The Fading Tradition of Khmer Magical Tattoos
It's a well-known story by this point, but Nhiek Bun Chhay still tells it with plenty of verve: July 5 and 6, 1997-the coalition between ruling Funcinpec and the CPP has broken down, and soldiers from the two camps fight it out in the streets of Phnom Penh.
Overpowered and out-gunned, Funcinpec forces were in a desperate position and had to beat a hasty retreat.
A commander of the royalist resistance fighters since the 1980s, Nhiek Bun Chhay was an obvious target during those two days of combat.
Surrounded by CPP forces in Phnom Penh, Nhiek Bun Chhay jumped into a small bush, he said recently, wrapping his arms about his face to mimic that cramped hideaway. Not far away, his fellow Funcinpec officers were being captured-a number would never be seen alive again.
Nhiek Bun Chhay said that he had only one avenue left: to call on the power of his magic tattoos and sacred mantras that activate their power.
"There is a magic that in Pali means 'cow hide a calf'.... I recited that magic and they did not see me," Nhiek Bun Chhay said with an emphatic nod. "About three soldiers came to look for me and got about 2 meters away, but they could not see me."
Sill free, Nhiek Bun Chhay fled for the Thai border in the northwest, dodging CPP patrols along the way. He told of one moment where his "magic of invisibility" saved him again on that journey: out of the group of 43, only he and a man that stuck close to him escaped apprehension during a raid.
Nhiek Bun Chhay's almost supernatural escape after the 1997 fighting cemented his reputation in the minds of many as not being so much a lucky man, as one with powerful magic.
Protective magic has long been a facet of Cambodian life, likely predating the construction of Angkor Wat by centuries, if not millennia. And there is perhaps no more explicit display of belief in those mystical powers than Khmer magic tattoos.
The geometric patterns of writing and images that crisscross the bodies of many older soldiers and fighters represent a unique arena where religious faith meets superstition, valor confronts fear, and the grim realities of a life of combat often give way to the tall tales of mythic heroes.
And though they may have been drawn to spare a man from a bullet, the complex arrangements of some tattoos and the folk-like quality of more crudely administered examples are often beautiful artworks in their own right.
Now the secretary-general of Funcinpec, Nhiek Bun Chhay still has the marks of his tattoos running along his prominent jawline (to more effectively bellow orders to masses of troops), on his forearms ("great gravity" magic to make his fists into heavier, deadlier weapons) and across his chest and shoulders (general protective measures against all manner of dangers).
Typically displaying a stern, if not gruff demeanor that seems to match his bulldog appearance, Nhiek Bun Chhay becomes animated when speaking of his wartime days and magical prowess-talking with his hands and recreating battlegrounds with utensils on a Chinese restaurant's table during a recent interview.
His descriptions of the types of powers he possesses often step beyond the realm of the plausible, but he is far from alone in recounting his magic-filled past with a sense of personal myth-making. A number of soldiers and former soldiers interviewed-most having been resistance fighters from the northwest during the tumultuous 1980s-gave accounts that similarly stretched the limits of credulity.
But Nhiek Bun Chhay is, as one prominent resistance fighter put it, "the most magic man."
Magic tattoos always begin with a magic man. There is little benefit to be gained from merely being marked with the appropriate scripts and images; they must be transmitted to the skin by specially trained individuals known to already possess magical abilities. Essentially, it becomes a transfer of power from the magic man to the recipient of the tattoos.
These magic men are typically Buddhist monks or laypeople that have built up some renown for their devotion and piety, as well as their knowledge of magic spells. Many of those interviewed said that the relationship between the magic man and the person hoping to be tattooed was akin to that of master and disciple-the magic man would not tattoo just anyone, only those found worthy.
RCAF Major General Lay Virak, formerly a guerrilla leader for the republican Khmer People's National Liberation Front in the 1980s, said he scoured the Cambodian northwest as a younger man in search of magic men to learn from and be tattooed by. Funcinpec lawmaker Khieu San received his protective tattoos from his father, a well-known local magic man, when he joined the army in 1965. According to Khieu San, his father could plunge his hands in boiling water without receiving injury.
In a tale worthy of Joseph Campbell, the well-known American mythology professor, Nhiek Bun Chhay said that his magic man was a devout hermit that lived in the forests of present-day Banteay Meanchey province.
As he tells it, one night in the early 1970s a flame burst from a banyan tree outside his family home, striking the spire atop the house. Soon after, his younger brother lost consciousness and stopped breathing for five hours before finally being revived by his grandfather using a powder made from the roots of the tree.
From that day forward his brother suffered regular seizures and fits, prompting the family to take him to a number of hospitals. His brother was even subjected to shock treatment at a psychiatric facility in Phnom Penh, but to no avail.
Nhiek Bun Chhay then went looking for a monk to bless his brother, hoping to find a spiritual cure now that the doctors had failed. In his search, he says he came upon a hermit that lived in the forest. He convinced him to go to his house to conduct the blessing, but his brother recoiled when the hermit tried to douse him with blessed water. It took six men to hold the ill boy down.
"Perhaps the spirit in him was afraid of the hermit monk," Nhiek Bun Chhay said.
For several months the hermit returned frequently to bless his brother-who always violently resisted, requiring that he be restrained. Eventually the blessings seemed to take hold and the boy's seizures ceased.
"[My brother] still lives to this day. That's how I got to know the hermit monk, and I followed him in the forest for two years," Nhiek Bun Chhay added.
"During that time I learned a lot of Pali magic from the magic monk," he said. Pali is an ancient Indian language still serves as the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism.
Nhiek Bun Chhay said that about six months after the Khmer Rouge came to power in April 1975, he and the hermit fled from communist-held territory to join the resistance. "When I fled with the monk from the Khmer Rouge we were surrounded three times, but we could not be captured because the monk was very powerful," he said.
It was shortly thereafter, in 1976 that the monk agreed to tattoo his disciple as he joined the "White Khmer" resistance forces, granting him magical protection to take on the Khmer Rouge.
Reut Hath first learned the art of inking magic into the skin of another in 1971. His father-a farmer and martial arts trainer-was a "powerful magic man" in the northwest, having learned magic and tattooing from the Venerable Hem, a revered monk that Reut Hath said had even blessed members of the royal family.
"Many people came to [my father], so he gave some of the work to me," the 51-year-old said. "So, I had to learn magic."
Reut Hath started tattooing soldiers in 1977 when he fled Khmer Rouge executioners to join the resistance in the Tonle Sap lake area. A native of the northwest, he came to Phnom Penh to join the Vietnamese backed military in 1979, but was taken for a Khmer Rouge supporter and rejected. He then decided to take up with the republican KPNLF, tattooing comrades and fighting the Vietnamese occupation forces and the Cambodian government until the Paris Peace Agreement of 1991.
Those capable of applying Khmer magic tattoos still tend to punch them into the skin by hand rather than by the gun used in most modern tattoo parlors. Reut Hath said that the main implement for tattooing is a thin handle about 30 cm long with two syringe needles at one end. String is wound round the needles so that only the points are exposed, which prevents the needles from piercing too deeply into the body.
Nhiek Bun Chhay said that the black ink used to make his tattoos was prepared from special tree barks, but Reut Hath said that any old ink would suffice. During the early years of the resistance fighting, however, ink was in short supply, so he would create his own by mixing the material inside alkaline batteries with rice wine. Later on they were able to get access to printing house ink from China.
Before being tattooed, the recipient would have coconut oil rubbed on his skin. Reut Hath explained that the oil worked to prevent the ink from spreading on the skin and creating a mess.
Once prepared, Reut Hath said he would grip the needle end of the tattooing implement from below with the fingertips of his left hand and the tip of the opposite end with his right hand. Then with short, swift movements-so fast that they nearly escape the eye-he'd punch the ink into the skin, guiding the needles with his left hand and rapidly poking them in and out of the skin with his right. In a quick demonstration, he was able to punch out a Khmer letter in less than 15 seconds on a piece of paper, but some people have veritable essays written on their bodies, requiring days of painful prodding to produce.
Lay Virak said that the pain from getting the tattoos was so intense that he had to give up on the protective design that was being done across his chest before it was finished. Even so, he believes the completed tattoos he received served him well on the battlefield.
Boung Thoeun, a 49-year-old RCAF sergeant major and former KPNLF captain, is tattooed pretty much from head to toe. He said that after receiving his tattoos his skin was so swollen and painful to the touch that he couldn't bathe for days.
After getting the tattoos, the recipient is taught special mantras to activate their powers and a set of rules to ensure that their magical potency doesn't wane.
"The main thing that maintains the magic to defend you is to recite the Pali words the magic man has given you," Lay Virak said.
The words and the passage of knowledge are important elements of the tattooing process, which is not so much an act as a ceremony. Nhiek Bun Chhay said that for maximum effectiveness, it is best to have that ceremony on a Buddhist holiday or during a full moon.
Reut Hath said that the tattoos he did were almost entirely spells written in Pali, but done in Khmer characters, and Sanskrit, although these characters are sometimes drawn in a stylized manner to create spires and medallions that one would scarcely recognize as letters.
He does draw some designs that move towards more pictorial representations, such as figures like ziggurats that he says are a sign of respect for one's ancestors (to draw their protection), as well as a common protective motif tattooed on the upper arm consisting of stylized coils called a "five Buddha statue" design.
"I have done this work for a long time, so I don't need to lay out the design first," he said. "I just needle the magic in."
Some draw images such as lions as part of their magic tattoos, but Reut Hath said it was outside his knowledge and he was skeptical of their ability to provide real protection.
Reut Hath learned the tattoos by memorizing a bible of designs created by his father. That book is long since lost, but Reut Hath said he is hoping to recreate it from memory and have the images scanned onto a computer so that they can be preserved for the protection of future generations.
As an interesting twist, Reut Hath said that he actually has no idea what the Pali and Sanskrit words he etches into the skin of others mean.
"I cannot read the Pali, but I know what letter is what letter, so I know what to write according to the formula," he said.
"I learned it, but even I don't understand why the magic is so powerful," he added.
Beyond invisibility, boosting one's voice and creating punishingly heavy fists, the list of powers that can be bestowed through these tattoos and associated magic mantras seems nearly endless.
Most obvious-and useful for a soldier-is the supposed ability to deflect bullets, one that every tattoo recipient said they, at least at one time, could do.
Reut Hath mentioned that the circular medallion designs that typically adorn the shoulder near the collarbone are meant to repel metal projectiles in general. Another Pali and Sanskrit tattoo drawn around the ankle is meant to ward off damage from landmines.
A number of soldiers spoken to said that one of the dangers of the tattoos making your skin impervious to damage is that it can be difficult for doctors to treat you if you fall ill-hypodermic needles apparently have a tendency to just bend or break on contact with the skin.
"When you have tough skin and you get malaria, it is very dangerous," Nhiek Bun Chhay said earnestly. "I must have gotten malaria 100 times while fighting."
Lay Virak said he knows of magic that prevents a person from getting lost in the forest. He also met a monk that knew the secret of magic that allowed you to walk through fire.
"During the war, we believed in the magic. We knew a lot, including magic that prevents you from being tied up or hurt by torture," Lay Virak added.
On the battlefield, one even has to worry about an opponent that might have more powerful magic.
Boung Thoeun, the heavily tattooed sergeant major, is covered primarily with dense patterns of text-particularly up and down his arms-but surrounding his navel he has the image of Attan, a deity that is both male and female, which he said is meant to prevent another's magic from sapping his own power.
Boung Thoeun said that he twice stepped on a landmine, only to have both of them fizzle rather than explode. He also recalled getting caught in a nighttime ambush in Kompong Thom province that should have meant certain death, but he came away unscathed.
"The enemy sprayed a lot of bullets at us," he said. "It was a dark place but there were so many [tracers] flying about that it looked like the daytime."
"I completely believe in this kind of magic," said Reut Hath, who not only drew protective tattoos, but had a number drawn on him following his father's designs.
"I was captured once by the Vietnamese," he said. "They said to me, 'We fired a lot of bullets at you but you didn't die, so you have to pay us back for all the bullets.' I could not pay, so they took my clothes and magical items-maybe so they could do research on them."
On another occasion in 2002, Reut Hath said, a gunman pulled a pistol on him in a restaurant and pulled the trigger at point blank range, but the gun didn't fire.
Khieu San recalled being in a protracted battle with Vietcong elements in 1968. Both sides were dug in he said, and supplies were running low. Desperate for food, he said that he made use of his magic to make his way over to the Vietnamese side and steal food from right in front of the enemy without them ever seeing him.
"I should have died about 10 times," said Nhiek Bun Chhay, recounting one such incident when a number of fighters were making their way through a minefield near the Thai border. Someone set off a mine and the resulting blast killed five men surrounding him. Stunned by the explosion, he was rushed to a Thai clinic because of all the shrapnel tears in his clothing, but when they cleaned the dirt and soot they realized that he hadn't been scratched.
With so much power supposedly at their fingertips, it would seem like a half-dozen tattooed soldiers could take on an army. But when it comes to magical Cambodian tattoos there's still a catch-several actually.
"It is a question of your belief, your nationalism, and your devotion to the rules," said Reut Hath, who would tell those stipulations to those he tattooed.
Basically, the rules for keeping your magic potent seem to be basic issues of morality and religiosity: do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, regularly burn incense and pray, recite the mantras, etc.
The rules establish a Buddhist grounding for the magic, taking what could be thought of as a selfish act to empower oneself and changing it into a promoter of moral behavior and faith-even if only because one believes their days will be bullet-free.
Of course, to the more cynical-minded, the rules also provide a reason why a man covered in Pali spells might be killed on the battlefield: "If only he hadn't been so forward with his neighbor's wife..."
All of those interviewed about their tattoos cited the basic rules of not killing, stealing, lying or committing adultery. Khieu San said that to keep his magic powerful he had to follow the five precepts of the Buddha, which include the four above and also a prohibition of alcohol. "It's not like voodoo-this is the real power from the Buddha," he said.
Lay Virak addressed the seeming contradiction of soldiers getting tattoos that prohibit killing, saying: "When we fight in a war, we do not aim at taking another's life, we fight to defend ourselves."
All said that regular prayer and purification was also an essential part of the process. Often these prayers will include wishes of good will and fortune for the man that gave them the tattoos. Nhiek Bun Chhay said that he still starts and concludes each day with the same prayers to preserve his protective magic.
But beyond that, some of the rules given by some magic men seem pretty arbitrary.
Reut Hath forbids the men he tattoos from eating dog meat. The prohibition on certain meats extends to snake, turtle and pork for Lay Virak to keep his power. Khieu San risks losing his magic if he walks under a clothesline. And in perhaps the most unusual prohibition, Lay Virak could sacrifice his protection if he urinates and defecates at the same time.
Khieu San said he once learned the hard way that breaking the rules can be dangerous. Mere millimeters away from the fading tattoo on his right wrist is a small but prominent scar that the lawmaker said was the result of a close call with a Vietnamese bayonet.
He explained how he was wounded despite his magic tattoos: In a pitched battle in the early 1970s, he tried to urge on troops that seemed unwilling to engage the enemy. Screaming at his men, Khieu San said he used some very intemperate language. It was shortly thereafter that he caught the bayonet to the wrist and instantly realized that his vulgar outburst had left him vulnerable to attack.
"I immediately dropped and said a prayer to make things right," he said, thus restoring his protection.
The end of fighting in Cambodia seems to have done much to reduce both the strict morality and magical potency associated with the tattoos: With easy living comes temptation.
Boung Thoeun said that since the fighting ended he's enjoyed the nightlife and had an "outside woman or two," so he cannot rely on the tattoos that cover most of his body to keep him perfectly safe anymore.
Reut Hath also believes that many of the men that received tattoos in the resistance days no longer carry with them the magic they once had.
"During the fighting, most of the fighters were powerful-the magic worked," he said. "But with peace many came to the cities and starting drinking, sleeping with girls and the magic has faded away."
And above all the magic of the tattoos, there is still fate.
Reut Hath said he had tattooed hundreds of men that came through battle after battle unscathed, but even so, "If it is your destiny to die, the magic cannot save you."
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Courts Making Illegal Use of Clerks: Experts
Courts Making Illegal Use of Clerks: Experts
Court clerks throughout Cambodia are unlawfully undertaking the work of prosecutors and investigating judges, according to legal experts, a practice which under the letter of the law should nullify criminal or civil cases whose investigation were conducted in such a manner.
Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of legal aid NGO Cambodian Defenders Project, said by telephone Thursday that since 1994, court clerks have been illegally interviewing suspects, witnesses and victims-work that falls far outside their jurisdiction.
"It's become common in Cambodia," Sok Sam Oeun said, adding that the role of the court clerk is to take notes while a judge or a prosecutor conducts interviews, but more often than not, the clerks are allowed to do the work themselves.
Ny Chandy, Model Court Project manager for Legal Aid of Cambodia, said that because the illegal practice goes against court procedures it should result in the nullification of up to 40 percent of all court decisions.
"Clerks can't do the work of the prosecutors and judges. They only have the role to take notes," Ny Chandy said. "If they do, the whole procedure must be annulled," he said.
"It is illegal and makes it so you can't find justice for the victim or defend the rights of the accused," he added.
According to article 128 of the Criminal Procedure Code, court clerks doing the work of judges is prohibited.
"Regardless of any case, a clerk can not fulfill the duty as the authority of investigating judge," the article states.
Answers from senior court officials varied Thursday when questioned about the longstanding but illegal practice.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court Director Chiv Keng, who also sits on the Supreme Council of Magistracy, Cambodia's top authority on judicial procedure, all but denied that clerks had ever done the work of investigating judges or prosecutors.
"Judges in principal lead the questioning process," he said. "No clerks arbitrarily do the work by themselves."
Municipal Court Chief Prosecutor Ok Savouth confirmed Thursday that his clerks had conducted interviews, but only if ordered by prosecutors to do so.
"They received the list of questions from the prosecutors to do the questioning," he said. "If they question by themselves, it's against the law."
However, Phnom Penh Municipal Court Chief of Clerks for the Prosecution Prak Savouth said Thursday that clerks always conduct interviews by themselves.
"Court clerks are the ones who always do the questioning," Prak Savouth said, adding that clerks do not swear oaths to uphold the laws of the country, as judges and prosecutors must do to hold their positions.
Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana said he was too busy to speak to reporters Thursday.
According to Justice Ministry Secretary of State Meach Sam On, the practice of clerks conducting interviews is illegal, but due to understaffing, it's a necessary illegality.
"We understand that it is illegal, but it helps facilitate the work of the judges," Meach Sam On said, adding that once a clerk finishes questioning, the judge should verify the clerk's notes for accuracy. Meach Sam On did not explain how such accuracy could be ensured after the fact. He also said that decisions on cases, in which clerks have conducted the questioning, should not be annulled.
"The clerk questions and if the judge refuses to take it, it will be done again," he said.
One foreign resident of Phnom Penh who was summoned to the court over a sensitive civil case recently recounted being interviewed by a young clerk in his early 20s.
He claimed that the clerk became angry with him when the resident refused to participate in questioning conducted by the clerk.
"The clerk had already started filling out the questioning form and then launched into questions of his own," said the resident on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution by municipal court officials.
"When I told the young clerk I would only be interviewed by the person whose name was on the summons-a deputy prosecutor-he responded angrily saying 'this is how the courts work.'"
According to the resident, a second older clerk then entered the office reeking of alcohol. Upon being told that the situation by the young clerk, the older clerk responded in a "surly manner" and told the resident to return in the afternoon, the foreign resident said.
After returning in the afternoon, the older clerk, who like the younger clerk had not identified himself, tried twice to begin the questioning again by opening the case file in front of the resident and asking for comment on the enclosed material. The deputy prosecutor did not turn up after almost two hours wait at which point the resident asked to leave the courthouse.
Ham Sunrith, deputy director of the monitoring and protection unit at local human rights group Licadho, said the power of the clerks has created confusion within the courts, as judges and prosecutors don't get their information about a case first-hand.
Judges and prosecutors "are the ones who have legal skills and the power to make decisions," Ham Sunrith said, adding that without doing the interviews themselves, judges and prosecutors might not fully understand the cases presented to them, and must simply rely on the word of a clerk.
"They may make decisions without understanding the case in depth," he said. (Additional reporting by James Welsh)
Court clerks throughout Cambodia are unlawfully undertaking the work of prosecutors and investigating judges, according to legal experts, a practice which under the letter of the law should nullify criminal or civil cases whose investigation were conducted in such a manner.
Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of legal aid NGO Cambodian Defenders Project, said by telephone Thursday that since 1994, court clerks have been illegally interviewing suspects, witnesses and victims-work that falls far outside their jurisdiction.
"It's become common in Cambodia," Sok Sam Oeun said, adding that the role of the court clerk is to take notes while a judge or a prosecutor conducts interviews, but more often than not, the clerks are allowed to do the work themselves.
Ny Chandy, Model Court Project manager for Legal Aid of Cambodia, said that because the illegal practice goes against court procedures it should result in the nullification of up to 40 percent of all court decisions.
"Clerks can't do the work of the prosecutors and judges. They only have the role to take notes," Ny Chandy said. "If they do, the whole procedure must be annulled," he said.
"It is illegal and makes it so you can't find justice for the victim or defend the rights of the accused," he added.
According to article 128 of the Criminal Procedure Code, court clerks doing the work of judges is prohibited.
"Regardless of any case, a clerk can not fulfill the duty as the authority of investigating judge," the article states.
Answers from senior court officials varied Thursday when questioned about the longstanding but illegal practice.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court Director Chiv Keng, who also sits on the Supreme Council of Magistracy, Cambodia's top authority on judicial procedure, all but denied that clerks had ever done the work of investigating judges or prosecutors.
"Judges in principal lead the questioning process," he said. "No clerks arbitrarily do the work by themselves."
Municipal Court Chief Prosecutor Ok Savouth confirmed Thursday that his clerks had conducted interviews, but only if ordered by prosecutors to do so.
"They received the list of questions from the prosecutors to do the questioning," he said. "If they question by themselves, it's against the law."
However, Phnom Penh Municipal Court Chief of Clerks for the Prosecution Prak Savouth said Thursday that clerks always conduct interviews by themselves.
"Court clerks are the ones who always do the questioning," Prak Savouth said, adding that clerks do not swear oaths to uphold the laws of the country, as judges and prosecutors must do to hold their positions.
Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana said he was too busy to speak to reporters Thursday.
According to Justice Ministry Secretary of State Meach Sam On, the practice of clerks conducting interviews is illegal, but due to understaffing, it's a necessary illegality.
"We understand that it is illegal, but it helps facilitate the work of the judges," Meach Sam On said, adding that once a clerk finishes questioning, the judge should verify the clerk's notes for accuracy. Meach Sam On did not explain how such accuracy could be ensured after the fact. He also said that decisions on cases, in which clerks have conducted the questioning, should not be annulled.
"The clerk questions and if the judge refuses to take it, it will be done again," he said.
One foreign resident of Phnom Penh who was summoned to the court over a sensitive civil case recently recounted being interviewed by a young clerk in his early 20s.
He claimed that the clerk became angry with him when the resident refused to participate in questioning conducted by the clerk.
"The clerk had already started filling out the questioning form and then launched into questions of his own," said the resident on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution by municipal court officials.
