Haupleung: Value and Significance in Way of Life of the Surin Khmerian Buddhists

Abstract

This article aims to study Haupleung tradition in the Khmer Community of Surin, explore the Surin Khmerian Buddhists' lifestyle, and analyze the value and importance of Haupleung tradition in the Surin Khmerian Buddhists way of life. The documentaries studies and In-depth interviews were used. The presentation used descriptive-analytical methods. The results had found that 1) Haupleung tradition of the Surin Khmerian Buddhists, the word ‘Plueng’ is the Khmer language which means Kwan or sprit. Kwan lives with people’s minds. According to Khmerian and Kuy, there are nine-teen kwans in one human mind which help the mind in common. But if there’s an incident that scares the person, it’s going to scare known as “La Lue Plueng” (spirit is missing a number.) or “Pat Plueng” (Frightened or unable to live with the flesh). It is necessary to perform the “Huapleung ritual” of “Huapleng” (the spirit’s invitation ritual). There are two kinds of this ritual. 2) According to the way of life of the Surin Khmerian Buddhists, there are traditions similar to Khmer people in Cambodia. The colloquialism used is Khmer, Kuy, and Lao. They believed in Buddhism but still believed in the enchantment and the black magic in older generations. 3) Analyzing the value and importance of Haupleung tradition in the Surin Khmerian Buddhist way of life, there are three aspects, namely: 1) mental aspect: to restore the mental state to normal, morale, energetic, buzzing and stable-minded. 2) Belief’s aspect: there is a belief that a person must have a Pleung with morale, to have a spirit from birth to death. When the Kwan (spirit) has not existed in the body, there is called to the body, with sacrifices containing incense and fragrant flowers believed to attract the invisible to forgiveness. Finally, in harmony, the consensus of relatives to call the sick in the family must be loved, enlisted, cooperated. That's family harmony.