នៅ​មាន​អ្វី​ចង់​លើក​ឡើង​បន្ថែម​នូវ​អ្វី​ដែល​ខ្ញុំ​អត់​បាន​សួរ​ដែរ​ទេ?
ព្រីម លីហ្សា ៖ ខ្ញុំ​សប្បាយ​ចិត្ត​ឃើញ​ថា មាន​អ្នក​គាំទ្រ​ខ្ញុំ​ច្រើន​នា​ពេល​បច្ចុប្បន្ន​នេះ។ មួយ​ទៀត​បើ​ទោះ​ខ្ញុំ​ប្រើ​សម្ភារៈ​ថ្លៃ​ៗ និង​Sexy បន្តិច​ក្ដី​ ប៉ុន្តែ​ខ្ញុំ​មិន​ដែល​ភ្លេច​ឡើយ​វប្បធម៌ ប្រពៃ​ណី​ខ្មែរ ដែល​ផូរផង់​ហើយ​នេះ គឺ​ជា​តួនាទី​របស់​អ្នក​សិល្បៈ ​ដែល​ត្រូវ​បង្ហាញ​ដល់​សាធារណៈ​ជន​ ក៏ដូចជា​ បរទេស​ឲ្យ​ស្គាល់​នូវ​វប្បធម៌​ប្រពៃណី​របស់​ខ្មែរ​

សម រង្សីជាមនុស្សខ្លាំងនៅអាស៊ី ជាមេដឹកនាំដែលមិនអាចរកបាន

គណបក្សសង្រ្គោះជាតិ ដែលដឹកនាំដោយឯឧត្តមសម រង្សី កូនអ្នកស្នេហាជាតិ សមសារី ធានាថាប្រទេសជាតិរីកចម្រើន ព្រជាពលរដ្ឋមានសិទ្ធិសេរីភាពគ្រប់គ្រាន់ មានជីវភាពសមរម្យ មនុស្សមានក្រមសីលធម៌ពេញប្រទេស គ្មានក្មេងទំនើង គ្មានចោរកម្ម គ្មានអំពើពុករលួយ គ្មានអ្នកក្បត...See More

អ្នកគាំទ្រគណបក្សប្រជាជនមានចំនួនតិចបំផុត ប៉ុន្តែអ្នកដែលស្នេហាជាតិពិតប្រាកដច្រើនណាស់ ហើយអ្នកទាំងអស់នោះគេកំពុងតែស្អប់លោកហ៊ុនសែនដូចលាមក

មុខដូចមេចោរ និងក្មេងស្ទាវ ចឹងបានដឹកនាំគ.ជ.បថោកទាប

ព័ត៌មានពីតនៅទីនេះ

វត្តមានរបស់លោកប្រធានត្រឡប់ចូលមាតុភូមិវិញ គឺពិភពលោកចាប់អារម្មណ៍ទាំងអស់។ នេះជាឧទាហរណ៍មួយ.... ជាក់ស្តែងទូរទស្សន៍ខ្មែរមិនផ្សាយតែ BBC និងទូរទស្សន៍អន្តរជាតិល្បីលើពិភពលោកផ្សេងទៀងបានផ្សាយរឿងនេះ

នេះគឺជាខ្មែរពិត

នេះបានចំជាតារាចម្រៀងដែលស្នេហាជាតិពិតប្រាកដមែន។
សូមអ្នកចម្រៀងទាំងអស់ដែលកំពុងតែនៅក្នុងស្រុកខ្មែរ មេត្តាក្រោកឈរឡើងជួយគាំទ្រប្រទេសជាតិ ស្រឡាញ់ប្រទេសជាតិ ស្ហេហាជាតិដូចជាកញ្ញាម្នាក់នេះដែរ

ថ្ងៃខួបកំណើតខ្លួនត្រូវនឹកដល់ម៉ែ!

ថ្ងៃខួបកំណើតខ្លួនត្រូវនឹកដល់ម៉ែ!