"When I told the young clerk I would only be interviewed by the person whose name was on the summons-a deputy prosecutor-he responded angrily saying 'this is how the courts work.'"
According to the resident, a second older clerk then entered the office reeking of alcohol. Upon being told that the situation by the young clerk, the older clerk responded in a "surly manner" and told the resident to return in the afternoon, the foreign resident said.
After returning in the afternoon, the older clerk, who like the younger clerk had not identified himself, tried twice to begin the questioning again by opening the case file in front of the resident and asking for comment on the enclosed material. The deputy prosecutor did not turn up after almost two hours wait at which point the resident asked to leave the courthouse.
Ham Sunrith, deputy director of the monitoring and protection unit at local human rights group Licadho, said the power of the clerks has created confusion within the courts, as judges and prosecutors don't get their information about a case first-hand.
Judges and prosecutors "are the ones who have legal skills and the power to make decisions," Ham Sunrith said, adding that without doing the interviews themselves, judges and prosecutors might not fully understand the cases presented to them, and must simply rely on the word of a clerk.
"They may make decisions without understanding the case in depth," he said. (Additional reporting by James Welsh)
Thailand, Cambodia Trade Blame on Border Shooting
Thailand, Cambodia Trade Blame on Border Shooting
Thailand and Cambodia issued letters Saturday strongly protesting Friday's armed skirmish in the border area near Preah Vihear temple, with each side blaming the other for starting the incident that left one Cambodian and two Thai soldiers injured.
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong summoned the Thai ambassador Saturday to protest what Cambodia considers a "serious armed provocation" on the part of Thailand, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said.
"Hor Namhong told the Thai ambassador that Cambodia demands that the royal government of Thailand avoid such incident from recurring in the future," Koy Kuong said.
"Such armed provocation by Thai soldiers could lead to very grave consequences, including full scale armed hostility," warned a letter dated Saturday that Koy Kuong said Hor Namhong handed to Thai Ambassador Viraphand Vacharathit.
The letter states that at 3:30 pm Friday, Thai soldiers entered Cambodian territory near the Preah Vihear temple and fired an M-79 grenade launcher at Cambodian troops stationed there. They returned fire in self-defense and one RCAF soldier was injured, the letter states.
But according to a copy of a Saturday letter from Thailand's Foreign Affairs Ministry to the Cambodian government, Cambodian troops entered Thai territory 1 km west of Preah Vihear temple.
According to the letter, four unarmed Thai paramilitary rangers went to the Cambodian troops to negotiate their withdrawal. As the RCAF soldiers radioed their commander, the Thai rangers overheard him ordering his troops to open fire. The Cambodian troops then fired their guns into the air, prompting the Thai rangers to leave the area.
"[T]he Cambodian soldiers suddenly opened fire at the Thai rangers who were unarmed, prompting the Thai unit stationed nearby to return fire to protect the said Thai personnel in self-defense," the Thai letter read.
"[T]he shooting by the Cambodian troops against the unarmed Thai para-military rangers is regarded as a brutal and aggressive act and is contrary to the spirit of friendly relations between Cambodia and Thailand," it added.
"The incident occurred in Thai territory," said Chaturont Chaiyakam, first secretary of the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh.
"They returned to the Thai position, and the Cambodians shot them in the back," Chaturont said, adding that two Thai rangers were injured.
Cambodian Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan claimed that the version of events espoused by the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry was not that held by the Thai military officials stationed at the disputed border. The local Thai commander had met Saturday with RCAF Major General Srey Dek, chief of the Preah Vihear operation, Phay Siphan said, and had apologized after recognizing that his troops were at fault in provoking the incident on Cambodian land.
"Thais locally...asked pardon [of] the Cambodians that it shouldn't have happened like this," Phay Siphan said.
Srey Dek could not be reached for comment Sunday, but Preah Vihear Provincial Deputy Governor Sar Thavy also claimed that the Thai commander had apologized. Thai officials could not be reached for comment concerning the allegation.
But despite their different takes on the incident, both the Cambodian and Thai sides said negotiations on the border dispute would not be affected.
Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's is still scheduled to visit Phnom Penh on Oct 13, according to both Chaturont and Koy Kuong.
"The leaders of Thai [and] Cambodian ministries will meet soon to talk about this issue, but I don't think there's any tension now," Chaturont said.
RCAF Region 4 commander Chea Morn said the situation at the temple was stable Sunday.
Thailand and Cambodia issued letters Saturday strongly protesting Friday's armed skirmish in the border area near Preah Vihear temple, with each side blaming the other for starting the incident that left one Cambodian and two Thai soldiers injured.
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong summoned the Thai ambassador Saturday to protest what Cambodia considers a "serious armed provocation" on the part of Thailand, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said.
"Hor Namhong told the Thai ambassador that Cambodia demands that the royal government of Thailand avoid such incident from recurring in the future," Koy Kuong said.
"Such armed provocation by Thai soldiers could lead to very grave consequences, including full scale armed hostility," warned a letter dated Saturday that Koy Kuong said Hor Namhong handed to Thai Ambassador Viraphand Vacharathit.
The letter states that at 3:30 pm Friday, Thai soldiers entered Cambodian territory near the Preah Vihear temple and fired an M-79 grenade launcher at Cambodian troops stationed there. They returned fire in self-defense and one RCAF soldier was injured, the letter states.
But according to a copy of a Saturday letter from Thailand's Foreign Affairs Ministry to the Cambodian government, Cambodian troops entered Thai territory 1 km west of Preah Vihear temple.
According to the letter, four unarmed Thai paramilitary rangers went to the Cambodian troops to negotiate their withdrawal. As the RCAF soldiers radioed their commander, the Thai rangers overheard him ordering his troops to open fire. The Cambodian troops then fired their guns into the air, prompting the Thai rangers to leave the area.
"[T]he Cambodian soldiers suddenly opened fire at the Thai rangers who were unarmed, prompting the Thai unit stationed nearby to return fire to protect the said Thai personnel in self-defense," the Thai letter read.
"[T]he shooting by the Cambodian troops against the unarmed Thai para-military rangers is regarded as a brutal and aggressive act and is contrary to the spirit of friendly relations between Cambodia and Thailand," it added.
"The incident occurred in Thai territory," said Chaturont Chaiyakam, first secretary of the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh.
"They returned to the Thai position, and the Cambodians shot them in the back," Chaturont said, adding that two Thai rangers were injured.
Cambodian Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan claimed that the version of events espoused by the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry was not that held by the Thai military officials stationed at the disputed border. The local Thai commander had met Saturday with RCAF Major General Srey Dek, chief of the Preah Vihear operation, Phay Siphan said, and had apologized after recognizing that his troops were at fault in provoking the incident on Cambodian land.
"Thais locally...asked pardon [of] the Cambodians that it shouldn't have happened like this," Phay Siphan said.
Srey Dek could not be reached for comment Sunday, but Preah Vihear Provincial Deputy Governor Sar Thavy also claimed that the Thai commander had apologized. Thai officials could not be reached for comment concerning the allegation.
But despite their different takes on the incident, both the Cambodian and Thai sides said negotiations on the border dispute would not be affected.
Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's is still scheduled to visit Phnom Penh on Oct 13, according to both Chaturont and Koy Kuong.
"The leaders of Thai [and] Cambodian ministries will meet soon to talk about this issue, but I don't think there's any tension now," Chaturont said.
RCAF Region 4 commander Chea Morn said the situation at the temple was stable Sunday.
Ieng Sary's Daughter Tell Nuon Chea's Wife to Move Out
Ieng Sary's Daughter Tell Nuon Chea's Wife to Move Out
Ly Kimseng, the wife of war crimes suspect Nuon Chea, said Wednesday that the family of fellow Khmer Rouge tribunal detainee Ieng Sary told her to leave the Pailin town home that she had shared with her husband for 10 years.
The house may now be for sale, Ly Kimseng said. Family members of Ieng Sary, the one-time Khmer Rouge foreign minister, were unavailable for comment while Ang Udom, a lawyer for Ieng Sary, said he was unaware of the matter and declined to comment further.
"Ieng Sary's daughter Ieng Meat told me to move out," Ly Kimseng said by telephone from Pailin, adding that she was now staying with her son at her daughter's house nearby her former home.
"I left my wooden house in Phsar Prum village a month ago...this wooden house was left to me and my husband by His Excellency Ieng Sary for ten years," she said.
"I understand the wooden house that Ieng Sary's daughter wanted to take back is for sale. But Ieng Sary's daughter won't sell to my family because my family wanted to buy from her, too," she added.
An adjacent house, which once belonged to former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan, and which is in the same compound as Nuon Chea's former home, was sold several months before Khieu Samphan's arrest in November 2007 for about $8,000, Ly Kimseng said.
Lim Kea, who was recently hired to tend to the former Khieu Samphan house, said on Wednesday that the house and surrounding half-hectare lot had been purchased most recently by a local resident of Pailin, Te Muy Kim.
According to Lim Kea, the tattered wooden houses, situated on a common lot beside the Thai border in Sala Krao district's Stung Kach commune, had been built on the land about 20 years ago by Ieng Sary. Both Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea moved into the Pailin compound following their surrender to the government in December 1998.
Ieng Sary had defected to the government two years earlier, spending his time between Pailin and a lavish villa in Phnom Penh, which he shared with his wife, fellow Khmer Rouge tribunal detainee Ieng Thirith, and Pol Pot's first wife Khieu Ponnary who died in 2003.
Te Muy Kim said Tuesday that she had purchased the Khieu Samphan house for $28 per square meter and hoped to sell it for $40 per square meter. She said that she had had few calls from prospective buyers since the start of the recent Preah Vihear border standoff.
"I wish to sell my land to pay debts, but we will see," she said.
Following their arrests last year, the Khmer Rouge tribunal declared that all five of the court's current detainees were too poor to pay for their legal representation, which is considerably expensive. The tribunal's current budget estimates that the defense of each Khmer Rouge detainee will have cost about $890,000by the end of next year.
Richard Rodgers, acting head of the Defense Support Section, said Wednesday that if the Khmer Rouge detainees' assets were to grow, their status as indigent defendants could be revised.
"If there were a significant change of financial circumstances, then it could be reviewed," he said. "If we're talking about $8,000, that wouldn't make any difference in their status."
The defendant's primary residence, and the assets of family members, are both excluded from the assessment of personal finances, to avoid imposing hardship on families and to protect the presumption of innocence, he added.
"Someone should not be forced to sell their home to pay for a trial in which they may be acquitted," Rodgers said.
Following last year's arrests of regime suspects, the tribunal attempted to verify press reports, public statements and rumors that the Khmer Rouge detainees were very wealthy, he added.
None of those asked to back up their claims that the suspects were rich came forward to do so, Rodgers said, adding that the court's assessment of the detainees' wealth had also involved enquiries with local cadastral authorities and research conducted by tribunal judicial officers.
"We didn't receive anything that allowed us to conclude that they had enough money to pay for their defense," Rodgers said.
Ly Kimseng, the wife of war crimes suspect Nuon Chea, said Wednesday that the family of fellow Khmer Rouge tribunal detainee Ieng Sary told her to leave the Pailin town home that she had shared with her husband for 10 years.
The house may now be for sale, Ly Kimseng said. Family members of Ieng Sary, the one-time Khmer Rouge foreign minister, were unavailable for comment while Ang Udom, a lawyer for Ieng Sary, said he was unaware of the matter and declined to comment further.
"Ieng Sary's daughter Ieng Meat told me to move out," Ly Kimseng said by telephone from Pailin, adding that she was now staying with her son at her daughter's house nearby her former home.
"I left my wooden house in Phsar Prum village a month ago...this wooden house was left to me and my husband by His Excellency Ieng Sary for ten years," she said.
"I understand the wooden house that Ieng Sary's daughter wanted to take back is for sale. But Ieng Sary's daughter won't sell to my family because my family wanted to buy from her, too," she added.
An adjacent house, which once belonged to former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan, and which is in the same compound as Nuon Chea's former home, was sold several months before Khieu Samphan's arrest in November 2007 for about $8,000, Ly Kimseng said.
Lim Kea, who was recently hired to tend to the former Khieu Samphan house, said on Wednesday that the house and surrounding half-hectare lot had been purchased most recently by a local resident of Pailin, Te Muy Kim.
According to Lim Kea, the tattered wooden houses, situated on a common lot beside the Thai border in Sala Krao district's Stung Kach commune, had been built on the land about 20 years ago by Ieng Sary. Both Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea moved into the Pailin compound following their surrender to the government in December 1998.
Ieng Sary had defected to the government two years earlier, spending his time between Pailin and a lavish villa in Phnom Penh, which he shared with his wife, fellow Khmer Rouge tribunal detainee Ieng Thirith, and Pol Pot's first wife Khieu Ponnary who died in 2003.
Te Muy Kim said Tuesday that she had purchased the Khieu Samphan house for $28 per square meter and hoped to sell it for $40 per square meter. She said that she had had few calls from prospective buyers since the start of the recent Preah Vihear border standoff.
"I wish to sell my land to pay debts, but we will see," she said.
Following their arrests last year, the Khmer Rouge tribunal declared that all five of the court's current detainees were too poor to pay for their legal representation, which is considerably expensive. The tribunal's current budget estimates that the defense of each Khmer Rouge detainee will have cost about $890,000by the end of next year.
Richard Rodgers, acting head of the Defense Support Section, said Wednesday that if the Khmer Rouge detainees' assets were to grow, their status as indigent defendants could be revised.
"If there were a significant change of financial circumstances, then it could be reviewed," he said. "If we're talking about $8,000, that wouldn't make any difference in their status."
The defendant's primary residence, and the assets of family members, are both excluded from the assessment of personal finances, to avoid imposing hardship on families and to protect the presumption of innocence, he added.
"Someone should not be forced to sell their home to pay for a trial in which they may be acquitted," Rodgers said.
Following last year's arrests of regime suspects, the tribunal attempted to verify press reports, public statements and rumors that the Khmer Rouge detainees were very wealthy, he added.
None of those asked to back up their claims that the suspects were rich came forward to do so, Rodgers said, adding that the court's assessment of the detainees' wealth had also involved enquiries with local cadastral authorities and research conducted by tribunal judicial officers.
"We didn't receive anything that allowed us to conclude that they had enough money to pay for their defense," Rodgers said.
Friday, February 27, 2009
German delegation exposes results of secret UN probe; staff concur
German delegation exposes results of secret UN probe; staff concur
Monks file into the Extraordinary Chambers on the opening day of Duch's trial on February 17.
IT became a monthly ritual: Employees on the Cambodian side of the Khmer Rouge tribunal would get paid, and then they would - somewhat grudgingly - hand over some of their salaries to their supervisors.
"You get paid in full, but when you [collect] it, you put it in an envelope and give it to the collector," a former employee at the UN-backed court told the Post in an interview late last year, describing how many of those working at the court were forced to hand over a percentage of their paychecks to higher-placed officials.
"In front of people, you're told to say, ‘No one is taking away my money,' [and] the money transferred into your account is the full amount, but then you have to ... give over the percentage," the employee said.
These kickback allegations are at the heart of a corruption scandal that has plagued the tribunal since they first came to light in 2006.
Despite denials from Cambodian court officials, the accusations were of enough concern to spark a review by the UN - the results of which have never been made public.
But a report from a German parliamentary delegation, written in November after its members met with the tribunal's deputy director of administration, Knut Rosandhaug, has shed some light on the graft allegations, detailing a bleak assessment of the court's corruption problems.
"A serious problem is the grave corruption which impedes on the work of the hybrid court," the report cites Rosandhaug as saying.
"Cambodian employees are required to pay kickbacks in order to be able to work," the report says, with the authors - members of the Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid Committee of the German parliament - using the German term schutzgelder, which literally means protection money.
Rosandhaug told the Post Thursday that he had no comment, as the “document referred to is issued by an entity outside the UN and the ECCC.”
“It is now for the Germans to comment,” he added.
The report had been available on the Bundestag website but was unavailable Thursday afternoon with no explanation. Rainer Buescher, the delegation’s press officer, did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
The report’s findings, however, support accounts given by tribunal staffers and the concerns of lawyers for Brother No 2, Nuon Chea, who have sought to launch a criminal investigation into the alleged graft.
“It certainly confirms some of our worst suspicions,” Andrew Ianuzzi, a legal consultant for Nuon Chea’s defence team, said Thursday.
One court staffer explained in a series of interviews conducted with the Post how the kickback operation worked.
“For the first four months [of my contract], I paid 70 percent [of my salary in kickbacks], then it went down to 10 percent,” said the employee, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution.
“Let’s say you are the supervisor. You have 30 people under you, so the people under you know to give their envelope [containing the kickback] to you, and you hand it to Sean Visoth,” the employee said, referring to Cambodia’s top court administrator who is implicated in the Bundestag report. “In all the sections, it’s the same thing.”
The scheme was deeply unpopular – “Would you like it if you got paid, then your money got taken away?” the employee asked – but was maintained by a climate of fear.
“I’m afraid, if they know I talk to you, they’re not going to take a gun and shoot me in my face, but they will find some way [to fire me] … or they [will hurt] my kids,” the employee said.
“I can tell you until the day you close the door, the corruption will still go on,” the employee added.
“Anyone who speaks, they will be terminated.... They will set up their committee and find a way to get rid of that person who has talked, and that is why up to now” no information has come out.
Included in the Bundestag report are details of last July’s UN probe.
“It is deeply troubling – everyone had been placing blame for corruption on the Cambodian government, but now it seems like someone or some officials with the UN are involved in a potential coverup,” Ianuzzi said.
“It is very damaging for the credibility of the tribunal. Why are international officers protecting corrupt Cambodian officials?” he added.
The report cites Rosandhaug as saying that “the United Nations should withdraw from the tribunal, in case the national government continues to object following up on the corruption allegations”.
“Until today, the government categorically denies the existence of that problem. The United Nations would suffer from a loss of credibility if they’d support a tribunal which is characterised by corruption,” he said, according to the report.
In January, the Nuon Chea defence team filed a complaint to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, claiming unresolved graft allegations threatened the legitimacy of the tribunal and violated their client’s right to a fair trial. The lawyers accused Sean Visoth and the court’s former chief of personnel, Keo Thyvuth, of violating criminal law by “perpetrating, facilitating, aiding and/or abetting an organised regime of institutional corruption at the ECCC during the pending judicial investigation”. They also demanded the results of the UN investigation be released.
The complaint prompted a criminal investigation, but this was abruptly dropped in February.
Sean Visoth has been on sick leave since November, and the head of the court’s public affairs department, Helen Jarvis, said she knew of no date for his planned return to work.
“As far as I know, the UN does not have authority to conduct investigations into Cambodian staffers,” she said Thursday, adding that she knew nothing about the report and could not comment on it.
Sean Visoth could not be reached Thursday, but a woman answering his phone said he was too busy to speak to a reporter.
“It is unclear from the [German] report what exactly the UN found Visoth to be guilty of – did he pay money from his position? Or did he demand money from others? From our perspective ... the latter is more complicated, as it suggests more ECCC officials may be involved,” Ianuzzi said.
“We have some information that the UN has a sectional list” of officials involved in corruption, he added.
The team says this is troubling, as the office of administration is responsible for nine sections of the court, including court management and victim support.
“If everyone in the office of administration is paying kickbacks, everyone is compromised,” Ianuzzi said.
He said the defence team now planned to write a follow-up letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and forward a copy of the delegation’s report to the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal’s prosecutor general in a bid to reopenthe criminal investigation.
In addition, the delegation’s report quotes Rosandhaug as saying the Cambodian government “tries to interfere in the work of the tribunal”.
“The government of Cambodia has already signalled that it will not allow for additional criminal investigations to be opened,” the report says.
The court’s international co-prosecutor, Robert Petit, has sought to try an additional six suspects, but his Cambodian counterpart, Chea Leang, has voiced opposition.
The key question now, however, is what the response – other than further hushing up of the issue – will come from the UN, Ianuzzi said.
“There is a lot of momentum. Things are moving forward. The Duch hearing last week was a success, [and] many people are emotionally and professionally invested in the tribunal, and they want to see it succeed,” he said.
“But everyone needs to take a long hard look at what are the allegations, [and] I hope Knut makes a comment. What this institution really needs is leadership, and no one is leading the ECCC at the moment.
Monks file into the Extraordinary Chambers on the opening day of Duch's trial on February 17.
IT became a monthly ritual: Employees on the Cambodian side of the Khmer Rouge tribunal would get paid, and then they would - somewhat grudgingly - hand over some of their salaries to their supervisors.
"You get paid in full, but when you [collect] it, you put it in an envelope and give it to the collector," a former employee at the UN-backed court told the Post in an interview late last year, describing how many of those working at the court were forced to hand over a percentage of their paychecks to higher-placed officials.
"In front of people, you're told to say, ‘No one is taking away my money,' [and] the money transferred into your account is the full amount, but then you have to ... give over the percentage," the employee said.
These kickback allegations are at the heart of a corruption scandal that has plagued the tribunal since they first came to light in 2006.
Despite denials from Cambodian court officials, the accusations were of enough concern to spark a review by the UN - the results of which have never been made public.
But a report from a German parliamentary delegation, written in November after its members met with the tribunal's deputy director of administration, Knut Rosandhaug, has shed some light on the graft allegations, detailing a bleak assessment of the court's corruption problems.
"A serious problem is the grave corruption which impedes on the work of the hybrid court," the report cites Rosandhaug as saying.
"Cambodian employees are required to pay kickbacks in order to be able to work," the report says, with the authors - members of the Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid Committee of the German parliament - using the German term schutzgelder, which literally means protection money.
Rosandhaug told the Post Thursday that he had no comment, as the “document referred to is issued by an entity outside the UN and the ECCC.”
“It is now for the Germans to comment,” he added.
The report had been available on the Bundestag website but was unavailable Thursday afternoon with no explanation. Rainer Buescher, the delegation’s press officer, did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
The report’s findings, however, support accounts given by tribunal staffers and the concerns of lawyers for Brother No 2, Nuon Chea, who have sought to launch a criminal investigation into the alleged graft.
“It certainly confirms some of our worst suspicions,” Andrew Ianuzzi, a legal consultant for Nuon Chea’s defence team, said Thursday.
One court staffer explained in a series of interviews conducted with the Post how the kickback operation worked.
“For the first four months [of my contract], I paid 70 percent [of my salary in kickbacks], then it went down to 10 percent,” said the employee, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution.
“Let’s say you are the supervisor. You have 30 people under you, so the people under you know to give their envelope [containing the kickback] to you, and you hand it to Sean Visoth,” the employee said, referring to Cambodia’s top court administrator who is implicated in the Bundestag report. “In all the sections, it’s the same thing.”
The scheme was deeply unpopular – “Would you like it if you got paid, then your money got taken away?” the employee asked – but was maintained by a climate of fear.
“I’m afraid, if they know I talk to you, they’re not going to take a gun and shoot me in my face, but they will find some way [to fire me] … or they [will hurt] my kids,” the employee said.
“I can tell you until the day you close the door, the corruption will still go on,” the employee added.
“Anyone who speaks, they will be terminated.... They will set up their committee and find a way to get rid of that person who has talked, and that is why up to now” no information has come out.
Included in the Bundestag report are details of last July’s UN probe.
