The temple pets in Cambodia are the pets belong to Temple (Pagoda) that are fed and taken care by monks, nuns or the members of temple. Most of those pests are dogs, cats, chickens, duck, and geese and so on. In general, the temple pets live in the temple with peaceful environment, they are not threatened. There are few cases that those animals become the temple pets, first case, they are thought as an evil animal or bad luck animals. Second case they are sacrificed to god or tutelary spirits or the spirits of dead. Third case, they were street pets that have no place to stay.
The religion in Cambodia is not only Buddhism, but multi religions. Among of them, Buddhism and Hinduism are playing main role in this country, so the abstractionism is practicing. In fact, they believe in bad and good luck that bring by pets or animals. They can note the evil animals or bad luck pets by strange characteristics such as uncommon point of that animal. For example, a dog or pig has 5 legs, the caw that has unlucky strange spot on the body…………. act. Moreover, they believe that only the power of pagoda and the dharma can pacify the misfortune and avoid the villagers from the danger. As the result, those animals are taken to live in the pagoda.
Furthermore, the people sacrificed the animals to gods or spirits in order pray to get fortune or to fill full their desire. For example, they promise with the spirit of dead or tutelary sprit to offer the food or alive animals for their good running business, or they was ordered from fortune-teller to sacrifice the alive animal to spirit to avoid from bad luck and so on, therefore when the wish is completed, the people always do as they promised. The chickens are the most animals for this kind of sacrifice.
As well, the street pets (Homeless) are taken to live in the temple such as cats and dogs. Some people they love pets and want to feed them so much but they have no ability enough. Feeding pets need time and money. They have no different choose beside take them to pagoda. Case in point, they feed only one female cat, latter on she has kids. It can be 3 to 5 kids, so the feeder cannot responsible any more. So the best way is taking them to pagoda where they believe that the holy place and their pets will be looked after well from the members of pagoda.
In conclusion, the temple pets are the animals that related to the beliefs in Khmer society, even though, they are fed well from monks and nuns in the harmony atmosphere, no scaring, no killing, no sinning any more. They live in this peaceful place till the end of life.
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Posted on January 25th, 2010 at 3:10 am
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