Soure: KKFYC
Venerable Thach Ne and Thach Sathoul of the Pothivong temple in Saigon are embarking on a grand mission at the local level. Step by step, they are bringing back Khmer literacy and teaching Khmer Krom children in Toul Ta Mok (Binh Phuoc) province to learn their native Khmer language and the language of our Buddha, Pali.
For majority of the students who come to learn at the Wat Phum Thom (Vat Reachakmahaketakvanaram) pagoda, this would be their first time ever at seeing what Khmer writings looks and sounds like.
In the past, they passed writings on the wall off with a mystical glance now they are making out the spelling and can scribble copies into their notebook and pride themselves on the ability to pick out the characters of the alphabet.
The success of Wat Phum Thom pagoda led by Venerable Thach Ne is an exceptional story of success due to great zeal and dedication from both monks and local villagers working together. They believe it is their duty to protect, preserve and transfer the Khmer culture to the next generation of children who are slowly losing the ability to speak, understand and relate to their Khmer elderly and the culture as a whole.
Despite lacking resources, Ven. Thach Ne who is due to go to India this year to continue his study of Buddhism, is making big promises to his students.
Ven. Thach Ne wants the children to succeed not only in learning their native language Khmer but the national language, Vietnamese as well in order for them to be more competitive and better able to raise themselves up. He hopes to do this by giving encouragement to all his students, promising them that if they excel in both languages he would sponsor and help send them to continue their study in Prey Nokor (Ho Chi Minh City) with the support of Wat Pothivong temple.
The Wat Phum Thom temple currently has 150 pupils and 11 temple kids who are supported and sheltered by the temple.
"Wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties; and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in various parts of the country, and among the different orders of the people, it shall be the duty of legislators and magistrates in all future periods of this commonwealth to cherish the interests of literature and the sciences..."
— John Adams
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