“It is deeply troubling – everyone had been placing blame for corruption on the Cambodian government, but now it seems like someone or some officials with the UN are involved in a potential coverup,” Ianuzzi said.
“It is very damaging for the credibility of the tribunal. Why are international officers protecting corrupt Cambodian officials?” he added.
The report cites Rosandhaug as saying that “the United Nations should withdraw from the tribunal, in case the national government continues to object following up on the corruption allegations”.
“Until today, the government categorically denies the existence of that problem. The United Nations would suffer from a loss of credibility if they’d support a tribunal which is characterised by corruption,” he said, according to the report.
In January, the Nuon Chea defence team filed a complaint to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, claiming unresolved graft allegations threatened the legitimacy of the tribunal and violated their client’s right to a fair trial. The lawyers accused Sean Visoth and the court’s former chief of personnel, Keo Thyvuth, of violating criminal law by “perpetrating, facilitating, aiding and/or abetting an organised regime of institutional corruption at the ECCC during the pending judicial investigation”. They also demanded the results of the UN investigation be released.
The complaint prompted a criminal investigation, but this was abruptly dropped in February.
Sean Visoth has been on sick leave since November, and the head of the court’s public affairs department, Helen Jarvis, said she knew of no date for his planned return to work.
“As far as I know, the UN does not have authority to conduct investigations into Cambodian staffers,” she said Thursday, adding that she knew nothing about the report and could not comment on it.
Sean Visoth could not be reached Thursday, but a woman answering his phone said he was too busy to speak to a reporter.
“It is unclear from the [German] report what exactly the UN found Visoth to be guilty of – did he pay money from his position? Or did he demand money from others? From our perspective ... the latter is more complicated, as it suggests more ECCC officials may be involved,” Ianuzzi said.
“We have some information that the UN has a sectional list” of officials involved in corruption, he added.
The team says this is troubling, as the office of administration is responsible for nine sections of the court, including court management and victim support.
“If everyone in the office of administration is paying kickbacks, everyone is compromised,” Ianuzzi said.
He said the defence team now planned to write a follow-up letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and forward a copy of the delegation’s report to the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal’s prosecutor general in a bid to reopenthe criminal investigation.
In addition, the delegation’s report quotes Rosandhaug as saying the Cambodian government “tries to interfere in the work of the tribunal”.
“The government of Cambodia has already signalled that it will not allow for additional criminal investigations to be opened,” the report says.
The court’s international co-prosecutor, Robert Petit, has sought to try an additional six suspects, but his Cambodian counterpart, Chea Leang, has voiced opposition.
The key question now, however, is what the response – other than further hushing up of the issue – will come from the UN, Ianuzzi said.
“There is a lot of momentum. Things are moving forward. The Duch hearing last week was a success, [and] many people are emotionally and professionally invested in the tribunal, and they want to see it succeed,” he said.
“But everyone needs to take a long hard look at what are the allegations, [and] I hope Knut makes a comment. What this institution really needs is leadership, and no one is leading the ECCC at the moment.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
ចំណុចដែលគេត្រូវដឹងក្នុងរឿងបញ្ញា
ដើម្បីអោយឃើញជាបញ្ញា កាលបើរួមចូលជាមួយនឹងធម៌ដទៃៗហើយ ដែលលោកបានអោយពិន្ទុច្រើន
ជាងធម៌ទាំងឡាយដទៃ ព្រោះលោកមានគំហើញយ៉ាងណានោះ ក្រៅពីមើលឡើងវិញអោយឃើញថា ស
ទ្ធាដែលមានបញ្ញាជាបង្កូលរឺជាចំរានរឺជាទំនប់ដូចបានពោលមកហើយខ្ញុំសូមស្នើធម្មៈផ្នែកដទៃទៀតមាន
ដូចនេះ១ - លំដាប់នៃការប្រតិបត្ដិធម៌៣ថ្នាក់ (អនុបព្វបដិបទា)
១ -សីល
២ -សមាធិ
៣ - បញ្ញា រក្សាកាយវាចាអោយមានរបៀបរៀបរយ
ធ្វើចិត្ដអោយមានលំនឹងមាំមួន
ធ្វើខ្លួនអោយមានសេចក្ដីចេះដឹងច្រើន
២ - ការអប់រំចិត្ដ ២ថ្នាក់ (ភាវនា)
១ -សមថភាវនា អប់រំសមាធិ
២ -សមថវិបស្សនា អប់រំបញ្ញា
៣ - រួបរួមល័ក្ខឋានដែលលើកតំកើងបញ្ញា
១ -មនុស្សដែលរស់ក្នុងលោកនេះ អ្នកមានទង្វើប្រកបដោយបញ្ញារមែងរកឃើញនូវសេចក្ដីសុខ
ដែលមាននៅក្នុងសេចក្ដីទុក្ខ
បញ្ញាជាបន្លឺរស្មីក្នុងពិភពលោក
២ -បញ្ញាជាដួងកែវនៃជីវិតរបស់នរជន
៣ -សាវករបស់ព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធ រមែងមានជីវិតរុងរឿងដោយបញ្ញា
៤ -បណ្ឌិតទាំងឡាយមានពំនោលថា បញ្ញាប្រសើរបំផុតដូចដួងច័ន្ទប្រសើរជាងផ្កាយទាំងឡាយ គុ
ណធម៌ទាំងឡាយមានសីលជាដើម របស់ជនអ្នកប្រព្រឹត្ដធម៌ល្អរមែងជារបស់ប្រព្រឹត្ដទៅតាម
៥ -អ្នកមានបញ្ញា (គឺបញ្ញាមានហើយធាតុល្អដទៃៗដណ្ដើមជើងគ្នាដើរតាមបញ្ញា)
៦ -អ្នកប្រាជ្ញទាំងឡាយស្ដីថា ជីវិតរបស់បុគ្គលរស់នៅដោយបញ្ញាជាជីវិតប្រសើរបំផុត
៧ -បញ្ញាគ្រប់គ្រងរក្សាមនុស្ស មានភាពស័ក្ដិសិទ្ធជាងអ្វីៗទាំងអស់
៨ -បញ្ញាដែលបុគ្គលមានហើយ ជាហេតុអោយគេទំលាយកិលេសចោលបាន
៩ -បញ្ញាកើតបានដោយអាស្រ័យសេចក្ដីព្យាយាម
១០ -កាលណាបុគ្គលឃើញដោយបញ្ញាថា សង្ខារទាំងពួងមិនទៀងជាទុក្ខ ធម៌ទាំងពួងមិនមែនខ្លួនប្រា
ណ កាលនោះគេរមែងមានចិត្ដធុញក្នុងទុក្ខ។ នេះអែងគឺជាផ្លូវនៃសេចក្ដីបរិសុទ្ធ
១១ -បុគ្គលល្ងង់មានជីវិតរស់នៅ១០០ឆ្នាំ ពុំប្រសើរ ស្មើនឹងបុគ្គលដែលមានជីវិតរសនៅតែមួយថ្ងៃ
តែមានបញ្ញា។
អាគតស្ថាន និងគុណភាពនៃបញ្ញា ដែលលើកយកមកបរិយាយដោយសង្ខេបនេះបញ្ជាក់អោយឃើញថា
ព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាប្រកាន់យកបញ្ញាជាធំ ជាគុណធម៌សំខាន់ ព្រោះបញ្ញាជាចង្កៀងរឺពន្លឺនៃជីវិត រឺជាធាតុនាំផ្លូវ
នៃវិញ្ញាណអោយចេញចាកទីងងឹត ទៅកាន់ទីភ្លឺស្វាង។ ព្រមគ្នានេះបញ្ញាជួយគ្រងរក្សាមនុស្សអោយរស់ក្នុង
សេចក្ដីសុខ ជួយកំចាត់ទុក្ខចាស់ និងជួយការពារទុក្ខថ្មី។ ជាពិសេសជួយរកសេចក្ដីសុខ ដែលកប់នៅក្នុងសេ
ចក្ដីទុក្ខជូនបញ្ញាជនបានគ្រប់ពេលវេលា។ប្រសិនបើមនុស្សយើងមិនស្គាល់សេចក្ដីពិតដោយបញ្ញាដោយពន្លឺនៃគំនិតគេ
អាចសំគាល់ទុក្ខថាជាសុខ តែ
បើកាលណាគេមានបញ្ញា គេលែងច្រលំលែងចូលចិត្ដខុសគឺ លែងច្រលំទុក្ខថាជាសុខ ដូចធ្លាប់មានក្នុងកា
លមុនហើយ។
បញ្ញា២
១ -បញ្ញា
២ -បញ្ញា៣
១ -បញ្ញា៣
២ -លោកិយបញ្ញា បញ្ញាថ្នាក់លោកិយ
១ -លោកុត្ដរបញ្ញាបញ្ញាថ្នាក់លោកុត្ដរ។
២ទៀត
២ -សេក្ខបញ្ញា បញ្ញារបស់បុគ្គលដែលនៅមានការសិក្សាទៀត
៣ -អសេក្ខបញ្ញា បញ្ញារបស់បុគ្គលដែលអស់មានការសិក្សាទៀត។
១ -ចិន្ដាមយបញ្ញា បញ្ញាកើតពីគំនិត
២ -សុត្ដាមយបញ្ញា បញ្ញាកើតអំពីសំដាប់ (ការស្ដាប់)
ភាវនាមយបញ្ញា បញ្ញាកើតអំពីការអប់រំ។
ទៀត
៣ - អាយកោសល ចំណតក្នុងភាពចំរើន
អបាយកោសល ចំណតក្នុងភាពសូន្យ
អុបាយកោសល ចំណតក្នុងកិច្ចកល
ជាងធម៌ទាំងឡាយដទៃ ព្រោះលោកមានគំហើញយ៉ាងណានោះ ក្រៅពីមើលឡើងវិញអោយឃើញថា ស
ទ្ធាដែលមានបញ្ញាជាបង្កូលរឺជាចំរានរឺជាទំនប់ដូចបានពោលមកហើយខ្ញុំសូមស្នើធម្មៈផ្នែកដទៃទៀតមាន
ដូចនេះ១ - លំដាប់នៃការប្រតិបត្ដិធម៌៣ថ្នាក់ (អនុបព្វបដិបទា)
១ -សីល
២ -សមាធិ
៣ - បញ្ញា រក្សាកាយវាចាអោយមានរបៀបរៀបរយ
ធ្វើចិត្ដអោយមានលំនឹងមាំមួន
ធ្វើខ្លួនអោយមានសេចក្ដីចេះដឹងច្រើន
២ - ការអប់រំចិត្ដ ២ថ្នាក់ (ភាវនា)
១ -សមថភាវនា អប់រំសមាធិ
២ -សមថវិបស្សនា អប់រំបញ្ញា
៣ - រួបរួមល័ក្ខឋានដែលលើកតំកើងបញ្ញា
១ -មនុស្សដែលរស់ក្នុងលោកនេះ អ្នកមានទង្វើប្រកបដោយបញ្ញារមែងរកឃើញនូវសេចក្ដីសុខ
ដែលមាននៅក្នុងសេចក្ដីទុក្ខ
បញ្ញាជាបន្លឺរស្មីក្នុងពិភពលោក
២ -បញ្ញាជាដួងកែវនៃជីវិតរបស់នរជន
៣ -សាវករបស់ព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធ រមែងមានជីវិតរុងរឿងដោយបញ្ញា
៤ -បណ្ឌិតទាំងឡាយមានពំនោលថា បញ្ញាប្រសើរបំផុតដូចដួងច័ន្ទប្រសើរជាងផ្កាយទាំងឡាយ គុ
ណធម៌ទាំងឡាយមានសីលជាដើម របស់ជនអ្នកប្រព្រឹត្ដធម៌ល្អរមែងជារបស់ប្រព្រឹត្ដទៅតាម
៥ -អ្នកមានបញ្ញា (គឺបញ្ញាមានហើយធាតុល្អដទៃៗដណ្ដើមជើងគ្នាដើរតាមបញ្ញា)
៦ -អ្នកប្រាជ្ញទាំងឡាយស្ដីថា ជីវិតរបស់បុគ្គលរស់នៅដោយបញ្ញាជាជីវិតប្រសើរបំផុត
៧ -បញ្ញាគ្រប់គ្រងរក្សាមនុស្ស មានភាពស័ក្ដិសិទ្ធជាងអ្វីៗទាំងអស់
៨ -បញ្ញាដែលបុគ្គលមានហើយ ជាហេតុអោយគេទំលាយកិលេសចោលបាន
៩ -បញ្ញាកើតបានដោយអាស្រ័យសេចក្ដីព្យាយាម
១០ -កាលណាបុគ្គលឃើញដោយបញ្ញាថា សង្ខារទាំងពួងមិនទៀងជាទុក្ខ ធម៌ទាំងពួងមិនមែនខ្លួនប្រា
ណ កាលនោះគេរមែងមានចិត្ដធុញក្នុងទុក្ខ។ នេះអែងគឺជាផ្លូវនៃសេចក្ដីបរិសុទ្ធ
១១ -បុគ្គលល្ងង់មានជីវិតរស់នៅ១០០ឆ្នាំ ពុំប្រសើរ ស្មើនឹងបុគ្គលដែលមានជីវិតរសនៅតែមួយថ្ងៃ
តែមានបញ្ញា។
អាគតស្ថាន និងគុណភាពនៃបញ្ញា ដែលលើកយកមកបរិយាយដោយសង្ខេបនេះបញ្ជាក់អោយឃើញថា
ព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាប្រកាន់យកបញ្ញាជាធំ ជាគុណធម៌សំខាន់ ព្រោះបញ្ញាជាចង្កៀងរឺពន្លឺនៃជីវិត រឺជាធាតុនាំផ្លូវ
នៃវិញ្ញាណអោយចេញចាកទីងងឹត ទៅកាន់ទីភ្លឺស្វាង។ ព្រមគ្នានេះបញ្ញាជួយគ្រងរក្សាមនុស្សអោយរស់ក្នុង
សេចក្ដីសុខ ជួយកំចាត់ទុក្ខចាស់ និងជួយការពារទុក្ខថ្មី។ ជាពិសេសជួយរកសេចក្ដីសុខ ដែលកប់នៅក្នុងសេ
ចក្ដីទុក្ខជូនបញ្ញាជនបានគ្រប់ពេលវេលា។ប្រសិនបើមនុស្សយើងមិនស្គាល់សេចក្ដីពិតដោយបញ្ញាដោយពន្លឺនៃគំនិតគេ
អាចសំគាល់ទុក្ខថាជាសុខ តែ
បើកាលណាគេមានបញ្ញា គេលែងច្រលំលែងចូលចិត្ដខុសគឺ លែងច្រលំទុក្ខថាជាសុខ ដូចធ្លាប់មានក្នុងកា
លមុនហើយ។
បញ្ញា២
១ -បញ្ញា
២ -បញ្ញា៣
១ -បញ្ញា៣
២ -លោកិយបញ្ញា បញ្ញាថ្នាក់លោកិយ
១ -លោកុត្ដរបញ្ញាបញ្ញាថ្នាក់លោកុត្ដរ។
២ទៀត
២ -សេក្ខបញ្ញា បញ្ញារបស់បុគ្គលដែលនៅមានការសិក្សាទៀត
៣ -អសេក្ខបញ្ញា បញ្ញារបស់បុគ្គលដែលអស់មានការសិក្សាទៀត។
១ -ចិន្ដាមយបញ្ញា បញ្ញាកើតពីគំនិត
២ -សុត្ដាមយបញ្ញា បញ្ញាកើតអំពីសំដាប់ (ការស្ដាប់)
ភាវនាមយបញ្ញា បញ្ញាកើតអំពីការអប់រំ។
ទៀត
៣ - អាយកោសល ចំណតក្នុងភាពចំរើន
អបាយកោសល ចំណតក្នុងភាពសូន្យ
អុបាយកោសល ចំណតក្នុងកិច្ចកល
សតិជាគូនឹងបញ្ញា
សតិជាគូនឹងបញ្ញា
ដូចបាននិយាយមកហើយក្នុងសប្បុរិយធម៌ (ធម៌មនុស្សល្អ) កំរងធម៌នេះមានសតិ និងបញ្ញានៅជាមួយគ្នារឺ
ជាគូគ្នា។ ខ្មែរយើងខ្លះចូលចិត្ដថា ការមានតែសតិក៏មានតែការចាំ តែគ្មានចេះការមានតែបញ្ញាក៏គឺមានតែ
ចេះ តែគ្មានចាំ។ អ្នកខ្លះមានមតិថា សតិសម្បជញ្ញៈមិនមែនជាធម៌អ្វីដទៃទេគឺសតិ និងបញ្ញាបូកគ្នាហ្នឹង
អែង។
បញ្ញា៤
១ -ស្គាល់ទុក្ខ
២ -ស្គាល់ហេតុនៃទុក្ខ
៣ -ស្គាល់ភាពរលត់ទុក្ខ
៤ -ស្គាល់ផ្លូវប្រតិបត្ដិអោយដល់ភាពរលត់ទុក្ខ។
អ្នកសិក្សាគប្បីធ្វើសេចក្ដីសង្កេតថា ពុទ្ធសាសនាពុំបានប្រកាន់យកបញ្ញាដែលមានមក អំពីកំណើតដែល
យើងធ្លាប់ហៅថាសេចក្ដីវៃឆ្លាតទុកជាបញ្ញាជាន់ខ្ពស់ តែប្រកាន់យក បញ្ញាដែលគេបានធ្វើអោយកើតដោ
យអាស្រ័យការគិតការសិក្សានិងការប្រតិបត្ដិធម៌ រឺការអនុវត្ដន៍ទុកជាបញ្ញាជាន់ខ្ពស់បំផុត ដែលអាចជួយចំ
លងមនុស្សអោយផុតទុក្ខបាន។ ដូចនេះព្រោះអ្វី ព្រោះសេចក្តីវៃឆ្លាតជារបស់ដែលមនុស្សយើងមាននោះ
មានភាពមិនដូចគ្នាទេ។ ចំណែកបញ្ញាប្រភេទដែលគេអប់រំដោយកើតបាននោះ មានភាពមិនដូចគ្នាទេ។
ចំណែកបញ្ញាដែលប្រភេទដែលគេអប់រំដោយកើតបាននោះ ជាធាតុដែលមនុស្សរាល់រូបមានសិទ្ធិសិក្សា
រៀនសូត្រស្រាវជ្រាវ និងប្រតិបត្ដិ រឺអនុវត្តន៍អោយកើត មានស្រេចហើយតែសេចក្ដីត្រូវការរបស់ខ្លួន។
បញ្ញារឺសេចក្ដីវៃឆ្លាតពីកំណើត ដែលអាចប្រើការបានជាស្ថាពរ រឺគ្មានភាពឋិតនៅអស់ចិរកាលនោះក៏មាន
ទំនាក់ទំនងមិនខុសគ្នា នឹងភ្លើងធម្មជាតិទាំងឡាយ មានភ្លើងព្រៃជាដើម ដែលគេមិនអាចនឹងប្រើភ្លើងនេះ
អោយបានប្រយោជន៍គ្រប់ពេលវេលា ដែលត្រូវការ។ ដោយអាស្រ័យភាពមិនឋិតឋេរនៃភ្លើងទាំងឡាយ
នេះហើយ ទើបបានមនុស្សយើងបង្កើតឈើគូស ដែកភ្លើងរហូតដល់អគ្គិសនីនិងគ្រឿងអុបករណ៍អគ្គិសនី
ដើម្បីយកភ្លើងប្រើអោយបានគ្រប់អោកាសដែលត្រូវការ។ សូម្បីបញ្ញាញាណនៃព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធព្រះអង្គ
អែង ក៏ពុំមែនបានមកដោយទង្វើផ្សងព្រេងឡើយ គឺកើតឡើងដោយអាស្រ័យសេចក្ដីព្យាយាម ជាមួយនឹង
ការតស៊ូយ៉ាងប្ដូរផ្ដាច់ទើបបានសំរេចក្នុងទីបំផុត។ ពុទ្ធសាសនាមិនបានបង្រៀនមនុស្ស អោយដេកចាំទទួល
សេចក្ដីសុខដែលផ្ដល់អោយដោយធម្មជាតិ រឺដោយអាទិទេព រឺ រង់ចាំ ជោគវាសនា ដែលរិក្សយាម ថ្ងៃ ខែ
ឆ្នាំ ល្អផ្ដល់អោយឡើយ។ ពុទ្ធសាសនាបង្រៀនមនុស្សអោយធ្វើការគ្រប់យ៉ាងនៅក្នុងក្របខ័ណ្ឌនៃគំនិត
បញ្ញា រឺក្របខ័ណ្ឌនៃហេតុផលដើម្បីទទួលយកផលដែលមានគុណភាពខ្ពស់សមតាមសេចក្ដីត្រូវការរបស់
ខ្លួន។ ពុទ្ធសាសនាគ្មានបង្រៀនមនុស្សអោយផ្ញើជោគវាសនារបស់ខ្លួនលើគ្នាអែង រឺលើពួកទេពណាមួយ
ឡើយ។ មតិនេះមានសំអាងលើគម្ពីរ អត្ថកថាទុក្កនិបាតអង្គុត្ដរនិកាយ ក្នុងចំណុចថា ការខ្វះសម្បជញ្ញៈ ក៏គឺគ្មានញាណរឺបញ្ញា។
ការប្រើបញ្ញាដំណោះទុក្ខ
ពុទ្ធសាសនាមានជំនឿថា ដំណោះស្រាយទុក្ខជាបញ្ហាសំខាន់ហើយជាទិសដៅយ៉ាងខ្ពស់បំផុតរបស់បុគ្គលអ្នក
ឃើញទោសនៃសេចក្ដីទុក្ខ។ ចំពោះបញ្ហានេះអ្នកផងសឹងបានឃើញហើយថា ទ្រឹស្ដីអរិយសច្ចៈ៤ប្រការ
គឺទ្រឹស្ដីដំណោះស្រាយទុក្ខយ៉ាងចំៗ តែជាទ្រឹស្ដីមានភាពចំលែកជាងធម្មតា គឺទ្រឹស្ដីធម្មតាវាជារឿងនៃគំនិត
ប្រកាន់យក រឺ ទង្វើសាកល្បងរៀបចំអោយមានជាគោលការមុន ទើបធ្វើការពិសោធន៍ជាខាងក្រោយ។
