The custom of entering monkhood in order to become a proper person is still common among the Khmer people in the Southwestern region of Vietnam. According to their belief, becoming a monk is not to become a Buddha but to become a better human being, preparing for a good life in the future. It is also a valuable opportunity to learn literacy, moral principles, and cultivate virtue.

In the past, if a young man did not go through a period of monastic life in a pagoda, he would be considered unfilial by both society and his family, and it would be very difficult for him to get married. Khmer girls of marriageable age often chose men who had undergone monastic training in a pagoda and later returned to secular life. According to them, such men had fulfilled their duty and learned how to be proper human beings, especially being literate and respected by the community.

The custom of entering monkhood to become a proper person is usually held on the first day of the Chol Chnam Thmay New Year. On this day, families who wish to send their sons to the pagoda (several months earlier, the young man must have stayed at the pagoda to memorize basic Buddhist chants) organize a ceremony called Bank-Bom-Buon, during which the novice bids farewell to relatives and friends and receives wishes for good health. During the ceremony, his head is shaved, his trousers are replaced with a sarong, and his shirt is replaced with a white cloth draped over the left shoulder to the right, called Pênexo, symbolizing his renunciation of worldly life. At that time, he is called a “Nec” (dragon).

After that, the novice holds the saffron robe, steps into the middle row of monks, and recites the request for ordination. When the venerable monk accepts, the nec changes from the sarong and white cloth into the saffron robe. This is followed by the ceremony of receiving the Ten Precepts of Buddhism:

1. No killing
2. No stealing
3. No sexual misconduct
4. No drinking alcohol
5. No lying
6. No eating outside regular meals
7. No watching singing or dancing performances
8. No wearing jewelry or ornaments
9. No using high seats or luxurious beds
10. No handling gold or silver

Finally, monks and Buddhists chant sutras to bestow blessings upon the newly ordained monk and all sentient beings, bringing the ceremony to a close.

According to traditional Khmer beliefs in the Southwestern region, entering monkhood is also a way to accumulate merit for one’s parents, family, and oneself. However, today, due to schooling or difficult family circumstances with labor shortages, many Khmer young men do not enter monkhood, and monastic rules are no longer as strict as they once were.
Source: Dai Doan Ket