The Role of Religion in Connecting the Khmer Community in An Binh Commune, Phu Giao District, Binh Duong Province

Abstract

Unlike the Khmer in the southwestern provinces in the South, the Khmer community in An Binh commune, Phu Giao district, Binh Duong province did not have access to the traditional religion as the Khmer Theravada Buddhism for a long time, which has created the cultural break in the community for many years. From 2019 onwards, the need to learn about the original cultural values of the local Khmer ethnic group has been encouraged and promoted, which has greatly contributed to the idea of building a Khmer Theravada Buddhist temple. In that circumstance, the government of Binh Duong province has created all favourable conditions for Khmer monks to come to this locality to get to know the situation of the Khmer people, build pagodas, and strengthen the Khmer community in order to recreate the ethnic cultural identity. The appearance of the Khmer Theravada Buddhism has profoundly changed the spiritual and cultural life of a group of the Khmer people here. That change is taking place in the direction of enriching the cultural identity of the ethnic community. This article aims to understand the role of religion in connecting the ethnic community and discuss the function of religion in the community life and the values of the communal culture in the spiritual life of Khmer people. In addition, the article also offers recommendations for preserving and promoting the Khmer culture in the current integration context.