In the pre-dawn twilight, a solemn bell tolls from deep within the temple. Nasal chants, hypnotic and entrancing, drift through the early morning mist.
This is the soundtrack to Pchum Ben, arguably Cambodia’s most important religious festival. The chants are blessings from ordained monks, a moral poem cautioning all of the dangers of greed and wickedness. Those who commit evil will become malevolent spirits called Tum Nounh Bret (usually shortened to Bret), relentlessly roaming in search of sustenance, the monks warn. The dirge, broadcast from temple loudspeakers and by radio stations, marks the beginning of each of the fifteen days of Pchum Ben, and is respected and feared in equal measures.
The annual Pchum Ben ceremony takes place during October, though the date changes, as dictated by the lunar calendar. Together with Jol Chnam Tmey (Khmer New Year) in April, Pchum Ben is the most important festival in the Khmer religious calendar, faithfully observed by Khmer people since remote antiquity. Khmers believe that the ceremony is the sole opportunity to offer gifts to the spirits of their ancestors, known in Khmer as Ngeat Sandan, who are believed to watch over their descendents. Pchum Ben is also a chance to make offerings to Bret (evil spirits similar to the ‘hungry ghosts’ of Chinese tradition) to forestall their malevolent meddling.
Ajar, traditional wisemen and sorcerers who are deeply involved in many aspects of Khmer culture, are an integral part of the Pchum Ben rituals. In Cambodia’s tolerant society, Ajar can be Buddhist monks, though it is not compulsory. The Ajar at Pochentong pagoda, known just as Song, pagoda, known just as song, explained that the word ‘Ben’ has two meanings in Khmer; the verb ‘to collect’ and ‘to cup or mould cooked rice into portions’ – to ‘Ben Bath’ is to collect food to give to monks (Bath means ‘rice pot’). The word “Pchum Ben” mean to ‘to congregate’ or ‘to gather’, explaining why Cambodian people visit pagodas en masse during Pchum Ben, no matter how busy they may be. The festival’s final day, October 12th, is the actual day of Pchum Ben, when people traditionally meet at the temple, as much for socializing as for prayer.
Crowds begin to arrive at dawn, carrying plates of cone-shaped sticky rice. These are blessed by an Ajar and taken around the temple three times before being thrown to appease Bret (restless malicious sprits), a practice known in Khmer as Bos Bay Ben.
Ajar song said people must perform Bos Bay Ben before sunrise. “We always practice this titual in early every morning because Bret cannot see the sunrise,” Song explained.
Traditional Pin Peat music swirls as Ajar Song explains that the rice offerings, known as By Ben, are made from sticky rice mixed with crushed sesame and wrapped in banana leaves with a yellow banana on top.
“We must give fruits, Khmer cakes, rice, money, and Bay Ben to our Ngeat Sandan (ancestor spirits) during Pchum Benn,” said Ajar Song. “We beat large drums to inform people that it is time to pray to the spirits and give away Bay Ben.”
Before Bos Bay Ben, people gather in the Sala Chan (monk’s dining hall), offering lit incense and oppealing for the monks’ assistance in preparing Bay Ben. The monks leave the Sala Chan to perform the group prayer of Pa Ra, an invitation to the restless Bret spirits to enjoy the Bay Ben offerings. An Ajar leads the crowd in three circuits around the temple, throwing the Bay Ben rice accompanied by Balai (Srilankan Pali) chants.
“Ar Nouk Motanear Louk Ey,” (“Come and take this offering”) cries the Ajar, “Sa Thouk,” (“Please take it”) the crowd agrees.
Further prayers take place outside the temple, people burning incense and placing Bay Ben at there at a small shrine or in the shade of a large tree, to let wandering spirits whose relatives are not present to partake of the day’s offerings. The practice, like most Cambodian rituals, is bound by strict rules. “People must not wash plates or hands in places where they put Bay Ben,” warned Ajar Song. “If they do, it means that they look down on spirits who are eating.”
Through Pchum Ben, Cambodians how revenrence for their ancestors; nobody complains of inconvenience. “According to Buddhist beliefs, people respect and remember their relatives who have passed away,” said the Venerable Kim Chantha, a resident monk at Pouchentong pagoda. “It may be their parents, grandparents, a sister, a brother, daughter or son.”