                                   “ថ្ងៃខួបកំណើត”

ថ្ងៃកំណើតនៃកូនខ្លះ                              ជប់លៀងនៅផ្ទះសប្បាយក្រៃ
ជួបជុំមិត្តម្រាក់ទាំងប្រុសស្រី                  អបអរឆ្នាំថ្មីសិរីជោគ។

ភ្លេចគិតថាថ្ងៃកំណើតខ្លួន                       ថ្ងៃម៉ែថ្ទួនៗដោយទុក្ខសោក
ស្ទើរសូន្យសង្ខារចាកចោលលោក           ចិត្តនឹកគិតភ្នក់រកបុត្តស្នេហ៍។

តែកូនមិនដឹងប្រឹងសប្បាយ                   យកថ្ងៃក្សិណក្ស័យរបស់ម៉ែ
សប្បាយច្រៀងសើចជាហូរហែ             លើទុក្ខរបស់ម៉ែគ្មានអនិច្ចា។

តាមពិតថ្ងៃនេះគួរប្រណិបត្ត                 គោរពអភិវាទក្រាបទាបបាទា
សូមម៉ែអភ័យរាល់អស់ទោសា             ដល់កូនផងណាព្រះម្ចាស់ថ្លៃ។

History of Buddhism in Cambodia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia, which has had been presented since at least the 5th century.

Contents   [hide]  1 Suvannaphum 2 Funan Kingdom 3 Chenla Kingdom 4 Angkor Kingdom 4.1 Surayvarman I 4.2 Jayavarman VII 5 Decline of Angkor & the Emergence of a Theravada Kingdom 6 Middle Ages 7 Colonial Era 8 Khmer Rouge Era 9 Vietnamese Occupation 10 Modern Era 11 References

Suvannaphum[edit]

King Ashoka sent missionaries to the land of Suwannaphum, which has sometimes been identified as the mainland southeast Asian region of Mon(now a stat in Myanma,the stat of Mon) and Khmer(now Cambodia)people. The Mahavamsa, a Sinhalese Pali chronicle, mentions these missions.^[1]

"Unconfirmed Singhalese sources state that Buddhism was introduced to Suvannaphum, or the 'Golden Peninsula', as mainland Southeast Asia was once referred to, in the 3rd century B.C. under the reign of King Ashoka, the great Buddhist ruler. According to these sources, two monks, Sona and Uttara, were sent to propagate the doctrine of the Master in this region following the great council of 274 B.C. held in Asoka's capital Pataliputta, India. While this mission may be legendary, it indicates that Buddhism has been present in Southeast Asia for a long time. Various Buddhist sects and schools, including Tantrism, vied or coexisted with a dominant Brahamanism and indigenous animistic faiths for centuries before the rise of the classical Southeast Asian empires beginning in the 9th century A.D. In part through Indian merchant traders, Indian cultural influence was pervasive in this early period. In Funan (1st to 5th century A.D.) the first organized Khmer polity, the Khmer people embraced not only the diverse Brahmanic and Buddhist religions but also the social customs and mores of India."^[2]

Funan Kingdom[edit]

In the period between 100 BC and 500 AD, the Kingdom of Funan in the present-day Mekong Delta established a flourishing seafaring trade between China, Indonesia, and India. This kingdom was Hindu, with the kings of Funan sponsoring the worship of Vishnu and Shiva. Buddhism was already present in Funan as a secondary religion in these earliest times.

A Sanskrit inscription from 375 documents the presence of Buddhism in Funan. King Kuandinya Jayavarman (478-514) cultivated Buddhism and sent a Buddhist mission complete with Funanese Buddhist images, carved in coral, to the Emperor of China.^[3]

Another early inscription in Sanskrit dated 586-664 at Wat Prey Vier notes that two Buddhist monks named Ratnabhanu and Ratnasimha were brothers. Chinese texts attest that Buddhism flourished in Cambodia in the last half of the 5th century, and that King Jayavarman sent the Indian monk Nagasena to present a memorial in the Chinese Imperial court.^[4]

Buddhism was clearly beginning to assert its presence from about year 450 onward, and was observed by the Chinese traveler I Ching toward the close of the seventh century.

Chenla Kingdom[edit]

The Kingdom of Chenla replaced Funan and endured from 500-700. Chenla extend from the Mekong Delta, and along the lands surrounding the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers.

