maybe or maybe not. I do not agree with all this monk saying anyway. it is wrong to accuse him of doing what most monks in Cambodia are doing, get an education, and planning his future. Surely, he is not commited to life of monastery. Who are we to judge?
[email protected] wrote:
Maybe he didnt have a pure heart when he was a monk and That was why they criticized him?

~ Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 24, 2010, at 12:58 PM, rattanakiri <[email protected]> wrote:

in Buddha's teaching, there is no dogma, if your heart is pure, it does not matter where you live, you can be a monk. Buddha, said, to the monks, just because you live in monastery, wearing yellow robe, does not make you a monk. You have to study dharma, and have pure heart.
[email protected] wrote:
Are you saying that it is okay for a monk to live in a dorm? Glad our monks at our temple didn't use to live in a dorm before when they were in school.

Are you christian? If so, I understand. I rest my case.

~ Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 22, 2010, at 11:31 PM, rattanakiri <[email protected]> wrote:

The international student housing is like similar to apartment. everyone has her or his own room. How can you criticize someone whom you do not even know their circumstances. because he said something you do not like. grow up, dude. Are you gonna go their build a house just him to live? You know how expensive housing is in Hawaii?


thisbugone wrote:
Off campus housing is not the same as the dorm. What kind of pills are you taking while writing the email below? If one chose to be a monk one must follows by its religion. On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 8:55 PM, rattanakiri <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:

   I went to college once. I know these co-ed international student
  dorms are like an apartment building. Everyone has his or her own
  room. This is far from what you have implied. Even if he decided
  to live off campus, it is the same setting. Each apartment complex
  is going to females and males residence. Where do you think he
  should stay? Freshmen dorm?

  Heng Sombat wrote:

      Hey Rattankiri,

      You miss the whole picture here.   Monks are subjected to be a
      pure person
      that we all respect and trust during his period of serving his
      monkship
      regardless young or old.  If you claim that it is fine for a
      monk to live in
      the same dorm with female(s), I must say that you have lost
      track and you do
      not have any believes in Buddhism.  Or you are pretending to
      be Buddhism. Or
      you are an idiot just like what "thisbugone" said.  Please
      check with your
      parents about Buddhism before you response.

      Sombat

      -----Original Message-----
      From: [email protected]
      <mailto:[email protected]>
      [mailto:[email protected]
      <mailto:[email protected]>] On Behalf
      Of thisbugone
      Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2010 11:23 AM
      To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
      Subject: Re: My Letter to the Phnom Penh Post

      Monk and women can stay together lol. You must be an idiot!

      On Saturday, January 16, 2010, rattanakiri
      <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:

          Some people may not realize it but speak ill of someone
          including making a

      harsh and quick judgement unfairly on someone is unbecoming a
      buddisht.  Remember, Buddha teaching speak rightly only.

          In a poor country like Cambodia, monastery life is a way
          out of poverty

      and a chance for a proper education.  In fact, many celebrated
      Khmer leaders
      and scholars owed their career to their days in as a monk.  I
      think not any
      Cambodians would  be shocked if a monk rejoins his civilian
      life. Cambodian
      buddhists offer money, food to monks in order to receive good
      karma,
      blessing.  Should the monks refund the money, foods back if he
      returns to
      civilian life.  Would you expect the monk perform a return of
      good karma,
      blessing back to heaven from those people?  Give me a break.

          Savouth Chea wrote:


          Aloha,

          As a resident of Hawaii, which Sophan Seng claims he
          represents, I wanted

      to share my observations, thoughts, and also questions about
      his motives.
       Unfortunately, I didn't like what I saw of him, and I only
      foresee further
      disruption.

          Sophan Seng came to Hawaii to further his education back
          in 2006.  The

      first time he set foot in Hawaii, I introduced him to some
      Cambodian
      community members since he was a Khmer new  to the island.
       Some knew his
      background from the past and had their opinions (good but
      mostly bad), but I
      tried not to take people's word for it.  As months progressed,
      however, I
      came to see that the warnings I had heard were true.  First,
      he used the
      Buddhist religion to advance himself rather than becoming a
      monk selflessly
in dedication to Buddha. How do I know this? While attending the
      University of Hawaii, he lived in a co-educational dormitory.
       One may think
      this is not a big deal nowadays, but should a monk put himself
      in the
      company and living quarters of females?  Is this appropriate?
        He often
      flirted with young female members of our community and made
      inappropriate
      comments - causing some of our youth and their parents to
      become very upset!
       He was affiliated with a so-called ‘temple’ in Hawaii, and
      performed
      Buddhist ceremonies.  That was reasonable because he was a
      monk, right?  But
      in 2009, he visited Cambodia from Hawaii, ostensibly still a
      monk, but came
      back to the United States only a couple of months later with a
      wife!  Prior
      to his trip back to Cambodia, he told members of the community
      in Hawaii
      that he was going there to represent and gain support for the
      temple and the
Buddhist religion. The ‘temple committee’ gave him $400, and some
      individual people also gave him money, since he was a monk
      and/or student.
       Poor him, right?  When  he came back with a wife, people were
      shocked.  Did
      he care?  Apparently not.  He did not attempt to explain
      himself nor
      apologize for using the monies to go back to Cambodia to get
      married.  No,
      he used religion for personal gain.  Sad but true.