តែទ្រឹស្ដីអរិយសច្ចៈរបស់ព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធ មិនមែនជាគំនិតយល់សប្ដិ រឺ គំនិតត្រិះរិះគ្នាន់គ្នេ ហើយប្រកាន់
យក រឺអនុវត្ដទេ គឺព្រះអង្គបានប្រើជីវិតរបស់ព្រះអង្គអែង ជាដើមធាតុក្នុងការសាកល្បងស្រាវជ្រាវ លុះ
ត្រាបានសំរេចផលបានរួចចាកទុក្ខទាំងពួងពិតប្រាកដហើយ ទើបបានប្រកាសទ្រឹស្ដីនេះចេញមកព្រមគ្នានេះ
បានធ្វើសេចក្ដីថ្លែងការបញ្ជាក់ថា ដរាបណាព្រះអង្គមិនបានរកឃើញសេចក្ដីពិត រឺ ប្រតិបត្ដិធម៌មិនបានសំ
រេចផលដោយខ្លួនអែង ព្រះអង្គនឹងមិនធ្វើសេចក្ដីប្ដេជ្ញាជាដាច់ខាតថា ព្រះអង្គជាព្រះពុទ្ធ បានត្រាស់ដឹងនូវ
អនុត្ដរសម្មាសម្ពោធិញ្ញាណឡើយ។
ព្រោះហេតុនេះ ការពិចារណាដល់កំណែ រឺដំណោះសេចក្ដីទុក្ខតាមលំអាននៃព្រះពុទ្ធ សាសនាយើងត្រូវពិ
ចារណាដោយត្រង់ៗចំៗ ទៅលើអរិយៈសច្ចៈមួយចំណែក ជាមួយគ្នានេះគេត្រូវប្រើគោលគំនិតនៅក្រោ
មខ្សែបន្ទាត់នៃអរិយសច្ចៈ ដើម្បីចំអិនបញ្ញារឿយៗប្រកបដោយព្យាយាមយ៉ាងខ្លាំងក្លាមោះមុត។
ក កំណែទុក្ខតាមគំនោលអរិយសច្ចៈ រឺ សច្ច
១ - មុនដំបូងអោយស្គាល់ថាអ្វើជាភាពទុក្ខ ពេលខ្លះគេចូលចិត្ដត្រលប់ត្រលិនឃើញសុខជាទុក្ខរឺ
ឃើញទុក្ខជាសុខ។ ដូចនេះទើបគេត្រូវប្រកាន់យកគោលការថា ទុក្ខមាន ៣បែបគឺទុក្ខប្រចាំបានដល់សេច
ក្ដីកើត សេចក្ដីចាស់ សេចក្ដីឈឺ សេចក្ដីស្លាប់។ ទុក្ខបានដល់សេចក្ដីសោក សេចក្ដីខ្សឹកខ្សួល សេចក្ដីមិន
សប្បាយកាយ សេចក្ដីមិនសប្បាយចិត្ដ សេចក្ដីចង្អៀតចង្អល់ជាដើម៘
២ - អោយស្គាល់ថាអ្វីជាដើមហេតុរបស់ទុក្ខ មានមនុស្សច្រើនណាស់ដែលមានប្រាថ្នាចង់រំដោះទុក្ខ
រឺធ្វើកំណែទុក្ខ ត្រលប់ជារវើរវាយទៅធ្វើផលនៃទុក្ខទៅវិញ ដូចនេះទើបកំណែរបស់គេវាទៅជាគ្មានបាន
ផលបានប្រយោជន៍អ្វី គឺវានៅជាទុក្ខ ជាព្រួយដដែល៘
៣ - អោយស្គាល់ភាពរលត់ទុក្ខថា បានដល់អ្វី រឺមានអ្វីជាធាតុសំរាប់រំលត់ទុក្ខ។ពុទ្ធសាសនាបានបង្ហាញ
ផ្លូវថា ការរំលត់ទុក្ខ មិនមែនរំលត់ផលទេ គឺរំលត់ហេតុ។ បើរំលត់តែផលហេតុនៅដដែល ទុក្ខនឹងកើត
ឡើងទៀត ដូចនេះការរំលត់ទុក្ខក្នុងទីនេះ គឺ ត្រូវរំលត់ហេតុ បានដល់តណ្ហាទាំង៣ អោយបានដាច់ខាត។
៤ - អោយស្គាល់ថា ភាពរលត់ទុក្ខមិនអាចនឹងកើតបានស្រួលៗធូរៗទេត្រូវមានការប្រតិបត្ដិធម៌
អោយដល់នូៗភាពរលត់ទុក្ខ។ សេចក្ដីប្រតិបត្ដិនោះលោកហៅថា មជ្ឈិមបដិបទា។
សេចក្ដីពិស្ដារនៃរឿងនេះ មានក្នុងបទដទៃខ្លះហើយបើមិនទាន់គ្រប់គ្រាន់តាមសេចក្ដីត្រូវការមេត្ដាមើល
សៀវភៅ និព្វានទស្សនៈ និងសៀវភៅ ទស្សនៈសកល របស់ខ្ញុំប្រកបផង។
កាលណាមានរឿងកើតទុក្ខ រឿងអស់សង្ឃឹម រឿងមិនសមតាមប្រាថ្នាសូមអោយនឹកជានិច្ចដល់ព្រះពុទ្ធតំរា
ស់ថា តណ្ហាជាហេតុអោយកើតទុក្ខគំនិតនេះនាំអោយកើតបញ្ញាបង្រៀនខ្លួនអែងអោយចេះសន្ដោសចេះ
បន្ធូរបន្ថយចំណង់ ក្នុងទីបំផុតសេចក្ដីអផ្សុកស្អុះស្អាប់ក្រវល់ក្រវាយចិត្ដ បានត្រូវរលាយបាត់បន្ដិចម្ដងៗរហូ
តដល់សូន្យបាត់ក៏មាន ប្រសិនបើគេបានអនុវត្ដន៍មគ្គ៨ប្រការអស់ពីកំលាំងនិងសមត្ថភាពក្នុងពេលនោះ។
ចំពោះរឿងសេចក្ដីស្នេហា ព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធបានមានព្រះតំរាស់ថា ស្នេហាមួយមានទុក្ឌមួយស្នេហាមួយរយ
មានទុក្ខមួយរយ៘ អ្នកណាថាមិនពិត រឺ មានយោបល់ទំនាស់នឹងពុទ្ធតំរាស់នេះ ក៏ស្រេចតែក្បាលចិត្ដរ
បស់គេចុះ។ គំនិតខ្ញុំឃើញថា ពុទ្ធតំរាស់នេះបើទុកដាក់ជាគណិតសាស្រ្ដក៏បាន ព្រោះខាងគណិតសាស្រ្ដតែ
ងតែមានស៊ីមាន សង រឺបើនឹងទុកដាក់ជាគ្រឿងប្រដាប់សំរាប់ទប់សំរាប់ហាមបាន ព្រោះបើគ្មានគ្រឿងប្រ
ដាប់ហាមកង់ កង់ក៏មិនឈប់វិលរថយន្ដក៏មិនឈប់បុករឺភ្លូក។ ចំណែកចិត្ដមនុស្សវិញ បើគ្មានធម្មៈសំរាប់
ទប់សំរាប់ហាមសេចក្ដីស្នេហាក៏មិនឈប់កើត ទុក្ខក៏មិនឈប់មានបើសេចក្ដីស្នេហារបស់មនុស្សកាន់តែ
ដើរហួសព្រំដែន ម្នាក់ណាក៏ដូចជាម្នាក់ណា ពិភពលោកក៏ត្រូវតែឆេះដោយ វាគគ្ដិ នៃប្រជាសត្វជាមិនខាន
។ ពំនោលនេះ ត្រូវចំរើនលើពុទ្ធភាសិតថា «គ្មានភ្លើងណាមានកំដៅខ្លាំងក្លាជាងភ្លើងស្នេហាគ្មានព្រំដែន,
គ្មានស្កប់។ គ្មានកំហុស ណាមានពិសអំណាចជាងកំហុសនៃកំហឹង។ គ្មានសំណាញ់ណាមានជំនាប់មាំមួនជា
ងសំណាញ់គឺកំឡៅ។ គ្មានស្ទឹងណាហូរជាប់អត់ឈប់ដូចស្ទឹងគឺស្នេហា»
និត្ថិរាគ សមោ អគ្គិនត្ថិ ទោសោ សមោគហោ
នត្ថិមោហ សមំ ថាលំ ទត្ថិ តណ្ហា សមា នទី
មួយទៀត «គ្មានភ្លើងណាមានកំដៅខ្លាំងក្លាជាងសេចក្ដីស្នេហាអត់មានចប់ អត់មានព្រំដែនគ្មានកំហុសភ្លាំង
ភ្លាត់ណាបង្កើតគ្រោះថ្នាក់ស្មើដោយទោសៈ គ្មានទុក្ខណាញាំញីកំទេចមនុស្សស្មើដោយខន្ធ៥ គ្មានស្ទឹងណា
ហូរជាប់អស់កាលជានិរន្ដរ៍ ស្មើដោយ ស្ទឹងគឺសេចក្ដីស្នេហា គ្មានចប់គ្មានទីបំផុត »
នត្ថិ រាគ សមោ អគ្គិ នត្ដិ ទោសោ សមោ
កលិនត្ថិខន្ធា សមា ទុក្ខា នត្ថិ តណ្ហា សមា នទី »
ជីវិតទាសៈនៃសេចក្ដីស្នេហា (តណ្ហា)ឃើញពិភពលោកមានទំហំតូច មានភាពចង្អៀតជិវិតសន្ដោស (ស្កប់
ចិត្ដ) ឃើញពិភពលោកមានទំហំធំ មានសភាពទូលំទូលាយ ពិភពលោកកើតសង្គ្រាមដោយភ្លើង រាគៈទោ
សៈមោហៈ ដែលអាស្រ័យនៅក្នុងចិត្ដមនុស្ស រឺដែលមានចិត្ដសត្វលោកជាជើងក្រាន ពិភពលោកមានសន្ដិ
ភាពដោយអាស្រ័យសេចក្ដីសន្តោស ដែលមាននៅក្នុងចិត្ដមនុស្ស រឺដែលមានចិត្ដសត្វលោកជាលំនៅឋាន
។ ពិភពលោកមានសេក្ដីចំរើនរុងរឿងដោយអ្នកសាសនា រឺអ្នកវិទ្យាសាស្រ្ដមាន ចិត្ដកុសល រឺរស់នៅក្នុង
ព្រហ្មវិហារធម៌ ពិភពលោកវិនាស ដោយអ្នកសាសនានិងអ្នកវិទ្យាសាស្រ្ដគ្មានសីលធម៌ គ្មានអនុវត្ដព្រ
ហ្មវិហារធម៌ រឺមានចិត្ដអកុសល ៘
ដូចបាននិយាយមកហើយក្នុងសប្បុរិយធម៌ (ធម៌មនុស្សល្អ) កំរងធម៌នេះមានសតិ និងបញ្ញានៅជាមួយគ្នារឺ
ជាគូគ្នា។ ខ្មែរយើងខ្លះចូលចិត្ដថា ការមានតែសតិក៏មានតែការចាំ តែគ្មានចេះការមានតែបញ្ញាក៏គឺមានតែ
ចេះ តែគ្មានចាំ។ អ្នកខ្លះមានមតិថា សតិសម្បជញ្ញៈមិនមែនជាធម៌អ្វីដទៃទេគឺសតិ និងបញ្ញាបូកគ្នាហ្នឹង
អែង។
បញ្ញា៤
១ -ស្គាល់ទុក្ខ
២ -ស្គាល់ហេតុនៃទុក្ខ
៣ -ស្គាល់ភាពរលត់ទុក្ខ
៤ -ស្គាល់ផ្លូវប្រតិបត្ដិអោយដល់ភាពរលត់ទុក្ខ។
អ្នកសិក្សាគប្បីធ្វើសេចក្ដីសង្កេតថា ពុទ្ធសាសនាពុំបានប្រកាន់យកបញ្ញាដែលមានមក អំពីកំណើតដែល
យើងធ្លាប់ហៅថាសេចក្ដីវៃឆ្លាតទុកជាបញ្ញាជាន់ខ្ពស់ តែប្រកាន់យក បញ្ញាដែលគេបានធ្វើអោយកើតដោ
យអាស្រ័យការគិតការសិក្សានិងការប្រតិបត្ដិធម៌ រឺការអនុវត្ដន៍ទុកជាបញ្ញាជាន់ខ្ពស់បំផុត ដែលអាចជួយចំ
លងមនុស្សអោយផុតទុក្ខបាន។ ដូចនេះព្រោះអ្វី ព្រោះសេចក្តីវៃឆ្លាតជារបស់ដែលមនុស្សយើងមាននោះ
មានភាពមិនដូចគ្នាទេ។ ចំណែកបញ្ញាប្រភេទដែលគេអប់រំដោយកើតបាននោះ មានភាពមិនដូចគ្នាទេ។
ចំណែកបញ្ញាដែលប្រភេទដែលគេអប់រំដោយកើតបាននោះ ជាធាតុដែលមនុស្សរាល់រូបមានសិទ្ធិសិក្សា
រៀនសូត្រស្រាវជ្រាវ និងប្រតិបត្ដិ រឺអនុវត្តន៍អោយកើត មានស្រេចហើយតែសេចក្ដីត្រូវការរបស់ខ្លួន។
បញ្ញារឺសេចក្ដីវៃឆ្លាតពីកំណើត ដែលអាចប្រើការបានជាស្ថាពរ រឺគ្មានភាពឋិតនៅអស់ចិរកាលនោះក៏មាន
ទំនាក់ទំនងមិនខុសគ្នា នឹងភ្លើងធម្មជាតិទាំងឡាយ មានភ្លើងព្រៃជាដើម ដែលគេមិនអាចនឹងប្រើភ្លើងនេះ
អោយបានប្រយោជន៍គ្រប់ពេលវេលា ដែលត្រូវការ។ ដោយអាស្រ័យភាពមិនឋិតឋេរនៃភ្លើងទាំងឡាយ
នេះហើយ ទើបបានមនុស្សយើងបង្កើតឈើគូស ដែកភ្លើងរហូតដល់អគ្គិសនីនិងគ្រឿងអុបករណ៍អគ្គិសនី
ដើម្បីយកភ្លើងប្រើអោយបានគ្រប់អោកាសដែលត្រូវការ។ សូម្បីបញ្ញាញាណនៃព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធព្រះអង្គ
អែង ក៏ពុំមែនបានមកដោយទង្វើផ្សងព្រេងឡើយ គឺកើតឡើងដោយអាស្រ័យសេចក្ដីព្យាយាម ជាមួយនឹង
ការតស៊ូយ៉ាងប្ដូរផ្ដាច់ទើបបានសំរេចក្នុងទីបំផុត។ ពុទ្ធសាសនាមិនបានបង្រៀនមនុស្ស អោយដេកចាំទទួល
សេចក្ដីសុខដែលផ្ដល់អោយដោយធម្មជាតិ រឺដោយអាទិទេព រឺ រង់ចាំ ជោគវាសនា ដែលរិក្សយាម ថ្ងៃ ខែ
ឆ្នាំ ល្អផ្ដល់អោយឡើយ។ ពុទ្ធសាសនាបង្រៀនមនុស្សអោយធ្វើការគ្រប់យ៉ាងនៅក្នុងក្របខ័ណ្ឌនៃគំនិត
បញ្ញា រឺក្របខ័ណ្ឌនៃហេតុផលដើម្បីទទួលយកផលដែលមានគុណភាពខ្ពស់សមតាមសេចក្ដីត្រូវការរបស់
ខ្លួន។ ពុទ្ធសាសនាគ្មានបង្រៀនមនុស្សអោយផ្ញើជោគវាសនារបស់ខ្លួនលើគ្នាអែង រឺលើពួកទេពណាមួយ
ឡើយ។ មតិនេះមានសំអាងលើគម្ពីរ អត្ថកថាទុក្កនិបាតអង្គុត្ដរនិកាយ ក្នុងចំណុចថា ការខ្វះសម្បជញ្ញៈ ក៏គឺគ្មានញាណរឺបញ្ញា។
ការប្រើបញ្ញាដំណោះទុក្ខ
ពុទ្ធសាសនាមានជំនឿថា ដំណោះស្រាយទុក្ខជាបញ្ហាសំខាន់ហើយជាទិសដៅយ៉ាងខ្ពស់បំផុតរបស់បុគ្គលអ្នក
ឃើញទោសនៃសេចក្ដីទុក្ខ។ ចំពោះបញ្ហានេះអ្នកផងសឹងបានឃើញហើយថា ទ្រឹស្ដីអរិយសច្ចៈ៤ប្រការ
គឺទ្រឹស្ដីដំណោះស្រាយទុក្ខយ៉ាងចំៗ តែជាទ្រឹស្ដីមានភាពចំលែកជាងធម្មតា គឺទ្រឹស្ដីធម្មតាវាជារឿងនៃគំនិត
ប្រកាន់យក រឺ ទង្វើសាកល្បងរៀបចំអោយមានជាគោលការមុន ទើបធ្វើការពិសោធន៍ជាខាងក្រោយ។
តែទ្រឹស្ដីអរិយសច្ចៈរបស់ព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធ មិនមែនជាគំនិតយល់សប្ដិ រឺ គំនិតត្រិះរិះគ្នាន់គ្នេ ហើយប្រកាន់
យក រឺអនុវត្ដទេ គឺព្រះអង្គបានប្រើជីវិតរបស់ព្រះអង្គអែង ជាដើមធាតុក្នុងការសាកល្បងស្រាវជ្រាវ លុះ
ត្រាបានសំរេចផលបានរួចចាកទុក្ខទាំងពួងពិតប្រាកដហើយ ទើបបានប្រកាសទ្រឹស្ដីនេះចេញមកព្រមគ្នានេះ
បានធ្វើសេចក្ដីថ្លែងការបញ្ជាក់ថា ដរាបណាព្រះអង្គមិនបានរកឃើញសេចក្ដីពិត រឺ ប្រតិបត្ដិធម៌មិនបានសំ
រេចផលដោយខ្លួនអែង ព្រះអង្គនឹងមិនធ្វើសេចក្ដីប្ដេជ្ញាជាដាច់ខាតថា ព្រះអង្គជាព្រះពុទ្ធ បានត្រាស់ដឹងនូវ
អនុត្ដរសម្មាសម្ពោធិញ្ញាណឡើយ។
ព្រោះហេតុនេះ ការពិចារណាដល់កំណែ រឺដំណោះសេចក្ដីទុក្ខតាមលំអាននៃព្រះពុទ្ធ សាសនាយើងត្រូវពិ
ចារណាដោយត្រង់ៗចំៗ ទៅលើអរិយៈសច្ចៈមួយចំណែក ជាមួយគ្នានេះគេត្រូវប្រើគោលគំនិតនៅក្រោ
មខ្សែបន្ទាត់នៃអរិយសច្ចៈ ដើម្បីចំអិនបញ្ញារឿយៗប្រកបដោយព្យាយាមយ៉ាងខ្លាំងក្លាមោះមុត។
ក កំណែទុក្ខតាមគំនោលអរិយសច្ចៈ រឺ សច្ច
១ - មុនដំបូងអោយស្គាល់ថាអ្វើជាភាពទុក្ខ ពេលខ្លះគេចូលចិត្ដត្រលប់ត្រលិនឃើញសុខជាទុក្ខរឺ
ឃើញទុក្ខជាសុខ។ ដូចនេះទើបគេត្រូវប្រកាន់យកគោលការថា ទុក្ខមាន ៣បែបគឺទុក្ខប្រចាំបានដល់សេច
ក្ដីកើត សេចក្ដីចាស់ សេចក្ដីឈឺ សេចក្ដីស្លាប់។ ទុក្ខបានដល់សេចក្ដីសោក សេចក្ដីខ្សឹកខ្សួល សេចក្ដីមិន
សប្បាយកាយ សេចក្ដីមិនសប្បាយចិត្ដ សេចក្ដីចង្អៀតចង្អល់ជាដើម៘
២ - អោយស្គាល់ថាអ្វីជាដើមហេតុរបស់ទុក្ខ មានមនុស្សច្រើនណាស់ដែលមានប្រាថ្នាចង់រំដោះទុក្ខ
រឺធ្វើកំណែទុក្ខ ត្រលប់ជារវើរវាយទៅធ្វើផលនៃទុក្ខទៅវិញ ដូចនេះទើបកំណែរបស់គេវាទៅជាគ្មានបាន
ផលបានប្រយោជន៍អ្វី គឺវានៅជាទុក្ខ ជាព្រួយដដែល៘
៣ - អោយស្គាល់ភាពរលត់ទុក្ខថា បានដល់អ្វី រឺមានអ្វីជាធាតុសំរាប់រំលត់ទុក្ខ។ពុទ្ធសាសនាបានបង្ហាញ
ផ្លូវថា ការរំលត់ទុក្ខ មិនមែនរំលត់ផលទេ គឺរំលត់ហេតុ។ បើរំលត់តែផលហេតុនៅដដែល ទុក្ខនឹងកើត
ឡើងទៀត ដូចនេះការរំលត់ទុក្ខក្នុងទីនេះ គឺ ត្រូវរំលត់ហេតុ បានដល់តណ្ហាទាំង៣ អោយបានដាច់ខាត។
៤ - អោយស្គាល់ថា ភាពរលត់ទុក្ខមិនអាចនឹងកើតបានស្រួលៗធូរៗទេត្រូវមានការប្រតិបត្ដិធម៌
អោយដល់នូៗភាពរលត់ទុក្ខ។ សេចក្ដីប្រតិបត្ដិនោះលោកហៅថា មជ្ឈិមបដិបទា។
សេចក្ដីពិស្ដារនៃរឿងនេះ មានក្នុងបទដទៃខ្លះហើយបើមិនទាន់គ្រប់គ្រាន់តាមសេចក្ដីត្រូវការមេត្ដាមើល
សៀវភៅ និព្វានទស្សនៈ និងសៀវភៅ ទស្សនៈសកល របស់ខ្ញុំប្រកបផង។
កាលណាមានរឿងកើតទុក្ខ រឿងអស់សង្ឃឹម រឿងមិនសមតាមប្រាថ្នាសូមអោយនឹកជានិច្ចដល់ព្រះពុទ្ធតំរា
ស់ថា តណ្ហាជាហេតុអោយកើតទុក្ខគំនិតនេះនាំអោយកើតបញ្ញាបង្រៀនខ្លួនអែងអោយចេះសន្ដោសចេះ
បន្ធូរបន្ថយចំណង់ ក្នុងទីបំផុតសេចក្ដីអផ្សុកស្អុះស្អាប់ក្រវល់ក្រវាយចិត្ដ បានត្រូវរលាយបាត់បន្ដិចម្ដងៗរហូ
តដល់សូន្យបាត់ក៏មាន ប្រសិនបើគេបានអនុវត្ដន៍មគ្គ៨ប្រការអស់ពីកំលាំងនិងសមត្ថភាពក្នុងពេលនោះ។
ចំពោះរឿងសេចក្ដីស្នេហា ព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធបានមានព្រះតំរាស់ថា ស្នេហាមួយមានទុក្ឌមួយស្នេហាមួយរយ
មានទុក្ខមួយរយ៘ អ្នកណាថាមិនពិត រឺ មានយោបល់ទំនាស់នឹងពុទ្ធតំរាស់នេះ ក៏ស្រេចតែក្បាលចិត្ដរ
បស់គេចុះ។ គំនិតខ្ញុំឃើញថា ពុទ្ធតំរាស់នេះបើទុកដាក់ជាគណិតសាស្រ្ដក៏បាន ព្រោះខាងគណិតសាស្រ្ដតែ
ងតែមានស៊ីមាន សង រឺបើនឹងទុកដាក់ជាគ្រឿងប្រដាប់សំរាប់ទប់សំរាប់ហាមបាន ព្រោះបើគ្មានគ្រឿងប្រ
ដាប់ហាមកង់ កង់ក៏មិនឈប់វិលរថយន្ដក៏មិនឈប់បុករឺភ្លូក។ ចំណែកចិត្ដមនុស្សវិញ បើគ្មានធម្មៈសំរាប់
ទប់សំរាប់ហាមសេចក្ដីស្នេហាក៏មិនឈប់កើត ទុក្ខក៏មិនឈប់មានបើសេចក្ដីស្នេហារបស់មនុស្សកាន់តែ
ដើរហួសព្រំដែន ម្នាក់ណាក៏ដូចជាម្នាក់ណា ពិភពលោកក៏ត្រូវតែឆេះដោយ វាគគ្ដិ នៃប្រជាសត្វជាមិនខាន
។ ពំនោលនេះ ត្រូវចំរើនលើពុទ្ធភាសិតថា «គ្មានភ្លើងណាមានកំដៅខ្លាំងក្លាជាងភ្លើងស្នេហាគ្មានព្រំដែន,
គ្មានស្កប់។ គ្មានកំហុស ណាមានពិសអំណាចជាងកំហុសនៃកំហឹង។ គ្មានសំណាញ់ណាមានជំនាប់មាំមួនជា
ងសំណាញ់គឺកំឡៅ។ គ្មានស្ទឹងណាហូរជាប់អត់ឈប់ដូចស្ទឹងគឺស្នេហា»
និត្ថិរាគ សមោ អគ្គិនត្ថិ ទោសោ សមោគហោ
នត្ថិមោហ សមំ ថាលំ ទត្ថិ តណ្ហា សមា នទី
មួយទៀត «គ្មានភ្លើងណាមានកំដៅខ្លាំងក្លាជាងសេចក្ដីស្នេហាអត់មានចប់ អត់មានព្រំដែនគ្មានកំហុសភ្លាំង
ភ្លាត់ណាបង្កើតគ្រោះថ្នាក់ស្មើដោយទោសៈ គ្មានទុក្ខណាញាំញីកំទេចមនុស្សស្មើដោយខន្ធ៥ គ្មានស្ទឹងណា
ហូរជាប់អស់កាលជានិរន្ដរ៍ ស្មើដោយ ស្ទឹងគឺសេចក្ដីស្នេហា គ្មានចប់គ្មានទីបំផុត »
នត្ថិ រាគ សមោ អគ្គិ នត្ដិ ទោសោ សមោ
កលិនត្ថិខន្ធា សមា ទុក្ខា នត្ថិ តណ្ហា សមា នទី »
ជីវិតទាសៈនៃសេចក្ដីស្នេហា (តណ្ហា)ឃើញពិភពលោកមានទំហំតូច មានភាពចង្អៀតជិវិតសន្ដោស (ស្កប់
ចិត្ដ) ឃើញពិភពលោកមានទំហំធំ មានសភាពទូលំទូលាយ ពិភពលោកកើតសង្គ្រាមដោយភ្លើង រាគៈទោ
សៈមោហៈ ដែលអាស្រ័យនៅក្នុងចិត្ដមនុស្ស រឺដែលមានចិត្ដសត្វលោកជាជើងក្រាន ពិភពលោកមានសន្ដិ
ភាពដោយអាស្រ័យសេចក្ដីសន្តោស ដែលមាននៅក្នុងចិត្ដមនុស្ស រឺដែលមានចិត្ដសត្វលោកជាលំនៅឋាន
។ ពិភពលោកមានសេក្ដីចំរើនរុងរឿងដោយអ្នកសាសនា រឺអ្នកវិទ្យាសាស្រ្ដមាន ចិត្ដកុសល រឺរស់នៅក្នុង
ព្រហ្មវិហារធម៌ ពិភពលោកវិនាស ដោយអ្នកសាសនានិងអ្នកវិទ្យាសាស្រ្ដគ្មានសីលធម៌ គ្មានអនុវត្ដព្រ
ហ្មវិហារធម៌ រឺមានចិត្ដអកុសល ៘
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Fall of the Khmer Rouge
As the Khmer Rouge As the Khmer Rouge systematically destroyed nearly all aspects of Cambodian society, a new conflict simmered with its historical enemy, Vietnam. While both forces grudgingly supported each other as they fought U.S.-backed Cambodia and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, ethnic animosities prevented them from developing any lasting bonds with each other. Even as early as April 1975 - days after the fall of Phnom Penh - the Khmer Rouge exploited the situation in South Vietnam by seizing several small islands in the Gulf of Siam while the Vietnamese communists completed their choke hold on Saigon.
