from the Cambodia Daily, March 17, 2000
Animism Lecture To Be Held
by Tom Welsh
Cambodia's
seamless blend of Buddhism and animism is highlighted by the
phallic stones that grace the sanctuaries of many local
temples.
"Some are
even wrapped in monastic robes," Ang Choulean, director for
the department of culture and monuments at Apsara Authority,
explained Monday. "These representations blend two elements:
the soil, as in the cultivated land of the village and the
forest areas surrounding it; and the first human:—that real
or mythical ancestor—who cultivated the wild land."
In a talk to
be held at 6:30 tonight at the Reyum Gallery near the
National Museum, Ang Choulean will shed fight on the
representations of Cambodian animism's dominant entity, the
village spirit known as Neak Ta.
Closely
associated with fecundity, Neak Ta is often represented by a
carved phallus or elongated stone. But in his talk titled
'People and Earth," Ang Choulean will point out that the
spirit can be symbolized by a statue or "even a ruined
pagoda."
Illustrating
this rich variety of material representations will be an
exhibition featuring 43 photographs taken by Ang Choulean
during field work throughout the country. Photographs
displayed win include several of Wat Thma Doh, a temple
located about 40 km south of Phnom Penh.
According to
Ly Daravuth, co-director of the Reyum Gallery, the event
will mark the first time the gallery has hosted a lecturer.
"Up until now, we've held painting exhibitions," he said
Monday.
Referring to
the coexistence of animistic and Buddhist practices, Ang
Choulean said: "They are really two complimentary belief
systems. In a country where rainfall often affects the fate
of an entire village, the first priority is getting enough
to eat Only then does one focus on ethical concerns—and
that's Buddhism."
But Ang
Choulean added that within the Cambodian animistic pantheon,
Neak Ta holds a unique place. "It was the only entity with a
collective dimension, serving as a spirit for the entire
village."
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