          To people that do not know him, Sophan Seng represents
          himself as a

      ‘community facilitator.’  To be a facilitator, ideally one has
      to be
      neutral, or at least try to maintain neutrality.  Instead,  he
      openly
      expresses his opinion about Cambodian politics.  In fact, even
      as a monk,
      whose studies are supposed to focus on learning and
      internalizing Buddhist
      principles and the path to peace, he chose to pursue a degree
      in /political
      science/.   Most if not all of the articles he has written to
      the Phnom Penh
      Post (PPP) discuss politics.  At the close of each of his
      articles, he
      signed "Sophan Seng, University Hawaii at Manoa, United
      States," or
      "Cambodian Students of Aloha" (the University's student
      organization).   This might indicate that his opinions echo
      those of other Khmer at the
      University of Hawaii.  They do not.   Again, he is not
      representing the
      university, Khmer in Hawaii, or the United States of America.
       He used these
      closures to make himself look good with outside parties.  Not
      all Khmer in
      Hawaii (or elsewhere in the United States) agree with him.

          In his previous correspondence, Sophan stated, “If you
          want to know me

      more, go to these links.”  The links he provided,
      http://www2.hawaii.edu/~csaloha/officers.html
      <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Ecsaloha/officers.html>
      <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Ecsaloha/officers.html> and
      http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sophan/
      <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Esophan/>
      <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Esophan/>, are
      links that were self-created  -- using the university- related
      resources
      (originally created for the use of the student group as a
      whole) for
      personal gain, again.  Was the information he put on the site
       approved by
the majority of the students in the organization? Has anyone else
      affiliated with the CSAloha used this site for personal
      boasting?  No.  Not
      even the founders, myself or Mr. Chanthoeun To, ever
      considered using this
      site to toot our own horns.  The purpose of CSAloha, ‘…does
      not represent
      any political or religious ideologies both on/off campus.’
       Yet he used the
      university-based name/group to send articles about politics to
      PPP and other
      media.  Like Mr. Heng Sombat mentioned in his email, ‘He just
      wanted his
      name to be read in Phnom Penh Post.’

          Most of the articles he wrote to the PPP from Hawaii
          attacked the current

      Cambodian government and sided with opposition political
      parties.  Hmmm . .
      . Sophan, when you were in Cambodia, did you write any
      articles to the PPP?
       Or did you simply enjoy yourself there and then come back to
      the safety of
      the U.S. to criticize Cambodia?  Why attack the government of
      your own
      country?  Do you just use your country for personal gain as
      well?  Samdech
      Hun Sen has been a Prime Minister for years.  He lives in
      Cambodia most of
      his life, unlike Mr. Sam Rainsy.  When problems arise in the
      country,
      Samdech Hun Sen is still there.  How about Mr. Sam Rainsy?  He
      leaves the
      country when problems come up.   Then, his students and his
      followers  pay
      the price since they can’t leave the country like him.  Now, I
      am not
      affiliated with any political party in Cambodia.  I am simply
      noting that
      you only support a given official or bureaucrat when it suits
      you.  Perhaps
      it is easier to get an American scholarship if you are
      attacking a socialist
      country leader rather than supporting him?  Sophan, why try to
      divide the
      country instead of uniting it?  Are you using your Canadian
      and US bases to
      get asylum to live abroad permanently??

          Your articles to the PPP do not help the current issues in
          Cambodia;

      instead, you are dividing the government and her people.
       Before you decide
      to sound off your opinion again, you should take a look at
      yourself in the
      mirror again and think about whether you are helping Cambodia
      with your
      words and actions, or, by pretending to be some sort of expert
      from the
      safety of your current North American address, making things
      worse for the
      people of our motherland.

          Savouth Chea

          Honolulu, Hawaii


             -----Message d'origine-----
             De : [email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>
          <mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>>
             [mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>
             <mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>>] De la part
             de Heng Sombat
             Envoyé : samedi 9 janvier 2010 21:08
             À : [email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>
          <mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>>
             Objet : RE: My Letter to the Phnom Penh Post

             Sophan,

             The CSALOHA website is very outdated
             (http://www2.hawaii.edu/~csaloha/officers.html
          <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Ecsaloha/officers.html>
             <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Ecsaloha/officers.html>).  I
          do not
             think any of the
             information on the site are correct. You need to update
          it or take
             the site
             down. False information via internet or posted on the
          internet is
             also a
             crime.

