Keepers of the Faith: The Life and Role of the Cambodian Monk

Chapter One: The Saffron Path: How Young Boys Become Buddhist Novices The enduring presence of the Saffron-robed monk in Cambodian society is sustained by a timeless and deeply significant rite of passage: the ordination of young boys as novices. This ceremony, known in Pali as the ** pabbajjā ** or "Going Forth," is far more than a religious formality. It is a profound act of merit-making for the boy's family, a traditional path to education and moral development, and for some, the first step on a lifelong spiritual journey. The process of becoming a novice monk, or ** samanera ** (សាមណេរ), is a beautiful piece of living theater, a ritual that re-enacts the Buddha's own Great Renunciation of worldly life and stands as one of the most important events in a Cambodian boy's life. The motivations that lead a boy to the pagoda are a tapestry of the spiritual and the practical. For many, it is considered the greatest gift a son can give his parents, as the merit (** bon **) g…