"According to Ma Touan-Lin, a 13th century Chinese chronicler, there were ten monasteries of Buddhist monks and nuns studying the sacred texts in the 4th and 5th centuries. He stated that two monks from Funan traveled to China in this period at the request of the Chinese emperor, to translate the Sanskrit Tipitika into Chinese. A passage from the History of Leang, a Chinese chronicle written in 502-556, tells us that King Rudravarman sent a mission of monks to China in 535 under the direction of an Indian monk, Gunaratana. The delegation arrived in China in 546, accompanied by 240 palm leaf manuscripts of Mahayana Buddhist texts. Evidence of a cult of Buddha's relics was seen in Rudravarman's request of the Chinese emperor for a 12-foot (3.7 m) long relic of Buddha's hair."^[5]

Buddhism was weakened in the Chenla period, but survived, as seen in the inscriptions of Sambor Prei Kuk (626) and those of Siem Reap dealing with the erection of statues of Avalokitesvara(791). Some pre-Angkorean statuary in the Mekong Delta region indicate the existence of Sanskrit-based Sarvastivada Buddhism.^[5]

Khmer-style Buddha images are abundant from the period of 600-800. Many Mahayana bodhisattva images also date from this period, often found alongside the predominantly Hindu images of Shiva and Vishnu.

An inscription from Ta Prohm temple in Bali province, dated about 625, states, that the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are flourishing.^[4]

Angkor Kingdom[edit]

The transition from Hindu god-king to Mahayana Buddha-king was probably gradual and imperceptible. The prevailing Vaishnavite and Shaivite faith traditions gave way to the worship of theGautama Buddha and the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.

King Jayavarman II (802-869) is the first real Khmer king of the Angkor Empire. He proclaimed himself god-king and began to establish the capital of Angkor (Rolous) near present day Angkor Wat.

The Buddhist Sailendra kingdom exercised suzerainty over Cambodia as a vassal state during the end of the eighth and the beginning of the ninth centuries. As a result, Jayavarman, as a young man, had lived in the court of Java and had visited Sumatra. When he returned to Cambodia, he proclaimed himself a god-king (deva-raja) according to Khmer traditions, identifying himself withShiva. Nevertheless, he was increasingly friendly to and supportive of Mahayana Buddhist influence throughout his kingdom.^[6]

When King Jayavarman II returned to Cambodia from Java, he built three capitals in succession: Hariharalaya, Amarendrapura, and Mahendraparvata. One of these, Amarendrapura, identified with Banteai Chmar, was a Mahayana Buddhist city presided over by Avalokitesvara, the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion.

Mahayana Buddhism therefore became increasingly established in his empire. The form of Mahayana Buddhism that was propagated in the Srivijaya lands was similar to the Pala DynastyBuddhism of Bengal, and of the Nalanda University in northern India.

"The Bengal University of Nalanda in Megadha (now Behar) was the theological center of Mahayana Buddhism under the protection of the Pala Dynasty [750-1060]. Shivaist interpretations of Buddhism, tinged with Tantric mysticism (that may have revived portions of pre-Aryan northeastern Indian faith traditions) were worked out in Megadha and then were exported throughout insular and peninsular Southeast Asia, particularly to Java. Yashovarman I (889-910), who ruled from the vicinity of Rolous in the late ninth century, seems to have been a Shivite Buddhist influenced by Nalanda syncretism. His successors (notably Jayavarman IV) dedicated themselves to Vishnu and Brahma, as well as to Shiva, with whom they continued to be identified by hereditary families of priests. Rajendravarman II studied Buddhism intensely."^[4]

The Sailendra dynasty also built the fantastic Mahayana Buddhist temple Borobudur (750-850) in Java. Borobudur appears to have been the inspiration for the later fabulous Angkor building projects in Cambodia, particularly Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.

The primary form of Buddhism practiced in Cambodia during Angkor times was Mahayana Buddhism, strongly influenced with Tantric tendencies.

"The prevalence of Tantrayana in Java, Sumatra and Kamboja [Cambodia], a fact now definitely established by modern researches into the character of Mahayana Buddhism and Sivaism in these parts of the Indian Orient. Already in Kamboja inscription of the 9th century there is definite evidence of the teaching of Tantric texts at the court of Jayavarman II. In a Kamboja record of the 11th century there is a reference to the 'Tantras of the Paramis'; and images of Hevajra, definitely a tantric divinity, have been recovered from amidst the ruins of Angkor Thom. A number of Kamboja inscriptions refer to several kings who were initiated into the Great Secret (Vrah Guhya) by their Brahmanical gurus; the Saiva records make obvious records to Tantric doctrines that had crept into Sivaism."

