Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia

The Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia (Pali: Sangharāja; Khmer: សម្តេចព្រះសង្ឃរាជ, pronounced [sɑmdac preah sɑŋ riec]) is the de facto leader of Buddhism in Cambodia.

Titles

The titles for the Cambodian Supreme Patriarchs are derived from Pali. The full official title of the Supreme Patriarch of the Maha Nikaya is Samdech Preah Sumedhādhipati (Khmer: សម្តេច ព្រះ សុមេធាធិបតី); sumedhādhipati means 'wise lord'. In letters with King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, the following title is used for the Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong: Samdech Preah Agga Mahā Sangharājādhipati (Khmer: សម្តេច ព្រះ អគ្គមហាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី); which is translated as 'foremost great supreme patriarch leader'.[1]

The full official title of the Supreme Patriarch of the Dhammayuttika Nikaya is Samdech Preah Aphiserei Sukonthea Mohasangreacheathipadei (Abhisirī Sugandhā Mahāsangharājādhipati) (Khmer: សម្តេច ព្រះ អភិសិរី សុគន្ធា មហាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី). This title means 'Of Higher Merit and Pure Virtue, Great Supreme Patriarch Leader'. In letters with King-Father Sihanouk, an abbreviated title is used in the valediction: Samdech Preah Sangreach (Khmer: សម្តេច ព្រះ សង្ឃរាជ).'[1]

History

Between 1855 and 1981, there were two Supreme Patriarchs in the Kingdom of Cambodia: one for the Cambodian branch of the Thai Dhammayuttika Nikaya order, and one for the Maha Nikaya. In 1981, under the supervision of the Vietnamese-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea, Venerable Tep Vong was elected Supreme Patriarch of a new, unified sangha modelled on the Vietnamese Theravada Buddhist Sangha Congregation.[2]

After the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1991, King Norodom Sihanouk appointed Venerable Bour Kry as Supreme Patriarch of Dhammayuttika Nikaya.[3] Today, the two orders are each headed by their own patriarch, unlike in Thailand where only one Supreme Patriarch heads both orders. The Constitution of Cambodia provides a seat on the Royal Council of the Throne to both Supreme Patriarchs, thus giving each a say in the selection of the Cambodian sovereign.

In 2006, Tep Vong was elevated to the status of Great Supreme Patriarch,[4] while Venerable Non Nget was subsequently elevated to Supreme Patriarch of the Maha Nikaya. Tep Vong is the first monk in 150 years to bear the title of Great Supreme Patriarch.[4]

Lists of Cambodian patriarchs

Supreme Patriarch of Maha Nikaya

# Portrait Secular name Dharma name Titles Birth & Death
(Common Era)
Tenure
(Buddhist Era)
Tenure
(Common Era)
Notes
1Nil Teang
និល ទៀង
Suvaṇṇakesaro
សុវណ្ណកេសរោ
Samdech Preah Maha Sangharāja
សម្តេចព្រះមហាសង្ឃរាជ
1823-19131859-1913
2Keh Ouk
កែ អ៊ុក
Indatthero
ឥន្ទត្ថេរោ
Samdech Preah Dhammalikhita
សម្ដេចព្រះធម្មលិខិត
1851-19361855–1894[5]
3Prak Hin
ប្រាក់ ហ៊ិន
Sudhammatthero
សុធម្មត្ថេរោ
Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatī
សម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី
1863-19471857-1913[6]
4Chuon Nath
ជួន ណាត
Jotañāṇo
ជោតញ្ញាណោ
Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatī
សម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី
1883-19691948–1969[7]
5Huot Tat
ហួត តាត
Vajirapañño
វជិរបញ្ញោ
Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatī
សម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី
1892-19751969–1975[7]Died from Khmer Rouge execution at the Prang pagoda in Oudong district.[8]
6Tep Vong
ទេព វង្ស
Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatī
សម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី
1932–present1991–2006Elevated to the status of Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia.
7Non Nget
នន្ទ ង៉ែត
Passaddhisambojjhaṃgo
បស្សទ្ធិសម្ពោជ្ឈង្គោ
Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatī
សម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី
1922–present2006–present

