Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Religion and beliefs
Buddhism influences practically every aspect of Cambodian life, as is evident
from the daily gifts of food made to barefoot, saffron-robed monks, and the
dedication to preparing for major festivals, when pagodas take on a carnival
air. However, it was Hinduism that predominated among the Khmer from the
first until the early fourteenth century, and much temple art and architecture
is influenced by the Hindu cosmology.
Islam
is the most widespread of Cambodia's minority faiths, being practised by the
Cham community.
Christianity
, introduced by missionary groups, has failed to make
much impact.
Buddhism
in Cambodia is noticeably less dogmatic and formal than in
Thailand or Myanmar/Burma, and the age-old traditions of paying respects to
spirits
and deceased
ancestors
survive, so woven into the fabric of Cambodian life that at
times there is no clear line between them and local Buddhist practice.
Hinduism's historical role
Hinduism was introduced to the area by the Brahman priests who accompanied Indian
traders to Funan around the first century, and was adopted by the majority of the
pre-Angkorian and Angkorian kings. Even today,
Hindu influences
play an important
cultural role in Cambodia: two Hindu epics, the
Ramayana
and (to a lesser extent) the
Mahabharata
, form the basis for classical dance and shadow-puppet performances and
a subject for contemporary artists.
The Hindu creed is diverse, encompassing a belief in
reincarnation
, the notion of
karma
(the idea that deeds in one life can influence status in subsequent
reincarnations), a colourful
cosmology
- including a vast pantheon of gods. The three
principal deities are
Brahma
, the creator and lord of all gods;
Vishnu
, the benevolent
preserver who regulates fate; and
Shiva
, the destroyer, who is responsible for both death
and rebirth. Shiva was especially worshipped in the form of a
linga
, a phallic stone
pillar. Frequently these linga
were carved in three sections, the square base representing
Brahma, the octagonal middle corresponding to Vishnu, and the circular top
symbolizing Shiva. Just as linga were frequently a melding of the triad of gods, so the
Harihara
, a popular deity of the pre-Angkorian era, melded the characteristics of both
Shiva (on the right-hand side of Harihara images) and Vishnu (on the left).
In the ninth century, Cambodian Hinduism was pervaded by the
devaraja
cult
introduced by Jayavarman II. The idea was that, on ascending the throne, the king
created an image (consecrated to Shiva or Vishnu) that was installed in the main
sanctuary of his state-temple. On his death the king was believed to become one with
the god and to be able to protect his kingdom from beyond the grave.
Buddhism
Buddhism has its origins in India, developing out of Hinduism around the sixth
century BC, when the teachings of prince-turned-ascetic
Siddhartha Gautama
became
popular. Born to a royal family in Lumbini, in present-day Nepal, around 560 BC,
Gautama was protected from the sufferings of the outside world and knew nothing
other than the comfortable life of the court, where he married and fathered a son.
When he reached the age of 29, however, curiosity caused him to venture out of the
palace, where he encountered an old man, a sick person, a funeral procession and a
monk begging for alms.
