By Author

By Author: Sosieng (Former Licencie Es Lettres 1971)

TODAY- KHMER - The concept of TIME

Should we consider the " unthinkable " as we use to think : it is not really important, before we go to the big stuff like Patriotism, Revolution etc...and...etc., ?

For me... I used to observe in many occasions how the Khmer majority use their time. In order to really understand their real identity I try to see their reaction towards time and their time-consuming by working with the REAL Khmer.

The reason I take this problem to the forum is to find out why TIME is a problem for the Khmer(s) ? and how we can help and correct it ?

According to my observation ( not all Khmers but the majority) TIME is not really

"clear " and its application has no precision if we compare it to others, especially the

Europeans.

The Khmer-time is "ELASTIC". This means that not all the Khmers are careless about time but if we try to see " how the Khmers in majority use the time in their own way " we will notice many...

This writing is divided into two parts. The first one is to show about the reality of time-using, time spending or time-consuming of the today-Khmer and at the second part, we are intended to take a close look to the Khmer concept of time(s) and their meanings.

A. PART ONE

Before we go further..... try first to find the answer : "why the Khmer doesn't like to obey time ?

In many occasions.... the meeting, the ceremony, the wedding reception etc... when we put the starting time on our invitation card by 6:00 PM, the real time we can start will

be at 7:00 PM or 7:30 PM.

In our schedule.... we plan for 2 hour- or- 3 hour- discussion, but we go further more to 3 or 4 hours. Our organizer(s) try very hard to obey time, but we fail and fail...

One time... we started at the EXACT schedule, but just for the two or three of us ( the organizers), the rest and the majority were really late. We have changed our strategy by

putting one hour before the real time we plan to start ...but still the same.

One time... we asked one Buddhist monk in his preaching ( Teas-na:) to give some ideas about TIME to the Khmer Buddhists. But later on, seemed NOTHING.... at the next

ceremony... the same old game !

To really understand the problem... we tried to find out what's wrong with the Khmer(s) and time ?

- First, we started to do many surveys, kept all ingredients in the making of this carelessness. We, then discussed and discussed tirelessly in finding way to reduce or,

to improve it...Until today, nothing is satisfied yet !

- Second, we finally came up to some conclusions that :

a. This happened mostly in the real Khmer's (meeting, ceremony etc..) but rare Khmer(s) went late to other meetings especially with American's

b. Late or Tardy became a real disease in the Khmer community

c. Time-problem became a Khmer sluggish image when they ONLY dealt with their own people....their own community.( When they worked, they could adjust to American way. They survived with the American system, if not, they would be "Kicked Out " from their working place ! )

d. Time-problem was not only for the illiterate... even the so-called intellectuals, they still DID THE SAME...

( 1. I remembered when I was young our teacher had ordered us to wake up from the early morning, 3:00 AM to welcome Sihanouk for our school inauguration... and other time when Li Chao Chhi, China Premier, did a state visit. The real time we saw their faces was in the afternoon ! When I was young I didn't mind much about this problem. In the contrary I was happy because I would meet my classmates and we together enjoyed our playing time.)

( 2. I read the news at somewhere else that our Khmer eminent representatives for the Geneva signing the Khmer Independence in the 50s were so late at the " signing ceremony "because they were lost and they couldn't find the place (sic!). The

signing ceremony was already done and for the Khmer delegation it was represented by the Vietnamese. Reason for that lateness was the night before they enjoyed so much and were so busy with their new "cake" in their hotel. When that Delegation came back home,

we welcomed them at Pochentong airport as our Khmer Heroes !! ! )

e. Late and Tardy people were in most the time, the same people...their thick faces showed their CARELESSNESS and their SHAMELESSNESS.

f. Time-problem was not for any specific Khmer group but for all including : men, women, young, old etc...

g. Time-problem became a BAD HABIT in the Khmer community.

So there were plenty of EXCUSES..... when these tardy people came to the meeting. It seemed so hard...in dealing with this kind of problem. Sometimes it made us NOT

really PROUD to be ONE of them... because the whole universe was already near to the new Millennium.

- Who did pollute our Khmer identity ?

- What went wrong with Khmer(s) and Time ?

- What was its impact on the young Khmer generations?

- Any other way around or alternatives for its change and

improvement ?

YESTERDAY-KHMER -The Concept of TIME

I couldn't believe that the Today-Khmer had no idea about TIME. On the contrary, the Yesterday-Khmers are the conservative ones whose ancestors strictly used time as their way of life. This civilized group knew TIME very well and used it as a tool for conducting both for the good manner and their belief.

In this second part, we are trying to see the Khmer-time through another perspective: Khmer-time and Culture.

B. PART TWO

Compared to the value of time, the American-time is linear (temporal future), for the Khmers the TIME is Circular (temporal past). This means in Khmer that LIFE is

included the living and the dead. This conception of Khmer-time is used to value many things starting from:

1. ETHICAL FORM

TIME for Khmers is an ethical form for the good conduct. One who does not know how to use time properly is not a worthy man. In a Khmer Law of Virtue called " Sappurisa Dharm " (Read : Sap- Pak- Rissak -Thor), one of its components, Akalannuta (Read : Ak-ka-lagn-gnut-ta) is a " Chuon Ak Sap-Poros.

Min Deung Pel Velea = A Careless One who does not know how to use time. So one who doesn't obey time is low in character. It's IMPOLITE by not obeying TIME. TIME has the power to command, lead and make people feel and find their happiness. So TIME plays a big role in the Khmer society.

In its derogative form, we usually say "Monus Chleuy Min Deung Pel Velea" = A black sheep who does not know how to use time. We have thousands of bad words in calling this type of person who doesn't obey TIME. In the old days, our ancestors tried to avoid this oddity by ruling on TIME. They had created many rules of good conduct and

good manner. We can find later on, these kinds of TIME-law in many facets of the Khmers culture.