"But it was in Java and Sumatra that Tantrayana seems to have attained greater importance. There Mahayana Buddhism and Shaivism, both deeply imbued with tantric influences, are to be seen often blending with one another during this period. The Sang Hyang Kamahayanikan, consisting of Sanskrit versus explained by an Old Javanese commentary, professed to teach the Mahayana and Mantrayana."^[6]

The presence and growing influence of Buddhism continued as the Angkor empire increased in power. King Yosavarman built many Buddhist temples in 887-889, representing the mandala ofMount Meru, the mythical axis of the world. The largest of these temples is Phnom Kandal or "Central Mountain" which lies near the heart of the Angkor complex.

King Rajendravarman II (944-968) "studied Buddhism intensely. Although he decided to remain a Shivaist, he appointed a Buddhist, Kavindrarimathana, chief minister. Kavindrarimathana built shrines to Buddha and Shiva. Jayavarman V (son of Rajendravarman) also remained a devote of Shiva. He, too, permitted his own chief minister, Kirtipandita, to foster Mahayana Buddhist learning and divination."^[6]

Surayvarman I[edit]

Surayvarman I (1002–1050) is considered the greatest of the Buddhist kings, excepting only Jayavarman VII.^{[citation needed]}

Surayvarman was from present-day southern Thailand in the kingdom of Sri Dhammarat. He was a Tamil-Malay (Srivijaya) "usurper" to the Khmer throne, who claimed legitimate succession to the throne through his Khmer mother. His father was king of the Buddhist kingdom of Tambralingam on the Malay peninsula. He publicly venerated Shiva or Rama according to his official traditions, but was also a devout Mahayana Buddhist king.

A strong proponent of Mahayana Buddhism, he did not interfere or obstruct the growing presence and dissemination of Theravada Buddhism during his reign. "Indeed, inscriptions indicate he sought wisdom from wise Mahayanists and Hinayanists and at least somewhat disestablished the Sivakaivalya family's hereditary claims to being chief priests (purohitar). Surayvarman's posthumous title of Nirvanapada, 'the king who has gone to Nirvana' is the strongest evidence that he was a Buddhist."^[6]

Jayavarman VII[edit]

Jayavarman VII (1181–1215) was the greatest of all Khmer Buddhist kings. Jayavarman VII worked tirelessly to establish Buddhism as the state religion of Angkor.^{[citation needed]}

He was already an elderly man, perhaps 60, when he ascended the throne. Before becoming king, he had devoted his long life to meditation and tantra.

Sensing his mortality he worked feverishly to accomplish his works in "saving" the Khmer people and establishing a Buddhist empire in a race against time.

In 1177, the Cham Kingdom of central Vietnam had invaded and sacked Angkor, creating a sense of trauma and crisis throughout the Khmer Empire by attacking and looting the capital. King Jayavarman VII ascended the throne in a climate of crisis, and war.

Jayavarman VII was a Mahayana Buddhist, and he regarded himself to be a Dharma-king, a bodhisattva, whose duty was to "save the people" through service and merit-making, liberating himself in the process.

Scholars speculate why Khmer royalty rejected Hinduism and embraced Buddhism definitively at this time. Perhaps, they suggest, Jayavarman and his people had become disillusioned with the Hindu gods because of their failure to protect the Angkor Empire from being sacked by their enemies, the Cham. The Cham themselves were Hindu and worshiped Shiva, and the Khmer may have therefore felt an instinctive revulsion at the religion of their enemies.

Jayavarman withdrew his devotion from the old gods and began to identify more openly with Buddhist traditions. His regime marked a clear dividing line with the old Hindu past.

Before 1200, art in the temples mostly portrayed scenes from the Hindu pantheon such as Vishnu reclining on a lotus leaf, or the churning of the primeval sea of milk of creation. After 1200, scenes from the Buddhist Jatakas, and life of the Buddha, along with scenes of the Ramayana began to appear as standard motif.

