Interesting Summery of Lecture Series organized by CAN Cambodia on 5 November 2011

Op-Ed: Can Cambodia
==>Saturday, 5 November 2011 on Engaged Buddhism: The Roles of Buddhism in Human Resource Development in Cambodia: Past, Present and Future by Ven. Luon Sovath, www.luonsovath.blogspot.com

In short, Buddhism is the religion of Sekha or education. Three Sekha has been exponentially repeated by the Buddha: Sila Sekha or the education of morals, Samadhi Sekha or the education of meditation, and the Panna Sekha or the education of wisdom. These 3 Sekhas is illustrated quite interesting in the Eightfold Path such as Sila Sekha is inclusive in right speech, right action and right livelihood; Samadhi Sekha is inclusive in right effort, right concentration and right meditation; Panna Sekha is inclusive in right thought and right view.

Dhamma delivery approaches of Lord Buddha stresses on three levels: Athi Kalyani or preliminary discourse (Sila), Machhe Kalyani or secondary discourse (Samadhi), and Pariyosana Kalyani or highest discourse (Panna). These three levels of discourse is comprehensive in the Viniya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka. Or at the Sutta level, these 3 approaches are Morals/Ethics, Meditation and Wisdom.

For Cambodia, human resource development is one of the factors among natural capital, financial capital and social capital.

In the past, French tried to pressure on Khmer Buddhist Sangha to serve the protectorate's missions. But when there were perpetual struggles from the Buddhist Sangha, French protectorates agreed to open a Buddhist Institute (BI) to provide space for Cambodian Buddhist monks to learn and create an education at a systemic structure. Suzan Karpeles was the first director of the BI. Scholars have noted that BI is the substantial place for developing nationalism and movement in late decades in liberating and protecting Cambodian nation.

Somdech Chuon Nath is the key leader in reforming Cambodian Buddhism and building productive national central nationalism. His work in translating Tipitaka into simple Khmer language is a great move in modernizing Cambodia.

At the moment, the 60,000 Buddhist monks residing in over 4000 monasteries are the important agents for human resource development in Cambodia. But the lack of giving enough aids to those agents in approaching human resource missionary. If those Buddhist monks are not properly equipped with talent and knowledge, Cambodian Buddhism would be just symbol or a tool for politicians to utilize it, and the future of human resource development in Cambodia will be irrelevant.

According to the lecture organized on November 5, 2011 (10am of Cambodia Time Zone), Ven. Luon Sovath outlined important facts of Buddhism in developing human resource in Cambodia following:

- Since the Angkorean era, Buddhism and Hinduism have played important roles in developing human resource in Cambodia. The startling structure of temples and inscriptions are the evidence of building human resource for the development of this nation.

- Buddha is the awaken one. His teaching has been used in modern day such as human rights, democracy, human freedom and equality. People desire for peace, freedom and basic rights which this desiring is fundamentally deriving from Buddha's teachings.



- In Cambodia, many schools and meditation centres have been sprawling to serve the need of the people in uplifting their children from the dark to the bright. But many decades of war and conflict clearly shun this task. On other hand, Preah Krou Som Buntheoun who is a Buddhist scholar of Cambodia in Vipassana meditation has been shot to death in the day light without having proper investigation or bringing perpetrator to justice. Keen intellect like Preah Krou Som Buntheoun is a priceless treasure for Cambodia in building human resource.

- In the past, many Cambodian Buddhist monks emerged as the front-line leaders of social, cultural, economical and political development. For instance, Somdech Chuon Nath and Somdech Huot Tart etc. had put much of their effort in educating the public and guiding them to the right path.

- Core teaching of Lord Buddha rests on human value arising from internal virtue and mindful concentration. The teaching has changed people from violence to peace lover, jealousy to loving-kindness, hatred to compassion, and delusion to right understanding and right thought.

- Human resource is knowledge, but in Buddhism knowledge must be endorsed by virtue arising from pure heart and humanity. Knowledge without virtue is the flaw in human kind according to Buddha's teaching. Many so-called pundits have been committing violence and devastating the society as whole because of their lack of virtue and moral value.

- As noticed, Buddhism is the state religion in Cambodia but why many past political regimes and modern leadership of Cambodia have been exposed by its terrible violence and human rights abusing? This might be because the Buddhist monks have not done their duties properly, the Cambodian Buddhists have less knowledge and practice on core teaching of Buddhism, and the government has not used principles of Buddhism to develop the nation correctly.

- In developing human resource, Buddhist monks must play important roles in this assignment. So, the monks should not hibernate in temple waiting food to be offered by the laypeople only. Monks must learn hard by exploring the core teaching as much as they can from both their own researches and associating with pundits in order to develop themselves. Beside this, those monks must outreach the communities and desperate people to impact their lives and upgrade their understanding.

- Human resource doesn't mean to refer to everyone. 14 millions Cambodian people is understood as quantity, not the quality. So how many percent of Cambodian people have been become human resource? 5% is considered very scarce for Cambodian nation.

Q & A

- Referring to the question on "Why Cambodian people cannot forgive each other?". Ven. Luon Sovath elaborated that the term "Khmer" means we should understand each other. The fundamental fact of Khmers being shared the same language, culture, religion and tradition etc. He emphasized that "Khmer" is Khmer, not Khmang (enmity) or Khmoch (ghost). For instance, his social works are for Khmer but why Khmer are so cruel on his works. While the Buddhist monk leaders, the authority and my tasks, all are for Khmers, why we must create enmity of each other?

