The man who calls himself Sakhei Bhagawan (Scholar) admitted his mistake after he met with the Minister of Cults and Religion. Supplied
A man who calls himself Sakhei Bhagawan (Scholar), whose real name is Thong Bunteng, has admitted that he was wrong to make comments which had a negative effect on the monkhood, Buddha’s teachings and Buddhism.
A recent video by the head of the Sakhei Bhagawan Divine Association sparked reactions from monks and Buddhists after he claimed that monks are a “burden” to Buddhists.
As spokesperson for the association, Bunteng said he regretted his mistakes and offered a public apology.
He also agreed to delete the social media videos he previously posted that were harmful to Buddhism.
The Ministry of Interior is reviewing legal procedures concerning the actions of the man’s association.
The apology followed a meeting between the association’s leaders and the Minister of Cults and Religions, as well as representatives of relevant ministries, on the evening of January 29.
Chat Sochet, spokesman for the ministry, explained that the meeting, which also included representatives from the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice, lasted more than three hours.
“The meeting resulted in three major outcomes: Thong Bunteng admitted his mistakes and agreed to publicly apologize for the statements he made in the past that affected the monkhood, the Buddha’s teachings and Buddhism; he agreed to change his behaviour during dharma lectures; and he agreed to stop using the scarf wrapped across his chest,” he explained.
Bunteng asked for forgiveness from monks, the leadership, and the Cambodian Buddhist community nationwide for his unintentional mistakes that impacted Buddhism.
“I, Thong Bunteng, also known as Sakhei Bhagawan, apologise to the Supreme Patriarchs of both sects, the leaders and Buddhists throughout the Kingdom of Cambodia, for the inconvenience caused by my statements, such as ‘the Buddha’s teachings are not sufficient’ and ‘monks are a burden on the locals’ I will stop using the scarf and will delete any videos that hurt the feelings of Buddhists and monks,” said Bunteng, in a short video clip.
“I ask for forgiveness and promise that I will not make any statements in the future that affect the values of Buddhism, the laws of the state or national society,” he added.
