Do you need your house blessed ?

Have questions or resources regarding Khmer Culture? This forum is all about the Kingdom of Cambodia's culture. Khmer language, Cambodian weddings, French influence, Cambodian architecture, Cambodian politics, Khmer customs, etc? This is the place. Living in Cambodia can cause you to experience a whole new level of culture shock, so feel free to talk about all things related to the Khmer people, and their traditions. And if you want something in Khmer script translated into English, you will probably find what you need.
Kampong Spooner
Expatriate
Posts: 607
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 8:02 pm
Reputation: 37
Location: The Bamboo Ghetto

Re: Do you need your house blessed ?

Post by Kampong Spooner »

Wow, now I see the point of engaging with a condescending cambodian.

Even see the real bro matbro mong hovering around in the garden.

But as you (or maybe not you) know, child abuse is not unknown in the wonderous kingdom of angkor, and, while the bogeyman aspect of b.m.b.m. may be made up by protective parents, it doesnt seem unfeasible that period blood bor bor, worshipping, black magic spell folk with a bit more economic clout might have done this in the past.

Burma has a very similar, if not more extreme custom.

Maybe i'll beat my poor wife for more clarificatiom.
Cookin' MCs like a pound o'bacon
User avatar
Jamie_Lambo
The Cool Boxing Guy
Posts: 15039
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2015 10:34 am
Reputation: 3132
Location: ลพบุรี
Great Britain

Re: Do you need your house blessed ?

Post by Jamie_Lambo »

haha interesting Bromat Bromong
:tophat: Mean Dtuk Mean Trei, Mean Loy Mean Srey
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks :x
User avatar
juansweetpotato
Expatriate
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2014 8:45 pm
Reputation: 75

Re: Do you need your house blessed ?

Post by juansweetpotato »

Kampong Spooner wrote:Well i know nothing about cambodian 'culture', but understand 'bro mat bro mong' child snatchers used to capture wayward children and sell them to be buried beneath the foundations of rich folk's houses, so their young spirits would protect the bricks and mortar.
This is true in many cultures. Not necessarily a child, but a human sacrifice. Most temples were built with a body or body part of a sacrificed victim under their foundations. If you want to open a successful business in Kenya,many people still believe you need to have a sacrifice; a hand buried underneath the entrance to your business. for example.
Normally it's just a chicken, but there are motivated, driven people out there. It got so bad that poor people in the hospital were refusing donations of food in case it was poisoned.
I have heard the practice still goes on and not just in Africa, in China too. It has been banned as a practice for temple building for a long time in India, but apparently still goes on. A temple isn't a temple without one. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Cambodian temples were built on the same principles, or that children were taken by a group something akin to the 'thuggies' of India.

Where are you getting you source material from?
"Can you spare some cutter for an old man?"
User avatar
juansweetpotato
Expatriate
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2014 8:45 pm
Reputation: 75

Re: Do you need your house blessed ?

Post by juansweetpotato »

Samouth wrote:
Different provinces have different explanation of what is Bromat Bromong. Most older people in my village would say, Bromat Bromong is a very big and tall person who snatch or catch children and sell them to doctors in Vietnam and later those children will have their organs removed. Doctor will use their organs to replace the organs of sick people. I also have heard the explanation of your version.
.
Sounds like that may be an updated version of the story? But I get your point about something to control the children with. I think all cultures have things like that to scare kids into doing things they want. Some of them are based on historical fact but most seem like wild fantasy. Extremely disturbing in the case of Japan;
#3. The Kappa Will Eat Your Children's Assholes

Image
One of Japan's oldest and most famous mythological beings, Kappa are "water goblins" best described as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles after a lobotomy. http://www.cracked.com/article/174_7-ho ... -world_p2/
It would be interesting to know how many Khmer still believe in a sacrifice for good business luck. Can't say I have ever observed it myself.
Last edited by juansweetpotato on Sun Oct 18, 2015 9:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Can you spare some cutter for an old man?"
Samouth
Expatriate
Posts: 3679
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2014 8:25 am
Reputation: 14
Location: Phnom Penh
Burundi

Re: Do you need your house blessed ?