During Pchum Ben, all spirits of the dead come to receive offerings from their living relatives, Chantha said. “We believe that some of the dead receive punishment from their sins and burn in hell – they suffer great torment and tortures there. Hell is far from living people; the souls there cannot see the sun, they have no clothes to wear, and no food to eat. Pchum Ben is the period when those spirits receive offerings from their living relatives and perhaps gain some relief. Relatives consecrate and dedicate food and other offerings to them.”
Yet there is a sinister undertone to the proceedings, said Chantha – those who do not offer gifts may be punished by their ancestors. “Everyone goes to the pagoda because they don’t want the spirits of their ancestors to come to seek offerings at the pagoda in vain. It is believed that wandering spirits will search seven different pagodas and, if those spirits do not find offering from their living relatives, they will curse them because spirits can only eat food offered by blood relatives.”
Chantha added that those who fulfill their obligations find that contented spirits provided health, happiness and prosperity to their descendents. “When living relatives offer food to the spirits, the spirit will bless them,” he said.
Ms. Kounthea, one of the many visitors to Pouchentong pagoda, said that she never missed Pchum Ben. “Even if it rains, I still go to the pagoda,” she said. “If I don’t go to the pagoda, my relatives will curse me and my business will do badly for the next year. Pchum Ben is very important day for me and all Khmer people.”
The Roots of Pchum Ben
As told by the venerable Kim Chantha, Pchum Ben came about because of the sacrilegious greed of King Bath Pempeksa’s relatives. They defined religious customs by eating rice before monks during a religious ritual, a sin for which they became evil Bret spirits after their deaths.
Later, when a monk known as Kokak Sonthor gained enlightenment and became one of the incarnations of the Buddha, the Bret spirits of the King’s relatives asked him when they could eat. “You must wait for the next Buddha in the Kathakot Buddhist realm,” the Buddha replied. “In this realm, evil spirits cannot eat.”
When another monk, Kamanou, achieved enlightenment and became the next incarnation of the Buddha, the Bret spirits again asked the same question, receiving the same answer as the previous Buddha.
The next incarnation of the Buddha, Kasakbour, after achieving enlightenment, received a visit from the same spirits who again appealed for food. The Buddha told them the same thing – they must wait for the next Buddha.
The final Buddha, Preach Samphot, also known also as Samanakkodom, told the Bret spirits to “wait for your relative, King Preah Bath Puompisa, to offer merits and dedication. When the dedication is made, the food will be yours to eat.
The concerned King set off for the Valovan pagoda to visit Preah Samphot, appealing for guidance. “All the spirits of your relatives are crying, demanding food,” the Buddha told him. “The spirits should get food in the realm of Kathakot. Although you offered food and did good deeds, you did not dedicate offerings to your ancestors.”
King Preah Bath Puom pisa made another offering, this time dedicated to his relatives. The restless Bret received the offerings and were finally reborn into paradise.
By May Titthara, Cambodia Life, Volume 01 Issue 05
According to my point of view, this is just a practice with no real faith on what people believe. If people believe their relatives and ancestors born to become Bret then how can they dedicate the food to them. Once a year, the Bret cannot service with a few ball of rice.
What happen if they don’t go to the pagoda and their relatives come to look for them at 7 pagodas and then they cannot find the offering from the living ones. As said, the Bret will curse the relatives, family members and the nations. Why they continue to do bad if they become Bret and keep doing such bad things then when they will be survived. No way they can survive if they commit evil again and again.
Another truth if that if their family live in other country how can they know which pagoda they suppose to go because as mentioned on the above that the Bret spirits will just visit to only 7 pagoda. What if they just visit the local pagoda and they never think their relative migrate to other countries? It is the problem again. There is no logic at all in practicing this custom of faith. People should be clear and real to practice their belief, not just follow the tradition blind.
Faith will make us achieving a great result by choosing the right one. But without any clear decision and just do it then that is not faith. It is just follow what people practice without knowing clearly that it is right or wrong. But blame yourself and other people. What you need to know is to learn and think with a proper way to find out what is real to make the right decision. Pchum Ben is not wrong. But respecting Bret is wrong.
In this case, soon there will be many born to become Bret as we can see with our eyes today there are many people who practice evil and after they died it is automatically they will become Bret. You can think about it?
You might wonder why i put the title of this article as ‘Life Without Smoking in Cambodia”. Well, i had a reason to do so. Because i want Cambodia free from smoking and of course i wish it for the world. Where to start then?