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CHAMPABÔRÂY TEMPLE

18/10/2023 268 lượt xem

Champabôrây Temple, also known as Trốt Lích Temple or Sóc Nách Temple, is located in Ward 5, Châu Thành Town, Châu Thành District, Trà Vinh Province.

Champabôrây Temple was built in 1612 AD, which corresponds to the year 2156 in the Buddhist calendar. Since its construction, the temple has seen 13 generations of abbots and venerables, with the current abbot being Venerable Son My

Resistance Against the French Colonial Invasion: During the resistance against the French colonial invasion, the monks and Buddhist community of Champabôrây Temple engaged in various patriotic activities. They fought for reduced taxation, demanded lower levies, and resisted the exploitation imposed by landlords, colonial authorities, and their agents. The monks and Buddhists of the temple shared a common revolutionary spirit and participated in the August Revolution of 1945, which led to the transfer of administrative control over Đa Lộc commune to the revolutionaries on August 25, 1945.

Resistance Against the United States: As the struggle against the United States escalated, Champabôrây Temple contributed in numerous ways. They secretly provided shelter and protection, organized and mobilized Buddhist communities for food and financial contributions, and offered a sanctuary to young individuals, not only among the Khmer population but also among the Kinh and Chinese communities, to evade conscription. However, the most notable event was the initiation and participation of the temple in political struggles against the Nguy regime.

Given its proximity to the provincial capital and the intense enemy presence in Châu Thành District, the temple’s leadership and authorities decided that the most suitable course of action was to organize and participate in political movements. This became a crucial front alongside military, logistical, and diplomatic fronts in achieving victory. For Champabôrây Temple’s monks and Buddhists, this involved direct confrontations with the enemy, with some notable instances including:

• Resistance Against Police Conscripting Monks on February 20, 1965: In early 1965, the enemy aimed to increase their troop numbers for pacification efforts. They concentrated their forces to surround the temple and apprehend monks, including those of Khmer and Kinh descent, for military conscription. On February 20, 1965, when the police surrounded the temple, led by Abbot Thạch Gồng, the monks and Buddhists used improvised weapons to resist. The enemy resorted to using tear gas and detained several individuals, returning them to Trà Vinh.
• Participation in the Protest on September 5, 1969: On September 5, 1969, Champabôrây Temple actively organized and participated in a protest. Leading figures like Venerable Lâm Neo, Venerable Kim Cộng, and others, including Dương Xúc (Khuộk) and Thạch Hưa from the Temple’s Administration Board, played key roles in organizing this protest. The protest, which had guidance from Venerable Trần Dạnh, Deputy Head of the Patriotic Monks’ Association in the Southwest Region and the Provincial Patriotic Monks’ Association, involved around 3,000 monks and community members. Among them, over 400 were from Champabôrây Temple. The protest consisted of both frontline activists and support teams providing food, flags, loudspeakers, and medical supplies. In addition to Châu Thành, monks and community members from nearby temples in Trà Cú District also joined the demonstration.
• Resistance Against Monks’ Conscription into the Military on August 8, 1972: Originating from the enemy’s capture of two monks, Thạch Ba Nha and Thạch Chrọm, from the temple and taking them into custody at the Đa Lộc commune headquarters. The temple’s deputy abbot, Kim Cộng, along with Acha Dương Thông, Acha Trần Phinh, Thạch Cuộne, and several members of the Temple’s Administration Board such as Mr. Dương Xúc (Khuộk) and Thạch Hưa, organized more than 150 monks and Buddhist followers to resist.
• On the evening of August 8, 1972, a protest march reached the commune headquarters to demand the release of the two captured monks. Faced with public pressure, the Đa Lộc commune authorities reported to their superiors, who requested reinforcement. They sent Troop 404 from Trà Vinh while also preparing GMC vehicles to apprehend more monks. The enemy utilized firearms and tear gas to threaten and intimidate the demonstrators. Amid intense struggles, they detained four more monks: Thạch Cuộne, Thạch Canh, Thạch Hương, and Thạch Song, loading them onto vehicles and taking them to Cần Thơ for detention. The movement continued relentlessly in the following days, and on August 21, 1972, the enemy was forced to release the captured monks back to the temple.