Post by Samouth »

Kampong Spooner wrote:Wow, now I see the point of engaging with a condescending cambodian.

Even see the real bro matbro mong hovering around in the garden.

But as you (or maybe not you) know, child abuse is not unknown in the wonderous kingdom of angkor, and, while the bogeyman aspect of b.m.b.m. may be made up by protective parents, it doesnt seem unfeasible that period blood bor bor, worshipping, black magic spell folk with a bit more economic clout might have done this in the past.

Burma has a very similar, if not more extreme custom.

Maybe i'll beat my poor wife for more clarificatiom.
Hey Kampong Spooner, please do not call me condescending Cambodian, because i have never been once and will never be.

Isn't that true that you learned this word from your Cambodian missus?

BTW, you always underestimated about me. So you thought i have no idea about child abuse. Moreover, you also always generalized Cambodians. The way you wrote suggesting that all Cambodians have no idea about child abuse which is wrong, because there are some Cambodian who completely understand and are clearly well aware of child abuse. I used to work with an organisation that work closely with children the in poor communities in Cambodia. I as well as my coworkers were well-trained about children right and child abuse.
បើសិនធ្វើចេះ ចេះឲ្យគេកោត បើសិនធ្វើឆោត ឆោតឲ្យគេអាណិត។

If you know a lot, know enough to make them respect you, if you are stupid, be stupid enough so they can pity you.
prahkeitouj
Expatriate
Posts: 2653
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 11:46 pm
Reputation: 12
Cambodia

Re: Do you need your house blessed ?

Post by prahkeitouj »

As Samouth said, it's very important to offer the fruits or foods if we don't invite the monks to bless even starting to build a new building.
កុំស្លាប់ដូចពស់ កុំរស់ដូចកង្កែប
Kampong Spooner
Expatriate
Posts: 607
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 8:02 pm
Reputation: 37
Location: The Bamboo Ghetto

Re: Do you need your house blessed ?

Post by Kampong Spooner »

Source material is an old lady from the villages who has told me all sorts of stories and old pre-kr customs.

I'm interested to see how many have been forgotten or changed for the modern audience.

I'm sure our resident patronizing young man will tell us what an actual bromat bromong is, in the literal sense.
Cookin' MCs like a pound o'bacon
Anchor Moy
Expatriate
Posts: 13458
Joined: Wed May 28, 2014 11:37 pm
Reputation: 3974
Tokelau

Re: Do you need your house blessed ?

Post by Anchor Moy »

prahkeitouj wrote:As Samouth said, it's very important to offer the fruits or foods if we don't invite the monks to bless even starting to build a new building.
Thanks LS. We offered (drank) beer and ate some food without inviting the monks, and our house feels happy now so that must have been the right way to have a house-warming. :beer3:
Actually, for the OP I was just wondering if my Khmer family would be shocked by the lack of religious blessing, but they were fine.
Samana Johann
Expatriate
Posts: 112
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:38 pm
Reputation: 23
Cambodia

Re: Do you need your house blessed ?

Post by Samana Johann »

Anchor Moy wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:19 pm Hi all,
this is a real question - when you move into a new place, how important is it to get your house blessed by monks ? Is it the same if you move into a brand new place or if you just take over someone else's house? Do apartments need blessing the same as an individual house ?

I'd just like to get a take on this from other foreigners who have bought homes here. Is this just a thing to do, or do you think that it is really important for your Cambodian family ?
I know from experience that everybody here loves a good excuse for a ceremony and a party - but is it more than that ?

Also like to hear what you think about this, Samouth and LS. :beer3:
The questions, if there is still or general interest, need to be re-phrased so that they could be answered usefully and correct.

Do you need your house blessed, if wishing for long term happiness?

One may not gain anything long term benefical from giving into non living things, bless them. BUT it's not only proper generaly, but falls into one of the five proper times for generosity, and therefore of merits, to welcome and also introduce oneself.
It's also a matter of respect and for future possible best open doors (one is not independent) to introduce oneself and show signs of honoring those who came first or dwell there and next.