As a "bodhisattva king" Jayavarman VII was considered to be a living Buddha, or bodhisattva who turned his back from the brink of enlightenment to redeem or save his people from suffering; he imagined himself in a role similar to that of the present day Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Images of Jayavarman portray him in the ascetic pose seated in meditation with a serene, enlightened expression. He built numerous public works to serve the people, including waterworks, hospitals, temples, hospices for travelers.

Stone inscriptions say he "suffered from the maladies of his subjects more than from his own; for it is the public griefs that make a king's grief, and not his own."

Another inscription reads: "Filled with a deep sympathy for the good of the world, the king swore this oath; 'All beings who are plunged in the ocean of existence, may I draw them out by virtue of this good work. And may the kings of Cambodia who come after me, attached to goodness...attain with their wives, dignitaries and friends, the place of deliverance where there is no more illness.'"

Profound psychological change was underway in Jayavarman VII's reign. There was a shift away from the cult of devaraja god-king, toward the cult of the Sangha, the cult of monks. In former times, great effort and resources were invested into building temples for elite brahman priests and god-kings. Under Jayavarman, these resources were redirected to building libraries, monastic dwellings, public works, and more "earthly" projects accessible to the common people.

His temple, the Bayon in Angkor Thom, is the first temple built without walls, indicating its openness to all the people, not exclusive to the god-king and his Brahmin priests. The walls of the Bayon are decorated with scenes from the daily life of the people fishing, eating, gambling and cock-fighting, rather than the heroic deeds of gods and kings.

King Jayavarman considered the Bayon as his masterpiece, his "bride." A stone inscription says "the town of Yosadharapura, decorated with powder and jewels, burning with desire, the daughter of a good family...who married by the king in the course of a festival that lacked nothing, under the spreading dais of his protection."

The purpose of this mystical marriage of King and people, the inscription goes on to say, was the "procreation of happiness throughout the universe."

The building projects commissioned by Jayavarman were redolent with tantric Buddhist symbolism. The word "bayon" means "ancestor yantra" - a magic symbol of geometric shape of tantric Buddhism. In the center of the Bayon temple was an image of Buddha-Mucalinda: the Buddha sitting on a seven-headed cobra, with the serpent's hood unveiled above the Buddha as protection from the elements. The Buddha image has the features of Jayavarman VII himself.^{[citation needed]}

Jayavarman other major temple projects included Preah Khan and Ta Prohm.

While Jayavarman VII himself was Mahayana Buddhist, the presence of Theravada Buddhism was increasingly evident. "This Singhalese-based Theravada Buddhist orthodoxy was first propagated in Southeast Asia by Taling (Mon) monks in the 11th century and together with Islam in the 13th century in southern insular reaches of the region, spread as a popularly-based movement among the people. Apart from inscriptions, such as one of Lopburi, there were other signs that the religious venue of Suvannabhumi were changing. Tamalinda, the Khmer monk believed to be the son of Jayavarman VII, took part in an 1180 Burmese-led mission to Sri Lanka to study the Pali canon and on his return in 1190 had adepts of the Sinhala doctrine in his court. Chou Ta-Laun, who led a Chinese mission into Angkor in 1296-97 confirms the significant presence of Pali Theravada monks in the Khmer Capital."^[3]

Decline of Angkor & the Emergence of a Theravada Kingdom[edit]

After the 13th century Theravada Buddhism became the state religion of Cambodia.

King Jayavarman VII had sent his son Tamilinda to Sri Lanka to be ordained as a Buddhist monk and study Theravada Buddhism according to the Pali scriptural traditions. Tamalinda then returned to Cambodia and promoted Buddhist traditions according to the Theravada training he had received, galvanizing and energizing the long standing Theravada presence that had existed throughout the Angkor empire for centuries.

During the time Tamalinda studied at the famous Mahavihara Monastery in Sri Lanka (1180–1190), a new dynamic type of Theravada Buddhism was being preached as the "true faith" in Sri Lanka. This form of Buddhism was somewhat militant and highly disciplined in reaction to the wars with the Tamil that nearly destroyed Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 9th and 10th centuries. As Theravada Buddhism struggled for survival in Sri Lanka, it developed a resiliency that generated a renaissance throughout the Buddhist world, and would eventually spread across Burma, Chang Mai, the Mon kingdoms, Lana, Sukothai, Laos, and Cambodia.^[7]

In the 13th century, wandering missionaries from the Mon-Khmer-speaking parts of Siam, Burma, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka played an important part in this process.

