Berkley Center

Background: This discussion took place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 23, 2009 between H.E. Nhek Buntha, Augustina Delaney, and Michael Scharff. It was conducted in preparation for a consultation on faith and development in Southeast Asia held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on December 14-15. In this discussion, Her Excellency speaks about the role of morality in Cambodian society, its historical roots, and its importance for development. The Khmer Rouge regime, as she notes from her personal experience, has bequeathed a difficult legacy for the Cambodian society of today, and Buddhism contains important elements to help overcome the challenges. Development, according to Buddhism, should be focused on the individual, a point that is not often taken into account, argues H.E. Nhek Buntha. She also talks about her television and radio debates that help to bring key teachings of Buddhism into the public discourse.

Can you tell us about your experience and how you were inspired to do the work you are doing?

I was born in 1953 and attended school in Battambang Province. During the Pol Pot regime, from 1975 to 1979, I worked as a farmer. It was a difficult period in Cambodian history and many people were suffering. In 1980, I began working in Cambodia’s Customs Department and soon rose to become the deputy head of office. I’ve always had a strong belief in Buddhist teachings, and so that belief, coupled with what I saw as the great need of the Cambodian people, led me to where I am today. I really wanted to be able to do something that would help relieve the suffering of the Cambodian people. More specifically, I wanted to find a way to help people develop good minds. In the aftermath of Khmer Rouge rule, people were killing each other out of hatred or because of jealousy. The society was lacking greatly in morals. In order to promote morals you must start with developing a good mind. The Buddhist Association helps people to do just that. I should also add that I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

Can you speak some about your present position? What work are you doing and what is its significance?

As head of the Buddhist Association in Cambodia, one of my main tasks is to promote the teachings of morality and peace. In line with this task, I helped start, in 2001, what is known today as the Buddhist Debates. The debates bring together monks, Buddhist laypeople, and various members of society of different ranks and standings, to discuss issues that are pertinent to Buddhism. We often discuss topics such as morality and peace. We talk about how Buddhism can help heal Cambodia and how it can help the country to grow. We talk about how people can be productive members of society. The debates are often broadcast on radio and television so that large numbers of Cambodians have the chance to learn from them. I also go on radio and television quite regularly to talk about these very issues. In addition to my work at the Buddhist Association, I am an advisor to the Great Supreme Patriarch of the monks in Cambodia and I also teach social morality at a teacher training school in Kandal Province, and at another teacher training school in Battambang Province.

What do you see as the most lasting legacy of the Khmer Rouge on Cambodian society today, and what effect has it had on social development in Cambodia?

The effects of the Khmer Rouge continue to play out in society today and it’s really hard to focus on just one. The Khmer Rouge greatly affected people’s mental health and well-being, as well as the knowledge people had in society, especially about Buddhism. Following the end of Khmer Rouge rule, the society was full of people who were illiterate, and this had a negative effect on society. Moreover, traditions were lost. People did not want to go back to their old Khmer traditions as they were influenced more by European and other Western traditions.

The second legacy of the Khmer Rouge has been the impact on morality; people’s minds—what they view as right and wrong—have been corrupted. Third, the human resources of the society are still greatly affected. Without good healthy minds, without morality, and without human resources, the society has difficulty developing. We are seeing evidence of this today as Cambodia struggles to develop. The government is trying to prevent immoral behaviors by implementing new laws, such as the law designed to fight human trafficking. Through this example, you can see how my work at the Buddhist Association fits into the work the government is doing.

Can you speak about faith/secular cooperation in Cambodia?

Faith organizations and secular organizations in Cambodia can and do work together. Organizations of other religious backgrounds and affiliations work with Buddhist organizations on areas of common interest such as promoting peace and development. I remember joining the Parliament of Religions in Korea and then in France and Thailand, and we talked about how different religious groups can work together. Everyone has different ideas of how to carry out their work, but we realized we are all pretty much working towards the same goals. In Cambodia, we have something called the World Peace Union. It’s a faith-inspired organization, an inter-religious organization, and when there are specific issues that need addressing, the members meet and discuss how as a group to help solve these common issues. What I can say is that it is often hard for secular and faith groups to work together because of discrimination. In my experience, I have seen that foreign groups often discriminate against Cambodians.

What are the most important development issues in Cambodia at the moment, and what is the role of faith-inspired organizations in addressing them?

Again, it’s difficult to say there is one development issue that is more important than the rest. I would say challenges in the agriculture, tourism, and the light-industrial sectors are having the greatest impact on development in Cambodia today. Farming has been an important activity in Cambodia since ancient times and Cambodians today benefit from the presence of lots of land that can be farmed. Moreover, there are many ancient temples to visit in the country, so the potential to draw more tourists exists, and industry activities provide jobs to so many Cambodians.

Buddhist theory actually addresses the concept of development. Development in the country depends on the individuals and families, their morality and knowledge, and the responsibility they assume. Therefore, we have to develop people at the individual level so that Cambodians can themselves develop their country. The Buddha teaches people to develop their minds and to work together in order to let go of suffering. The Buddhist Association is helping spread the teachings of the Buddha on development.

At the Buddhist Association, we stress the seven values of the wise men, also known as the Dhamma for the good man. The first value is that you have to know the course and understand the course. You have to understand what you are setting out to do. The second value is to know the result. The result comes from the course. If you pursue a good course, you get good results. The third value is to know oneself. We have to know who we are and why we do what we do. Fourth is to be able to spot opportunities. You have to be able to tell whether now is the time to act such that your actions will result in the greatest benefit. Fifth is to engage in moderation. Sixth: know the audience.

For instance, as a foreigner, what you do and say and how you act can have ramifications on Cambodian people. If you go to the village where people are poor you should not demand things from them. Finally, the seventh value is to know the person you are associating with. You should always keep in mind whether the person you are associating with is a good person, or a bad person.

Looking forward 20 years, what do you see as the most important development imperatives in Cambodia? What will be the role of religion and faith?

Twenty years from now we will still be talking about how important it is to develop a good mind. Everything we do—all development work—must be undertaken with a good mind. We can’t develop without good minds. And although we’re trying to educate people now on how to develop good minds, the challenge is great, and it will still be a challenge in 20 years. Actually, the development of the mind never stops. As the Buddha said, mastering the mind is very important, and I think that people will still be trying to achieve perfect minds up until the end of the world.

For example, you yourself cannot always have a good mind. When you are angry you might curse. This is a reflection that your mind is suffering. A bad mind can change your body and lead you to do terrible things, like kill. If you recognize you have a bad mind, then you can work on making it better so that you can do good things.

We need the teachings of the Buddha to help cure people’s minds. When you are sick you go to the doctor, but when you are mentally ill, the doctor cannot cure you. So you need to educate yourself on the Buddha’s teachings so that you can find happiness yourself. If you are mentally ill, the Dhamma is like medicine. The more you take in the teachings of the Dhamma, the better your mind will become.

Faith is not often included on the official agenda of development organizations. What do you think is missing on the development agenda with regards to faith, and what should be added?

A lot of people suggest that Cambodian Buddhism is rooted in superstitious beliefs. This is not true. I would argue that Cambodian Buddhism is based on the central idea of cause and effect, reason and results. This cause and effect relationship is the link between Buddhist beliefs and how the religion contributes to the development of the country.

I think what is missing from the conversation is that development organizations forget that Buddhists believe that one of the most important ways they see themselves and their country developing is by becoming better people individually. The focus on this type of development—individual development—is often not recognized or appreciated in the work development groups do.