Welcome to the Kingdom of Cambodia! We invite you to explore the vast treasure house of this often less known or even forgotten Kingdom of Cambodia which remains abundantly rich in culture, and tradition. Our website is dedicated to the bhakti element in the Kingdom of Cambodia, a generally unknown dimension which will gradually unfold as one gets to understand the Khmer people and the rich heritage of their bhakti civilization.
This website will serve various purposes, the main one being to introduce readers to the “bhakti cult” which has a long tradition, finding its roots in the ancient culture of India, more specifically in the Vaisnava culture (followers of Lord Vishnu) known as Vaisnava Dharma , Sanatana Dharma and Varnasrama Dharma , or labeled in Cambodia as Brahmanism or Vishnuism . Historically, the bhakti cult is referred to by scholars as the “Bhakti Movement”, having been revived by the 15 th Century Saint and Social Reformer Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and more recently having been introduced all over the world by one of India’s foremost spiritual ambassadors, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Found-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
Historically, the Kingdom of Cambodia (Kampuchea) has fostered the tenets of Brahmanism (both Vaishnavism/Vishnuism and Shaivism) and those of Buddhism as they have co-existed with one another, sometimes one predominating the other. Today, the teachings of Lord Buddha prevail with some 95% of the population practicing Theravada Buddhism with many elements of Brahmanism included as well.
One of the characteristics of an advanced culture, according to all scriptures, is its acceptance and practice of religious principles. The pillars of such a culture are found in the eternal teachings of the Vedic literatures, in particular the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam . Two foundational elements in the Vedic culture are the respect and worship of saintly persons and of God. We find these elements still strongly upheld in the Kingdom of Cambodia where the following three words stand out in all government publications and public billboards: NATION – RELIGION – KING.
Please feel free to become involved, either by visiting the famed temple of Angkor Wat, by taking part is some of our local projects or simply by visiting our website whenever you can find the time. We hope you have a pleasant visit to Cambodia. We welcome your comments and suggestions as to how we can improve our services to you. Please write to the following e-mail addreses: kumudaksa.dasa@gmail.com, gunaavatara@yahoo.com
Hare Krishna!
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