The Royal Water Festival, floating lanterns and worshiping the moon, Ok Ambok is always celebrated for three days: from the 14th to the 15th and the 1st of Roch Khek Tek on the Tonle Sap.
The Royal Water Festival, floating lanterns and worshiping the moon, Ok Ambok, has existed since ancient times, as stated in the documents of foreign historians, as well as in the inscriptions of the temples of Angkor.
This Water Festival has many different interpretations and different ceremonies.
A: According to the book Jayavarman VII in the Buddhist Institute, it is stated that in the Angkorian period of the 12th century AD, Cambodia was very prosperous and prosperous by King Jayavarman VII. Suppression of the Chams by the army of boats as a battle to liberate the city of Cambodia from the enemy (AD 1177-1181) The story of the war was engraved on the walls of Bayon and Banteay Chhmar. In the sculpture, there is a huge army of boats with the inscription of Jayavarman VII standing on the position of the warship with his bow and stick vigorously among the fleet.
B: The Boat Race Document of the Traditional Church No. 19.004, written by Mr. Thach Pen alias Pang Achar at the Deputy Buddhist Academy, Khleang Province, Kampuchea Krom, states: Longvek period, 2071 BC, 1528, King Ang Chan I Tang Ponhea Tatang was a close friend of Phuba, the Kran king in Kampuchea Krom, Bassac district. This Kranh king has organized the defense of the district as follows:
The Navy is divided into three groups:
The first group called the sharp troops, training and boats that are shaped like our racing boats today.
The second group called the auxiliary troops to train and two rows of oars, which are shaped like our racing boats today.
The third group, called the Bassac Troops, is a large boat with a roof, oars, and sails, shaped like the Bassac boat, called the Pok Chay boat, but with a long trunk, with a single roof across the front without walls, etc. A food boat for the army.
How to train warriors “according to the tradition of the Kran king of Kampuchea Krom” is up to the four-pronged “quadruple” officials, who are in the close advice of the king of Kran, all chapters that have laws for the district, etc. Determining the full moon day of March, the month of Ok Ambok, the officers from the four directions must mobilize the army and navy for one day and one night of “exercise” every year. As for the navy soldiers, they went to the Rith exam at Tonle Peam Kanthor in Khleang province, because there are water centers in all provinces to and fro easily.
From the above two books and documents, it can be concluded that ancient Cambodia was a country with a strong navy and a military training program, this is a tradition that can be concluded that the country. Cambodia has always held this ceremony, which is linked to the exercises in ancient times.
C: Some documents say that the Royal Water Festival is one of the major national festivals of Cambodia. The festival bears a striking resemblance to the European seasonal festival of Saint Jean, now celebrated in northern Europe. Some traditions are closely related to the history of the Buddha, but one interpretation That should be sufficient enough to “thank the Ganges and the earth for providing life and well-being for the land we are defiling.”
This last interpretation is identical to the Hindu tradition and in line with the actual geographical situation and daily life of our farmers. The Royal Water Festival takes place on the full moon day of March, coinciding with the flood season, which in a few months turns the lakes into a vast sea. The tea is ripe. When the Mekong River flooded “August-November”, massive floodwaters flooded the lake through the Tonle Sap, which flows from south to north. At low tide, which begins in November, the water of the lake flows back along the Tonle Sap from north to south.
The flooding of the Mekong River, especially the flooding of lakes originating in distant China, has provided farmland in Cambodia. The sediments obtained from the flooding of rivers and lakes have made the soil fertile, creating a rich resource in Cambodia. The crops that the farmers follow the rhythm of the low tide yield great fruit, prevent famine, and bring happiness.
That is why, during the Khmer traditional low water season, we set the full moon day of March every year to hold a water festival, float lanterns and worship the moon god Ok Ambok to express our gratitude for the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, which have provided important nutrients for the sector. Agriculture. This royal festival is always celebrated for 3 days, from the 14th day of the 15th to the 15th day of the 1st lunar month on the Tonle Sap.
Source: Lantern Floating Ceremony
A: The Pali canon of the Tathagata states that the four glass fangs of the Four Noble Truths are:
1: In the Three Realms of Heaven
2: In the Dragon Planet
3: In Kunthea district
4: In the state
B: The Pali canon of the Buddhist scriptures states that the footprints of King Samma Sambuddha in five places are:
1: In Sovann Maliporpot
2: In Sovann Borpot
3: In Somon Kod Bor Pot
4: In Yonak Borey
5: At Stung Nam Tea
C: The word praising King “Yasbate” in both Pali and Shadow states that King Samma Samput Pratisthan is in the 5th place, as in the Phenarak.
Due to the source book, the Cambodian Buddhists always hold a lantern-floating ceremony on the full moon night of the month of Assoch, which is later celebrated on the night of the 14th and 15th of the lunar month. The world of dragons, the Buddha went to Stung Nam Tea and elsewhere, as mentioned above, believing that it is a great merit, very effective for the prosperity of oneself, the people and the nation.
Source of the Moon Worship Ceremony
According to the Pali canon of Abhidharma, in the beginning of this genre, our bodhisattva takes birth as a sage, “born as a rabbit.” On the full moon day, the sage prayed the Uposatha Sila and consecrated the bodhisattva as a gift to fulfill the bodhisattva’s enlightenment. Indra, aware of this incident, became an old Brahmin and came to ask the doctor for food. Stuck in the hair and jumped into the fire immediately. Amazingly, the fire did not burn at all. Indra, the Brahmin, jumped to the bodhisattva and ascended to the center of the moon. Finally.
By the power of the bodhisattva’s bodhichitta and Indra’s prayers, the image of the rabbit can be seen in the center of the moon to this day.
Believing in this story, it is because on the night of the full moon, every year, Khmer people bring food such as ambok and bananas to sacrifice to the moon, which is called the ceremony to worship the moon Ok Ambok.
(The history of the Royal Water Festival, floating lanterns and worshiping the moon Ok Ambok is taken from the book “History of the Water Festival, floating lanterns and worshiping the moon Ok Ambok” of the International Organizing Committee).