When Prince Tamalinda returned after ten years of ordination, he was a Thera, a senior monk, capable of administering ordination into this vigorous Theravada lineage, which insisted on orthodoxy and rejected Mahayana "innovations" such as tantric practices.

Buddhist nun. Bayon Temple, Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia (January 2005).

The mass conversion of Khmer society to Theravada Buddhism amounted to a nonviolent revolution every all level of society. All monumental building projects that had characterized the Angkor empire came to a sudden end. Scholars struggle to account for this sudden and inexplicable transformation of Khmer civilization.

Theravada Buddhism succeeded because it was inclusive and universal in its outreach, recruiting the disciples and monks from not only the elites and court, but also in the villages and among the peasants, enhancing its popularity among the Khmer folk.

"Their message succeeded because it provided a meaningful way of relating to the world for many who had been marginal to the classical civilizations or who had been seriously affected by the disruption of the classical civilizations in the 13th and 14th centuries."^[7]

Journalist Elizabeth Becker explained the phenomenon: "Cambodians were ripe for conversion. The political integrity and morality of the kingdom were thrown into question at the time, and Cambodians converted en masse to this new faith that offered social tranquility without striving for material gain or power. The modest Buddhist bonzes were a welcome change from the arrogant and wealthy priests of the kings. The new Buddhists dressed in simple saffron robes. They possessed a sense of responsibility for all, not just the nobility. Eventually they became as revered as the devaraja, who in turn became a Theravada Buddhist himself as patron of the faith."^[8]

Other scholars suggest that the classical Angkor Empire collapsed from desertion from within and assault from without, from growing external threats and assaults from Siam and Vietnam which were both in ascendancy at the time.

"The post-Angkor period saw the dramatic rise of the Pali Theravada tradition in Southeast Asia and concomitant decline of the Brahmanic and Mahayana Buddhist religious traditions. A 1423 Thai account of a mission to Sri Lanka mentions eight Khmer monks who again brought orthodox Mahavihara sect of Singhalese order to Kampuchea. This particular event belied, however, the profound societal shift that was taking place from priestly class structure to a village-based monastic system in Theravada lands. While adhering to the monastic discipline, monks developed their wats, or temple-monasteries, not only into moral religious but also education, social-service, and cultural centers for the people. Wats became the main source of learning and popular education. Early western explorers, settlers, and missionaries reported widespread literacy among the male populations of Burma, Thailand, Kampuchea, Laos, and Vietnam. Until the 19th century, literacy rates exceeded those of Europe in most if not all Theravada lands. In Kampuchea, Buddhism became the transmitter of Khmer language and culture."^[3]

The Theravada revolution was therefor a grassroots movement of the Khmer people rejecting the oppressive burden of maintaining the god-king religion of Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism. The monumental temples that had countless thousands of slaves attached to them were gradually abandoned to the jungles.

With the rise of Siam in the west and Vietnam in the east, the classical Angkor empire disappeared and the beginning of present day Cambodia began. The center of government began to migrate away from Angkor to a more central location in the center of Cambodia, in the regions near present day Phnom Penh.

Cambodia became from this time forward a Theravada Buddhist nation. "Theravada Buddhism, unlike almost all the previous religions of the country, its doctrines were not imposed from above but were preached to the people. It was simple, required no expensive priesthood or temples and little ceremonial. Its missionaries practiced austerity, solitude, humility, and poverty. Their example and their direct contact with the people started to undermine the old state religion and the monastery which rested upon it. Theravada Buddhism remained the great belief and comfort of the Khmer people until 1975."^[9]

Zhou Daguan, a Chinese visitor to the Royal Court of Cambodia at this time wrote of the presence of Theravada Buddhist monks in the latter days of Angkor.

Zhou Daguan was an emissary from the court of Timur Khan, Emperor of China. Daguan lived in Angkor Thom for one year 1296-7 and wrote a small book about his observations in which he described Theravada monks with shaved heads, yellow robes and one shoulder bare, walking barefoot throughout Cambodia. Their temples were simple, he said, containing one image of Sakyamuni Buddha. The image was draped in yellow cloth.

