#‎Buddhism_and_Christianity‬

រូបភាព សាស្ត្រាចារ្យ ស៊ូ បូរ៉ាមី 

28 July 2015 

ខ្ញុំមានទស្សនៈថា "អ្នកណាដែលដាក់បណ្ដាសាមនុស្សដែលមានកំហុស អ្នកនោះពុំមែនជាព្រះឡើយ។ ព្រះតែងតែសណ្ដោសប្រោសប្រាប់ផ្លូវកុសលដល់អ្នកប្រព្រឹត្តខុសឆ្គងជានិច្ច"។

សព្វញ្ញូពុទ្ធអប់រំថា "ជំនឿមានក្នុងទីណា ការពិចារណាត្រូវមានក្នុងទីនោះ។ មនុស្សត្រូវប្រើប្រាជ្ញាជាគ្រឿងពិចារណារកហេតុផល"។ លទ្ធិពុទ្ធនិយម ពុំមែនជាសាសនានិងមិនដូចសាសនាដទៃទេ ពីព្រោះ ព្រះពុទ្ធពុំបង្ខំឲ្យអ្នកណាជឿឡើយ៖ "ភ្លៀងបោក្ខរព័ស៌ នរណាចង់ទទឹក ទើបទទឹក។ នរណាមិនចង់ទទឹកមិនទទឹកទេ"។ ខុសពីសាសនាដទៃ ដែលបង្ខំឲ្យមនុស្សជឿ និង នរណាមិនជឿ ព្រះនឹងដាក់បណ្ដាសា។

How Christians preach their Christian faith nowadays is completely different from their past way decades back -- in the 70s and 90s -- when they said, "Believe in Jesus and he will help you when in trouble."

Today they come to say totally like what Buddha teaches, "Help yourself first before trying to find help from others"

And if you learn Buddhism at school as I did in the 70s, and read about Christianity, you'll probably be surprised when listen to some Khmer Christians preach about Christian faith. They refer their quotes said to be of Jesus and theirs are just what Buddha preaches. It seems that they have been taught as those are of Jesus. And because before their Christian conversion, these Khmer Christians haven't learned about their ancestors' Buddhism, so they may assume that those preachings are from Christianity when in fact they're Buddhist.

Some Khmer Christians who are my acquaintances said to me about what and how Christianity is good -- some said better. I listened to them through and at last I asked them if they knew what they said are Buddhist preachings. They couldn't give a proper answer. This means to me that they haven't known about Buddhism, their own parents' faith.

A young Khmer Christian very close to me told me he overheard his higher priests talk to one another they hope to send their children to the USA, and that were their main aspirations. Who could answer whether their conversion are for material purposes or spiritual ones?

To my surprise when attending a Poetry and Short Story Reading Event one night at Java Cafe and Gallery, an elderly western man, surrounded by his companions, joined his hands -- held so close to his breast as a sign of meditation -- as Buddhist Cambodians completely do, when listening to the reading.

And at the Terrace another restaurant, hundreds of meters east of Tuol Sleng Museum, where westerners in general prefer, Buddha's paintings are hung on the walls.
(by Puthpong Sao)

COMMENTS

Boramy Sou:
Thank Puthpong Sao for enlightened knowledge. I think I have learned a lot about Buddha from you and facebook viewers since my childhood was not inspired by Buddhist philosophy. I have learned more about the communist morality and followed only social norms without knowledge of Buddha.

Puthpong Sao:
I studied Buddhism as state schools curriculum in the sixties and seventies, as the Ten Reincarnations of Buddha, not in Pali but in Khmer that's why I can write poems extensively. តេ ជ សា នេ ម ភូ ច នា វិ វេ ជាពាក្យសង្ខេបសម្រួលការចងចាំនៃជាតកទាំងដប់៖
១. (តេ)មិយកុមារជាតក
២. មហា(ជ)នកជាតក
៣. សុវណ្ណ(សា)មជាតក
៤. (នេ)មិរាជជាតក
៥. (ម)ហោសថជាតក
៦. (ភូ)រិទត្តកុមារជាតក
៧. (ច័)ន្ទកុមារជាតក
៨. (នា)រទជាតក
៩. (វិ)ធូរបណ្ឌិតជាតក
១០. (វេ)ស្សន្តរជាតក

Boramy Sou:
Wow! My adulthood was in Russia while my early 30 in Assumption university( Catholic school), in Bangkok.

Puthpong Sao:
So you know a lot about Christianity. You can compare it with Buddhism. I know Christianity through reading and my foreign friends expressed their surprise about my knowledge of their faith.

Boramy Sou:
Well, the more I learn about other religions, the more I feel Buddhist philosophy is really helpful to keep me calm and view myself 100 times who I am. How much mistakes have I made? Nothing is permanent, and I do not try to hold tightly because the force can return to me. I have more sin than let it goes....

I loved traveling on train from Bangkok to Ayuthya on Sunday while other students went to church. My landlord was Muslim and I could see the wife of the landlord felt so jealousy while the landlord talked to the cleaners and other students.

Puthpong Sao:
What an experience !