Maha Ghosananda is the father of nonviolence in Cambodia, sometimes referred to as the Gandhi of Cambodia. His book Step by Step is filled with his reflections on peace, war, violence, nonviolence and spirituality. I will post some of these each week.
The Gifts of Cambodians
Cambodians have a precious heritage. The richness of Cambodian culture includes many gifts:
Cambodians are fearless because they can overcome greed, anger, and delusion.
Cambodians are humble, courteous, and noble.
Cambodians are grateful to their mothers and fathers, to their leaders, to their land, and to the whole world.
Cambodians keep the five moral precepts, the constitution of humanity, and the Dharma of goodness.
Cambodians have mindfulness and clear comprehension as their protectors.
Cambodians practice loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
Cambodians have patience. They can bear great difficulties, suffering, and hardships.
Cambodians forgive and forget the wrongs of other people. They learn from the lessons of the past. They use the present to build the future.
Cambodians are truthful and well-behaved. They follow the middle path.
Cambodians are soft and smiling. Their speech is truthful, loving, and practical, clear, vibrant, and sweet. Their speech ahas the power to free the mind from anxiety, to purify the mind from delusion, and to make the mind strong. Cambodians have the tradition of solidarity, united by Buddhism and their love of Dharma.
Maha Ghosananda, Step by Step
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