Posted on 06/12/2006 7:08:43 AM PDT by Rakkasan1
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - The chief of Cambodia's Buddhist monks is cutting his charges some slack for the duration of soccer's World Cup: they may watch the matches on television, but no cheering or getting excited.
And absolutely no betting.
The country's holy men - more than 90 percent of Cambodia's 13 million people are Buddhist - normally aren't supposed to watch television, movies or artistic displays. According to Buddhism's strictest tenets, they should abstain from pleasurable activity. Gambling is a major no-no.
But monks get as excited as anyone else at the chance to watch soccer's top stars, and Supreme Patriarch Non Ngeth is willing to make allowances for such a special occasion. The games in Germany began Friday and run until the final on July 9.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.foxsports.com ...
Reminds me of the story of the man who joins a monastery where only two words were allowed to be spoken each year.
The Monks from Wat San Sai along with most of the neighborhood watched the last World Coup at an outdoor restaurant near my house. During a match, you couldn't hear yourself think and forget about ordering!!!!! The Whole country of Thailand closes down during the matches (England was the local favorite). I doubt that the "no betting" admonition for monks worked in Thailand.
Interesting.
Bed hard
8^)
Food bad
To which the Abbot replied, "Well, I'm not surpeised. You've done nothing but complain since you got here."
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