From “Cpãp’ Kram” to “Modern Cpãp’ Kram”: Dynamic of a Newly Discovered Khmer Didactic Literature in Surin Province, Thailand

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The Khmer didactic literature entitled “Cpãp’ Kram” (ច្បាប់ក្រម), composed between the 15^th and 17^th centuries, has long been used as a fundamental textbook for Buddhist novices in Khmer communities, both inside and outside Cambodia. Due to its central role, the original text has been widely duplicated, and newer works related to it—at least in title— have been composed. One example is “Modern Cpãp’ Kram” (ฉบับกร̎มสมัยมัย) found in Surin province, Thailand. Despite these connections, the newer texts exhibit distinctive characteristics, particularly in their content. Thus, this research article aims to study the dynamics of Modern Cpãp’ Kram in comparison with Cpãp’ Kram published by the Buddhist Institute of Cambodia.

Methods: This qualitative research was conducted through close reading method by comparing the two earlier-mentioned pieces of Khmer didactic literature in 4 main aspects: 1) prosody, 2) teacher, text, student, and learning method, 3) teaching technique, and 4) didactic content.    

Results: The study reveals the distinctive dynamic in 4 main aspects. 1) Through prosodic aspect, there is a shift from a single prosody, Pad Kãkagati, in Cpãp’ Kram to a compound prosody, Pad Kãkagati and Pad Bãky Puon, in Modern Cpãp’ Kram. 2) Through the aspects of teacher, text, student, and learning method, Modern Cpãp’ Kram uses a Northern Khmer word to clearly disclose the poet’s gender. The text retains its original title, Cpãp’ Kram, while adding the Samai Mai (Modern) to indicate temporal distinction. The intended learners have changed from Buddhist novices to women, and the learning methods have been reduced from listening and self-studying to listening only, corresponding to the new target audience. 3) Through the aspect of teaching technique, in Modern Cpãp’ Kram, the techniques of instruction are still emphasized more than techniques of prohibition, with an increased ratio between the two. Several new words are used to state prohibition. Furthermore, the technique of commanding is absent, but the technique of suggestion has been introduced. 4) Through the aspect of didactic content, the ending component has been supplemented in the new text, and the overall content has been largely newly composed to teach the new target audience. These dynamic aspects emerge due to two main factors: 1) internal factors, including Khmer literary culture, Buddhism in the local context, Northern Khmer dialect, and some perspectives of the new text’s poet; and 2) external factors, namely the influence of didactic content in Thai culture. 

Application of this study: This research presents new results on the dynamics of Khmer didactic literature to academic fields. These come from paying more attention to the new area for conducting field research: the area of Northern Khmer speakers outside Cambodia. Studying this area offers new chances for discovering new data, leading to expanding former academic perspectives. This method could also be applied to the study of local literature in other areas, or other literary pieces found outside their countries of origin, to deliver academic contributions and to raise more understandability towards these cultural owners.

Conclusions: The comparison between Cpãp’ Kram and Modern Cpãp’ Kram reveals the dynamics of this new text in 4 main aspects: 1) prosody, 2) teacher, text, student, and learning method, 3) teaching technique, and 4) didactic content. These aspects are influenced by both internal and external factors, which stimulated the composition of the new didactic text in a context distant in time and space from that of the original.