MINI PROFILE: "Venerable CHHIV MAO"

MINI PROFILE

Venerable CHHIV MAO

By: CHEA SINGHTARARITH

In the shift of watching the monastery, venerable CHHIV MAO whose age is 28 years old is studying alone in a peaceful manner surrounding himself by English study books and Buddha story painting on the wall. Originate from SIEM REAP province, he is now a monk in Ounalom pagoda, Phnom Penh.

After his grandfather died, venerable MAO was sent to become monk in the age of 15, when he was only in 4th grade (primary school). He did not even know how to read and write properly. When he became a monk, under the eyes of elder monks, he started to  study language and Thor and soon he realised that buddhism is really great for everyone as a human being then he decided to follow Buddha path. when He was 17, he became a monk officially in Siem Reap. Later on, when he reached 25 years old, he decide to come to Phnom Penh and became monk at Ounalom pagoda. At the mean time, he also studied English and other subjects in order to enrol university level.

“I decided to become a monk not because I was forced to do so, but I saw the core meaning of Buddhism and I always appreciated what Buddha taught. Buddhism is very good for everyone as a human being it teaches people to behave, to think properly and to live in society with peace and harmony, and not to do bad things and exploit others that weaker than you.”,  said venerable MAO.

Life as a monk is not really different from other people, only the way of living differentiate monk from normal people. 

“we (monk) only follow what Buddha taught us to do and not to do; therefore, it changes our lives a bit from normal people. Like normal citizens, Monks also have their own way of living. In the morning, we need to wake up at 5 a.m. and pray (Nakmaska) until 7 a.m. Then we walk street by street to get food from people and say a prayer of blessing to them. In the afternoon we can take shift watching monastery and study in a quiet environment.”

He added, “living in pagoda does not mean your living expends are covered. For living expends, every monk need to pay for themselves, for those who get more foods by walking down the street share some to other fellow monks. And for monks who have family with better living standard, their life is quite easier than others because they do not need to go down the street for food.”

“And living here, we (monks) are not allowed to do thing freely. There are exact rules which were set as what Buddha taught. With the clear structure of management, none dare to break the pagoda regulation. from the time he entered this pagoda, there has been no case of expelling monk.”, he continued.

It appeared to have some extra rules adding unofficially for monks. Stated that monks should not involve in politic in any picture such as social movement and protest.

“There’s also a rule banned monk from involving in politic in this pagoda as well, but monk does not really pay attention to it. The upper level in this pagoda also threaten us about the involvement of monk in protest. But they just threaten us, in fact they didn't take any action. Some monks still go and some didn’t. The upper level also get threaten from the top one as well.”, said venerable MAO.

Speaking in a facial expression, From what Buddha taught, monk has right to involve in society and share opinion and idea toward something bad. Monk’s role is not to kill or to beat people, their role is only to share opinion and advice toward something that is wrong in society. So it not wrong from what buddha have taught. 

He continued, they said monk should teach people Thor, in order to educate people to do good things and not to do wrong. But monks don’t really have chance to teach them about those things because our gap between them and us is quite far. For example, for those who are in high ranking position, we don’t have chance to talk to them directly about what they have done wrong, so monk need to express and talk in social movement to say what is wrong and what is right and. In Buddha time, at that time Buddha had high position than king so everyone listened to what Buddha said so he didn't have to go to any protest to express what he wanted to say, 

“It’s very good for monk to involve in social activities for the sake of people who suffer from what goes on in society. Monk and people we are connected, if they are suffered, we also suffer because they are the one who support us by giving us food and other things. so we need to be united (Samaki) in order to fight for justice.” He said with a firm expression.

With an ambitious dream of helping weak people, he spook his dream out that he want to be a teacher who teach English and Buddhism. “I want Buddhism to be widespread and living last forever, not only in Cambodia but also around the world because it can brings peace and harmony to everyone in the world.”