Destination Cambodia
Religion and Beliefs
To understand Cambodia one has to understand its religion.
Ninety five percent of the very religious and traditional population belongs to the Buddhism, affecting everyday life. Buddhist monks belong to the landscape in the big cities like Phnom Penh as much as they do to the countryside where they often fulfill the extra duty of being teacher and doctor besides being the spiritual guide.
In the mornings it is a common procedure that the monks will go from house to house to collect offers for the temples in order for the population to find spiritual healing.
The two main religious streams of Buddhism (Theravada & Mahayana) are both established in Cambodia where as the more popular Theravada-Buddhism is mainly spread among the Khmer.
Former practiced forms like natural religions and Brahmanism are still an important element of today’s beliefs of the Khmer. Deeply rooted ancestor worship and the belief in spirits are relics from the turn of the millennium more than a thousand years ago.
Also the Devaraya cult, belief in the god king, gives the king of Cambodia even today especially spiritual power and status.
