The self-proclaimed ‘Grandmother of White Mountain’ lights a candle. Charlotte Pert
Living an austere, solitary life in a shed on a rocky hill, the self-proclaimed ‘Grandmother of White Mountain’ doles out blessings and cures – and hints about a mysterious previous life in Phnom Penh
On a rocky hill, a few kilometres north of Kampot, lives an elderly hermit with a mysterious past, supposed supernatural powers and a penchant for canines and cigarettes.
Not much is known about this curious character. It’s believed she made her home on what’s called Phnom Sor more than 10 years ago. Some refer to her as the Witch of Kampot but most just call her Lok Yay Phnom Sor, the “Grandmother of White Mountain”.
One of the dogs on Phnom Sor. Charlotte Pert
Residents of Angdoung Chi Moeun Village, located near the base of the hill, occasionally make the journey up to visit her. It’s said she can cure physical injuries, tell fortunes, offer blessings and curses and even communicate with animals.
“I saw many people come to find her, in order to cure their sickness and be blessed to have good luck, good business and other things related to Buddhism,” said Kep Him, 42.
Him said that he once got lost in the forest. When his wife consulted the Grandmother of White Mountain, she correctly foretold that he would return in two days.
The hermit isn’t hard to find. Most days she comes to the bottom of the hill – about 500 metres from Angdoung Chi Moeun – where there is a partially built Buddha statue and a tin shed. Upon approaching, visitors are greeted by a cacophony of dogs howling and barking – her guardians and friends. She quickly hushes them before offering a welcome.
She dresses in a simple white smock, and her hair remains jet black – even though she claims to be 91 years old. Her smile is toothless but friendly.
Tattered prayer flags decorate the hermit’s home. Charlotte Pert
Following an invitation to see her home, it takes about 20 minutes to scramble to the top of the hill where the woman spends her nights in another tumbledown shed next to a shrine decorated with tattered prayer flags, other handmade objects and odd offerings.
A rough mural of the woman as a princess hangs above her bed from glittering lengths of material. “That’s what I used to be like,” she says, pointing to the mural. “I decorated my bedroom like a princess’s because that is how I used to have it before.”
Chunks of tobacco rolled in sangkae leaves and Marlboro Golds fill numerous offering trays. She eagerly takes a clove cigarette when offered and soon half the pack has become a donation.
The Grandmother of White Mountain once had another life, she says. She worked in the government in Phnom Penh, was married twice and had seven children. She left the city in 1962 after she became fed up with the corruption she witnessed.
“When I started to care less about property, such as money, houses, land and so on, I started to care about meditation,” she said.
After searching across the country for many years and seeking harmony “on more than 700 mountains” she finally found a suitable place to make her home, Phnom Sor.
The view from the top of Phnom Sor, near Kampot. Charlotte Pert
She lives an austere life these days, surviving on donations from supplicants and money from her children who live in Phnom Penh and France.
While she denies being able to fix physical injuries, she says she can cure mental illness and possession, and communicate with animals. But she is adamant that, as a devout Buddhist, she does not practise evil. Nor does she promise to bless or cure everyone. Only if she makes a connection with them – and a suitable donation is made.
Erik W. Davis, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Macalester College in Minnesota, said that while Buddhism is the moral compass of religious Cambodia, it’s not the only religious world in which Cambodians live.
“The world in which most Cambodians live is filled with all sorts of spirits, ghosts, and deities, etc, all of whom have different personalities, morals, etc. It’s hard dealing with them, though it can be particularly useful,” Davis said via email.
“In contrast, Buddhism is rarely ‘useful’ in a practical way, but more in a therapeutic and moral way.”
Getting verifiable facts out of the woman is a challenge. She mentions that she is related to the royal family, but refuses to say how, saying the relationship turned sour and she doesn’t want to talk about it. She claims to have once been married to a governor of Kampot, but won’t say which one or when. She won’t talk about what work she did for the government back in Phnom Penh. She won’t even reveal her true name.
“I could not release my name to be published because it will lose value. Besides, my family just calls me Lok Yay Phnom Sor, so everyone will recognise me by this nickname,” she said.
All that’s clear is that she loves the peace and quiet, her dogs and a smoke.
“For now, I want to live on the mountain for long time, because I want to live in this silent place and protect this mountain. But maybe one day I will consider it the right time to move to France [to be with my children].”