Though one might have expected the new communist governments of Vietnam and Cambodia to eventually settle into some kind of political agreement, their hatred and mistrust of each other ran too deep. The Khmer Rouge received support from China, Vietnam's rival to the north, while the Vietnamese were assisted by the Soviet Union, which competed with China for standing in the communist world. Pol Pot also showed signs of a severe inferiority complex when it came to Vietnamese communists, for it was the Vietnamese who had helped the Cambodian communists organize into a political force. To Pol Pot, the fact that Cambodian communists had once needed outside help to get their act together was so shameful that he purged thousands of Khmer Rouge cadres simply because certain KR leaders acknowledged that the Cambodian communist party was founded in 1951, at a time when the Vietnamese communists were involved in Cambodian insurgencies. Pol Pot insisted that the party didn't really begin its activities until 1960, when he was named to the party's Central Committee. The distinction may seem academic, but Pol Pot's extreme paranoia over Vietnamese influence led to the deaths of many Cambodians who were associated with the Vietnamese in the early 1950s. Some of Pol Pot's oldest friends were swept up and killed in the purges. It was as if the Khmer Rouge were stranded under the shadow of the Vietnamese communists, apparently willing to start a war just to boost their sense of independence.
In July 1977, Vietnam signed a cooperation treaty with neighboring Laos, which had also become communist in 1975. The Khmer Rouge viewed this as flagrant aggression against Cambodia: given the geography of the region (Laos wraps around Cambodia's north), Pol Pot interpreted the treaty as the next step in Vietnam's strategy to strangle Cambodia. If anything, he thought, it was Cambodia that should be attempting to strangle Vietnam. The south of Vietnam was populated by ethnic Cambodians, the Khmer Krom, who had been in the region for generations. If the Khmer Rouge played their cards right, perhaps the Khmer Krom would revolt against the Vietnamese and wrestle the land from their ethnic rivals. Not unlike Nazi Germany's almost successful dream of uniting the German peoples under one Reich, Pol Pot envisioned a greater Cambodia in which Khmers could reclaim the lands once controlled under the ancient kingdom of Angkor.
The Khmer Rouge regime reached a climax in September 1977 when Pol Pot took to the airwaves and spoke for nearly five hours on Cambodian radio. For the first time, Pol Pot acknowledged to the world that Cambodia was now run by a communist government. The day after the speech he flew to Beijing to meet with Hua Guofeng, who had just become leader of the People's Republic of China following the death of Mao Ze Dong. The Chinese pledged to support the Khmer Rouge's rivalry with the Vietnamese but recommended against all-out war, knowing full well that Vietnam was in a much better position to win the fight. The meeting probably delayed an impending Cambodian assault on Vietnam, but the Vietnamese interpreted it as another sign of China's military support of an increasingly dangerous Cambodia.
By the end of 1977, Vietnam concluded a pre-emptive strike against Cambodia was inevitable. In late December they sent troops as far as 20 miles across the border, capturing Cambodian villages and troops. Before the end of January 1978, though, Vietnam pulled back, returning their forces to Vietnamese territory. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge publicly celebrated the pullout as a humiliating Vietnamese retreat, but their anti-Vietnamese fervor blinded them to the long-term implications of the incursion. As the Vietnamese returned turned to their territory they brought along many of the captured Cambodian soldiers, as well as numerous Khmer Rouge defectors who feared they would be purged by Pol Pot. These Cambodians were carefully groomed in the hopes of eventually establishing a Vietnam-aligned Cambodian government some time in the future. Among these detained Cambodians was a young Khmer Rouge lieutenant named Hun Sen, who had fled the country after realizing he too was the target of the purge.
During the spring of 1978, Vietnam amassed thousands of troops along the Cambodian border. Khmer Rouge forces skirmished with Vietnamese troops in isolated, but recurrent incidents, raising tensions between the two nations even further. Spring also marked the signing of a friendship treaty between Vietnam and the Soviet Union, a direct response to Cambodia's close relationship with China. Cambodia and Vietnam were now the pawns of a Chinese-Soviet rivalry, not unlike when the U.S. and U.S.S.R. took advantage of the regional instability of the Vietnam War to further their own Cold War interests. And just as they had done so against the Americans and South Vietnamese, Vietnam patiently prepared for the right moment to gain an advantage while their enemy faltered.
On December 25, 1978 - Christmas Day - 100,000 Vietnamese troops poured across the Cambodian border, quickly gaining a foothold in Cambodia's northeast. The Vietnamese intended to create a secure buffer zone between Vietnam proper and Khmer Rouge forces. The military encroachment went so well, though, Vietnam quickly realized that they could even seize Phnom Penh and knock out the Khmer Rouge in a matter of weeks. By January 7, 1979, less than two weeks after their initial attack, Vietnamese forces successfully occupied Phnom Penh, forcing the Khmer Rouge to flee into the wilderness. Pol Pot himself escaped by helicopter as the city fell, ironically mirroring the U.S. ambassador's departure in April 1975.
As the dust settled, Vietnam established a new Cambodian government known as the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). Leading the PRK would be a new prime minister, Hun Sen, the young Khmer Rouge cadre who fled to Vietnam a year earlier. Hundreds of thousands of Cambodian families began the long march to their home villages in the hopes of finding surviving relatives. In many cases, though, Cambodians returned to find nothing left of their former lives - no homes, no possessions, and most tragic, no relatives. The Khmer Rouge came hauntingly close to succeeding in their radical attempt to erase all memories of the old Cambodia.
Vietnamese occupying forces, who themselves were hardened by the brutalities of the Vietnam War, were shocked as they soon discovered the legacy of the Khmer Rouge. Throughout the countryside, Cambodia was pockmarked by sunken depressions of dirt, as if hell had sucked in small pockets of earth in the hopes of devouring the world above it. As we all soon discovered, the depressions were indeed the stuff of hell, for each marked the spot of another mass grave: the graves of the hundreds of thousands of Cambodians slaughtered by their own countrymen.
Though one might have expected the new communist governments of Vietnam and Cambodia to eventually settle into some kind of political agreement, their hatred and mistrust of each other ran too deep. The Khmer Rouge received support from China, Vietnam's rival to the north, while the Vietnamese were assisted by the Soviet Union, which competed with China for standing in the communist world. Pol Pot also showed signs of a severe inferiority complex when it came to Vietnamese communists, for it was the Vietnamese who had helped the Cambodian communists organize into a political force. To Pol Pot, the fact that Cambodian communists had once needed outside help to get their act together was so shameful that he purged thousands of Khmer Rouge cadres simply because certain KR leaders acknowledged that the Cambodian communist party was founded in 1951, at a time when the Vietnamese communists were involved in Cambodian insurgencies. Pol Pot insisted that the party didn't really begin its activities until 1960, when he was named to the party's Central Committee. The distinction may seem academic, but Pol Pot's extreme paranoia over Vietnamese influence led to the deaths of many Cambodians who were associated with the Vietnamese in the early 1950s. Some of Pol Pot's oldest friends were swept up and killed in the purges. It was as if the Khmer Rouge were stranded under the shadow of the Vietnamese communists, apparently willing to start a war just to boost their sense of independence.
In July 1977, Vietnam signed a cooperation treaty with neighboring Laos, which had also become communist in 1975. The Khmer Rouge viewed this as flagrant aggression against Cambodia: given the geography of the region (Laos wraps around Cambodia's north), Pol Pot interpreted the treaty as the next step in Vietnam's strategy to strangle Cambodia. If anything, he thought, it was Cambodia that should be attempting to strangle Vietnam. The south of Vietnam was populated by ethnic Cambodians, the Khmer Krom, who had been in the region for generations. If the Khmer Rouge played their cards right, perhaps the Khmer Krom would revolt against the Vietnamese and wrestle the land from their ethnic rivals. Not unlike Nazi Germany's almost successful dream of uniting the German peoples under one Reich, Pol Pot envisioned a greater Cambodia in which Khmers could reclaim the lands once controlled under the ancient kingdom of Angkor.
The Khmer Rouge regime reached a climax in September 1977 when Pol Pot took to the airwaves and spoke for nearly five hours on Cambodian radio. For the first time, Pol Pot acknowledged to the world that Cambodia was now run by a communist government. The day after the speech he flew to Beijing to meet with Hua Guofeng, who had just become leader of the People's Republic of China following the death of Mao Ze Dong. The Chinese pledged to support the Khmer Rouge's rivalry with the Vietnamese but recommended against all-out war, knowing full well that Vietnam was in a much better position to win the fight. The meeting probably delayed an impending Cambodian assault on Vietnam, but the Vietnamese interpreted it as another sign of China's military support of an increasingly dangerous Cambodia.
By the end of 1977, Vietnam concluded a pre-emptive strike against Cambodia was inevitable. In late December they sent troops as far as 20 miles across the border, capturing Cambodian villages and troops. Before the end of January 1978, though, Vietnam pulled back, returning their forces to Vietnamese territory. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge publicly celebrated the pullout as a humiliating Vietnamese retreat, but their anti-Vietnamese fervor blinded them to the long-term implications of the incursion. As the Vietnamese returned turned to their territory they brought along many of the captured Cambodian soldiers, as well as numerous Khmer Rouge defectors who feared they would be purged by Pol Pot. These Cambodians were carefully groomed in the hopes of eventually establishing a Vietnam-aligned Cambodian government some time in the future. Among these detained Cambodians was a young Khmer Rouge lieutenant named Hun Sen, who had fled the country after realizing he too was the target of the purge.
During the spring of 1978, Vietnam amassed thousands of troops along the Cambodian border. Khmer Rouge forces skirmished with Vietnamese troops in isolated, but recurrent incidents, raising tensions between the two nations even further. Spring also marked the signing of a friendship treaty between Vietnam and the Soviet Union, a direct response to Cambodia's close relationship with China. Cambodia and Vietnam were now the pawns of a Chinese-Soviet rivalry, not unlike when the U.S. and U.S.S.R. took advantage of the regional instability of the Vietnam War to further their own Cold War interests. And just as they had done so against the Americans and South Vietnamese, Vietnam patiently prepared for the right moment to gain an advantage while their enemy faltered.
On December 25, 1978 - Christmas Day - 100,000 Vietnamese troops poured across the Cambodian border, quickly gaining a foothold in Cambodia's northeast. The Vietnamese intended to create a secure buffer zone between Vietnam proper and Khmer Rouge forces. The military encroachment went so well, though, Vietnam quickly realized that they could even seize Phnom Penh and knock out the Khmer Rouge in a matter of weeks. By January 7, 1979, less than two weeks after their initial attack, Vietnamese forces successfully occupied Phnom Penh, forcing the Khmer Rouge to flee into the wilderness. Pol Pot himself escaped by helicopter as the city fell, ironically mirroring the U.S. ambassador's departure in April 1975.
As the dust settled, Vietnam established a new Cambodian government known as the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). Leading the PRK would be a new prime minister, Hun Sen, the young Khmer Rouge cadre who fled to Vietnam a year earlier. Hundreds of thousands of Cambodian families began the long march to their home villages in the hopes of finding surviving relatives. In many cases, though, Cambodians returned to find nothing left of their former lives - no homes, no possessions, and most tragic, no relatives. The Khmer Rouge came hauntingly close to succeeding in their radical attempt to erase all memories of the old Cambodia.
Vietnamese occupying forces, who themselves were hardened by the brutalities of the Vietnam War, were shocked as they soon discovered the legacy of the Khmer Rouge. Throughout the countryside, Cambodia was pockmarked by sunken depressions of dirt, as if hell had sucked in small pockets of earth in the hopes of devouring the world above it. As we all soon discovered, the depressions were indeed the stuff of hell, for each marked the spot of another mass grave: the graves of the hundreds of thousands of Cambodians slaughtered by their own countrymen.
The Faces of Angka the People Behind the Genocide
The Faces of Angka:
The People Behind the Genocide
For the first two years of Khmer Rouge regime, most Cambodians had no idea who was running the country. The Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), the political movement behind the Khmer Rouge, believed that secrecy was one of the best tools for controlling the population. The Cambodian people didn't even know the CPK existed. All they were told was that the country was now run by Angka. No leaders were mentioned by name - there was only Angka. The less the people knew about Angka, so the idea went, the more effective (and powerful) Angka would be. But as we know today, this unprecedented level of secret governance did little to save hundreds of thousands of Cambodians from their deaths at the hands of starvation, neglect or worse.
Behind this mysterious political veil, though, were a core group of radicals who began espousing communism in the mid 1950s after studying in Paris, as well as their supporters who joined them in the jungle in the 1960s. These individuals were the masterminds of Cambodian communism and the architects of the policies that led to the genocide:
Khieu Samphan. The studious former National Assembly member, Khieu Samphan served as the political leader of the Khmer Rouge. His doctoral research in Paris served as the basis for Khmer Rouge ideology. Though Khieu was never known for his military skills he became commander in chief of the Khmer Rouge army and led its forces into Phnom Penh in 1975. Khieu eventually was assigned the role of prime minister and president of the Khmer Rouge regime, even though decisions were made collectively by the KR leadership. Essentially, Khieu's purpose was to put a diplomatic, public face on Khmer Rouge policy.
Ieng Sary. Known as "Brother Number Three," Ieng Sary also joined the communist movement in the late 1950s. As a leading member of the KR rebel forces, he became foreign minister in 1975 and was one of the key decisionmakers during the KR years.
Chhit Chhoeun (Ta Mok). Though Chhit never studied in Paris he joined the communist movement early on as a rebel fighter. Despite his training as a Buddhist Monk, Chhit was a merciless warrior, and he eventually adopted the name "Grandpa Mok," - Ta Mok. After the Khmer Rouge victory, Ta Mok became one of the most powerful men behind Angka, leading purges against suspected KR cadres and coordinating massacres against Vietnamese civilians. His taste for brutality eventually caused many people to call him Ta Mok the Butcher.
Nuon Chea. Like Ta Mok, Nuon Chea did not receive his communist indoctrination in France; instead, he was exposed to it by the Thai Communist Party during World War II. As "Brother Number Two," Nuon dictacted Khmer Rouge policy for over three years, developing the radical economial strategies that eliminated money and trade with the outside world.
Saloth Sar (Pol Pot). After flunking out of his electronics scholarhip in Paris, Saloth returned to Cambodia to help build the Communist Party of Kampuchea. As one of the leading masterminds behind the Khmer Rouge, Saloth Sar became best known under his pseudonym, Pol Pot. Pol Pot served as chairman of the party, for which he claimed the infamous title "Brother Number One" and the reputation as the all-out leader of the Khmer Rouge.
The people behind Angka were known only among themselves until September, 1977, when Saloth Sar - using his nom de guerre Pol Pot - introduced the world to Democratic Kampuchea through a public radio broadcast.
The People Behind the Genocide
For the first two years of Khmer Rouge regime, most Cambodians had no idea who was running the country. The Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), the political movement behind the Khmer Rouge, believed that secrecy was one of the best tools for controlling the population. The Cambodian people didn't even know the CPK existed. All they were told was that the country was now run by Angka. No leaders were mentioned by name - there was only Angka. The less the people knew about Angka, so the idea went, the more effective (and powerful) Angka would be. But as we know today, this unprecedented level of secret governance did little to save hundreds of thousands of Cambodians from their deaths at the hands of starvation, neglect or worse.
Behind this mysterious political veil, though, were a core group of radicals who began espousing communism in the mid 1950s after studying in Paris, as well as their supporters who joined them in the jungle in the 1960s. These individuals were the masterminds of Cambodian communism and the architects of the policies that led to the genocide:
Khieu Samphan. The studious former National Assembly member, Khieu Samphan served as the political leader of the Khmer Rouge. His doctoral research in Paris served as the basis for Khmer Rouge ideology. Though Khieu was never known for his military skills he became commander in chief of the Khmer Rouge army and led its forces into Phnom Penh in 1975. Khieu eventually was assigned the role of prime minister and president of the Khmer Rouge regime, even though decisions were made collectively by the KR leadership. Essentially, Khieu's purpose was to put a diplomatic, public face on Khmer Rouge policy.
Ieng Sary. Known as "Brother Number Three," Ieng Sary also joined the communist movement in the late 1950s. As a leading member of the KR rebel forces, he became foreign minister in 1975 and was one of the key decisionmakers during the KR years.
Chhit Chhoeun (Ta Mok). Though Chhit never studied in Paris he joined the communist movement early on as a rebel fighter. Despite his training as a Buddhist Monk, Chhit was a merciless warrior, and he eventually adopted the name "Grandpa Mok," - Ta Mok. After the Khmer Rouge victory, Ta Mok became one of the most powerful men behind Angka, leading purges against suspected KR cadres and coordinating massacres against Vietnamese civilians. His taste for brutality eventually caused many people to call him Ta Mok the Butcher.
Nuon Chea. Like Ta Mok, Nuon Chea did not receive his communist indoctrination in France; instead, he was exposed to it by the Thai Communist Party during World War II. As "Brother Number Two," Nuon dictacted Khmer Rouge policy for over three years, developing the radical economial strategies that eliminated money and trade with the outside world.
Saloth Sar (Pol Pot). After flunking out of his electronics scholarhip in Paris, Saloth returned to Cambodia to help build the Communist Party of Kampuchea. As one of the leading masterminds behind the Khmer Rouge, Saloth Sar became best known under his pseudonym, Pol Pot. Pol Pot served as chairman of the party, for which he claimed the infamous title "Brother Number One" and the reputation as the all-out leader of the Khmer Rouge.
The people behind Angka were known only among themselves until September, 1977, when Saloth Sar - using his nom de guerre Pol Pot - introduced the world to Democratic Kampuchea through a public radio broadcast.
From Sideshow To GenocideThe Khmer Rouge Years
From Sideshow To Genocide:
The Khmer Rouge Years
On April 17, 1975, thousands of Phnom Penh residents celebrated in the streets as victorious Khmer Rouge troops entered the capitol. This joyous celebration, however, was not because the people of Phnom Penh were supporters of the Khmer Rouge; instead, they felt great relief that the five-year civil war had now come to an end. For the first several hours of that sunny morning it didn't matter which side you were on - Cambodia was finally at peace. This morning revealed a moment of hope.
But hope quickly turned to fear as residents noticed that the Khmer Rouge troops weren't celebrating with them. Embittered and toughened after years of brutal civil war and American bombing, the Khmer Rouge marched the boulevards of Phnom Penh with icy stares carved into their faces. The troops soon began to order people to abandon their homes and leave Phnom Penh. By mid-afternoon hundreds of thousands of people were on the move. "The Americans are going to bomb the city!" was the answer given to residents if they asked why they had to leave Phnom Penh. No exceptions were made - all residents, young and old, had to evacuate as quickly as possible.
