Magha Puja in Cambodia

The Origin

Cambodia is a country, where the elder people are getting additional respect from the society, because they have more knowledge and knowledge, as in all other Buddhist countries is greatly cherished in the society. Therefore, monks and temple workers are the sacred people not because anyone can get blessings from there, but because people get their knowledge, and it is believed that the sacred places were the ones, where Buddha’s ideas and believes appeared to him. As the visitor to this country with the great history, it is important for people to know that Buddha was one of the main personalities in their culture.  

Therefore, it is important to know the days, which are considered for Cambodian people as special. It should be mentioned that holidays connected to Buddha in Cambodian society are not simply days when people do not have to work, these are the days when people actually try to work as much as possible, work with their heads, meaning to think, because Buddha acquired the utter knowledge and on the day like Magha Puja they can have a touch of that knowledge to be carried through the whole time to the next Magha Puja.

The Meaning

The first thing you have to know about Magha Puja is that it is celebrated in the full moon and is usually presented as a great Buddhist festival all over the streets of the cities of Cambodia and other South Asian countries. The celebration is the praise of all the good that is in the human. Since only the clever person can distinguish good from evil, it is thus the celebration of the knowledge as well. As it is possible to see, this Cambodian holiday is supposed to bring people to another level of being, without sins and with the utter knowledge and good deeds as well as the good and pure heart. In such a way, it is believed, that by doing only good a person is praising Buddha and in the day of Magha Puja, when the full moon appears, they say that Buddha himself looks through it onto the Earth and sees with his watchful eye the deeds of the person.     

The Celebration

Magha Puja is the day, which market the events that have happened exactly two hundred and seventy days after Buddha received his utter knowledge by the Enlightenment from above. On that special day, more than a thousand people came to Buddha, these were special monks, who themselves have called to be the holders of the knowledge, and on that day he gave to them the main principals of Buddhism to be given later to all other people, who strive for the great knowledge of this world. Therefore, this holiday is also a symbol of giving to the people believe and religion.    

Arhantas, those who were called as the enlightened ones and given this post by Buddha, are very important people to the Cambodian society. Their words of wisdom are important to the simple people, and on that holiday they bring the three main principals from Buddha – to do good, to protect one selves from evil and to purify one’s minds.

The monks that gathered on that day of full moon more that 2500 years ago brought the main teachings to the people, thus it is important to remember that this holiday is one of the main cultural events in Cambodia, the people are more than willing to share their traditions with the newcomers, because those, who open their hearts open their minds to more knowledge, like Buddha used to teach.

You can support ideas of Buddha not only on Magha Puja day, but also in everyday life. For example you can buy the best portable solar charger and use it for supplying with energy all your household devices. In this way you will protect environment as solar energy never hearts nature and, besides, absolutely free.