2. TIME-LAW

COSTUME :

TIME affects the way the Khmer wear their daily costumes and their formal ones.

Men are prohibited to wear Sarong the TIME they visit their friends’ house ( If not they call : Monus Chhleuy) They must take their hat off when they enter the pagoda.

They must take their shoes off when they come inside the house. TIME also affects the COLOR : In their formal way, both men and women must properly choose the COLOR of their costume according to each day's name:

Sunday : Red (light or dark)

Monday : Orange

Tuesday : Purple

Wednesday : Green ( mixed with yellow)

Thursday : Light green

Friday : Blue or dark blue

Saturday : Crimson

In the morning, women are prohibited to wear gold/silver "LAME" dress. The color White of the shirt is compatible for all colors. It can be used at any TIME.

etc...

B. WEDDINGS:

In the old days, our ancestors used many Kboun like the " Kboun Sampong-Samphea Bleuk " as guide to calculate the birthday of both groom and bride in the " Psom Pong Theat" (combination of both), the date for the subsequent ceremonies in the Khmer

wedding like Leuk Kamnot, Si Sla Kamnot, Thngai Chol Rong, Kann Pelea...

* The followings are some “bad days” which should be avoided for

the wedding:

- The full-moon day (Religious day)

- The odd-number day ( The lunar month with 29 days). Only six months in one year can be used for wedding TIME.

- The male-day ( The futile day)

- The Vassa-day ( The month when the Buddhist monks are in their monastic retreat)

C. TABLE MANNER :

- Eating together, the adult or elderly must start to pick up the food from the main table before the younger ones (to show respect to Age )

- In Khmer ceremony, the monk must eat the food first and then the Upasak- Upasika -

(religious belief : Bap )

- Eating first and Talking later ( No food in the

mouth and talking at the same TIME - Politeness ).

- Avoid ugly and disgusting talk that can ruin the appetite at the eating TIME

- Giving him food first before giving him work (the law of "Mun & Kroy - first & after ) ( = Let him eat first before ask him to go to work - Khmer psychology in using the Person= Cheh Preu Monuh )

D. BUILDING or CONSTRUCTION:

Usually the finding of a very lucky day is through a fortune teller using numerology before starting a construction house, constructing a race boat (Touk Pranaing - Touk Ngor). For the big building like Preah Vihear ( Buddhist temple ) or Reach Veang (The King’s Palace) it is imperative to be more precise and also in a ceremonious form. To do this, the birthday of the male-owner or the birthday of the crowned king is used in that calculation, beside others... like space and direction

E. LEARNING MUSIC:

In the traditional music learning, the "Krou Phleng Khmer " (Traditional Music Master) must find the prosperous TIME to start his music teaching.

Usually the Thngai Sel ( day set aside for the observance of Buddhist precepts ) is the day of " Sen Pren " (ceremony of food offering to the Music Master's spirit ). Thursday is

the best day for the beginning of that music course.

F. HAIR CUT

In one week, there is only one lucky day for cutting hair for each person. It depends on the day, the month and the year of that person who was born. This Brahmanist culture is used in the old days especially in the ceremony of cutting or the shaving of the tuft of hair

(Kat Chouk-Kor Chouk) of the young child. Usually "Monday " is the best day of all for

that ceremony.

G. KHMER GREETING :

The younger ones do Sampeah (salute) first and then the older ones respond after that salutation.

H. HOUSE GRAND OPENING (Leung Phtas ) :

Usually Thursday or Friday is the good day, but rarely at Tuesday.

The Achar also depends on the calculation based on numerology.

I. RECEIVING MONEY: Friday is the good day for

receiving the money for debt or anything other than business money.

J: LOSING SOMETHING :

Tuesday is hard to find. Saturday is the worst of all

K. REMARRIED TIME:

In the "Chbap Kanlong Knop" ( charge brought against a widow or a widower who remarries before the cremation of his/her deceased husband / wife) the widow or widower must apply strictly to that Waiting-Time. The fine was up to " 8 Degn = 12 Riels

in the old time money.

* We have a bunch of other rules relating to a particular situation like:

- Rice Field working

- Going to Battle

- Burying the corpse of a dead person

- Buying goods or an animal

- Starting a business

- Ordainment of a Buddhist monk

- etc...

C. LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION ?

It should be up to the readers to help me write this

important part.

For the moment, I would like to leave it open.... by

just posing some

questions :

- Why did we lose all of these TIME-LAWS ?

- Is it a good idea to go back to the old ways ?

- Is it too late for all of us to reconsider them ?

- Who are we now ?

CONCLUSION

By synthesizing both parts, the TODAY-KHMER

and the YESTERDAY-KHMER, we came up a conclusive attempt in

seeing the Khmer-Time problem as :

- a form of morale degradation

- a form of submission mentality which has no power to

master our own destiny ( Because we used to have a Master

for many centuries, we used to receive an order and an

obey-order mentality )

-This is not dependable, trusty and no feeling of shame (Kmean Hiri Ottapak Thor), careless, and to the bottom line, no-self respect.

So by starting from this small entity inside ourself we can have a chance to go back and rebuild Angkor Wat again ! If we are already failing this easy one from the beginning, we are surely failing all in the near future.

In this matter, must we blame others before we blame

ourselves?

For the LOSERS they already have the non-learning

mentality from their mistakes. Excuse is their shield from shame and

carelessness

Remember that Buddha used time strictly in order to

Get enlightenment . The TIME factor is the most crucial in

every success of life.

Use it WISELY because it is so PRECIOUS for the ones

who saw the reality of life through TIME.

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