Such is not a special tradition of an "alien" way of life, but actually just forgotten on most other places. This counts also in regard of non-human beings, in modern world often denied to exist.
If showing no goodwill and sympathy, welcoming to those next and with you, it's a matter of nature to lead no happy life and that no one would respect and give in return, even fear or show signs of ill-will. That counts for not seen beings equal as "physical" assumed.

So such a "welcoming-feast" is very good for ones long term happiness and benefits good relations.

If making such always, when ever entering another place, respectfully, with goodwill (metta) and offering of signs, words and possible more physical gifts, to seen and unseen, one is not only respected and protected in ones house but everywhere.

In regard of mediation, "cleaning":

First of all Monks in the Buddhas tradition do neither have the task nor would they be allowed to act as "cleaner", taking at least side for the benefit of another. And since such as blessings or charms do not really help one, but simply ones own good or bad actions lead ones destiny, it also actually forbidden out of this reason for monks: it would lead astray from what is really helpful and not just "trade". And coming to trade here, that is the reason why such doing would be even a grave misdeed if suggestion "blessings" in such a way.

For such mediation works, if one thinks it is good if having a "mediator" (g(u)ru), the are people who do such, sometimes out of goodwill, sometimes for rewards, in regard of other people and non-human as well and there are such as priest helping to perform good rituals and costumes. It's how ever good and should be clearly advices, that such "cleanings" should be harmless and motivated by goodwill (to order someone to harm, even spirits, is equal or even heavier as to do by one self. having harmed one gains a lot of harm, so such is only, if, for a very short time benefical for one).

Now in regarding of the question that might arise "why inviting monks?". Because it is fist the highest proper time of giving (of the five), to give to virtuous, and invite in such a case to receive food at ones house. Yet of cause, then when one is most happy on something, one likes to share such gains with those most worthy.

Having received food at ones house, if the monks wish to give an "Anumodana" (praise and encouragement of good deeds) or even a teaching on the Dhamma, if the occasion is proper or asked, then even more of long term blessing for not only oneself but also for all the family, neigbors and friends.

Since one gives others the chance of participate good deeds, such as inviting others to meet the monks is a very benefical and useful gift one can make to others.

In this regard, althought very usually, if thinking on giving such gifts, one should not "invite" monks in ways one hires a band, but simply to "receive food at ones house" (a gift, not a deal or order) and possible tell about ones joy one would like to have the Sangha be part of it.

It's a huge topic and there would be a lot to explain, but maybe the heartwood can be already seen.

Devas (gods, good spirits) can be seen as "those sublime" or "those more sublime", falling from the level of objects requiring duties in relations to objects of benefit upwardly and in this manner here an encouragement to socialize much with what is more sublime, virtue, generosity, concentration and wisdom, having leaded to such states, at the end:
In whatever place
a wise person makes his dwelling,
— there providing food
for the virtuous,
the restrained,
leaders of the holy life —
he should dedicate that offering
to the devas there.
They, receiving honor, will honor him;
being respected, will show him respect.
As a result, they will feel sympathy for him,
like that of a mother for her child, her son.
A person with whom the devas sympathize
always meets with auspicious things. ud 8.5
Samana Johann
Expatriate
Posts: 112
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:38 pm
Reputation: 23
Cambodia

Re: Do you need your house blessed ?

Post by Samana Johann »

To get the deeper meaning here, even to a point, one with proper attention could gain path and fruit, hollyness, by only reading this, a story from Japan's origin:

Once there was a very successful young businessman and family father. One day he thought: "All of what is now missing is a proper house for my family." Thought so, he started to build. Building nearly finished the thought arose: "To have it perfect, I will ask a monk for writing a blessing above the door." So he went to a monk and asked him and he agreed, yet he had to fly to China for another business.

The monk approached the house and wrote some words above the door. As the businessman returned he seeked to know of what auspicious blessing the monk wrote and as he came to his house he read: "Grandfather dies. Father dies. Son dies."

In the same moment he got very angry and approached the monk, speaking not nicely to him, and asked of what he thought to write such. Calm the monk waited and then replayed: "It is a blessed sequence, isn't it?".
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 155 guests