As the Khmer Rouge knew well, there were no American plans to attack the city. The deception was a ploy to get people into the countryside, away from the urban confines of the city. The Khmer Rouge believed that cities were living and breathing tools of capitalism in their own right - KR cadres referred to Phnom Penh as "the great prostitute of the Mekong." (Chandler, The Tragedy of Cambodian History, 247) In order to create the ideal communist society, all people would have to live and work in the countryside as peasants. Peasants, in fact, were the Khmer Rouge communist ideal, not unlike the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Aryan of Nazi Germany. Peasants were seen as simple, uneducated, hard-working and not prone to exploiting others. Their way of life had not changed for centuries, yet they always managed to survive. It was this perception that caused the Khmer Rouge to view peasants - old people, to use their political jargon - as the ideal communists for the new Cambodian state.
The city dwellers of Phnom Penh and other Cambodian cities, on the other hand, were seen as new people (or "April 17 people"). New people were the root of all capitalist evil in the eyes of the Khmer Rouge. It didn't matter if you were a teacher, a tailor, a civil servant or a monk: new people were the embodiment of capitalism and the enemy of communism, their personal political ideologies irrelevant. The Khmer Rouge felt that new people had made an active choice to live in the cities and thus declared their allegiance to capitalism. All city dwellers became enemies of the new communist state, a status that would cost hundreds of thousands of them their lives.
Evacuation of the cities was the first of many radical steps taken by the Khmer Rouge. As new people were forced out of the urban centers they soon learned of the new rules that were being imposed by Angka ("The Organization"), the secretive team of Khmer Rouge leaders who dictated the lives of every Cambodian citizen. Among these new rules, religion, money and private ownership were all banned; communications with the outside world elimated; family relationships dismantled. All previous rights and responsibilities were thrown out the window. As was often said by the Khmer Rouge, 2000 years of Cambodian history had now come to an end; April 17 was the beginning of Year Zero for the new Cambodia: Democratic Kampuchea (DK).
To learn more about the Khmer Rouge years, please select from the following subjects:
The Khmer Rouge Years
On April 17, 1975, thousands of Phnom Penh residents celebrated in the streets as victorious Khmer Rouge troops entered the capitol. This joyous celebration, however, was not because the people of Phnom Penh were supporters of the Khmer Rouge; instead, they felt great relief that the five-year civil war had now come to an end. For the first several hours of that sunny morning it didn't matter which side you were on - Cambodia was finally at peace. This morning revealed a moment of hope.
But hope quickly turned to fear as residents noticed that the Khmer Rouge troops weren't celebrating with them. Embittered and toughened after years of brutal civil war and American bombing, the Khmer Rouge marched the boulevards of Phnom Penh with icy stares carved into their faces. The troops soon began to order people to abandon their homes and leave Phnom Penh. By mid-afternoon hundreds of thousands of people were on the move. "The Americans are going to bomb the city!" was the answer given to residents if they asked why they had to leave Phnom Penh. No exceptions were made - all residents, young and old, had to evacuate as quickly as possible.
As the Khmer Rouge knew well, there were no American plans to attack the city. The deception was a ploy to get people into the countryside, away from the urban confines of the city. The Khmer Rouge believed that cities were living and breathing tools of capitalism in their own right - KR cadres referred to Phnom Penh as "the great prostitute of the Mekong." (Chandler, The Tragedy of Cambodian History, 247) In order to create the ideal communist society, all people would have to live and work in the countryside as peasants. Peasants, in fact, were the Khmer Rouge communist ideal, not unlike the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Aryan of Nazi Germany. Peasants were seen as simple, uneducated, hard-working and not prone to exploiting others. Their way of life had not changed for centuries, yet they always managed to survive. It was this perception that caused the Khmer Rouge to view peasants - old people, to use their political jargon - as the ideal communists for the new Cambodian state.
The city dwellers of Phnom Penh and other Cambodian cities, on the other hand, were seen as new people (or "April 17 people"). New people were the root of all capitalist evil in the eyes of the Khmer Rouge. It didn't matter if you were a teacher, a tailor, a civil servant or a monk: new people were the embodiment of capitalism and the enemy of communism, their personal political ideologies irrelevant. The Khmer Rouge felt that new people had made an active choice to live in the cities and thus declared their allegiance to capitalism. All city dwellers became enemies of the new communist state, a status that would cost hundreds of thousands of them their lives.
Evacuation of the cities was the first of many radical steps taken by the Khmer Rouge. As new people were forced out of the urban centers they soon learned of the new rules that were being imposed by Angka ("The Organization"), the secretive team of Khmer Rouge leaders who dictated the lives of every Cambodian citizen. Among these new rules, religion, money and private ownership were all banned; communications with the outside world elimated; family relationships dismantled. All previous rights and responsibilities were thrown out the window. As was often said by the Khmer Rouge, 2000 years of Cambodian history had now come to an end; April 17 was the beginning of Year Zero for the new Cambodia: Democratic Kampuchea (DK).
To learn more about the Khmer Rouge years, please select from the following subjects:
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Meditation and Self-discipline
Vipassana is one of India's most ancient meditation techniques. Long lost to humanity, it was rediscovered by Gotama the Buddha more than 2500 years ago. The word Vipassana means seeing things as they really are. It is the process of self- purification by self-observation. One begins by observing the natural breath to concentrate the mind. With a sharpened awareness one proceeds to observe the changing nature of body and mind and experiences the universal truths of impermanence, suffering and egolessness. This truth-realization by direct experience is the process of purification. The entire path (Dhamma) is a universal remedy for universal problems and has nothing to do with any organized religion or sectarianism. For this reason, it can be freely practiced by everyone, at any time, in any place, without conflict due to race, community or religion, and will prove equally beneficial to one and all.
What Vipassana is not:
• It is not a rite or ritual based on blind faith.
• It is neither an intellectual nor a philosophical entertainment.
• It is not a rest cure, a holiday, or an opportunity for socializing.
• It is not an escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
What Vipassana is:
• It is a technique that will eradicate suffering.
• It is a method of mental purification which allows one to face life's tensions and problems in a calm, balanced way.
• It is an art of living that one can use to make positive contributions to society.
Vipassana meditation aims at the highest spiritual goals of total liberation and full enlightenment. Its purpose is never simply to cure physical disease. However, as a by-product of mental purification, many psychosomatic diseases are eradicated. In fact, Vipassana eliminates the three causes of all unhappiness: craving, aversion and ignorance. With continued practice, the meditation releases the tensions developed in everyday life, opening the knots tied by the old habit of reacting in an unbalanced way to pleasant and unpleasant situations.
Although Vipassana was developed as a technique by the Buddha, its practice is not limited to Buddhists. There is absolutely no question of conversion. The technique works on the simple basis that all human beings share the same problems and a technique which can eradicate these problems will have a universal application. People from many religious denominations have experienced the benefits of Vipassana meditation, and have found no conflict with their profession of faith.
________________________________________
Meditation and Self-discipline
The process of self-purification by introspection is certainly never easy--students have to work very hard at it. By their own efforts students arrive at their own realizations; no one else can do this for them. Therefore, the meditation will suit only those willing to work seriously and observe the discipline, which is there for the benefit and protection of the meditators and is an integral part of the meditation practice.
Ten days is certainly a very short time in which to penetrate the deepest levels of the unconscious mind and learn how to eradicate the complexes lying there. Continuity of the practice in seclusion is the secret of this technique's success. Rules and regulations have been developed keeping this practical aspect in mind. They are not primarily for the benefit of the teacher or the course management, nor are they negative expressions of tradition, orthodoxy or blind faith in some organized religion. Rather, they are based on the practical experience of thousands of meditators over the years and are both scientific and rational. Abiding by the rules creates a very conducive atmosphere for meditation; breaking them pollutes it.
A student will have to stay for the entire period of the course. The other rules should also be carefully read and considered. Only those who feel that they can honestly and scrupulously follow the discipline should apply for admission. Those not prepared to make a determined effort will waste their time and, moreover, will disturb others who wish to work seriously. A prospective student should also understand that it would be both disadvantageous and inadvisable to leave without finishing the course upon finding the discipline too difficult. Likewise, it would be most unfortunate if, in spite of repeated reminders, a student does not follow the rules and has to be asked to leave.
________________________________________
Persons With Serious Mental Disorders
People with serious mental disorders have occasionally come to Vipassana courses with the unrealistic expectation that the technique will cure or alleviate their mental problems. Unstable interpersonal relationships and a history of various treatments can be additional factors which make it difficult for such people to benefit from, or even complete, a ten-day course. Our capacity as a nonprofessional volunteer organization makes it impossible for us to properly care for people with these backgrounds. Although Vipassana meditation is beneficial for most people, it is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric treatment and we do not recommend it for people with serious psychiatric disorders.
________________________________________
The Code of Discipline
The foundation of the practice is sla — moral conduct. Sīla provides a basis for the development of samādhi — concentration of mind; and purification of the mind is achieved through paññā — the wisdom of insight.
The Precepts
All who attend a Vipassana course must conscientiously undertake the following five precepts for the duration of the course:
1. to abstain from killing any being;
2. to abstain from stealing;
3. to abstain from all sexual activity;
4. to abstain from telling lies;
5. to abstain from all intoxicants.
There are three additional precepts which old students (that is, those who have completed a course with S.N. Goenka or one of his assistant teachers) are expected to follow during the course:
6. to abstain from eating after midday;
7. to abstain from sensual entertainment and bodily decorations
8. to abstain from using high or luxurious beds.
Old students will observe the sixth precept by having tea without milk or fruit juice at the 5 p.m. break, whereas new student may have tea with milk and some fruit. The teacher may excuse an old student from observing this precept for health reasons. The seventh and eighth precept will be observed by all.
Acceptance of the Teacher and the Technique
Students must declare themselves willing to comply fully and for the duration of the course with the teacher's guidance and instructions; that is, to observe the discipline and to meditate exactly as the teacher asks, without ignoring any part of the instructions, nor adding anything to them. This acceptance should be one of discrimination and understanding, not blind submission. Only with an attitude of trust can a student work diligently and thoroughly. Such confidence in the teacher and the technique is essential for success in meditation.
Other Techniques, Rites, and Forms of Worship
During the course it is absolutely essential that all forms of prayer, worship, or religious ceremony — fasting, burning incense, counting beads, reciting mantras, singing and dancing, etc. — be discontinued. All other meditation techniques and healing or spiritual practices should also be suspended. This is not to condemn any other technique or practice, but to give a fair trial to the technique of Vipassana in its purity.
Students are strongly advised that deliberately mixing other techniques of meditation with Vipassana will impede and even reverse their progress. Despite repeated warnings by the teacher, there have been cases in the past where students have intentionally mixed this technique with a ritual or another practice, and have done themselves a great disservice. Any doubts or confusion which may arise should always be clarified by meeting with the teacher.
Interviews With the Teacher
The teacher is available to meet students privately between 12 Noon and 1:00 p.m. Questions may also be asked in public between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. in the meditation hall. The interview and question times are for clarifying the technique and for questions arising from the evening discourses.
Noble Silence
All students must observe Noble Silence from the beginning of the course until the morning of the last full day. Noble Silence means silence of body, speech, and mind. Any form of communication with fellow student, whether by gestures, sign language, written notes, etc., is prohibited.
Students may, however, speak with the teacher whenever necessary and they may approach the management with any problems related to food, accommodation, health, etc. But even these contacts should be kept to a minimum. Students should cultivate the feeling that they are working in isolation.
Separation of Men and Women
Complete segregation of men and women is to be maintained. Couples, married or otherwise, should not contact each other in any way during the course. The same applies to friends, members of the same family, etc.
Physical Contact
It is important that throughout the course there be no physical contact whatsoever between persons of the same or opposite sex.
Yoga and Physical Exercise
Although physical yoga and other exercises are compatible with Vipassana, they should be suspended during the course because proper secluded facilities are not available at the course site. Jogging is also not permitted. Students may exercise during rest periods by walking in the designated areas.
Religious Objects, Rosaries, Crystals, Talismans, etc.
No such items should be brought to the course site. If brought inadvertently they should be deposited with the management for the duration of the course.
Intoxicants and Drugs
No drugs, alcohol, or other intoxicants should be brought to the site; this also applies to tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and all other sedatives. Those taking medicines or drugs on a doctor's prescription should notify the teacher.
Tobacco
For the health and comfort of all students, smoking, chewing tobacco, and taking snuff are not permitted at the course.
Food
It is not possible to satisfy the special food preferences and requirements of all the meditators. Students are therefore kindly requested to make do with the simple vegetarian meals provided. The course management endeavors to prepare a balanced, wholesome menu suitable for meditation. If any students have been prescribed a special diet because of ill-health, they should inform the management at the time of application. Fasting is not permitted.
Clothing
Dress should be simple, modest, and comfortable. Tight, transparent, revealing, or otherwise striking clothing (such as shorts, short skirts, tights and leggings, sleeveless or skimpy tops) should not be worn. Sunbathing and partial nudity are not permitted. This is important in order to minimize distraction to others.
Laundry and Bathing
No washing machines or dryers are available, so students should bring sufficient clothing. Small items can be hand-washed. Bathing and laundry may be done only in the break periods and not during meditation hours.
Outside Contacts
Students must remain within the course boundaries throughout the course. They may leave only with the specific consent of the teacher. No outside communications is allowed before the course ends. This includes letters, phone calls and visitors. Cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices must be deposited with the management until the course ends. In case of an emergency, a friend or relative may contact the management.
Music, Reading and Writing
The playing of musical instruments, radios, etc. is not permitted. No reading or writing materials should be brought to the course. Students should not distract themselves by taking notes. The restriction on reading and writing is to emphasize the strictly practical nature of this meditation.
Tape Recorders and Cameras
These may not be used except with the express permission of the teacher.
________________________________________
Course Finances
According to the tradition of pure Vipassana, courses are run solely on a donation basis. Donations are accepted only from those who have completed at least one ten-day course with S.N. Goenka or one of his assisting teachers. Someone taking the course for the first time may give a donation on the last day of the course or any time thereafter.
In this way course are supported by those who have realized for themselves the benefits of the practice. Wishing to share these benefits with others, one gives a donation according to one's means and volition. Such donations are the only source of funding for course in this tradition around the world. There is no wealthy foundation or individual sponsoring them. Neither the teachers nor the organizers receive any kind of payment for their service. Thus, the spread of Vipassana is carried out with purity of purpose, free from any commercialism.
Whether a donation is large or small, it should be given with the wish to help others: 'The course I have taken has been paid for through the generosity of past students; now let me give something towards the cost of a future course, so that others may also benefit by this technique.'
________________________________________
Summary
To clarify the spirit behind the discipline and rules, they may be summarized as follows:
Take great care that your actions do not disturb anyone. Take no notice of distractions caused by others.
It may be that a student cannot understand the practical reasons for one or several of the above rules. Rather than allow negativity and doubt to develop, immediate clarification should be sought from the teacher.
It is only by taking a disciplined approach and by making maximum effort that a student can fully grasp the practice and benefit from it. The emphasis during the course is on work. A golden rule is to meditate as if one were alone, with one's mind turned inward, ignoring any inconveniences and distractions that one may encounter.
Finally, students should note that their progress in Vipassana depends solely on their own good qualities and personal development and on five factors: earnest efforts, confidence, sincerity, health and wisdom.
May the above information help you to obtain maximum benefit from your meditation course. We are happy to have the opportunity to serve, and wish you peace and harmony from your experience of Vipassana.
________________________________________
THE COURSE TIMETABLE
The following timetable for the course has been designed to maintain the continuity of practice. For best results students are advised to follow it as closely as possible.
4:00 am Morning wake-up bell
4:30-6:30 am Meditate in the hall or in your room
6:30-8:00 am Breakfast break
8:00-9:00 am Group meditation in the hall
9:00-11:00 am Meditate in the hall or in your room according to the teacher's instructions
11:00-12:00 noon Lunch break
12noon-1:00 pm Rest and interviews with the teacher
1:00-2:30 pm Meditate in the hall or in your room
2:30-3:30 pm Group meditation in the hall
3:30-5:00 pm Meditate in the hall or in your own room according to the teacher's instructions
5:00-6:00 pm Tea break
6:00-7:00 pm Group meditation in the hall
7:00-8:15 pm Teacher's Discourse in the hall
8:15-9:00 pm Group meditation in the hall
9:00-9:30 pm Question time in the hall
9:30 pm Retire to your own room--Lights out
________________________________________
You may download a copy of the above Code of Discipline in Adobe Acrobat format here for careful reading and review before you register for a course.
You may apply for a Vipassana meditation course by completing and submitting an application for a scheduled course.
________________________________________
Home
Questions & Answers About the Technique of Vipassana Meditation
________________________________________
Why is the course ten days long?
Actually, the ten-day course is the minimum; it provides an essential introduction and foundation to the technique. To develop in the practice is a lifetime job. Experience over generations has shown that if Vipassana is taught in periods of less than ten days, the student does not get a sufficient experiential grasp of the technique. Traditionally, Vipassana was taught in retreats lasting seven weeks. With the dawning of the 20th century, the teachers of this tradition began to experiment with shorter times to suit the quickening pace of life. They tried thirty days, two weeks, ten days, down to seven days--and they found that less than ten days is not enough time for the mind to settle down and work deeply with the mind-body phenomenon.
________________________________________
How many hours a day will I be meditating?
The day begins at 4:00 a.m. with a wakeup bell and continues until 9:00 p.m. There are about ten hours of meditation throughout the day, interspersed with regular breaks and rest periods. Every evening at 7:00 p.m. there is a videotaped lecture by the Teacher, S.N. Goenka, which provides a context for meditators to understand their experience of the day. This schedule has proved workable and beneficial for hundreds of thousands of people for decades.
________________________________________
What language is used in the course?
The teaching is given through recordings of S.N. Goenka, speaking in English or Hindi, together with a translation into a local language. Tape translations exist in most of the major languages of the world, including English.
If the teachers conducting a course do not speak the local language fluently, interpreters will be there to help.
Language is usually no barrier for someone who wants to join a course.
________________________________________
How much does the course cost?
Each student who attends a Vipassana course is given this gift by a previous student. There is no charge for either the teaching, or for room and board. All Vipassana courses worldwide are run on a strictly voluntary donation basis. At the end of your course, if you have benefited from the experience, you are welcome to donate for the coming course, according to your volition and your means.
________________________________________
How much are teachers paid to conduct courses?
Teachers receive no payment, donations or other material benefit. They are required to have their own private means of support. This rule means that some of them may have less time for teaching, but it protects students from exploitation and it guards against commercialism. In this tradition, teachers give Vipassana purely as a service to others. All they get is the satisfaction of seeing people's happiness at the end of ten days.
________________________________________
I can't sit cross legged. Can I meditate?
Certainly. Chairs are provided for those unable to sit comfortably on the floor because of age or a physical problem.
________________________________________
I'm on a special diet. Can I bring my own food?
If your doctor has prescribed a special diet, let us know and we will see whether we can provide what you need. If the diet is too specialized or would interfere with meditation, we might have to ask you to wait until you can be more flexible. We're sorry but students are required to choose from the food provided to them, rather than bring food for themselves. Most people find the choice is ample and they enjoy the simple vegetarian diet.
________________________________________
Can pregnant women attend courses? Are there any special arrangements or instructions for them?
Pregnant women may certainly attend, and many women come specifically during pregnancy to take advantage of the opportunity to work deeply and in silence during this special time. We ask pregnant women to ensure they are confident that their pregnancy is stable before applying. We provide the extra food they need and ask them to work in a relaxed way.
________________________________________
Why is a course conducted in silence?
All students attending the course observe "noble silence" — that is, silence of body, speech and mind. They agree to refrain from communicating with their co-meditators. However, students are free to contact the management about their material needs, and to speak with the instructor. Silence is observed for the first nine full days. On the tenth day, speech is resumed as a way of re-establishing the normal pattern of daily life. Continuity of practice is the secret of success in this course; silence is an essential component in maintaining this continuity.
________________________________________
How can I be sure I am capable of doing the meditation?
For a person in reasonable physical and mental health who is genuinely interested and willing to make a sincere effort, meditation (including "noble silence") is not difficult. If you are able to follow the instructions patiently and diligently, you can be sure of tangible results. Though it may appear daunting, the day's schedule is neither too severe nor too relaxed. Moreover, the presence of other students practicing conscientiously in a peaceful and conducive atmosphere lends tremendous support to one's efforts.
________________________________________
Is there anyone who should not participate in a course?
Obviously someone who is physically too weak to follow the schedule will not be able to benefit from a course. The same is true of someone suffering from psychiatric problems, or someone undergoing emotional upheaval. Through a process of questions and answers, we will be able to help you decide clearly beforehand whether you are in a position to benefit fully from a course. In some cases applicants are asked to get approval from their doctor before they can be accepted.
________________________________________
Can Vipassana cure physical or mental diseases?
Many diseases are caused by our inner agitation. If the agitation is removed, the disease may be alleviated or disappear. But learning Vipassana with the aim of curing a disease is a mistake that never works. People who try to do this waste their time because they are focusing on the wrong goal. They may even harm themselves. They will neither understand the meditation properly nor succeed in getting rid of the disease.
________________________________________
How about depression? Does Vipassana cure that?
Again, the purpose of Vipassana is not to cure diseases. Someone who really practices Vipassana learns to be happy and balanced in all circumstances. But a person with a history of severe depression may not be able to apply the technique properly and may not get the desired results. The best thing for such a person is to work with a health professional. Vipassana teachers are meditation experts, not psychotherapists.
________________________________________
Can Vipassana make people mentally unbalanced?
No. Vipassana teaches you to be aware and equanimous, that is, balanced, despite all the ups and downs of life. But if someone comes to a course concealing serious emotional problems, that person may be unable to understand the technique or to apply it properly to achieve the desired results. This is why it is important to let us know your past history so that we can judge whether you will benefit from a course.
________________________________________
Do I have to be a Buddhist to practice Vipassana?
People from many religions and no religion have found the meditation course helpful and beneficial. Vipassana is an art of living, a way of life. While it is the essence of what the Buddha taught, it is not a religion; rather, it is the cultivation of human values leading to a life which is good for oneself and good for others.
________________________________________
Why do I have to stay for the entire ten days?
Vipassana is taught step by step, with a new step added each day to the end of the course. If you leave early, you do not learn the full teaching and do not give the technique a chance to work for you. Also, by meditating intensively, a course participant initiates a process that reaches fulfillment with the completion of the course. Interrupting the process before completion is not advisable.
________________________________________
Is it dangerous to leave a course early?
The point is that leaving early is shortchanging yourself. You don't give yourself a chance to learn the full technique and so you won't be able to apply it successfully in daily life. You also interrupt the process in the middle rather than letting it come to the proper conclusion. To get home a day or two early, you waste all the time you have invested.
How about the tenth day, when talking is allowed and serious meditation stops? Can I leave then?
The tenth day is a very important transition back to ordinary life. No one is permitted to leave on that day
What Vipassana is not:
• It is not a rite or ritual based on blind faith.
• It is neither an intellectual nor a philosophical entertainment.
• It is not a rest cure, a holiday, or an opportunity for socializing.
• It is not an escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
What Vipassana is:
• It is a technique that will eradicate suffering.
• It is a method of mental purification which allows one to face life's tensions and problems in a calm, balanced way.
• It is an art of living that one can use to make positive contributions to society.