             Per my information with the East West Center, you are
          no longer a
             student
             there.  Plus you have sent many articles about
          Cambodian-Canadian's
             activities which only proof that you are currently
          residing in Canada.

             There is not much to read into your article.  Your
          intention is
             not to help
             Cambodia or her people.  Question: Have you even hold a
          job that
             produced
             normal income and paid income-tax since you live here,
          US or
             Canada?  If
             not, you have no idea what is democracy is.  So please
          do not preach
             democracy to others.  From your resume, you have been a
             professional student
             and monk most of your adult life.

             Per my conversation with my friend Sok in Hawaii, your
          short term
             in Hawaii
             during your monk hood was fulfill with sins. Let me
          relate (one
             issue) to
             you and to our audience that wish to know more about
          you,  since
             you wanted
             others to know about you as well.  Correct me if my
          information is
             incorrect, but I have no doubt about what I am about to
          share.

             During your study at University of Hawaii you were
          living in a co-ed
             University housing that was provided by East West
          Center (funded
             by American
             tax payers). This mean that you were sharing your
          domicile with young
             college girls.  This alone violated Buddhism practice
          already.
              Most of the
             young girls in these days covered their body with less
          and less
             garments,
             especially when they are in their domiciles. I will
          stop here on
             this issue
and let you and the audience of CAMDIS takes it from here.

I have more to share, if you want me to go on! Trust me.

             Here is my suggestion.  Stop attacking and putting down
          Cambodian
             people and
             her government via Phnom Penh Post. Posting article via
          Phnom Post
             will be
             read by mostly foreigners, in Phnom Penh and aboard,
          your article
             will only
             stack more mud on the Cambodian people.  This
          government is not
             perfect.  If
             you care, let's help Cambodian people by helping the
          government to
             improve
             their mean and way of doing government businesses.
          Let's start with
solidarity first. Solidarity is the most effective way to
             consolidate power
             and fight the enemy of all kinds; foreign and domestic.
             Keep in
             mind that
             democracy does not happen overnight.  It took US and
          Canada over
             200 years
             for their democracies and still not 100% perfect.  Do
          not forget
             that your
             well being here in US or Canada is the result of the
          current
             government
             policy.

             Here I go again......You must learn how to give back,
          not just
             take.  Or
             giving back is not what you believe in?  Stop taking
          from an
             little old lady
             like the one you did in Hawaii.  She gave you so much
          of what she
             had; she
had to collect cans and saved portion of her SS incomes to
             contribute to
             your Buddhism preach, because she trusted you as a true
          monk.

             I am going to stop here and hoping that you are able to
          start
             giving back
             with your heart.


             Heng Sombat
             Irvine, Ca

             -----Original Message-----
             From: [email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>
          <mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>>
             [mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>
             <mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>>] On Behalf
             Of sophan
             Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 4:59
             To: Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org
          <http://www.cambodia.org>
             <http://www.cambodia.org>
             Subject: Re: My Letter to the Phnom Penh Post

             Hi Heng Sombat and Kangkaroo;

             Some info you claimed is correct, but major of them is
          wrong about me.
             If you want to know me more, go to these links.

             http://www2.hawaii.edu/~csaloha/officers.html
          <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Ecsaloha/officers.html>
             <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Ecsaloha/officers.html>
             or
             http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sophan/
          <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Esophan/>
          <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Esophan/>

             I am not affiliated with any political parties inside
          or outside of
             Cambodia. I am currently a student of UH, and community
          facilitator.
             My letter to the Phnom Penh Post has fairly articulated
          to bring
             benefits to
             all sides especially the collective interests of the
          nation.

             Please re-read my article again and again before you
          assume to
             reply this or
             that.

             PS: I am an individual of UH's student. I am not
          representing all
             students
             in this University including Cambodian students
          studying there,
             like many
other writers who revealed their places such as Phnom Penh,
             California or
             others, surely not represent everyone there.

             Regards,

             S.