លោកយាយភ្នំសធ្វើដំណើរឡើងចុះកូនភ្នំដែលជាទីជម្រកស្នាក់អាស្រ័យនៅខេត្តកំពត។ Charlotte Pert
កំពត: ស្ថិតនៅលើកំពូលភ្នំមួយ ចម្ងាយប្រមាណពីរបីគីឡូម៉ែត្រខាងជើងទីរួមខេត្ដកំពត ការរស់នៅបែបអាថ៌កំបាំងនៃដូនជីម្នាក់ពឹងអាស្រ័យលើអំណាចឫទ្ធិបារមី មានឆ្កែជាញាតិ និងអាហារផ្សែងកំដរមាត់។
មនុស្សមិនច្រើនទេដែលបានដឹងពីការរស់នៅខុសប្លែកពីធម្មតានេះ។ គួរបញ្ជាក់ថា ដូនចាស់រូបនេះបានសង់ផ្ទះលើភ្នំសកាលពីជាង១០ឆ្នាំមុន។
មនុស្សភាគច្រើនហៅគាត់ថា លោកយាយភ្នំស។ ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋក្នុងភូមិអណ្ដូងជីមឿន ស្ថិតនៅក្បែរភ្នំស រមែងធ្វើដំណើរឡើងភ្នំដើម្បីទៅជួបដូនចាស់នោះ។ ពួកគេនិយាយថា យាយភ្នំសអាចព្យាបាលជំងឺ ទស្សន៍ទាយ ស្រោចទឹកប្រោះព្រំ និងដោះអំពើនានា ព្រមទាំងអាចនិយាយសន្ទនាជាមួយសត្វទៀតផង។
កន្លែងជ្រកកោនរស់នៅដែលអាស្រ័យការបរិច្ចាគ។Charlotte Pert
អ្នកស្រុកនៅទីនោះម្នាក់ឈ្មោះ កែប ហ៊ីម វ័យ៤២ឆ្នាំ បានឲ្យដឹងថា៖ «ខ្ញុំបានឃើញមនុស្សជាច្រើនសម្រុកទៅជួបយាយភ្នំស បំណងដើម្បីព្យាបាលជំងឺ និងប្រោះព្រំលើកជោគជតារាសី និងមុខរបរកាក់កប»។
លោក ហ៊ីម បានបន្ដថា ពេលមួយ លោកវង្វេងផ្លូវក្នុងព្រៃ។ នៅពេលភរិយាទៅរកលោកយាយភ្នំស គាត់បានទស្សន៍ទាយថា លោកនឹងត្រឡប់មកផ្ទះវិញនៅ ២ថ្ងៃក្រោយ។
យាយបសរូបនេះមិនពិបាករកទេ។ ជារឿយៗ លោកយាយចុះមកជើងភ្នំចម្ងាយប្រមាណ៥០០ម៉ែត្រពីភូមិអណ្ដូងជីមឿន ដែលមានព្រះពុទ្ធរូប និងតង់តូចមួយ។ ទៅដល់ទីនោះ ភ្ញៀវត្រូវបានស្វាគមន៍ដោយសំឡេងព្រុស និងលូរបស់ម្ចាស់ទឹកដី និងជាមិត្ដភក្ដិរបស់លោកយាយ។ ដូនចាស់ស្លៀកពាក់ពណ៌ស ហើយសក់របស់គាត់នៅខ្មៅក្រឹប បើទោះបីជាលោកយាយឈានដល់វ័យ ៩១ ឆ្នាំយ៉ាងណាក៏ដោយ។ ស្នាមញញឹមរបស់លោកយាយបង្ហាញពីក្រអូមមានតែអញ្ចាញប្រកបដោយភាពរួសរាយ។
លោកយាយធ្លាប់រស់នៅក្នុងជីវិតផ្លូវលោកិយដោយរៀបការ ២ ដង និងមានកូន ៧នាក់ ព្រមទាំងបានបម្រើការក្នុងជួររដ្ឋាភិបាលនៅភ្នំពេញ។
លោកយាយភ្នំសល្បីអាចព្យាបាលជំងឺផ្លូវចិត្ត។Charlotte Pert
លោកយាយដែលបានចាកចេញពីភ្នំពេញក្នុងឆ្នាំ១៩៦២ ព្រោះតែមិនចង់ឃើញអំពើពុករលួយក្នុងសង្គមនោះបានថ្លែងថា៖ «នៅពេលខ្ញុំចាប់ផ្ដើមអស់ទោសៈមោហៈ ទ្រព្យធន លុយកាក់ ផ្ទះសម្បែង ដី និងអ្វីៗគ្រប់យ៉ាង ខ្ញុំងាកមករកការសមាធិវិញ»។
ក្រោយពីស្វែងរកកន្លែងស្ងប់ស្ងាត់អស់រយៈពេលជាច្រើនឆ្នាំនៅលើភ្នំជាង ៧០០ កន្លែង ទីបំផុតលោកយាយបានជួបជម្រកដ៏ស័ក្ដិសមបំផុត គឺភ្នំសនេះឯង។ ដូនចាស់ល្បីខាងជំនឿរូបនេះ រស់នៅជាជីវិតពនេចរដោយមានអាហារចម្អែតក្រពះពឹងលើការបរិច្ចាគសម្ភារ និងលុយកាក់ពីកូនៗរស់នៅភ្នំពេញ និងប្រទេសបារាំង។
ខណៈបដិសេធក្នុងការព្យាបាលរបួសលើរាងកាយ លោកយាយបានអះអាងថា លោកយាយអាចព្យាបាលជំងឺផ្លូវចិត្ដ និងខ្មោចចូល ព្រមទាំងអាចនិយាយជាមួយសត្វផងដែរ។ ប៉ុន្ដែលោកយាយបានបកស្រាយថា ក្នុងនាមជាសាវ័កព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធ លោកយាយមិនប្រព្រឹត្ដអាក្រក់ទេ ទាំងការដាក់ស្នេហ៍ និងអំពើផ្សេងៗ។
អ្វីដែលប្រាកដនោះគឺថា លោកយាយស្រឡាញ់សន្ដិភាព និងភាពស្ងៀមស្ងាត់ ឆ្កែ និងការជក់បារី។
លោកយាយបង្ហើបថា៖ «រហូតដល់បច្ចុប្បន្ននេះ ខ្ញុំចង់រស់នៅលើភ្នំនេះរយៈពេលយូរទៅទៀត ពីព្រោះខ្ញុំចង់នៅក្នុងកន្លែងស្ងប់ស្ងាត់ និងការពារភ្នំ។ ប៉ុន្ដែប្រហែលជាថ្ងៃណាមួយ ខ្ញុំនឹងពិចារណាទៅប្រទេសបារាំងរស់នៅជុំកូនចៅនៅទីនោះ»៕ HR
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