Vipassana meditation aims at the highest spiritual goals of total liberation and full enlightenment. Its purpose is never simply to cure physical disease. However, as a by-product of mental purification, many psychosomatic diseases are eradicated. In fact, Vipassana eliminates the three causes of all unhappiness: craving, aversion and ignorance. With continued practice, the meditation releases the tensions developed in everyday life, opening the knots tied by the old habit of reacting in an unbalanced way to pleasant and unpleasant situations.
Although Vipassana was developed as a technique by the Buddha, its practice is not limited to Buddhists. There is absolutely no question of conversion. The technique works on the simple basis that all human beings share the same problems and a technique which can eradicate these problems will have a universal application. People from many religious denominations have experienced the benefits of Vipassana meditation, and have found no conflict with their profession of faith.
________________________________________
Meditation and Self-discipline
The process of self-purification by introspection is certainly never easy--students have to work very hard at it. By their own efforts students arrive at their own realizations; no one else can do this for them. Therefore, the meditation will suit only those willing to work seriously and observe the discipline, which is there for the benefit and protection of the meditators and is an integral part of the meditation practice.
Ten days is certainly a very short time in which to penetrate the deepest levels of the unconscious mind and learn how to eradicate the complexes lying there. Continuity of the practice in seclusion is the secret of this technique's success. Rules and regulations have been developed keeping this practical aspect in mind. They are not primarily for the benefit of the teacher or the course management, nor are they negative expressions of tradition, orthodoxy or blind faith in some organized religion. Rather, they are based on the practical experience of thousands of meditators over the years and are both scientific and rational. Abiding by the rules creates a very conducive atmosphere for meditation; breaking them pollutes it.
A student will have to stay for the entire period of the course. The other rules should also be carefully read and considered. Only those who feel that they can honestly and scrupulously follow the discipline should apply for admission. Those not prepared to make a determined effort will waste their time and, moreover, will disturb others who wish to work seriously. A prospective student should also understand that it would be both disadvantageous and inadvisable to leave without finishing the course upon finding the discipline too difficult. Likewise, it would be most unfortunate if, in spite of repeated reminders, a student does not follow the rules and has to be asked to leave.
________________________________________
Persons With Serious Mental Disorders
People with serious mental disorders have occasionally come to Vipassana courses with the unrealistic expectation that the technique will cure or alleviate their mental problems. Unstable interpersonal relationships and a history of various treatments can be additional factors which make it difficult for such people to benefit from, or even complete, a ten-day course. Our capacity as a nonprofessional volunteer organization makes it impossible for us to properly care for people with these backgrounds. Although Vipassana meditation is beneficial for most people, it is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric treatment and we do not recommend it for people with serious psychiatric disorders.
________________________________________
The Code of Discipline
The foundation of the practice is sla — moral conduct. Sīla provides a basis for the development of samādhi — concentration of mind; and purification of the mind is achieved through paññā — the wisdom of insight.
The Precepts
All who attend a Vipassana course must conscientiously undertake the following five precepts for the duration of the course:
1. to abstain from killing any being;
2. to abstain from stealing;
3. to abstain from all sexual activity;
4. to abstain from telling lies;
5. to abstain from all intoxicants.
There are three additional precepts which old students (that is, those who have completed a course with S.N. Goenka or one of his assistant teachers) are expected to follow during the course:
6. to abstain from eating after midday;
7. to abstain from sensual entertainment and bodily decorations
8. to abstain from using high or luxurious beds.
Old students will observe the sixth precept by having tea without milk or fruit juice at the 5 p.m. break, whereas new student may have tea with milk and some fruit. The teacher may excuse an old student from observing this precept for health reasons. The seventh and eighth precept will be observed by all.
Acceptance of the Teacher and the Technique
Students must declare themselves willing to comply fully and for the duration of the course with the teacher's guidance and instructions; that is, to observe the discipline and to meditate exactly as the teacher asks, without ignoring any part of the instructions, nor adding anything to them. This acceptance should be one of discrimination and understanding, not blind submission. Only with an attitude of trust can a student work diligently and thoroughly. Such confidence in the teacher and the technique is essential for success in meditation.
Other Techniques, Rites, and Forms of Worship
During the course it is absolutely essential that all forms of prayer, worship, or religious ceremony — fasting, burning incense, counting beads, reciting mantras, singing and dancing, etc. — be discontinued. All other meditation techniques and healing or spiritual practices should also be suspended. This is not to condemn any other technique or practice, but to give a fair trial to the technique of Vipassana in its purity.
Students are strongly advised that deliberately mixing other techniques of meditation with Vipassana will impede and even reverse their progress. Despite repeated warnings by the teacher, there have been cases in the past where students have intentionally mixed this technique with a ritual or another practice, and have done themselves a great disservice. Any doubts or confusion which may arise should always be clarified by meeting with the teacher.
Interviews With the Teacher
The teacher is available to meet students privately between 12 Noon and 1:00 p.m. Questions may also be asked in public between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. in the meditation hall. The interview and question times are for clarifying the technique and for questions arising from the evening discourses.
Noble Silence
All students must observe Noble Silence from the beginning of the course until the morning of the last full day. Noble Silence means silence of body, speech, and mind. Any form of communication with fellow student, whether by gestures, sign language, written notes, etc., is prohibited.
Students may, however, speak with the teacher whenever necessary and they may approach the management with any problems related to food, accommodation, health, etc. But even these contacts should be kept to a minimum. Students should cultivate the feeling that they are working in isolation.
Separation of Men and Women
Complete segregation of men and women is to be maintained. Couples, married or otherwise, should not contact each other in any way during the course. The same applies to friends, members of the same family, etc.
Physical Contact
It is important that throughout the course there be no physical contact whatsoever between persons of the same or opposite sex.
Yoga and Physical Exercise
Although physical yoga and other exercises are compatible with Vipassana, they should be suspended during the course because proper secluded facilities are not available at the course site. Jogging is also not permitted. Students may exercise during rest periods by walking in the designated areas.
Religious Objects, Rosaries, Crystals, Talismans, etc.
No such items should be brought to the course site. If brought inadvertently they should be deposited with the management for the duration of the course.
Intoxicants and Drugs
No drugs, alcohol, or other intoxicants should be brought to the site; this also applies to tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and all other sedatives. Those taking medicines or drugs on a doctor's prescription should notify the teacher.
Tobacco
For the health and comfort of all students, smoking, chewing tobacco, and taking snuff are not permitted at the course.
Food
It is not possible to satisfy the special food preferences and requirements of all the meditators. Students are therefore kindly requested to make do with the simple vegetarian meals provided. The course management endeavors to prepare a balanced, wholesome menu suitable for meditation. If any students have been prescribed a special diet because of ill-health, they should inform the management at the time of application. Fasting is not permitted.
Clothing
Dress should be simple, modest, and comfortable. Tight, transparent, revealing, or otherwise striking clothing (such as shorts, short skirts, tights and leggings, sleeveless or skimpy tops) should not be worn. Sunbathing and partial nudity are not permitted. This is important in order to minimize distraction to others.
Laundry and Bathing
No washing machines or dryers are available, so students should bring sufficient clothing. Small items can be hand-washed. Bathing and laundry may be done only in the break periods and not during meditation hours.
Outside Contacts
Students must remain within the course boundaries throughout the course. They may leave only with the specific consent of the teacher. No outside communications is allowed before the course ends. This includes letters, phone calls and visitors. Cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices must be deposited with the management until the course ends. In case of an emergency, a friend or relative may contact the management.
Music, Reading and Writing
The playing of musical instruments, radios, etc. is not permitted. No reading or writing materials should be brought to the course. Students should not distract themselves by taking notes. The restriction on reading and writing is to emphasize the strictly practical nature of this meditation.
Tape Recorders and Cameras
These may not be used except with the express permission of the teacher.
________________________________________
Course Finances
According to the tradition of pure Vipassana, courses are run solely on a donation basis. Donations are accepted only from those who have completed at least one ten-day course with S.N. Goenka or one of his assisting teachers. Someone taking the course for the first time may give a donation on the last day of the course or any time thereafter.
In this way course are supported by those who have realized for themselves the benefits of the practice. Wishing to share these benefits with others, one gives a donation according to one's means and volition. Such donations are the only source of funding for course in this tradition around the world. There is no wealthy foundation or individual sponsoring them. Neither the teachers nor the organizers receive any kind of payment for their service. Thus, the spread of Vipassana is carried out with purity of purpose, free from any commercialism.
Whether a donation is large or small, it should be given with the wish to help others: 'The course I have taken has been paid for through the generosity of past students; now let me give something towards the cost of a future course, so that others may also benefit by this technique.'
________________________________________
Summary
To clarify the spirit behind the discipline and rules, they may be summarized as follows:
Take great care that your actions do not disturb anyone. Take no notice of distractions caused by others.
It may be that a student cannot understand the practical reasons for one or several of the above rules. Rather than allow negativity and doubt to develop, immediate clarification should be sought from the teacher.
It is only by taking a disciplined approach and by making maximum effort that a student can fully grasp the practice and benefit from it. The emphasis during the course is on work. A golden rule is to meditate as if one were alone, with one's mind turned inward, ignoring any inconveniences and distractions that one may encounter.
Finally, students should note that their progress in Vipassana depends solely on their own good qualities and personal development and on five factors: earnest efforts, confidence, sincerity, health and wisdom.
May the above information help you to obtain maximum benefit from your meditation course. We are happy to have the opportunity to serve, and wish you peace and harmony from your experience of Vipassana.
________________________________________
THE COURSE TIMETABLE
The following timetable for the course has been designed to maintain the continuity of practice. For best results students are advised to follow it as closely as possible.
4:00 am Morning wake-up bell
4:30-6:30 am Meditate in the hall or in your room
6:30-8:00 am Breakfast break
8:00-9:00 am Group meditation in the hall
9:00-11:00 am Meditate in the hall or in your room according to the teacher's instructions
11:00-12:00 noon Lunch break
12noon-1:00 pm Rest and interviews with the teacher
1:00-2:30 pm Meditate in the hall or in your room
2:30-3:30 pm Group meditation in the hall
3:30-5:00 pm Meditate in the hall or in your own room according to the teacher's instructions
5:00-6:00 pm Tea break
6:00-7:00 pm Group meditation in the hall
7:00-8:15 pm Teacher's Discourse in the hall
8:15-9:00 pm Group meditation in the hall
9:00-9:30 pm Question time in the hall
9:30 pm Retire to your own room--Lights out
________________________________________
You may download a copy of the above Code of Discipline in Adobe Acrobat format here for careful reading and review before you register for a course.
You may apply for a Vipassana meditation course by completing and submitting an application for a scheduled course.
________________________________________
Home
Questions & Answers About the Technique of Vipassana Meditation
________________________________________
Why is the course ten days long?
Actually, the ten-day course is the minimum; it provides an essential introduction and foundation to the technique. To develop in the practice is a lifetime job. Experience over generations has shown that if Vipassana is taught in periods of less than ten days, the student does not get a sufficient experiential grasp of the technique. Traditionally, Vipassana was taught in retreats lasting seven weeks. With the dawning of the 20th century, the teachers of this tradition began to experiment with shorter times to suit the quickening pace of life. They tried thirty days, two weeks, ten days, down to seven days--and they found that less than ten days is not enough time for the mind to settle down and work deeply with the mind-body phenomenon.
________________________________________
How many hours a day will I be meditating?
The day begins at 4:00 a.m. with a wakeup bell and continues until 9:00 p.m. There are about ten hours of meditation throughout the day, interspersed with regular breaks and rest periods. Every evening at 7:00 p.m. there is a videotaped lecture by the Teacher, S.N. Goenka, which provides a context for meditators to understand their experience of the day. This schedule has proved workable and beneficial for hundreds of thousands of people for decades.
________________________________________
What language is used in the course?
The teaching is given through recordings of S.N. Goenka, speaking in English or Hindi, together with a translation into a local language. Tape translations exist in most of the major languages of the world, including English.
If the teachers conducting a course do not speak the local language fluently, interpreters will be there to help.
Language is usually no barrier for someone who wants to join a course.
________________________________________
How much does the course cost?
Each student who attends a Vipassana course is given this gift by a previous student. There is no charge for either the teaching, or for room and board. All Vipassana courses worldwide are run on a strictly voluntary donation basis. At the end of your course, if you have benefited from the experience, you are welcome to donate for the coming course, according to your volition and your means.
________________________________________
How much are teachers paid to conduct courses?
Teachers receive no payment, donations or other material benefit. They are required to have their own private means of support. This rule means that some of them may have less time for teaching, but it protects students from exploitation and it guards against commercialism. In this tradition, teachers give Vipassana purely as a service to others. All they get is the satisfaction of seeing people's happiness at the end of ten days.
________________________________________
I can't sit cross legged. Can I meditate?
Certainly. Chairs are provided for those unable to sit comfortably on the floor because of age or a physical problem.
________________________________________
I'm on a special diet. Can I bring my own food?
If your doctor has prescribed a special diet, let us know and we will see whether we can provide what you need. If the diet is too specialized or would interfere with meditation, we might have to ask you to wait until you can be more flexible. We're sorry but students are required to choose from the food provided to them, rather than bring food for themselves. Most people find the choice is ample and they enjoy the simple vegetarian diet.
________________________________________
Can pregnant women attend courses? Are there any special arrangements or instructions for them?
Pregnant women may certainly attend, and many women come specifically during pregnancy to take advantage of the opportunity to work deeply and in silence during this special time. We ask pregnant women to ensure they are confident that their pregnancy is stable before applying. We provide the extra food they need and ask them to work in a relaxed way.
________________________________________
Why is a course conducted in silence?
All students attending the course observe "noble silence" — that is, silence of body, speech and mind. They agree to refrain from communicating with their co-meditators. However, students are free to contact the management about their material needs, and to speak with the instructor. Silence is observed for the first nine full days. On the tenth day, speech is resumed as a way of re-establishing the normal pattern of daily life. Continuity of practice is the secret of success in this course; silence is an essential component in maintaining this continuity.
________________________________________
How can I be sure I am capable of doing the meditation?
For a person in reasonable physical and mental health who is genuinely interested and willing to make a sincere effort, meditation (including "noble silence") is not difficult. If you are able to follow the instructions patiently and diligently, you can be sure of tangible results. Though it may appear daunting, the day's schedule is neither too severe nor too relaxed. Moreover, the presence of other students practicing conscientiously in a peaceful and conducive atmosphere lends tremendous support to one's efforts.
________________________________________
Is there anyone who should not participate in a course?
Obviously someone who is physically too weak to follow the schedule will not be able to benefit from a course. The same is true of someone suffering from psychiatric problems, or someone undergoing emotional upheaval. Through a process of questions and answers, we will be able to help you decide clearly beforehand whether you are in a position to benefit fully from a course. In some cases applicants are asked to get approval from their doctor before they can be accepted.
________________________________________
Can Vipassana cure physical or mental diseases?
Many diseases are caused by our inner agitation. If the agitation is removed, the disease may be alleviated or disappear. But learning Vipassana with the aim of curing a disease is a mistake that never works. People who try to do this waste their time because they are focusing on the wrong goal. They may even harm themselves. They will neither understand the meditation properly nor succeed in getting rid of the disease.
________________________________________
How about depression? Does Vipassana cure that?
Again, the purpose of Vipassana is not to cure diseases. Someone who really practices Vipassana learns to be happy and balanced in all circumstances. But a person with a history of severe depression may not be able to apply the technique properly and may not get the desired results. The best thing for such a person is to work with a health professional. Vipassana teachers are meditation experts, not psychotherapists.
________________________________________
Can Vipassana make people mentally unbalanced?
No. Vipassana teaches you to be aware and equanimous, that is, balanced, despite all the ups and downs of life. But if someone comes to a course concealing serious emotional problems, that person may be unable to understand the technique or to apply it properly to achieve the desired results. This is why it is important to let us know your past history so that we can judge whether you will benefit from a course.
________________________________________
Do I have to be a Buddhist to practice Vipassana?
People from many religions and no religion have found the meditation course helpful and beneficial. Vipassana is an art of living, a way of life. While it is the essence of what the Buddha taught, it is not a religion; rather, it is the cultivation of human values leading to a life which is good for oneself and good for others.
________________________________________
Why do I have to stay for the entire ten days?
Vipassana is taught step by step, with a new step added each day to the end of the course. If you leave early, you do not learn the full teaching and do not give the technique a chance to work for you. Also, by meditating intensively, a course participant initiates a process that reaches fulfillment with the completion of the course. Interrupting the process before completion is not advisable.
________________________________________
Is it dangerous to leave a course early?
The point is that leaving early is shortchanging yourself. You don't give yourself a chance to learn the full technique and so you won't be able to apply it successfully in daily life. You also interrupt the process in the middle rather than letting it come to the proper conclusion. To get home a day or two early, you waste all the time you have invested.
How about the tenth day, when talking is allowed and serious meditation stops? Can I leave then?
