Prājñā (Wisdom), the “states of deep sleep”

Prājñā refers to the “states of deep sleep”. Actually, enough sleep could help people to keep their brain healthy; Generally, everyone needs to sleep every day to balance their power for work and life. No one ever work daily without any sleep; it varies from person to person.

Meaning of Prajnaparamita for Cambodian (Khmer Language for Khmer People)

 បារមិតា => បរម (Perfect) ប្រកបដោយ (ទាន សីល សន្តិ វីរៈ សមាធិ ប្រាជ្ញា ឧបាយ ប្រណិធាន ពលៈ ញាណ) 

បរមប្រាជ្ញា (Prajnaparamita) សម្រាប់ជីវិតដ៏ប្រសើរមាន៖

១. ការលះបង់និងអោយទាន

២.សីលធម៌

៣.ថាមពលចិត្តនិងកាយ

៤.ចិត្តស្ងប់គិតពីអនាគតនិងដើរទៅមុខជានិច្ច

៥.ចំណេះដឹងនិងជំនាញ (ចេះ១០មិនស្មើប្រសប់១)

៦.សតិសម្បជញ្ញៈ

៧.ឈ្នះឈ្នះដោយសន្តិភាព

៨ .ឧបាយត្រូវ (ជំនាញដោះស្រាយបញ្ហា)

៩.ជួយអ្នកដទៃ

១០.កម្លាំងក្នុងជីវិត

New Young Female Prime Minister of Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra

 

Source: Creator: Pheu Thai Party | Credit: via REUTERS

In August 2024, there is the good news for Thailand to have the youngest female prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, to lead the country for better, especially economics​ and political stability.

It should be noted that Mrs. Paetongtarn was born on August 21, 1986 in the United State to Mr. Thaksin Shinwatra who was the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Her ancestors linked Thai to Chinese Hakka Han descendant and Chiang Mai Lanna Royal Family. 

Her co-party member and former Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, who was withdrawn from the position of prime minister, stood by to congratulate Mrs. Paetorngtarn and handovered the tasks after that. They discuss well for the better of Thailand of Pheu Thai Party for the next election for sure to compete with The People Party of the former Move Forward party.

Based on her leadership, experience and all the consultants including her father will help her for the success in her mandate and recover Thailand's economy soon.

"I will listen to all opinions so together we can take the country forward with stability," she said as quoted from The Japan Times.

"Young woman with the good commitment will lead the country for better in the 21st centry!"

By Stung Khiev

La Ang Spean in Battambang, The Oldest Prehistoric Site in Cambodia

 

Pre-history in Cambodia is really important to tell about the past of Cambodia (Kamboja / Kambuja / Kanbawza). Cambodia locates in the mainland Southeast Asia. The ancient people lived here thousand years before the historical record known to the world. To study about the pre-history in Cambodia, they never forget one place as the oldest prehistoric site of Cambodia in the northwest region of this country, Battambang Province. Battambang has been known to the world for its prehistoric site, La Ang Spean, in the cave of Teak Trang Mountain telling the secret how ancient people movement in this area and habitating here​ since the Stone Age. The cave of La Ang Spean prehistoric site locates  on the west part of Teak Trang Mountain in the Kilo 38 Village, Treng Commune, Rattanak Mondol District, Battambang province and 40 km westward from Battambang City . Both international and national tourists can travel to this prehistoric site through National Road 10 (Today National Road 57) from Battambang City to Pailin Province. The name of La Ang Spean came from the view of the stone above the cave that look like bridge in the cave. It should be noted that Teak Trang Mountain was formed at about 300 million B.C. during the earth plain movements.

In 1964, Mr. Roland Mourer and his wife, Cécile came to Cambodia for this well-known prehistoric site and did a research over land area of 15 square metre in the mountain cave of this prehistoric site. This cave is 42 metre long, 20 metre wide and 20 metre high. They dug the soil near the west wall of the cave around 1.5 metre deep and found that there are 9 layers of soil. In the 9th layer of soil, they saw a lot of stone equipments and broken part of pottery products such as jar, porcelain, etc. They set the age of soil as to the stone age from 8500 to 6800 B.C.

