President Message (Con't)
As we are entering a new year, please take a moment to reflect upon ourselves what we have done in the year past and what we should do to improve ourselves in life, and to better serve our community and the country. The new year era is full of excitement. We should cleanse our heart, our mind and soul when we receive the new year angel. We must truly follow Buddha’s teaching and Dharma without any reservation. We should spend more time helping others who are in need. We should love each other, love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We should reconcile any conflicts we may have. We must learn to forgive and forget.
This year, the CCD has an opportunity to join an effort with the Cambodian Buddhist Society, Inc to bring you a Mak Theung show to be performed at Cambodian Buddhist Temple in Silver Spring, Maryland. The performance is the product of many volunteers from both organizations and the Cambodian American Heritage, Inc. We have worked tirelessly in the past few months to bring you the finest show. The performers are all volunteers. Please come to the temple and see how good they are. The Mak Theung show will continue on to CCD Festival on September 22nd in Alexandria, VA.
I also like to take this opportunity to tell you about our mission. In a nutshell, we are integrating Khmer culture into American society. We believe in the value of keeping and passing on our cultural heritage to our children. Also, we work to empower our Community, bridge distances, heal rifts and build bonds. The purpose of celebrating CCD Festival is to promote Cambodian culture to the next highest level, to celebrate Khmer achievements and to strengthen Cambodian voice. Please support our cause. As you know, our country has abundant heritages, has an undisputable oldest and finest culture in Southeast Asia. But the world knows Cambodia only as a killing field. We seek to erase this bad perception. Please continue to talk good about Khmer and about our country, but still reflect on lives lost and altered. If you don’t, who will.
សួស្តីឆ្នាំថ្មី! ឆ្នាំម្សាញ់ បញ្ចស័ក ព.ស.២៥៥៧~គ.ស.២០១៣
សូមស្វាគមន៍ដល់អស់លោកលោកស្រីនិងប្រិយមិត្តជាទីមេត្រី
ថ្ងៃនេះខ្ញុំមានចិត្តរីករាយយ៉ាងខ្លាំង។ តាងនាមនៃក្រុមអភិបាល សមាជិសមាជិកានៃសមាគមទិវាសហគមន៍ខ្មែរ ខ្ញុំសូមប្រសិទ្ធិពរ ជូនដល់លោកលោកស្រីនិងប្រិយមិត្តទាំងអស់អោយបានប្រកបតែនឹងជោគជ័យសិរីមង្គលវិបុលសុខ សុខភាពមាំមួន អាយុយឺនយូរ រកស៊ីមានបាន ត្រជាក់ត្រជុំកុំបីឃ្លៀងឃ្លាតឡើយ។ ក្នុងឱកាសចូលឆ្នាំថ្មីនេះ ខ្ញុំសូមអោយប្រីយមិត្រសញ្ជឹងរំពឹងគិតដល់អំពើរល្អ ដែលបានធ្វើក្នុងឆ្នាំចាស់ ហើយសូមបន្តរទៅទៀតក្នុងឆ្នាំថ្មី។ បើមានផលរមាស់មន្ទិលសៅហ្មង សូមសំអាតចិត្តអោយជ្រះស្រឡះ ទទួលទេវតាឆ្នាំថ្មី ហើយខិតខំប្រតិបត្តតាម ការប្រៀនប្រដៅរបស់ព្រះពុទ្ធ ព្រះធម៌ ព្រះសង្ឃ ដោយពិតប្រាកដឥតបន្លំក្លែងក្លាយ។
សមាគមទិវាសហគមន៍ខ្មែរមានគោលបំណងតែមួយ គឺជួយលើកដំកើងតម្លៃអរិយធម៌និងប្រពៃណីខ្មែរអោយបានខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់ជាងមុន ទៅទៀតនៅក្នុងសហរដ្ធអាមេរិក ធ្វើយ៉ាងណាអោយគេទទួលស្គាល់ខ្មែរយើងច្រើនជាងមុន។ សូមអរគុណជាអតិបរមា ដល់ការជួយជ្រោមជ្រែងដល់វត្តពុទ្ធិការាម និងដល់សមាគមទិវាសហគមន៍ខ្មែរ។ សូមអញ្ជើញកំសាន្តរីករាយជាមួយយើងខ្ញុំថ្ងៃនេះ។
Happy Khmer New Year!
Sincerely,
Ben Bao
CCD President
