Summary of the Interview
Ven. Luon Sovath: My first intention in coming to Australia is by the kind invitation of Cambodian-Australians to attend Pchum Ben Festival here. As you know, I am marginalized by the Cambodian Buddhist leaders to banning me from staying in any temple there. With this banning, I cannot fully practice Buddhism and my opportunity in participating with Pchum Ben Festival doesn't have in Cambodia. Second intention is to seek for assistance from all Cambodians and main stream people to write letter, petition including other campaigns to request Cambodian supreme patriarch to drop those directives that have banned me from staying in the temple.
Virak Oum: Kona heard Preah Dejkun mentioned about the banning by the supreme patriarch by the directives accused Preah Dejkun on the incitement, let returning back to the background of this banning, why the supreme patriarch issued such directives?
Ven. Luon Sovath: Po (yes), it is because of my social engagement in helping the people (farmers) who were facing with violence committed by the local authority in a land grabbing. But when I preached about non-violence and threatening or other unwholesome deeds, and as I am a monk, I have no material means to help them but to preach and to spiritually guide them. Hence, the authority was mad at me, later on there were directives from the supreme patriarch accused me of incitement and politic, and ordered all temples not to accept me to stay.
Virak Oum: According to the video clips broadcasted online by the International Human Rights Websites highlighted some violent acts of some monks towards Preah Dejkun, are those acts appropriate in Buddhism?
Ven. Luon Sovath: Po (yes), actually in Buddhism if we look at scriptures especially Lord Buddha, He gave up secular power as the emperior to live a simple life and instructed people to love peace, practice Dhamma for enlightenment, and non-violence. I became a monk in accordance with this example and the Dhamma discourses in the scripture. I was ordained by the genuine preceptors and I have practiced the right Dhamma, not by other excuses. But look at those monks, they acted violent towards me and their acts were not independent. They worked in accordance with the signals of others. Those accusations occurred without durable to the Buddha Dhamma, the Vinaya and the state law. The acts as well as the directives were solely issued by the private individuals, not by the Bhikkhu monk assembly in accordance with the Buddha Vinaya. By those interferences of secular authority and the individual decision-making of the Bhikkhu monk, it led to violence over me and banning me from the temple which are not durable to the Buddha Dhamma and the national law.
