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Bon Pchum Ben or Ancestors Spirit Festival is one of the important festivals of Cambodian people. This festival is mixing with mainstream tradition and Buddha's teaching in which it has highly valued the respect, paying gratitude and remembering the dead relatives and all beings. According to the teaching of rebirth in Buddhism (reincarnation in Hindu philosophy), some people who passed away are still wandering around to survive by receiving offering from relatives or others. Those wandering spirit (ghosts) are not yet reborn. So relatives must offer food to those wandering spirit by bringing foods and other necessities to the nearby temple to offer to the monks in order to dedicate to those not-yet-reborn spirit. On the other hand, Buddha's teachings stresses on "doing good result in good, doing bad result in bad". The Pchum Ben festival is the occasion of food sharing by offering to the high spiritual leaders or Buddhist monks, clergy (Acariya), poor individuals or destitute families, parents, elders and relatives etc. The important offering Buddha has always admired is to offer to parents who are still alive. Khmer proverb said "offering during the moonlight is better off" or it means when our parents are still alive, we have to serve and treat them very well. We have to do the best as much as we can. Don't wait until they disappeared from this world and children will offer to them. However, though they all passed away, all merits and offerings we have made it has hugely benefit us. By Sophan Seng [email protected] ... (more info) <javascript:;> (less info) <javascript:;> -- "Wherever we go, wherever we remain, the results of our actions follow us." -- Buddha "There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." ~ Aldous Huxley "What they must have are: inner mastery; a central, compelling purpose rooted in moral values; a capacity to persuade; skills in working within the system; a fast start; a strong, effective team; and a passion that inspires others to keep the flame alive." - David Gergen, Eyewitness to Power "I start with the promise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers" - Ralph Nader ***PRIVILEGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE*** This communication and any attachment is confidential, may be legally privileged and should only be read by the person to whom it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please notify sender by reply and delete the communication. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org