The tenth day is a very important transition back to ordinary life. No one is permitted to leave on that day
ខេត្តកំពង់ចាម ៖ ស្ត្រីមានផ្ទៃពោះ៧ខែ ឈ្មោះកើត ចាន់ថា អាយុ៤០ឆ្នាំ រស់នៅភូមិស្រាំជើង ឃុំស្រម៉ ស្រុកជើងព្រៃ ត្រូវបានរន្ទះបាញ់រយះអាវ និងធ្លុះធ្លាយសំពត់ និងខ្មៅរោលលើដើមទ្រូង បណ្តាលឱ្យ សន្លប់ជាង១ម៉ោង ហើយត្រូវបានបុរសជាប្តីនាំមកសង្គ្រោះ នៅមន្ទីរពេទ្យខេត្តជាបន្ទាន់ ។
នៅក្នុងមន្ទីរពេទ្យបុរសឈ្មោះហ៉ិន ស៊្រា ជាប្តីរបស់ស្ត្រីរងគ្រោះប្រាប់ឱ្យដឹងនាព្រឹកថ្ងៃទី១៨ សីហា ថា បាតុភូធម្មជាតិរន្ទះបាញ់នេះ បានកើតឡើងកាលពីវេលាម៉ោង៣និង៣០នាទីរសៀលថ្ងៃទី១៧ សីហា នៅ ចំណុចមុខផ្ទះឈើរបស់គាត់ប្រហែលជា៥ម៉ែត្រប៉ុណ្ណោះ បណ្តាលឱ្យប្រពន្ធវិល១ជុំដួលទៅលើដីសន្លប់ ១ម៉ោងកន្លះ។ បុរសជាប្តីរូបនេះបានប្រាប់បន្តថា ដំបូងរូបគាត់ និងប្រពន្ធកំពុងតែអង្គុយលេងនៅក្រោមផ្ទះ បន្ទាប់មកឃើញមេឃខ្មៅរកកល់ចង់ភ្លៀង ក៏បានប្រាប់ប្រពន្ធឱ្យចេញទៅសាខោអាវដែលហាលនៅក្បែរ អណ្តូងទឹក។ គ្រាន់តែចេញដើរបានប្រហែល៥ម៉ែត្រពីមុខផ្ទះ ស្រាប់តែមានភ្លើងឡើងក្រហមច្រាលចេញ ពីក្នុងដី ជារន្ទះភ្លើង ត្រូវលើរាងកាយប្រពន្ធឡើងរយះអាវ និងធ្លុះធ្លាយសំពត់ឆេះសក់ឡើងរួញផ្នែក ខាងក្រោយ និង រោលឡើងខ្មៅត្រង់ដើមទ្រូងមកពោះបណ្តាលឱ្យសន្លប់ ព្រមទាំងលៀនភ្នែកទាំងសងខាង គាត់នឹកស្មានតែស្លាប់ទៅហើយ ភ្លាមៗនោះមិនហ៊ានទៅប៉ះពាល់ប្រពន្ធទេ ព្រោះចាស់ៗមិនឱ្យប៉ះ តែបើប៉ះ នឹងស្លាប់។ ប្រហែល២៥នាទីក្រោយមកមេឃបានបង្អុរភ្លៀងធ្លាក់ចុះមក តែគាត់យកកៅស៊ូតង់គ្របពីលើ និងនិមន្តព្រះសង្ឃ៤អង្គឱ្យមកសូត្ររំដោះគ្រោះទាំងក្រោមតំណក់ភ្លៀង ។ បុរសជាប្តីបានអះអាងថា ខណៈពេលរន្ទះបាញ់ប្រពន្ធ ដំបូងនឹកស្មានតែប្រពន្ធដើរជាន់មីនផ្ទុះធ្វើឱ្យខ្លួនភ័យ យ៉ាងខ្លាំង ប៉ុន្តែពេលអត់ឃើញមានហុយផ្សែង ឬហុយដី ទើបដឹងថា ជាបាតុភូតរន្ទះបាញ់ទេ ។ លុះពេល ព្រះសង្ឃកំពុងសូត្រមន្ត
នោះ ប្រពន្ធរបស់គាត់ ឈ្មោះចាន់ ថា បានមានដង្ហើមដូចធម្មតាវិញ ព្រមទាំងហៅ គ្រូពេទ្យដែលនៅជិតនោះឱ្យមកជួយមើលព្យាបាល គេមិនហ៊ានមើលឡើយ ។ ឃើញបែបនេះខ្លួន បានប្រញាប់ហៅរថយន្តដឹកមកសង្គ្រោះនៅមន្ទីរពេទ្យខេត្តជាបន្ទាន់ ហើយអ្វីដែលធ្វើឱ្យមានការព្រួយបារម្ភ បន្ថែមលើសនេះទៀតនោះគឺកូននៅក្នុងផ្ទៃមិនរើបម្រះសោះ ។ ស្ត្រីរងគ្រោះប្រាប់ថា រន្ទះបាញ់ត្រូវខ្លួនសន្លប់ លុះពេលដឹងខ្លួនវិញមានភាពក្រហល់ក្រហាយលើរាងកាយ ជាខ្លាំង មិនដឹងថា កូនក្នុងផ្ទៃយ៉ាងណានោះទេ ។ បុរសជាប្តីបន្ថែមទៀតថា សូម្បីខ្សែ.កប្លាទីន១ខ្សែ ក៏ត្រូវផ្លោងដាច់ចេញពីកប្រពន្ធមិនដឹងជាខ្ទាតទៅឯណាទេ ហើយដើមត្នោត១ដើមនៅក្បែរផ្ទះក៏ត្រូវរន្ទះ បាញ់ឆេះខាងចុងទៀត ។
នៅក្នុងមន្ទីរពេទ្យបុរសឈ្មោះហ៉ិន ស៊្រា ជាប្តីរបស់ស្ត្រីរងគ្រោះប្រាប់ឱ្យដឹងនាព្រឹកថ្ងៃទី១៨ សីហា ថា បាតុភូធម្មជាតិរន្ទះបាញ់នេះ បានកើតឡើងកាលពីវេលាម៉ោង៣និង៣០នាទីរសៀលថ្ងៃទី១៧ សីហា នៅ ចំណុចមុខផ្ទះឈើរបស់គាត់ប្រហែលជា៥ម៉ែត្រប៉ុណ្ណោះ បណ្តាលឱ្យប្រពន្ធវិល១ជុំដួលទៅលើដីសន្លប់ ១ម៉ោងកន្លះ។ បុរសជាប្តីរូបនេះបានប្រាប់បន្តថា ដំបូងរូបគាត់ និងប្រពន្ធកំពុងតែអង្គុយលេងនៅក្រោមផ្ទះ បន្ទាប់មកឃើញមេឃខ្មៅរកកល់ចង់ភ្លៀង ក៏បានប្រាប់ប្រពន្ធឱ្យចេញទៅសាខោអាវដែលហាលនៅក្បែរ អណ្តូងទឹក។ គ្រាន់តែចេញដើរបានប្រហែល៥ម៉ែត្រពីមុខផ្ទះ ស្រាប់តែមានភ្លើងឡើងក្រហមច្រាលចេញ ពីក្នុងដី ជារន្ទះភ្លើង ត្រូវលើរាងកាយប្រពន្ធឡើងរយះអាវ និងធ្លុះធ្លាយសំពត់ឆេះសក់ឡើងរួញផ្នែក ខាងក្រោយ និង រោលឡើងខ្មៅត្រង់ដើមទ្រូងមកពោះបណ្តាលឱ្យសន្លប់ ព្រមទាំងលៀនភ្នែកទាំងសងខាង គាត់នឹកស្មានតែស្លាប់ទៅហើយ ភ្លាមៗនោះមិនហ៊ានទៅប៉ះពាល់ប្រពន្ធទេ ព្រោះចាស់ៗមិនឱ្យប៉ះ តែបើប៉ះ នឹងស្លាប់។ ប្រហែល២៥នាទីក្រោយមកមេឃបានបង្អុរភ្លៀងធ្លាក់ចុះមក តែគាត់យកកៅស៊ូតង់គ្របពីលើ និងនិមន្តព្រះសង្ឃ៤អង្គឱ្យមកសូត្ររំដោះគ្រោះទាំងក្រោមតំណក់ភ្លៀង ។ បុរសជាប្តីបានអះអាងថា ខណៈពេលរន្ទះបាញ់ប្រពន្ធ ដំបូងនឹកស្មានតែប្រពន្ធដើរជាន់មីនផ្ទុះធ្វើឱ្យខ្លួនភ័យ យ៉ាងខ្លាំង ប៉ុន្តែពេលអត់ឃើញមានហុយផ្សែង ឬហុយដី ទើបដឹងថា ជាបាតុភូតរន្ទះបាញ់ទេ ។ លុះពេល ព្រះសង្ឃកំពុងសូត្រមន្ត
នោះ ប្រពន្ធរបស់គាត់ ឈ្មោះចាន់ ថា បានមានដង្ហើមដូចធម្មតាវិញ ព្រមទាំងហៅ គ្រូពេទ្យដែលនៅជិតនោះឱ្យមកជួយមើលព្យាបាល គេមិនហ៊ានមើលឡើយ ។ ឃើញបែបនេះខ្លួន បានប្រញាប់ហៅរថយន្តដឹកមកសង្គ្រោះនៅមន្ទីរពេទ្យខេត្តជាបន្ទាន់ ហើយអ្វីដែលធ្វើឱ្យមានការព្រួយបារម្ភ បន្ថែមលើសនេះទៀតនោះគឺកូននៅក្នុងផ្ទៃមិនរើបម្រះសោះ ។ ស្ត្រីរងគ្រោះប្រាប់ថា រន្ទះបាញ់ត្រូវខ្លួនសន្លប់ លុះពេលដឹងខ្លួនវិញមានភាពក្រហល់ក្រហាយលើរាងកាយ ជាខ្លាំង មិនដឹងថា កូនក្នុងផ្ទៃយ៉ាងណានោះទេ ។ បុរសជាប្តីបន្ថែមទៀតថា សូម្បីខ្សែ.កប្លាទីន១ខ្សែ ក៏ត្រូវផ្លោងដាច់ចេញពីកប្រពន្ធមិនដឹងជាខ្ទាតទៅឯណាទេ ហើយដើមត្នោត១ដើមនៅក្បែរផ្ទះក៏ត្រូវរន្ទះ បាញ់ឆេះខាងចុងទៀត ។
Saturday, February 21, 2009
វត្តភ្នំ ជាចំណុចកណ្តាលនៃទីក្រុងភ្នំពេញ
វត្តភ្នំ ជាចំណុចកណ្តាលនៃទីក្រុងភ្នំពេញ ហើយក៏ជាទីកន្លែងមួយ សំរាប់ភ្ញៀវទេសចរណ៍ មកលេង កំសាន្តផងដែរ។ ដោយសារតែវាលស្មៅខៀវខ្ចី គ្រប់រដូវ និងដើមឈើដុះ ជាជួរៗ អ្នកដែល មកលេងទីនេះស្ទើរ មិនចង់ត្រឡប់ទៅផ្ទះ វិញឡើយ។ សត្វស្វានៅទីនេះក៏បានចូលរួមចំណែកមួយភាគ ក្នុងការទាក់ទាញភ្ញៀវទេសចរណ៍ ប៉ុន្តែដោយភាព រប៉ិល រប៉ូច របស់វា បានបង្កផល់លំបាកដល់ទីវត្តអារាមនៅទីនេះផងដែរ។
រសៀលបន្តិចហើយ ភ្ញៀវទេសចរណ៍ទាំងឡាយ កំពុងតែសប្បាយ នឹងទេសភាពដ៏ស្រស់ត្រកាលនៃរមណីយដ្ឋាន វត្ដភ្នំដែលមានសត្វស្វាតូចធំកំពុងប្រតោង លេងលើមែកឈើ និងកំពុង រើសចំណី ដែលមនុស្សបោះឲ្យស៊ី យ៉ាងសប្បាយរីករាយ។ ទន្ទឹមនឹងការបណ្ដែត អារម្មណ៌នេះ ស្រាប់តែមានសម្លេងមួយលាន់លឺឡើង «ប្រាវ ប្រាវ» ចេញពីដំបូលព្រះវិហារ ប្រក់ក្បឿង។ កាពិត នេះគឺជាសម្លេងពួកកម្មកររុះរើក្បឿងព្រះវិហារដែលខូចខាតដោយសារ សត្វស្វាមួយក្រុមដែលរស់នៅទីនោះ។
កំពុងត្រួតពិនិត្យមើលពួកកម្មករ រុះរើក្បឿងបែកបាក់ចេញ ពីដំបូលព្រះវិហារ បុរសមាន មាឌធំម្នាក់សំបុរស ឈ្មោះ មាស ចំរើន អាយុ ៣១ឆ្នាំជាអ្នកមើលការខុសត្រូវនៅលើព្រះវិហារនេះ បានប្រាប់ ថា៖«ក្បឿងនេះបែកដោយសារពួក សត្វស្វា ដែលមកលេងលើដំបូលព្រះវិហារនេះរាល់ថ្ងៃ។ មិនត្រឹមតែក្បឿងទេ សូម្បីតែអំពូលភ្លើងតាម សសរព្រះវិហារក៏ត្រូវពួកវាបំផ្លាញដែរ»។ គាត់បន្តទៀតថា រៀងរាល់ពីរខែម្តង គាត់ត្រូវរុះរើក្បឿងម្ដង ព្រោះខ្លាច ក្បឿងធ្លាក់លើអ្នកមកកំសាន្ដនៅទីនេះ។
ក្នុងសំលៀកបំពាក់ជាតាអាចារ្យ លោក សូត្រ ចាកផន មានប្រសាសន៍ថា៖ «ពួកស្វាអស់នេះបើគ្រាន់តែយករំពាត់ មកកំឡាវា វាមិនខ្លាចទេ ទាល់តែយកចំពាមកៅស៊ូទើបវាខ្លាច»។
មានប្រសាសន៍ស្រដៀងគ្នានេះ លោកតាអាចារ្យ នាក់ ផាន្នី ជាអាចារ្យវត្ដនៅទីនេះបាននិយាយ ជាមួយនឹងកាយវិការ ចង្អុលទៅព្រះពុទ្ធអង្គ និងសសរព្រះវិហារថា ស្វាមកអុកឡុកដល់កន្លែងព្រះពុទ្ធអង្គ ហើយថែមទាំងបំផ្លាញ អំពូល ដែលមានទាំងអម្បាលមាណក្នុងព្រះវិហារអស់រលីង។ លោកអាចារ្យន្ថែមទៀតថា ដោយសារសត្វស្វា គាត់ត្រូវរង ការប្ដឹង ពីសំណាក់អ្នកមកអុជធូបនៅទីនេះក្រោយពីពួកគេត្រូវសត្វស្វាខាំ និងបានយកកាបូប របស់ពួកគេ រត់ទៅ បាត់។
លោកតាអាចារ្យ នាក់ ផាន្នី យល់ថា៖«គំនិតខ្ញុំ ខ្ញុំមិនចង់អោយមានស្វានៅទីនេះទេ»។
និយាយទាំងទឹកមុខញញឹម បុរសវ័យ៥៤ឆ្នាំមាឌស្ដើង នាង សារី អង្គុយក្បែរទ្រុងចាបរបស់គាត់ នៅអែប កាំជណ្ដើរ ទល់មុខក្លោងទ្វារ ព្រះវិហារបាននិយាយថា គាត់មិនចង់អោយមានសត្វស្វានៅវត្ដភ្នំនេះទេ ព្រោះវាបានបំផ្លាញ របស់របរជាច្រើន ហើយពួកវាហាក់ដូចជាគ្មានប្រយោជន៍អ្វីឡើយ។
ជាមួយនឹងបញ្ហាដែលសត្វស្វាបានបង្កនេះ លោក អ៊ុត រឿន ជាប្រធានសមាគមន៍វិចិត្រករខ្មែរ និងជាប្រធាន សារមន្ទីរវប្បធម៌ និងវិចិត្រសិល្បះនៅវត្តភ្នំ បានត្អូញត្អែថា សារមន្ទីរដែលគាត់ កំពុងធ្វើការ សព្វថ្ងៃក៏ត្រូវពួក ស្វាចូល មកអុកឡុកផងដែរ។ដើរបណ្ដើរនិយាយបណ្ដើរ គាត់បន្ថែមថា សត្វស្វាចូលក្នុងសាលនេះ តាមប្រឡោះប្រហោង ដែលមិនទាន់បានបិទពិដាន។ ពួកវាមកបំផ្លាញ រូបចំលាក់អោយខូចខ្ទេចខ្ទី ហើយសំភារៈផ្សេងទៀត ត្រូវដួលរប៉ាត់ រប៉ាយពេញទាំងក្នុងសាលផងដែរ។
អ្នកធ្លាប់ទទួលរងគ្រោះថ្នាក់ ដោយសារសត្វស្វាខាំ អ្នកស្រី ជា ផាន់ណា ជាអ្នកលក់ដូរ នៅទីនោះ រួមជាមួយកូន របស់គាត់ បាននិយាយថា៖ «ស្វាខាំខ្ញុំចំជើង របួសបីថ្នេរ។ កូនខ្ញុំក៏ត្រូវស្វាខាំដែរ គឺនៅពេល ដែលវាកំពុងងូតទឹក ទុយយោ ដែល គេបាញ់ស្រោចស្មៅ»។
ទទួលការរំខានពីសត្វស្វា អ្នកស្រី កាំង ស្រីម៉ុម ជាអ្នកទូលឈូកលក់ទើបនឹងមកលក់ថ្មីៗ ក៏បាននិយាយដែរថា ក្នុង រយះពេល ១០ ថ្ងៃដែលគាត់បានមកលក់នៅទីនេះ ស្វាបានលួចឈូកគាត់ពីរបីដងទៅហើយ។ គាត់បញ្ជាក់ បន្ថែមថា ពេលខ្លះគាត់អង្គុយភ្លេចខ្លួន ពួកសត្វស្វា លូនតាមក្រោម កៅអីអង្គុយ ហើយលួចយក ឈូកគាត់ ស៊ីទាំង គាត់មិនដឹងខ្លួន។
អ្នកស្រី កាំង ស្រីម៉ុម បន្តថា៖ «ខ្ញុំមិនដឹងជាគិតដូចម្ដេចទេ។ បើវាលួចរបស់យើង ហើយយើងទៅដណ្ដើមពីវាវិញ វា នឹងខាំយើងជាក់ជាពុំខាន»។ ស្រដៀងគ្នានេះលោកយាយ អ៊ុក អ្នកលក់ធូប និងផ្កាឈូក និយាយទាំងមាត់គាត់ ជាប់ទំពាស្លាម្លូរផងនោះនិយាយថា លោកយាយក៏ជាជនរងគ្រោះម្នាក់ដែលត្រូវស្វាខាំដែរ។
និយាយផងងាកមើលក្រោយខ្នងម្ដងម្កាលផងលោកយាយ អ៊ុក បន្តថា៖ «មានថ្ងៃមួយនោះខ្ញុំបានដណ្ដើម ឥវ៉ាន់ពីវាវិញ តែត្រូវវាខាំ។ ខ្ញុំត្រូវចាក់ថ្នាំអស់ ១០ ម្ជុលឯណោះ»។
អ្នកទូលនំកញ្ជប់លក់ ស្រី ញ៉ាញ់ និយាយថា នាងត្រូវស្វាខាំ រហូតដល់មានរបួសប្រាំបីកន្លែង។ ស្រីញ៉ាញ់ ថែមទាំង អះអាងទៀតថា កាលពីប៉ុន្មានខែមុន មានស្វាមួយក្បាល បានត្រូវសន្ដិសុខបាញ់សំលាប់ ព្រោះស្វានោះបាន ខាំក្មេង ប្រុសម្នាក់រហូតដល់បាត់បង់ជីវិត។
សព្វថ្ងៃនេះចំនួនសត្វស្វានៅវត្តភ្នំមានប្រហែល១០០ក្បាលជាស្វាមេធំៗ អ្នកស្រី ពេជ្រ សុជាតា អភិបាលរងខ័ណ្ឌ ដូនពេញ អះអាងថា ទាក់ទងទៅនឹងបញ្ហាស្វាខាំមនុស្សខាងលើនេះ វាពិតជាមានស្វាមួយក្បាល ត្រូវបានបាញ់ សំលាប់មែន ព្រោះវាបានខាំក្មេងម្នាក់ រហូតដល់បាត់បង់ជីវិតក្នុងឆ្នាំ២០០៣៕
រសៀលបន្តិចហើយ ភ្ញៀវទេសចរណ៍ទាំងឡាយ កំពុងតែសប្បាយ នឹងទេសភាពដ៏ស្រស់ត្រកាលនៃរមណីយដ្ឋាន វត្ដភ្នំដែលមានសត្វស្វាតូចធំកំពុងប្រតោង លេងលើមែកឈើ និងកំពុង រើសចំណី ដែលមនុស្សបោះឲ្យស៊ី យ៉ាងសប្បាយរីករាយ។ ទន្ទឹមនឹងការបណ្ដែត អារម្មណ៌នេះ ស្រាប់តែមានសម្លេងមួយលាន់លឺឡើង «ប្រាវ ប្រាវ» ចេញពីដំបូលព្រះវិហារ ប្រក់ក្បឿង។ កាពិត នេះគឺជាសម្លេងពួកកម្មកររុះរើក្បឿងព្រះវិហារដែលខូចខាតដោយសារ សត្វស្វាមួយក្រុមដែលរស់នៅទីនោះ។
កំពុងត្រួតពិនិត្យមើលពួកកម្មករ រុះរើក្បឿងបែកបាក់ចេញ ពីដំបូលព្រះវិហារ បុរសមាន មាឌធំម្នាក់សំបុរស ឈ្មោះ មាស ចំរើន អាយុ ៣១ឆ្នាំជាអ្នកមើលការខុសត្រូវនៅលើព្រះវិហារនេះ បានប្រាប់ ថា៖«ក្បឿងនេះបែកដោយសារពួក សត្វស្វា ដែលមកលេងលើដំបូលព្រះវិហារនេះរាល់ថ្ងៃ។ មិនត្រឹមតែក្បឿងទេ សូម្បីតែអំពូលភ្លើងតាម សសរព្រះវិហារក៏ត្រូវពួកវាបំផ្លាញដែរ»។ គាត់បន្តទៀតថា រៀងរាល់ពីរខែម្តង គាត់ត្រូវរុះរើក្បឿងម្ដង ព្រោះខ្លាច ក្បឿងធ្លាក់លើអ្នកមកកំសាន្ដនៅទីនេះ។
ក្នុងសំលៀកបំពាក់ជាតាអាចារ្យ លោក សូត្រ ចាកផន មានប្រសាសន៍ថា៖ «ពួកស្វាអស់នេះបើគ្រាន់តែយករំពាត់ មកកំឡាវា វាមិនខ្លាចទេ ទាល់តែយកចំពាមកៅស៊ូទើបវាខ្លាច»។
មានប្រសាសន៍ស្រដៀងគ្នានេះ លោកតាអាចារ្យ នាក់ ផាន្នី ជាអាចារ្យវត្ដនៅទីនេះបាននិយាយ ជាមួយនឹងកាយវិការ ចង្អុលទៅព្រះពុទ្ធអង្គ និងសសរព្រះវិហារថា ស្វាមកអុកឡុកដល់កន្លែងព្រះពុទ្ធអង្គ ហើយថែមទាំងបំផ្លាញ អំពូល ដែលមានទាំងអម្បាលមាណក្នុងព្រះវិហារអស់រលីង។ លោកអាចារ្យន្ថែមទៀតថា ដោយសារសត្វស្វា គាត់ត្រូវរង ការប្ដឹង ពីសំណាក់អ្នកមកអុជធូបនៅទីនេះក្រោយពីពួកគេត្រូវសត្វស្វាខាំ និងបានយកកាបូប របស់ពួកគេ រត់ទៅ បាត់។
លោកតាអាចារ្យ នាក់ ផាន្នី យល់ថា៖«គំនិតខ្ញុំ ខ្ញុំមិនចង់អោយមានស្វានៅទីនេះទេ»។
និយាយទាំងទឹកមុខញញឹម បុរសវ័យ៥៤ឆ្នាំមាឌស្ដើង នាង សារី អង្គុយក្បែរទ្រុងចាបរបស់គាត់ នៅអែប កាំជណ្ដើរ ទល់មុខក្លោងទ្វារ ព្រះវិហារបាននិយាយថា គាត់មិនចង់អោយមានសត្វស្វានៅវត្ដភ្នំនេះទេ ព្រោះវាបានបំផ្លាញ របស់របរជាច្រើន ហើយពួកវាហាក់ដូចជាគ្មានប្រយោជន៍អ្វីឡើយ។
ជាមួយនឹងបញ្ហាដែលសត្វស្វាបានបង្កនេះ លោក អ៊ុត រឿន ជាប្រធានសមាគមន៍វិចិត្រករខ្មែរ និងជាប្រធាន សារមន្ទីរវប្បធម៌ និងវិចិត្រសិល្បះនៅវត្តភ្នំ បានត្អូញត្អែថា សារមន្ទីរដែលគាត់ កំពុងធ្វើការ សព្វថ្ងៃក៏ត្រូវពួក ស្វាចូល មកអុកឡុកផងដែរ។ដើរបណ្ដើរនិយាយបណ្ដើរ គាត់បន្ថែមថា សត្វស្វាចូលក្នុងសាលនេះ តាមប្រឡោះប្រហោង ដែលមិនទាន់បានបិទពិដាន។ ពួកវាមកបំផ្លាញ រូបចំលាក់អោយខូចខ្ទេចខ្ទី ហើយសំភារៈផ្សេងទៀត ត្រូវដួលរប៉ាត់ រប៉ាយពេញទាំងក្នុងសាលផងដែរ។
អ្នកធ្លាប់ទទួលរងគ្រោះថ្នាក់ ដោយសារសត្វស្វាខាំ អ្នកស្រី ជា ផាន់ណា ជាអ្នកលក់ដូរ នៅទីនោះ រួមជាមួយកូន របស់គាត់ បាននិយាយថា៖ «ស្វាខាំខ្ញុំចំជើង របួសបីថ្នេរ។ កូនខ្ញុំក៏ត្រូវស្វាខាំដែរ គឺនៅពេល ដែលវាកំពុងងូតទឹក ទុយយោ ដែល គេបាញ់ស្រោចស្មៅ»។
ទទួលការរំខានពីសត្វស្វា អ្នកស្រី កាំង ស្រីម៉ុម ជាអ្នកទូលឈូកលក់ទើបនឹងមកលក់ថ្មីៗ ក៏បាននិយាយដែរថា ក្នុង រយះពេល ១០ ថ្ងៃដែលគាត់បានមកលក់នៅទីនេះ ស្វាបានលួចឈូកគាត់ពីរបីដងទៅហើយ។ គាត់បញ្ជាក់ បន្ថែមថា ពេលខ្លះគាត់អង្គុយភ្លេចខ្លួន ពួកសត្វស្វា លូនតាមក្រោម កៅអីអង្គុយ ហើយលួចយក ឈូកគាត់ ស៊ីទាំង គាត់មិនដឹងខ្លួន។
អ្នកស្រី កាំង ស្រីម៉ុម បន្តថា៖ «ខ្ញុំមិនដឹងជាគិតដូចម្ដេចទេ។ បើវាលួចរបស់យើង ហើយយើងទៅដណ្ដើមពីវាវិញ វា នឹងខាំយើងជាក់ជាពុំខាន»។ ស្រដៀងគ្នានេះលោកយាយ អ៊ុក អ្នកលក់ធូប និងផ្កាឈូក និយាយទាំងមាត់គាត់ ជាប់ទំពាស្លាម្លូរផងនោះនិយាយថា លោកយាយក៏ជាជនរងគ្រោះម្នាក់ដែលត្រូវស្វាខាំដែរ។
និយាយផងងាកមើលក្រោយខ្នងម្ដងម្កាលផងលោកយាយ អ៊ុក បន្តថា៖ «មានថ្ងៃមួយនោះខ្ញុំបានដណ្ដើម ឥវ៉ាន់ពីវាវិញ តែត្រូវវាខាំ។ ខ្ញុំត្រូវចាក់ថ្នាំអស់ ១០ ម្ជុលឯណោះ»។
អ្នកទូលនំកញ្ជប់លក់ ស្រី ញ៉ាញ់ និយាយថា នាងត្រូវស្វាខាំ រហូតដល់មានរបួសប្រាំបីកន្លែង។ ស្រីញ៉ាញ់ ថែមទាំង អះអាងទៀតថា កាលពីប៉ុន្មានខែមុន មានស្វាមួយក្បាល បានត្រូវសន្ដិសុខបាញ់សំលាប់ ព្រោះស្វានោះបាន ខាំក្មេង ប្រុសម្នាក់រហូតដល់បាត់បង់ជីវិត។
សព្វថ្ងៃនេះចំនួនសត្វស្វានៅវត្តភ្នំមានប្រហែល១០០ក្បាលជាស្វាមេធំៗ អ្នកស្រី ពេជ្រ សុជាតា អភិបាលរងខ័ណ្ឌ ដូនពេញ អះអាងថា ទាក់ទងទៅនឹងបញ្ហាស្វាខាំមនុស្សខាងលើនេះ វាពិតជាមានស្វាមួយក្បាល ត្រូវបានបាញ់ សំលាប់មែន ព្រោះវាបានខាំក្មេងម្នាក់ រហូតដល់បាត់បង់ជីវិតក្នុងឆ្នាំ២០០៣៕
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)