Philanthropic works in a sense of Cambodian

Philanthropic work is for the people who love and share their heart to service human beings. They can do either volunteering or contributing materials to humankind. There are many scattering societies in our planet which need our help and sharing. Those are in need of life necessities, loving-kindness, compassion, education and encouragement etc. Some are affected by civil war, by natural disasters, by pandemics and harsh living conditions. For Cambodians, they have ever had the traumatized experiences during the war of Vietcong and genocidal regime of KR. Through this suffering, they have learned a lot about philanthropy.

Firstly, we share our heart consisting of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and balancing judgment(equanimity). Love or loving-kindness is very important in the first stage of how we can engage to a broader heartfeltness. There are many levels of love such as love between parents and children, siblings and siblings, friends and friends, or girl friends and boy friends. Or we can further our love toward nature or animals, or always love ourselves. There are many definitions focusing on to whom the people love most?. The accurate answer should be the "self" that people love most. For example, I love myself, you love yourself, they love themselves or we love ourselves etc. Aptitude of self's love is boundless. So individuals have to extend the self's love to others indiscriminately. Further more, love or loving-kindness is like an instinct of human nature. In order to better it, they have to develop their love to become "compassion". Love and compassion have two different aspects. Love is like we see a beautiful picture and begin to like it, but compassion will stamp our mind into it or in a deep memory which we will never change our heart. Third advantage is to increase "sympathetic joy" in our loving-kindness and compassion. Mostly, loving-kindness and compassion will never get into implementation. When we develop "sympathetic joy"; it will become an empirical practice. Finally, our works, practices or implementations will not be biased when we have developed our equanimity. Balancing mind or equanimity means not to be biased by love, fear, hate and ignorance.

Secondly, they should volunteer with many other charitable works which focuses on either social or natural issues. For the non-profit social organizations deals with child prostitution, domestic violence, human trafficking, orphanages, poor-conditioned scavengers, child beggars, war-amputees, destitute villagers, remote poor conditioned students or those are in need. Some social issues are concerned in education promotion, ethical outreaching program and public health. For the non-profit natural organizations works to protect deforestation, wild life extinction, global warming, eco system or environment…etc. Those fields of charitable tasks require everyone's participation and contribution. Nowadays, there are many volunteers in Cambodia such as monks, students, officials, soldiers and general public have shared their vision and energy to better their society, especially Buddhist monks who have continually accomplished this. Each temple is the symbol of volunteerism. Individually, at least spend two or three hours per week to join volunteering projects in order to engage us with other and to care our social sustainability.

Thirdly, beside of using our energy to volunteer we should spend a small piece of our income to earn goodness and merits by contributing to non-profit organizations, poor people, or religious charity. In doing so, it means we understand well the welfare of living together. Life's purposes define as how can we share our goodness with others, it is not selfish greed or stinginess. Up to present, there are many Cambodian people who have contributed some of their income to support neighbors, to improve their society and the whole globe. Especially, Cambodian people who are living in abroad always send their money to help develop Cambodia. Each year, hundred of millions of foreign currency flows into Cambodia from Cambodian people in abroad. Some of them send directly to their relatives. Some of them help through various organizations that interest in building temples, schools, digging well and others. In addition, if they send directly, they have shared with only two people between the giver and receiver. But if they send through a trustful organization, they can establish Khmer unity and sustain it in a wider way.

In conclusion, philanthropic works can be called a social work or social participating. Cambodian people are same as other people around the world have taken keen interest in this field. Their vision is to leave the goodness, sacrificing personal greed, selflessness, virtue, compassion and good sample to the young generation. Our life will be ended with empty hands, but only goodness left. I encourage everybody to spend some of our energy and material for the welfare of our neighbors and sustainable, global betterment.

by BHIKKHU VODANO S. SOPHAN