Hi everyone,
As part of our preparations during the semester break, BEA held a small afternoon Blessing Ceremony on March 5. This is a Buddhist ritual that is held within the first few years of moving into a new building to bless the premises, and bring good luck to your operations. Shally invited two monks from Kork Chork pagoda in Trapeang Ses village to hold this ceremony at BEA. Prior to the ceremony, we both met them at the entrance of the pagoda and brought them to BEA. The monks rode with Shally since it is extremely taboo for a women to touch the robes of a monk.
After they arrived at the school, we welcomed them into our library and discussed the afternoon ritual. Our school's assistant, Los, prepared two small pails of water and got branches from the trees in front of BEA. The water and branches were then handed to the monks, and they started their prayer chants to turn the water into holy water. The senior monk then moved through the library and kitchen on the first floor chanting while dipping the tree branches into the holy water and spraying it around the rooms. At the same time, the junior monk was also doing the same in our classrooms and offices.
The monks then returned to the library, and Shally presented them with a small donation for their pagoda as gratitude for the ceremony. Shally then scooted away with the monks on the back of his motorbike back to their pagoda, and BEA was left with lots of good luck for this year!
Back to the books...
The Bayon English Academy (BEA) is an accredited NGO school that provides underprivileged youth with quality English language education in a safe, clean environment in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
As part of our preparations during the semester break, BEA held a small afternoon Blessing Ceremony on March 5. This is a Buddhist ritual that is held within the first few years of moving into a new building to bless the premises, and bring good luck to your operations. Shally invited two monks from Kork Chork pagoda in Trapeang Ses village to hold this ceremony at BEA. Prior to the ceremony, we both met them at the entrance of the pagoda and brought them to BEA. The monks rode with Shally since it is extremely taboo for a women to touch the robes of a monk.
After they arrived at the school, we welcomed them into our library and discussed the afternoon ritual. Our school's assistant, Los, prepared two small pails of water and got branches from the trees in front of BEA. The water and branches were then handed to the monks, and they started their prayer chants to turn the water into holy water. The senior monk then moved through the library and kitchen on the first floor chanting while dipping the tree branches into the holy water and spraying it around the rooms. At the same time, the junior monk was also doing the same in our classrooms and offices.
The monks then returned to the library, and Shally presented them with a small donation for their pagoda as gratitude for the ceremony. Shally then scooted away with the monks on the back of his motorbike back to their pagoda, and BEA was left with lots of good luck for this year!
Back to the books...
The Bayon English Academy (BEA) is an accredited NGO school that provides underprivileged youth with quality English language education in a safe, clean environment in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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