The Theravada monks ate meat or fish but did not drink wine. They ate only one meal a day. They did not cook in the temple, but lived on alms food.

"The books they recited from were very numerous. These were made of neatly bound palm leaves covered with black writing. Some of the monks were royal counselors, and therefore had the right to be conveyed in palanquins with gold shafts accompanied by umbrellas with gold or silver handles. There were no Buddhist nuns."^[6]

Middle Ages[edit]

The Jinakalamali gives an account of the cultural connections between Cambodia and Sri Lanka in the fifteenth century. It states that 1967 years after the Mahaparinibbana of the Buddha, eight monks headed by Mahananasiddhi from Cambodia with 25 monks from Nabbispura in Thailand came to Sri Lanka to receive the umpasampada ordination at the hands of the Sinhalese Mahatheras.

As Angkor collapsed under the advancing jungles, the center of power of the Theravada Cambodia moved south toward present day Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh was originally a small riverside market center where the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap River converge.

Phnom Penh was founded when Lady Penh found a "four-faced Buddha" floating down the river on a Koki tree during the flooding season. She retrieved the Buddha image and had the Wat Phnom constructed to house the image. The four-faced Buddha [Buddha facing the four directions] is important in Khmer Buddhist iconography, signifying the establishment of the kingdom of the Buddha of the Future, Maitreya, who is often identified with the Buddha-king of Cambodia.

After 1431 when the Cambodian kings permanently abandoned Angkor due to a Siamese invasion, the royal court was located on Udon Mountain, a few miles north of Phnom Penh. Siamese incursions from the west and Vietnamese invasions from the east weakened the Khmer empire. The Vietnamese invaders attempted to suppress Theravada Buddhism and force the Khmer people to practice Mahayana Buddhism. The Siamese, on the other hand, would periodically invade Cambodia and attempt to drive out the "unbelievers" in an attempt to protect the Theravada religion. This power-struggle between the two ascendant powers continued until the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th century.

Buddhism continued to flourish in Cambodia in the sixteenth century. King Ang Chan (1516–1566), a relative of King Dhammaraja, was a devout Buddhist. He built pagodas in his capital and many Buddhist shrines in different parts of Cambodia. In order to popularize Buddhism, King Satha (1576-1549), son and successor of King Barom Reachea, restored the great towers of the Angkor Wat, which had become a Buddhist shrine by the sixteenth century.

When Western merchants and missionaries first made contact with Cambodia, they discovered a three-tiered society consisting of the nobility, the common people (who were primarily rice farmers), and the Buddhist monks who were custodians of Khmer culture and identity.

Each successive wave of European influence was accompanied by Catholic missionaries, but Theravada Buddhism proved surprisingly resistant to foreign attempts to convert the Khmer people.

In 1556, the Portuguese missionary Gaspar de Cruz spent about a year in Cambodia and visited the capital at Lovek where King Cham reigned. The missionary complained bitterly of his inability to convert the Khmer people to Christianity, and blamed the Buddhist monks for his failure: The monks, he said, are "exceedingly proud and vain...alive they are worshiped for gods, in so that the inferior among them do worship the superior like gods, praying unto them and prostrating themselves before them; and so the common people have great confidence in them, with great reverence and worship; so that there is no person that dare contradict them in anything... [It] happened sometimes that while I was preaching, many round me hearing me very well, and being very satisfied with what I told them, that if there came along any of these priests and said, 'This is good but ours is better,' they would all depart and leave me alone.'"^[10]

Colonial Era[edit]

During the colonial period, the peace was periodically breached by outbreaks of religiously-motivated violence. Periodic millenarian revolts, often led by charismatic monks or self-proclaimed holy men. In 1820-21, a Millennial uprising was led by a former monk named Kai, who was recognized as a holy man with supernatural powers. He organized a revolt against the Vietnamese overlords from his hideout in Ba Phanom.

