Image of Thean Vuthy, in white, was flanked by, and put higher than, the Buddha's images. រូបលោក ធាន វុទ្ធី ដែលគេឌីហ្សាញជាព្រះសិរអារ្យមេត្រីយ៍ ហើយដាក់លក់នៅវត្តទួលព្រះរាជា។
BY SEK ODOM | the cambodia daily, AUGUST 2, 2014
BY SEK ODOM | the cambodia daily, AUGUST 2, 2014
A man purporting to be the fifth reincarnation of Buddha is coming under increasing pressure after his activities drew the attention of authorities, who have asked him to explain himself.
Thean Vuthy, who has built a pagoda in Kandal province’s Koh Thom district, claims to be a Buddhist “god.”
He has apparently accepted money from followers—attracted from as far away as Thailand—who believe he has divine power.
Ministry of Cults and Religion spokesman Seng Somony said Mr. Vuthy, who has been known to sit where Buddha’s statue would normally be situated in a pagoda, has been asked to shed light on his activities.
It follows a raid on the Tuol Reachea pagoda on Sunday, where ministry staff seized religious items that were on sale, including photographs and videos.
Mr. Somony said Mr. Vuthy first ordained priests as far back as 1992 and has been given multiple warnings by the ministry, but this was the first time they had been made aware that he had elevated himself to the status of a god.
“He did wrong by using religion to cheat people [and] he also broke the religious code when he sat on the throne and allowed people to pay him their respects, but we can’t punish him like a suspect,” he said.
The Ministry of Cults and Religion said in a statement released on Monday that Mr. Vuthy’s claim seriously offends the values of Cambodia’s state religion.
It is not only Cambodians who have been taken in by the fake Buddha.
Thai pilgrims have reportedly crossed the border into Cambodia to pay their respects, prompting authorities in Thailand to issue a warning, according to online news site Khaosod Daily.
But Buntenh, head of the Independence Monk Network said the Ministry of Cults and Religion should have intervened earlier.
“Mr. Thean Vuthy is not an honest person—he built a pagoda, he collected money—and if the Cults and Religion Ministry do not punish him he will keep doing it. It’s not first time,” he said.
However, officials could face difficulties catching up with Mr. Vuthy.
Kandal governor Phay Bun Chhoeun said he believed Mr. Vuthy was no longer at Tuol Reachea pagoda.
“[H]e always goes and back and forth from the pagoda. He has a lot of houses,” he said.
odom@cambodiadaily.com
ក្រសួងធម្មការ និងសាសនា តម្រូវអោយអាជ្ញាធរខេត្តកណ្ដាល កោះហៅ លោក ធាន វុទ្ធី ដែលតាំងខ្លួនជាព្រះសិរអារ្យមេត្រីយ៍ អោយចូលទៅបំភ្លឺ និងទទួលការអប់រំទៅតាមវិន័យព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា និងច្បាប់រដ្ឋ ស្របពេលដែលព្រះសង្ឃចំនួន ៧អង្គ នៅវត្តទួលព្រះរាជា នោះ ត្រូវផ្លាស់អោយទៅគង់នៅវត្តផ្សេង។
ក្រៅពីនេះ ក្រសួងធម្មការ ក៏បានស្នើអោយអាជ្ញាធរខេត្ត កែតម្រូវរចនាបថសំណង់ក្នុងវត្តនោះឲ្យបានត្រឹមត្រូវតាមរចនាបថប្រពៃណី សិល្បៈ វប្បធម៌ ព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាខ្មែរ។
ចំណែកព្រះសង្ឃ ៧អង្គ គង់នៅវត្តទួលព្រះរាជា នោះ ត្រូវផ្លាស់ប្ដូរទីកន្លែងគង់នៅជាអចិន្ត្រៃយ៍ មកកាន់វត្តប្រជុំនទី (ហៅវត្តក្រពើហា) ស្ថិតនៅក្រុងតាខ្មៅ ខេត្តកណ្ដាល ដើម្បីរក្សាភាពថ្លៃថ្នូររបស់ពុទ្ធសាសនា។ ការសម្រេចនេះ ធ្វើឡើងបន្ទាប់ពី លោក មិន ឃិន រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីក្រសួងធម្មការ និងតំណាងគណៈសង្ឃនាយក បានចុះទៅធ្វើអធិការកិច្ច កាលពីថ្ងៃទី២៧ កក្កដា កន្លងមក។
លោក សេង សុមុនី អ្នកនាំពាក្យក្រសួងធម្មការ បានឲ្យដឹងថា ក្រសួង និងគណៈសង្ឃនាយក នឹងសហការជាមួយអាជ្ញាធរពាក់ព័ន្ធដាក់កម្រិតលើបុគ្គល ធាន វុទ្ធី ដែលតាំងខ្លួនជាព្រះសិរអារ្យមេត្រីយ៍នោះយ៉ាងតឹងរ៉ឹងបំផុត តែលោកមិនទាន់បញ្ជាក់ពីវិធានការជាក់លាស់នៅឡើយនោះទេ៕
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