History of Pchum ben
Pchum Ben festival is originally related to Chaol Vassa festival (interring the rainy season) and the Kathin festival. According to venerable Um Sum, long ago Buddhist monks had to walk everywhere to ask for alms no matter how bad the weather was. Later during his reign, King Jayavarman, a strong advocate of Buddhism supported and provided Buddhist monks with the four requisite: clothing, food, shelter and medicine. The king realized that when the monks walked to ask for alms during the rainy season, they encountered heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and violent winds. The monks could not walk and fell down on the muddy paths. The king felt great sympathy for them and so asked them not to go for alms for three months every rainy season. And he appealed to all his compatriots to offer food, and other basic needs to the monks for this period. Also, Buddhist followers explained that there was much merit in offering alms to the monks. As a result, more and more people offered the four requisites to the monks. This trend led to the creation of another bible about Pchum Ben festival. The bible read that there was a powerful senior monk who could visit the blazing hell. When he arrived there, an open lotus as big as a wooden wheel of a Khmer ox cart appeared for his ride. He could fly about hell without suffering from the blaze. The creatures of dead person were very impressed by his visit and gave him a very warm welcome. The monk preached to them. Before he returned, those creatures asked the monk to inform their living relatives that they were suffering from hell fire, starvation, and diseases. The living relatives should offer monks the four requisite in order to release them from this suffering. On his return the senior monk conveyed the message to the king. The monarch ordered that all people celebrate Kan Ben, which lasts 15 days to dedicate merit to dead relative during the rainy season. The Kan Ben and Pchum Ben tradition has existed since then.
Celebrate
The first 14 days of the Khmer month Pheakta Bot are called Kan Ben (“observed celebration”). The 15th day is called Brochum Ben or Pchum Ben Day. During Kan Ben, people give Buddhist monks gifts of food and candles. At night Buddhist monks recite a protective prayer. Cambodian artists play traditional music such as yike and lakhon basac. Pchum Ben Day is the biggest celebration. Villagers come from all around to prepare the pagoda of their village the night before the celebration. Pchum Ben is when the villagers gather to celebrate in their villages.
Scriptures
The scriptures relating to the festival are complex, but the first scripture involves the five Buddhas negotiating with hungry ghosts. In the second scripture, from Pet Vuto (Monks’ Governor), the King’s servants and soldiers were commanded to make war. On the ship at night, they met ghosts who were hungry. The servants and soldiers asked: “How can we get food to you?” The ghosts said: “You can offer the food to the person among you who has the five moral conducts or eight moral conducts, and invoke our names.” The third and fourth scriptures say that in the first 15 days of Pheakta Both, the heaviest rainy period, the devil releases the ghosts to find their relatives to receive food.
The scriptures relating to the festival are complex, but the first scripture involves the five Buddhas negotiating with hungry ghosts. In the second scripture, from Pet Vuto (Monks’ Governor), the King’s servants and soldiers were commanded to make war. On the ship at night, they met ghosts who were hungry. The servants and soldiers asked: “How can we get food to you?” The ghosts said: “You can offer the food to the person among you who has the five moral conducts or eight moral conducts, and invoke our names.” The third and fourth scriptures say that in the first 15 days of Pheakta Both, the heaviest rainy period, the devil releases the ghosts to find their relatives to receive food.
What is bay ben?
Bay ben (balls of rice) are offered to ghosts at dawn. People believe ghosts with heavy sins cannot receive food during the day. Bay ben is made from sticky rice and sesame. Sometimes people add coconut cream to make it more delicious. Buddhist Institute consultant Miech Ponn said he thinks bay ben should be put on a plate. “Getting rice to the poor, people also can get more merit than only giving it to ants,” Miech Ponn said. Why do people throw rice ball (BAY BEN) at Dawn? People gather at about 4:00 am and walk around the temple in a procession led by a Buddhist priest. Meanwhile, they say prayers and throw Bay Ben in the direction away from the temple. They believed that evil spirits especially those who have no living relatives are released from hell to come to pagodas to receive food from their relatives at night. They to go back to hell before sun rise. These spirits are in the form of such a big, tall body that they can step over the temple. However, they dare not do so due to the fear that they commit more sin. They would stand crying and asking for food. They would visit seven pagodas to look for their relatives, and get food from them. If they can't see them at one of visited Watts (Wats), evil spirits will impose curses on their relatives. That is why living relatives do their best to offer food, much or less during Dak Ben and Pchum Ben although they have difficulty making ends meet themselves. |