             On Jan 7, 10:33 pm, Heng Sombat <[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>
             <mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>>> wrote:
             > Hello Kararoo,
             >
             > Your points are very straight and very much
          appreciated.    The
             author
             > of this letter to Phnom Penh Post has no practical
          logic or merit
             > behind his article.  He just wanted his name to be
          read in Phnom
             Penh
             Post.
             >
             > Sam Rainsy's actions in the last 15 years are very
          questionable.  I
             > have the opportunity to meet Rainsy when he was the
          Minister of
             > Finance and after he got kicked out of the
          government.   He
             knows how
             > to use less fortunate people for his personal gain.
           Just like Koy
             > Pech in
             the 1971, Lon Nol Era.
             > Students died from his actions.
             >
             > Now let's look at this author character and purpose
          of his writing
             > this article, so we could analyst his intention.   I
          started out by
             > contacting my fellow friend (let's call him Sok) at
          Hawaii
             University
             > at Manoa Campus to verify who is this Sophan Seng
          really is.
             >
             > Here is what I found out.
             >
             > 1. Sophan was a student at UH and had moved back to
          Canada since
             2009.
> 2. He was a monk from Cambodia via Canada before moved to
             Hawaii.  On
             > top of it, he did served his monk hood properly.
             >
             > In the body of his article he expressed the wrong
          doing of the HS
             > government, but fail to understand the responsibility
          of the
             Rainsy as MP.
             > MP is just a law maker not a law enforcer.  What
          authority does
             MP has
             > to act as POLICE.   Rainsy's action only create
          division among our
             > people, but fail to promote solidarity.  His actions
          only make us
             > Khmer
             weak.
             >
             > If you talk about corruption, let's us ash how Rainsy
          live with
             his MP
             > salary.  Someone is paying for his living cost plus
          traveling in and
             > out of Cambodia whenever he wishes to travel.
             >
             > I suggest that Sophon think twice before he writes
          again about
             the HS
             > government.  HS is not perfect, but the best
          government we had
             in the
             > last 100 years.  We all able to get higher education
          and freedom to
             > express our opinion more than previous governments.
          Freedom of
             speech
             > has come a long way.  But please keep freedom of
          speech within
             limitation.
             >
             > Let's look at our previous government:  Sihanouk's
          government
             fail.......
             > Lon Nol's government fail...... Pol Pot's government
          fail to year
             > ZERO.  I guess Sophan wants to live year Zero again.
             >
             > One more note for Sophon,  if you are not with UH or
          speaking on
             > behalf of UH, please do not sign on behalf of UH,
          because your
             article
             > to Phnom Penh Post created concern for UH Cambodian
          Students in
> Hawaii. Not all students in UH approved your statement.
             >
             > Heng Sombat
             > Irvine, Ca
             >
             > -----Original Message-----
             > From: [email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>
          <mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>>
             [mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>
          <mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>>] On
             > Behalf
             >
             > Of sopha
             > Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 5:56 AM
             > To: Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) -www.cambodia.org
          <http://www.cambodia.org>
             <http://www.cambodia.org>
             > Subject: Re: My Letter to the Phnom Penh Post
             >
             > On Jan 7, 2:28 am, kangaroo <[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>
             <mailto:[email protected]
          <mailto:[email protected]>>> wrote:
             > > > Reading your article “Three more sought in
          removal of post
             at Svay
             > > > Rieng border” (January 4) broke my heart.
             >
             > > > The villagers should be congratulated and taken
          care of by the
             > > > government for their courage in publicly claiming
          their
             ownership
             > > > of the rice paddies and denouncing the violation
          of their
             > > > territory by Vietnamese authorities who have
          mismanaged the
             > > > process of demarcating the border. Instead, as
          unbelievable
             as it
             > > > may sound, these five farmers face a terrifying
          fate and the
             loss
             > > > of their status
             > as “good” citizens.
             >
             > > Look at their acts. They have done something on
          their own hands
             > > along with Sam Rainsy. Did they do the right thing?
             > > Look at it yourself. A small group of people
          disagree with border
             > > demarkation along with their leader, Sam Rainsy.
          They acted
             > > illegally whether you like it or not. They did a
          wrong thing.
             > > Actually, they did it to demonstarte their
          disagreement with the
             government.
             > > Be serious about it. Doing a wrong thing to correct
          a wrong thing
             > > would never work. Sam Rainsy and that small group
          of people
             did just
             > > that. Now they are facing their consequences.
             > > Oh ask those people this. They did it along with
          Sam Rainsy in
             that
             > > village. Now, they all are in trouble including Sam
          Rainsy.
             WHERE IS
             > > SAM RAINSY TODAY?
             > > How about those people in the group? Where are they
          today?
             >
             > It is good to hear from you. Why all Cambodian people
          have trouble?
             >
             > > > There have been different interpretations of this
          story
             within the
             > > > media, but at the end of the day, no one can deny
          the truth:
             > > > Cambodian people living along the borders with
          Thailand,
             Laos and
             > > > Vietnam no longer dare voice their concerns about
          neighbouring
             > > > countries encroaching on their territory and




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