- Referring to the second question on "Why they say Buddhism is against materialism, if so how can we develop the nation without materialism?". Ven. Luon Sovath explained that Buddhism is not against materialism, but Buddhism is against the wrong use of materials. For instance, money is useful for human beings if we use it for the needs and in a right way, but if someone used money to hire someone to kill someone else, it is wrong. Buddha said this kind of using of money is wrong. The teaching of less desiring and simplicity is not against materials but to use materials wisely. In order to use materials wisely, Buddha advised us to develop "Panna" or wisdom.

- Referring to the third question on "Buddhists believe in the law of Kamma, this belief ushered them to stay quiet and patient, that why Buddhists are likely so passive, not active at all. For example, Burmese Buddhists are so quiet under the oppression of junta regime which is very different from countries like Egypt or Libya?" Ven. Luon Sovath answered that Kamma means action including verbal action, physical action and emotional action. Kamma means struggle, active and pro-active. For instance, if a person is sick, that person must treat themselves or go to see the doctor. This is called Kamma.

In short, Buddhism is the religion of Sekha or education. Three Sekha has been exponentially repeated by the Buddha: Sila Sekha or the education of morals, Samadhi Sekha or the education of meditation, and the Panna Sekha or the education of wisdom. These 3 Sekhas is illustrated quite interesting in the Eightfold Path such as Sila Sekha is inclusive in right speech, right action and right livelihood; Samadhi Sekha is inclusive in right effort, right concentration and right meditation; Panna Sekha is inclusive in right thought and right view.

Dhamma delivery approaches of Lord Buddha stresses on three levels: Athi Kalyani or preliminary discourse (Sila), Machhe Kalyani or secondary discourse (Samadhi), and Pariyosana Kalyani or highest discourse (Panna). These three levels of discourse is comprehensive in the Viniya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka. Or at the Sutta level, these 3 approaches are Morals/Ethics, Meditation and Wisdom.

For Cambodia, human resource development is one of the factors among natural capital, financial capital and social capital.

In the past, French tried to pressure on Khmer Buddhist Sangha to serve the protectorate's missions. But when there were perpetual struggles from the Buddhist Sangha, French protectorates agreed to open a Buddhist Institute to provide space for Cambodian Buddhist (BI) monks to learn and create an education at a systemic structure. Suzan Karpeles was the first director of the BI. Scholars have noted that BI is the substantial place for developing nationalism and movement in late decades in liberating and protecting Cambodian nation.

Somdech Chuon Nath is the key leader in reforming Cambodian Buddhism and building productive national central nationalism. His work in translating Tipitaka into simple Khmer language is a great move in modernizing Cambodia.

At the moment, the 60,000 Buddhist monks residing in over 4000 monasteries are the important agents for human resource development in Cambodia. But the lack of giving enough aids to those agents in approaching human resource missionary. If those Buddhist monks are not properly equipped with talent and knowledge, Cambodian Buddhism would be just symbol or a tool for politicians to utilize it, and the future of human resource development in Cambodia will be irrelevant.

In short, Buddhism is the religion of Sekha or education. Three Sekha has been exponentially repeated by the Buddha: Sila Sekha or the education of morals, Samadhi Sekha or the education of meditation, and the Panna Sekha or the education of wisdom. These 3 Sekhas is illustrated quite interesting in the Eightfold Path such as Sila Sekha is inclusive in right speech, right action and right livelihood; Samadhi Sekha is inclusive in right effort, right concentration and right meditation; Panna Sekha is inclusive in right thought and right view.

Dhamma delivery approaches of Lord Buddha stresses on three levels: Athi Kalyani or preliminary discourse (Sila), Machhe Kalyani or secondary discourse (Samadhi), and Pariyosana Kalyani or highest discourse (Panna). These three levels of discourse is comprehensive in the Viniya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka. Or at the Sutta level, these 3 approaches are Morals/Ethics, Meditation and Wisdom.

For Cambodia, human resource development is one of the factors among natural capital, financial capital and social capital.

In the past, French tried to pressure on Khmer Buddhist Sangha to serve the protectorate's missions. But when there were perpetual struggles from the Buddhist Sangha, French protectorates agreed to open a Buddhist Institute to provide space for Cambodian Buddhist (BI) monks to learn and create an education at a systemic structure. Suzan Karpeles was the first director of the BI. Scholars have noted that BI is the substantial place for developing nationalism and movement in late decades in liberating and protecting Cambodian nation.

Somdech Chuon Nath is the key leader in reforming Cambodian Buddhism and building productive national central nationalism. His work in translating Tipitaka into simple Khmer language is a great move in modernizing Cambodia.

At the moment, the 60,000 Buddhist monks residing in over 4000 monasteries are the important agents for human resource development in Cambodia. But the lack of giving enough aids to those agents in approaching human resource missionary. If those Buddhist monks are not properly equipped with talent and knowledge, Cambodian Buddhism would be just symbol or a tool for politicians to utilize it, and the future of human resource development in Cambodia will be irrelevant.