During the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, Thailand's involvement in Cambodian politics extended Thai influence into religious matters as well. In 1855, King Norodom invited monks from the Thai Dhammayuttika Nikaya to establish a Dhammayuttika presence in Cambodia.^[11] Maha Pan, a Khmer monk who had studied under some of the same teachers as Thailand'sMongkut, was appointed the first sangharaja of the new Khmer Dhammayuttika tradition (usually referred to as 'Thommayut'), taking up residence at Wat Botum Vaddey, a new temple built adjacent to the palace in Phnom Penh.^[11]

The newly-formed Thommayut order benefited from royal patronage, but frequently came into conflict with the existing Mohanikay (Mahanikaya) lineage.^[11] The Thommayut were sometimes accused of holding loyalty to the Thai court, rather than to the Khmer nation.^[12]

Cambodia was recognized by the West as a "protectorate" of France in 1867.^[13] Over the course of the next forty years, the territory of modern Cambodia was integrated as a colony into French Indo-China through a series of "protective" agreements with the Vietnamese, and treaty concessions from Thailand.^[14] Periodic convulsions of violence, led by Buddhist holy men, would periodically break out against the French.

During the era of French rule, significant advances were made in the education of Cambodian monks, both in specifically Buddhist topics and more general studies. In Phnom Penh, a Pali high school for monks was created in 1914, and later converted into a college.^[15] This four-year diploma granting program for monks included not only education in the Pali language and Buddhist canon, but also basic education in modern, secular topics.^[16] Beginning in 1933, elementary Pali schools were established to provide new monks with a shorter introduction to Pali.^[16] These schools eventually developed into broader monastic schools, where all monks were given basic education in the dhamma-vinaya.^[16] In 1961, a Buddhist university, the Buddhist University of Phra Sihanu-Raja began instruction.^[15]

Primary education of Cambodian children continued to take place at temple schools. Monks were also encouraged to become involved in community development projects.^[15]

Khmer Rouge Era[edit]

In 1975 when the communist Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia, they tried to completely destroy Buddhism and very nearly succeeded. By the time of the Vietnamese invasion in 1979, nearly every monk and religious intellectual had been either murdered or driven into exile, and nearly every temple and Buddhist temple and library had been destroyed.

The Khmer Rouge policies towards Buddhism- which included the forcible disrobing of monks, the destruction of monasteries, and, ultimately, the execution of uncooperative monks effectively destroyed Cambodia's Buddhist institutions.^[17] Monks who did not flee and avoided execution lived among the laity, sometimes secretly performing Buddhist rituals for the sick or afflicted.^[17]

Estimates vary regarding the number of monks in Cambodia prior to the ascension of the Khmer Rouge, ranging between 65,000 and 80,000.^[18] By the time of the Buddhist restoration in the early 1980s, the number of Cambodian monks worldwide was estimated to be less than 3,000.^[19] The patriarchs of both Cambodian nikayas perished sometime during the period 1975-78, though the cause of their deaths is not known.^[18]

Due to their association with the Thai monarchy, monks of the Thommayut order may have been particularly targeted for persecution.^[20]

Vietnamese Occupation[edit]

Following the defeat of the Khmer Rouge by forces of the Vietnamese government, Buddhism initially remained officially suppressed within Cambodia.^[17] Following challenges to the legitimacy of the Vietnamese-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea, policies towards Buddhism began to liberalize starting in the summer of 1979.^[21] A group of monks who had been exiled and re-ordained in Vietnam during the Khmer Rouge period were sent to Cambodia,^[22] and in 1981 one of their number, Venerable Tep Vong, was elected the first sangharaja of a new unified Cambodia sangha, officially abolishing the division between the Thommayut order and the Mohanikay.^[21] The ordination of new monks was sponsored by the government as a public show of piety and lifted restrictions on ordination.^[19]

Modern Era[edit]

Today Buddhism is struggling to re-establish itself although the lack of Buddhist scholars and leaders and the continuing political instability makes the task difficult.

Following the withdrawal of the Vietnamese military, the newly-renamed Cambodian People's Party sought to align itself with the Buddhist sangha, declaring Buddhism to be Cambodia's 'state religion' in a 1991 policy statement^[23] In 1991, King Sihanouk returned from exile and appointed a new sangharaja for each of the Thommayut and Mohanikay orders, effectively marking the end of the unified system created under Vietnamese rule in 1981.^[24]