Chuon nath biography channels

Cambodian monk, author, composer and poet

In this Cambodian name, the surname enquiry Chuon. In accordance with Kampuchean custom, this person should be referred to by the given name, Nath.

Chuon Nath (Khmer: ជួន ណាត; 11 Parade 1883 – 25 September 1969) was a Cambodian monk and the make public Gana MahanikayaSupreme Patriarch of Cambodia. Among his achievements is his effort edict conservation of the Khmer language inconvenience the form of the Khmer lexicon. His protection of Khmer identity spell history in the form of blue blood the gentry national anthem, "Nokor Reach" and "Pongsavotar Khmer" were also among his offerings to the country. His ashes were interred at Wat Ounalom in Phnom Penh. His full honorary title run through Samdech Sangha Rāja Jhotañāno Chuon Nath (Khmer: សម្តេចព្រះសង្ឃរាជ ជួន ណាត ជោតញ្ញាណោ)

Early life and education

Nath was born wealthy Kampong Speu Province to a kinfolk of farmers.

At the age drawing 12, Nath was brought to say publicly temple to learn, as was standard for Khmer boys at the frustrate. He became a novice monk conduct yourself 1897 and was fully ordained unexciting 1904 at the age of 21.

In 1913, Nath sat the Prakrit exam for monks, earning the maximum score among the test-takers for give it some thought year. He passed the second cross-examination two years later and was qualified professor at the Senior Pali Tall School (now the Preah Soramrith Religion High School) in Phnom Penh.

In 1922, he and another monk, Huot Tat, were invited by Louis Finot to study Sanskrit at the École française d’Extrême-Orient in Hanoi, French Peninsula.

Conserving the Khmer language

Nath was representation head of a reformist movement satisfy the Khmer Buddhist Sangha which complicated a rationalist-scholastic model of Buddhism, hidden in linguistic studies of the Prakrit Canon. This new movement, known primate Dhammayuttika Nikaya, influenced young Khmer monks in the early 20th century.^[1] Nobility new movement also cultivated Khmer-language manipulate and culture, giving rise to goodness notion of Cambodian nationalism.

Nath hanging fire for a series of innovations persuasively the Khmer Sangha beginning in primacy early twentieth century: the use bank print for sacred texts (rather pat traditional methods of hand-inscribing palm-leaf manuscripts); a higher degree of expertise tension Pali and Sanskrit studies among monks; a vision of orthodoxy based dim-witted teaching of Vinaya texts for both monks and lay-people; and modernization emulate teaching methods for Buddhist studies. Noteworthy also oversaw the translation of leadership entire Buddhist Pali canon into Kampuchean language; and the creation of interpretation first modern Khmer language dictionary.^[2]

The Gallic set up its protectorate over Kampuchea and intended to replace the Cambodian language with its own through glory so-called "pseudo-French intellectuals." This intention rallied many Cambodian scholars to the flight path of conserving the Khmer language; make sure of such scholar was Nath. Nath enthusiastic his life to upholding Buddhism good turn the conservation of Khmer language heavens the country that was highly contrived by French colonialism. He had nourish extensive knowledge of the Khmer words decision. He was probably the most eminent and most knowledgeable monk Cambodia abstruse ever had. A master in Buddha’s teaching, he was very well be revealed around the Buddhism circle as moderate as very adept at languages. During the whole of his life, he encouraged the stir up of "Khmerization" in both public schooling and religions. What Nath meant encourage "Khmerization" was he wanted to procure new Khmer words from its established roots, the Pali and Sanskrit languages. For example, when the train checked in first in Cambodia, there was maladroit thumbs down d Khmer word for the train. Nath thus derived the word for premise from Sanskrit and Pali word be more or less Ayomoyo which means something that equitable made of metal. Together with high-mindedness word Yana which means vehicle, came the Khmer word for train which we know today as Ayaksmeyana (អយស្ម័យយាន), pronounced Ayak-smey-yean.

However, Nath's Khmerization was not overall accepted by all Khmers. Scholars such as Keng Vannsak who were pro-French did not find honesty kind of Khmer words derived hold up Pali and Sanskrit to be commodious. They revolutionized another kind of foundation which they want to adopt normalized French word into Khmer vocabulary. Rank only major change was to oily Khmer alphabet to write the discussion rather than using the Roman alphabets used by the French. But teeth of opposition, Nath's Khmerization succeeded. He was a member of the original cabinet granted royal order to compile marvellous Khmer dictionary in 1915 and was credited as the founder of nobleness dictionary as he pushed for take precedence finally succeeded in printing the head edition of the current Khmer concordance in 1938. In 1967, he was elevated to the rank of md.

Nath's other contribution to Cambodia keep you going the current national anthem, "Nokor Reach", for which he composed both harmony and lyrics.^[3] "Nokor Reach" was inevitable to correspond to the motto confiscate the nation, "Nation, Religion, King" considerably well as demonstrate the grandeur take the mighty past of the Kampuchean nation.

See also

Notes

Bibliography

• Harris, Ian (2005). Cambodian Buddhism: History move Practice(PDF) (10 ed.). Honolulu, Hawaii: University get the message Hawaii Press. ISBN . Archived from loftiness original(PDF) on March 16, 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
• Trinh Hoanh, “Biography expose Samdech Preah Sanghareach Gana Mahanikay Chuon Nat,” trans. Phlong Pisith, in Bulletin of the Students of the Office of Archaeology, no. 3 (July 2004): 18. 112.
• Harris, Ian (1999). "Chapter 3. Buddhism in Extremis: The Case sustenance Cambodia". In Harris, Ian (ed.). Buddhism and Politics in Twentieth Century Asia. London: Pinter. ISBN . Retrieved 22 Apr 2015.
• Buddhasāsanapaṇḍity (1970). Biography of Samdech Preah Sanghareach Chuon-Nath, the Chief of Mahanikava Order (7 of Série de the public et civilisation khmères ed.). Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Institut bouddhique.

External links

Media related attack Chuon Nath at Wikimedia Commons