Unique ethnic custom of 12 year old boys becoming monks, where is it distributed in Vietnam?

The Khmer are a minority ethnic group in the community of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. According to 2009 statistics, the population of this ethnic group is more than 1.2 million, distributed in many provinces and cities in the South but concentrated in the Mekong Delta.

Provinces with many Khmer people living are: Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Kien Giang, An Giang, Bac Lieu, Vinh Long, Tay Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City. For generations, Khmer people have believed that contributing to building pagodas and maintaining pagoda activities is a covenant to ensure happiness for the present and future lives of each person. Khmer people spare no effort, precious materials and skillful hands to contribute to the construction of pagodas, so pagodas become the center of phum, soc, sacredly attached to the people for life.

The pagoda is a center of religious activities, a symbol of Khmer culture, a place to practice morality and personality, and also a place to educate Khmer youth. Khmer people consider the pagoda a sacred and solemn place, a place that gathers the quintessence of the nation, many festivals associated with customs and practices are held at the pagoda. The pagoda contributes to creating solidarity and stability in the people's belief in Buddhism and is a place to connect and unite the community of the nation.

According to Khmer custom, when boys turn 12 or 13 years old, they enter the temple to become monks. Depending on the fate, foundation and wishes of each person, the time of practice can vary.

According to documents on ethnic cultures of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Khmer boys from the age of 12 and up will be sent by their families to the pagoda to study Buddhist teachings, learn to read and write, learn a trade, show filial piety to their parents and train themselves to become knowledgeable and moral people worthy of their family and society.

It is known that becoming a monk is considered a social obligation of Khmer men. If a man does not become a monk, he will be considered unfilial by society and his family, and will have difficulty finding a wife when he grows up. Because Khmer women of marriageable age often choose men who have been ordained in a temple and returned to secular life. They believe that these men have fulfilled their obligations and learned how to be a human being, are literate, and are respected by society.

According to the book Khmer People in Southern Vietnam (2011), after receiving the ten precepts, Khmer boys will wear the monk's robe and become novice monks. From then on, parents must bow when they meet. Even when they come home to visit, parents must offer rice because the novice is a representative of Buddha and not their son anymore.

According to custom, at the age of 20, novice monks will have a ceremony to continue their practice or ask to return to lay life to get married and do business if they feel that their merits have run out. The time spent studying is also considered a condition for a young man to catch the eye of girls of marriageable age, a sign of maturity to enter marriage.

"Is your son/daughter a monk?", "How long have you been a monk?" are common questions in traditional Khmer society, especially when the groom's family wants to ask for the bride's hand in marriage. This shows that the position of a monk in Khmer society is very high. A monk is considered a devout Buddhist, called Ontich in Khmer. Ontich are often invited to officiate in cultural and religious activities in phum and soc.

Venerable Gen Thek Ro Chau Pro's, abbot of Thon Man Mich Pagoda, Vinh Trung Commune, Tinh Bien District, An Giang Province, said: "The custom and practice of the Khmer people is that parents are very interested in the issue of practicing. Practicing is to know the rules of Buddhism. Parents send people to school at the age of 6, graduate from grade 12 or university for a while, then return to perform the ordination ceremony. It can be for 1 year, 3 months, 3 days, or 1 or 2 days. Depending on the individual, practicing for 2 or 3 days is also blessed."

When allowing their son to enter the monastery, the parents must first meet with the abbot at the temple in the village or hamlet where the family lives, to discuss and set a date for the ordination ceremony. Usually, the ceremony is held at the same time with many people to reduce costs and avoid having to hold it multiple times. When a son grows up and enters the temple, it is to show filial piety and repay his parents, so it is necessary to have the consent of the parents before the temple will accept him and hold the ordination ceremony.

After the abbot has agreed with the family on the date of entering the monastery, the family must prepare the monk's robe, alms bowl and some other items for their son. One day before the official ceremony, the son will have his head shaved by the monks, his pants will be replaced with a sarong, and his shirt will be replaced with a white cloth draped over his shoulders from left to right. This new white cloth is called Penexo, once he puts on this white cloth, it means he has renounced the secular world.

During this time, the family of the person whose son is going to become a monk also invites monks to their home to chant sutras, make offerings, and perform the initiation ceremony. The next day, the son who is about to become a monk will carry a tray of kasaya robes to present to all relatives to announce that he is preparing to become a monk. On the morning of the third day, the family prepares some food to bring to the temple for offerings. At noon of the same day, the monks at the temple will conduct a Dharma propagation ceremony in the main hall and perform a kasaya robe-wearing ceremony for the newly ordained monks. From now on, the monks will stay at the temple to practice.

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