austraLasia
#1791
Minute's silence for
'Cambodia's Gandhi', Buddhist monk Preah Ghosinanda
SIHANOUKVILLE: 18th March 2007 -- The educational community of Don Bosco
Sihanoukville kept a minute of silence to respect the memory of the Venerable
Buddhist monk Preah Maha Ghosinanda , known by some as the "Cambodian
Ghandi", who died last Monday (March 12) in the United States. Ghosinanda
was the first Buddhist monk to return to Cambodia after the defeat of the bloody
Pol Pot regime and he began a courageous campaign to revive a Buddhism that
would work towards reconciliation and peace amongst the Cambodian people. He was
nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize (1995, 1996 and 1997) and was
elected the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch of Cambodia in 1998. He worked for the
abolishing of land mines worldwide, respect for the women´s rights and he used
to preside regularly at inter-religious prayers for peace.
With 200 others he led a peace march throughout Cambodia in 1992 (16 days, 125
miles crossing even territories still at that time under Khmer Rouge control) in
what is known as the I National Dhamma Yatra Pilgrimage for Peace. He
participated in prayer peace ceremonies with other world spiritual leaders of
other religions such as the Dalai Lama and Christian leaders. From Christianity,
the Venerable Ghosinanda underlined forgiveness for those who lead the Cambodian
genocide (1975-1979) working always for the reconciliation of his
country.
Venerable Ghosinanda (Kosinanth in Khmer), was born in Takaew
Province in 1913, a province of southern Cambodia. Many students at Don Bosco
Sihanoukville come from that very province and some of them knew him personally,
a person they remember with love, appreciation and admiration for his humble and
kind presence.
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