Unique Phat bath ceremony on the occasion of Chol Cham Thmay

Chol Chnam Thmay la le hoi mung nam moi theo lich co truyen cua dan toc Khmer. Hang nam, le hoi thuong dien ra vao khoang giua thang Tu Duong lich.

Chol Cham Thmay is a New Year festival according to the traditional calendar of the Khmer people. Every year, the festival usually takes place around the middle of the fourth lunar month.

Le thuong keo dai trong 3 ngay. Ngay dau la Le ruoc Dai lich. Ngay thu hai dien ra le dang com va dap nui cat. Vao ngay thu ba cua Tet Chol Chnam Thmay, ba con Khmer tien hanh Le tam tuong Phat va Le cau sieu.

The ceremony usually lasts for 3 days, each day has a profound cultural and spiritual meaning. The first day is the Great Riding Ceremony. On the second day, there is a rice offering and mountain and sand filling ceremony. On the third day, Khmer people hold a Buddha statue bathing ceremony and a super- Prayer ceremony.

Truoc khi thuc hien nghi thuc tam phat moi nguoi se tap trung tung kinh va lam Le cau an.

Before performing the Buddha's bathing ceremony, everyone gathered at the main hall, respectfully tu tung lai kinh and performed the An Ninh Prayer Ceremony.

Le tam tuong Phat thuong dien ra vao buoi chieu. Cac vi Acha (nguoi co uy tin trong cong dong) trang trong dat nhung pho tuong Phat vao cac thau lon chua day hoa tuoi va nuoc tinh khiet da duoc uop huong thom ngat. Vi su tru tri se la nguoi dau tien thuc hien nghi thuc nay, sau do lan luot den cac vi su khac va ba con Phat tu.

The Buddha statue bathing ceremony usually takes place in the afternoon. The Acha (respected people in the community) solemnly placed Buddha statues in large trunks filled with fresh flowers and pure water that had been seasoned with fragrant incense. The monk will be the first to perform this ceremony, then take turns going to other monks and Buddhists.

Ba Lam Thi Ut o xa Dai Tam (huyen My Xuyen, tinh Soc Trang) cho biet - Nghi thuc tam Phat duoc xem la hanh dong thanh loc tam hon, got rua nhung dieu khong may man, phien muon cua nam cu, mo long don nhan nhung dieu tot dep trong nam moi.

Ms. Lam Thi Ut in Dai Tam commune (My Xuyen district, Soc Trang province) said: The Buddha's bath ceremony is considered an act of purification, washing away the bad luck and hardship of the old year, opening the heart to receive the good things in the new year.

Phat tu can than dung nhung canh hoa tuoi de vay nhung giot nuoc thom ngat len tuong Phat, the hien long thanh kinh va uoc mong nhung dieu an lanh.

Buddhists carefully use fresh flower branches to spread fragrant drops of water on the Buddha statue, expressing their respect and wishing for peace.

Mot net dep van hoa doc dao la sau khi tam Phat, nguoi dan Khmer con dung chinh nhung giot nuoc thom nay de tuoi len mo phan cua ong ba, cha me va nhung nguoi than da khuat. Hanh dong nay the hien long hieu thao, tuong nho va cau mong su mat me, an yen cho nhung nguoi da ra di.

A unique cultural beauty is that after bathing in Buddha's hand, the Khmer people also use these fragrant drops of water to drink on the tombs of their grandparents, parents and deceased relatives. This action shows hospitality, remembrance and pray for coolness and peace for those who have passed away.

Sau khi ket thuc le tam tuong Phat, tam su sai, moi nguoi cung cac vi Acha tap trung tai khu vuc thap dung hai cot de cau sieu cho linh hon cac nha su vien tich va nhung nguoi than cua minh duoc sieu thoat.

After the end of the Buddha statue bath ceremony, everyone and the Acha deities gathered at the remains tower area to hold the super-praying ceremony. This is the final ceremony, concluding the series of days of Chol Cham Thmay.

Le cau sieu la nghi le cuoi cung ket thuc Tet Chol Chnam Thmay cua nguoi Khmer.

The super-praying ceremony is an occasion to commemorate and pray for the souls of the monks who have passed away and the relatives of each family to be saved and have peace in the world on the other side.