Recently, archaeologists from France with Cambodian archaeologists  from Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts did a research on the land area of 70 square metres and found many equipments and broken jar of local prehistoric people used at La Ang Spean Prehistoric Site. They found 5 ancient dead body: one is female and others are male which at least from 3300 to 3370 B.C. Along with the buried ancient dead body, there are porcelain, ax made of limestone, some with arrows, some without arrows, stone bracelets, stone beads and animal bones, especially turtle bones (Yosothor Organization, 2020). From this research, both French and Cambodian archaeologists believed that these ancient people at La Ang Spean Pre-Historical Site can use various equipments and pottery products in different designs as you can find below photos (Yosothor Organization, 2020). 

Based on the previous research, people living in the cave of La Ang Spean Prehistoric Site can be traced back into three stages:

1. From 26000 to 71000 years before now ( Stone Age) in the layer of soil from 3 metre to 5 metre of the cave: there was the note for human activity with animal bones and stone equipments. People lived based on picking wild fruits and shooting animals and little fish.
2. From 5100 to 11000 years before now (Ending Stone Age) in the layer of soil from 30 centimetre to 1.4 metre (black soil layer from 30 centimetre to 40 centimetre): prehistoric people use stones from nearby river to use as stone equipments. There are lots of bone fragments, as well as snail shells and shells. When the bones of these animals are analyzed, it is found that most of them are large species such as rhinos, giraffes, rattlesnakes, tigers and deer. In addition, there are wild boars, deers, hedgehogs, ferrets, cobra, pythons, monitor lizard, birds and little fish bones which were left behind as their daily food. People lived in this period picking wild fruits and shooting animals  and little fish while stayed in the cave.
3. From 3300 to 3370 years before now (Bronze Age): during this period, due to the warming temperature, people moving outside the cave to live on the farm doing agriculture and fishery. They just used the cave at La Ang Spean prehistoric site of Teak Trang Mountain as the buried place for their relatives' dead bodies which found 5 ancient dead bodies. It is believed that people moving southwards during this period to other location with the support of the warming temperature.

La Ang Spean is surely the known oldest prehistoric site in Cambodia. It should be promoted to worldwide for more research study to find more evidence of human settlement in this area as well as for Cambodia's pre-history. Based on this data, we hope more Cambodian people will get interested in this research and educate our people about the root of our history well. We are not born alone, so we shall learn history as the lessons from our ancestors who lived thousand years before now and live in peace with each other. Nature can take us back one day when we are trying to destroy the nature around us.

By: Steung Khiev

Source: http://www.yosothor.org/publications/khmer-renaissance/chapter-four/lphol-tmey-tmey-ban-mok-pi-kamnay-nov-snanny-laang-spean.html

Ros Sereysothea, Life and Achievement in Cambodia

 

Ros Sereysothea (1946-1977)

Everyone in Cambodia surely knows the most famous female singer, Ros Sereysothea. What is special about her? Why do we need to remember her name when you're going to Cambodia?

Let me tell you that Ros Sereysothea coming from Battambang Province in the northwest region in Cambodia can speak Khmer, Thai and little English. She was known to be born on 06 November 1946 in Battambang Town, Battambang Province.

So you can guess what will I tell you about her? Haha.... Yeah! She is my favorite female Khmer singer before April 1975. She is purely Cambodian and a Khmer woman who never give up. She was so successful for her singing career with Sinn Sisamouth. She loves singing since she was a child in a poor family. However, she wasn't well with love and men always broke her heart.

A note for you is this woman singer being different from others. She has very highly sweet voice and she can make your heart beating by listening to her song. She is very introvert person and she rarely talks much. She loves to stay calm and respects others. She likes simple Khmer food with fresh fruit. She is also good at jogging and mini marathon. 

She had been very active for her singing career from 1964 to 1975. Most of her songs is with Sinn Sisamouth, the most famous male singer in Cambodia. He helped her from sadness and be strong for singing career. Besides that, she was also the female parachutists for modeling the women in the troops as well.