• Large-scale Protest Preparing for the 1975 Spring Offensive: This protest, held on February 26, 1975, was organized and led by the Provincial Party Committee and District Party Committee. Mr. Thạch Quơl (Tư Quên), Chairman of the People’s Liberation Front of Châu Thành District and head of the Khmer mobilization committee in the district, worked alongside Mr. Nhan Buôl, a local official from Đa Lộc commune, to liaise with Venerable Lâm Neo and other monks from Champabôrây Temple to conduct the protest. • Participation in the protest involved more than 3,000 participants from Châu Thành, Trà Cú, and Cầu Ngang districts. Champabôrây Temple alone contributed approximately 500 monks and Buddhist followers. On February 25, 1975, the protesters gathered at Champabôrây Temple. The temple arranged accommodation, meeting places, and logistical support, including food, beverages, and medical supplies. Venerable Lâm Neo and Venerable Kim Cộng, as well as other monks like Achar Dương Thông, Sơn Kù, Trần Phinh, and Thái Sen, played leadership roles. Additionally, there was collaboration with Venerables from other temples and organizations, including Thường tọa Trần Dạnh, Thượng tọa Kim Sum, and Achar Thạch Chane Thria Phi Rum. Achars from Cầu Ngang district temples, such as Achar Thạch Sa Rong, Achar Thạch Sanh, Achar Thạch Thal, Achar Thạch Rên, and Achar Thạch Sên, also participated. The protest’s leadership team from Champabôrây Temple was under the command of Achar Dương Thông as head and Achar Trần Phinh as deputy. Various teams had specific roles, such as logistics led by Achar Thạch Luôn and the temple’s Administrative Board, who managed rice, meat, fish, salt, cooking, food packaging, and water supply for the protesters. Medical support was overseen by Achar Thạch Cuộne. • On the afternoon of February 25, 1975, the protest’s leadership gathered in Sala Pali at Champabôrây Temple to assign roles to each group and specify the departure date and time. The protest consisted of three groups and began at 5 a.m. on February 26, 1975. • While on their way, the protesters encountered enemy blockades at various locations, including the Đa Lộc crossroads, Kompông Chrây Temple, and particularly near the intersection leading to Khươne Temple. However, with their brave spirit, the monks and demonstrators persevered. Along the route from Khươne Temple toward Long Bình River, the enemy used vehicles to monitor the protests and even attempted to arrest Achar Dương Thông, but he managed to escape. The enemy threatened and fired tear gas and live rounds to suppress the demonstration. After intense struggles, the enemy’s troops and the provincial leader were forced to retreat. The monks also returned to the temple one by one.

• Apart from their prominent political struggles, Champabôrây Temple made significant contributions in logistical operations. From 1968 to 1975, the temple’s monks actively participated in persuading soldiers to leave the enemy’s ranks and return to their families. Each year, around 10 individuals, including deserters and those evading conscription, were persuaded to leave the military and take refuge in the temple. This included not only individuals of the appropriate age but also young people following local customs who sought refuge in the temple. Consequently, the number of monks in the temple increased by about 120 monks annually, and at the beginning of 1975, this number reached 167 monks. Notably, during the 1968 General Offensive and Uprising, Đa Lộc served as the command center for the District Party Committee. With the guidance of the District Party Committee, Mr. Nguyễn Văn Canh, Secretary of the District Party Committee, worked closely with Venerable Thạch Gồng, applying a flexible dual approach to political and military operations along with logistical efforts. This contributed to the liberation of Đa Lộc commune. Venerable Thạch Gồng, together with local cadres, managed to persuade the enemy to hand over various outposts, such as Khu 5, Trụ Sở, and Phnô Sưl, resulting in acquiring substantial war booty. • During the political period spanning from 1954 to 1960, Comrade Trần Văn Sai, Secretary of the Đa Lộc commune Party Committee, and Comrade Dương Phai, who had both been active participants in the nine-year resistance against the French colonial rule, decided to become monks in the temple and continue their revolutionary path, which the temple provided shelter for. In particular, Comrade Đồng Văn Cà, a member of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Châu Thành District Party Committee, unfortunately got captured by the enemy in August 1956. The enemy sought to extract information from him by any means possible. To mislead the enemy, Comrade Đồng concealed documents in a burial stupa within the temple’s premises. When the enemy took Comrade Đồng to retrieve the documents, they not only failed to locate them but were also attacked by bees inside the stupa. Enraged, the enemy resorted to torturing Comrade Đồng, dunking him into the water near the temple’s main gate on the left side. The temple’s monks immediately intervened to prevent the enemy from torturing Comrade Đồng, and under the pressure of the monks’ persuasive words, they were forced to cease their actions.

• In the years 1969 – 1970, Venerable Thạch Cuộne served as a medic at the temple. When cadre members fell ill or were injured and brought to the temple, he provided treatment or first aid and then transferred them to the rear lines. Moreover, the temple secretly provided shelter and ensured the safety of certain cadre members involved in activities or liaison work. Notable figures among them included Comrades Dương Phai, Nhan Buôl, Huỳnh Phước Long, Bùi Văn Ní, Nguyễn Văn Bảo, Sơn Vàng, Sơn Thị Phai, Sơn Kích, Sơn Vít, Dương Văn Chép, and Dương Thị Tri. • In terms of contributing resources to the revolution, during the resistance against the United States, the temple organized donations of food and money whenever Buddhist followers came to the temple, and these resources were secretly sent to revolutionary cadre members. Many sons and daughters of the temple, whether ordained monks or laypeople, actively participated in the revolutionary struggle. Notable individuals include Nhan Buôl, Sơn Kích, Sơn Vít, Dương Văn Chép, Dương Thị Tri, Kim Thị Sarêu, Kim Thị Sướt, Thạch Phai, Thạch Sambáte, Dương Sương. Some comrades demonstrated great bravery and made the ultimate sacrifice, such as Dương Phai, Dương Mết, Thạch Trương, Sơn Hớs, Huỳnh Sất, Sơn Thị Siết. Additionally, there were those who became wounded veterans, like Sơn Vàng, Sơn Thị Phai, and Thạch Minh Chánh. Notably, many families had two to four members who joined the revolutionary cause. For instance, Comrade Dương Văn Chép’s family had four members, Comrade Sơn Vàng’s family had three members, and the families of Thạch Minh Chánh, Kim Thị Sarêu, and others had two members each. Several families contributed a single member, while many families served as the grassroots of the revolution. • Champabôrây Temple made significant contributions to the resistance effort during the war against the United States and was a prominent symbol in the political struggle against the Ngụy regime in Trà Vinh. Preserving and promoting the cultural and humanitarian values of this historical site will contribute to instilling patriotic traditions and cultural values in today’s and future generations.