Supreme Patriarch of Dhammayuttika Nikaya

# Portrait Secular name Dharma name Titles Birth & Death
(Common Era)
Tenure
(Buddhist Era)
Tenure
(Common Era)
Notes
1Saukonn Pan
ប៉ាន
Paññāsīlo
បញ្ញាសីលោ
Samdech Preah Sugandhādhipatī
សម្តេចព្រះសុគន្ធាធិបតី
1826-18931855–1893[9][10]
2Eam
អៀម
Bhaddagū
ភទ្ទគូ
Samdech Preah Mangaladebācārya
សម្តេចព្រះមង្គលទេពាចារ្យ
1849-19221893-1922[11]
3Souk
ស៊ុក
Paññādīpo
បញ្ញាទីបោ
Samdech Preah Mangaladebācārya
សម្តេចព្រះមង្គលទេពាចារ្យ
1861-19431923-1943[11]
4Oung Srei
អ៊ុង ស្រី
Buddhanāgo
ពុទ្ធនាគោ
Samdech Preah Sudhammādhipatī
សម្តេចព្រះសុធម្មាធិបតី
1870-19561943-1956[11]
5Phul Tes
ភុល ទេស
Indañāṇo
ឥន្ទញាណោ
Samdech Preah Sudhammādhipatī
សម្តេចព្រះសុធម្មាធិបតី
1891-19661956-1966[11]
6Tep Leung
ទេព លឿង
Gandharo
គន្ធរោ
Samdech Preah Sudhammādhipatī
សម្តេចព្រះសុធម្មាធិបតី
1883-19751966-1975Died just two days before the fall of Phnom Penh by Khmer Rouge.[11][12]
7He Chea
ហ៊ី ជា
Samdech Preah Sangharāja
សម្តេចព្រះសង្ឃរាជ
?-19751975 (less than one week)Acting Supreme Patriach of Dhammayutika Nikaya[11]
8Bour Kry
បួរ គ្រី
Candagiriko
ចន្ទតិរិកោ
Samdech Preah Abhisirī Sugandhā Mahāsangharājādhipati
សម្តេចព្រះអភិសិរីសុគន្ធា មហាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី
1945–present1991–presentHold the title of "Samdech Preah Sugandhadhipati" from 1991. Elevated to current title in 2007.

Head of the Unified Sangha of Cambodia

# Portrait Secular name Dharma name Order Birth & Death
(Common Era)
Tenure
(Buddhist Era)
Tenure
(Common Era)
1Tep Vong
ទេព វង្ស
Maha Nikaya1932–present1981–1991

Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia in exile

# Portrait Secular name Dharma name Order Birth & Death
(Common Era)
Tenure
(Buddhist Era)
Tenure
(Common Era)
1Va YavGhosananda
ឃោសានន្ទ
Maha Nikaya1913-20071988–2007

Note: In 1988, Maha Ghosananda was elected Supreme Patriarch by a group of exiled monks in Paris. During this same period, Tep Vong held the same office in the unified Cambodian sangha. After 1991, Tep Vong was recognized as head of the Maha Nikaya in Cambodia.[13]

Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia

# Portrait Secular name Dharma name Titles Order Birth & Death
(Common Era)
Tenure
(Buddhist Era)
Tenure
(Common Era)
1Tep Vong
ទេព វង្ស
Samdech Preah Agga Mahā Sangharājādhipati
សម្តេចព្រះអគ្គមហាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី
Maha Nikaya1932–present2006–present

Notes

  1. Website of Norodom Sihanouk
  2. (Harris 2001, p. 75)
  3. (Harris 2001, p. 77)
  4. Cambodia Daily article on KI Media
  5. វត្តខេមររតនារាម. "សម្តេចសង្ឃ កែ អ៊ុក". watkhmers.org. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  6. វត្តខេមររតនារាម. "សម្តេចសង្ឃ ប្រាក់ ហ៊ិន". watkhmers.org. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  7. (Harris 2001, p. 78)
  8. Pot, Pol; Sary, Ieng; révolutionnaire, Cambodia Tribunal populaire (2000-04-04). Genocide in Cambodia: Documents from the Trial of Pol Pot and Ieng Sary. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 361. ISBN 9780812235395.
  9. (Harris 2001, p. 83)
  10. បាភ្នំស្រុកកំណើតខ្. "ព្រះរាជជីវប្រវត្តិសង្ខេបរបស់សម្តេចព្រះសុគន្ធាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី សម្តេចព្រះសង្ឃរាជទី១ នៃគណៈធម្មយុត្តិកនិកាយ នៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា". baphnommyhomeland.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  11. ហោត្រៃ. "ប្រវត្តិ វត្តបទុមវតីរាជវរាម". haotrai.com. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  12. ៥០០០ឆ្នាំ. "សម្ដេចព្រះសុធម្មាធិបតី គណៈធម្មយុត្តិកនិកាយ គន្ធរោ ទេព លឿង". 5000-years.org. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  13. (Harris 2001, p. 70)

References

  • Harris, Ian C. (August 2001), "Sangha Groupings in Cambodia", Buddhist Studies Review, UK Association for Buddhist Studies, 18 (I): 65–72
  • Harris, Ian C. (2005), Cambodian Buddhism: History and Practice, Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai`i Press
  • Keyes, Charles F. (1994), "Communist Revolution and the Buddhist Past in Cambodia", Asian Visions of Authority: Religion and the Modern States of East and Southeast Asia, Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai`i Press, pp. 43–73
  • Duangloi, Rapin, Phra (2002), A study on the status of the Cambodia Sangha, 1975-1989 (PDF), Bangkok: Graduate School, Srinakharinwirot University
  • A website with information about each Supreme Patriarch

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.