Sothea was forced to flee from Phnom Penh to Pnhom Sruch, Kampong Speu on 17 April. She was said to lose child one by one and lived with her family during Khmer Rouge. Unfortunately, she and her family was captured and killed in April 1977. Thousand of her songs still remain and video below from youtube is her best songs. Don't forget to listen to relax and best wish for her to RIP.

By: Steung Khiev

Covid-19 and Cambodia Struggling Economy in 2020

 

The Very Quiet Scenes of Local Theatre Educational Center, Phare Ponleu Selpak

Covid-19 is the worth epidemic for the world and Cambodia. Billion of people were suffered from the Coronavirus outbreak since the early 2020 and economically lost for their daily life. Million of people lost jobs or income as less people travelling and border closing.

Cambodian people who depend on agriculture saw a big loss with this outbreak and pandemic life. There is still ongoing report of Covid-19 cases within the country and people are hard to find enough incomes during this period, especially everyone who depends on the international tourism.

Businesses in the international tourism are closing some and art performance are no show anymore after many events cancelled. Phare Ponleu Selpak is one of them which suffered economically and artists are hard to support themselves. 

People who depend on salary are seeing a financial crisis as some are laid off and some working in very low income jobs. They are affected mentally and physically while the price of the food and products are going up. Sellers along the road get less customers as less people travel during the news of local communities' Covid-19 outbreak. 

If it takes that longer period, more people will find no way to support their life. Crimes will be increased and local people will be suffered more. We are really concerned for Cambodia and the world that this might be the third cold war for our people to struggle. Who develop and study about this virus? Who will be responsible for the hardship of these people? Humanity is till there yet or not? 

We hope Cambodia to recover soon and businesses and trades will increase more for our people to sell their agricultural products. We wish for factory who love to develop the factory to create the final products from our raw agricultural crops. We wish to have more rice mill and rice market for Cambodia to trade on. Let's contact Cambodia for your wish to trade rice; our farmers will be happy if more trades are available.

By: Steung Khiev

Yike Is Khmer Traditional Performance

 

Khmer in Early 1900s

Yike is Khmer traditional theatre with the ancient music and singers. It was thought to originate since Funan period in the first century of Khmer Kingdom. Yike is not only popular among Khmer people, but Cham people also loves it as both Khmer and Cham share the same root of history as the center for trade in Southeast Asia between the ancient kingdoms from today China and India. There were many intermarriages between local people and royal family to the traders, academicians and royal families from ancient kingdoms in India today. There were also the international relation with Royal House of the ancient kingdoms in China for religion and leadership.

During 1960s, Khmer loved seeing Yike Performance and artists were very influential to people in Cambodia. Many Khmer literature were used to create Yike Performance while people would like to relax after working on their farm and rice field during big events like Khmer New Year, etc. There were some Yike songs created as well for local people to learn and sing. A lot of masterpieces from Yike Theatre Group during that period remains till today even their artists were tortured by communist group in Cambodia during 1975-1979 with the support from neighboring communist and big communist country. Only few artists survived the regime and Yike is still known in Khmer National Radio during 1980s and 1990s, but today there is less popularity due to the influence for the modern multimedia such as TV and YouTube for foreign performance. Besides Khmer people in Cambodia, there are millions of Khmer communities living in neighboring countries such as South Vietnam (before is South Cambodia or French Cochinchina) and northeastern Thailand (part of the ancient Khmer Empire) who love seeing Yike performance, especially millions of Khmer Krom people in today Southern Vietnam (South Cambodia) totalling to 21 provinces.

Khmer overseas in USA, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Laos, some other parts of Thailand (Ratchaburi, Prachinburi, Kanchanaburi, Suphanburi, Sa Kaeo, Krung Thep (Bangkok), Chanthaburi, Trat, etc), France and Germany also support Yike performance online watch with YouTube Channel as well. We hope that Yike will be well-preserved and popular again among Cambodian youth and young Khmer living overseas. "Yike is our heart and soul, let's watch it!"

By: Steung Khiev