Small amounts of food are placed in dishes, which are set on a table where the monks will eat following a ceremony at Wat Khemara Buddhikaram. The monks eat first, and when they are done, the food is shared among those who came for the celebration. (Courtesy of Kayte Deioma Photography.)
A Cambodian woman serves food to the monks following a ceremony at Wat Khemara Buddhikaram. The monks eat first, and when they are done, the food is shared among those who came for the celebration. (Courtesy of Kayte Deioma Photography)
Cambodian Americans gather for a ceremony at Wat Khemara Buddhikaram (Wat Willow) in Long Beach, CA. Families have brought a complete meal of rice, soup, a main dish, and dessert, in an aluminum tiffin carrier, known as chan srak in Khmer. The four containers are stacked and held together by the handle. After the ceremony, family members eat together seated on the floor of the sanctuary.
Exterior view of Wat Vipassanaram on 20th Street, Long Beach, CA, was taken shortly after the property was purchased. Most of the Cambodian Buddhist temples in the U.S. are located in renovated homes. The two women are called look yeiy, or “respected grandmothers.” They have retired into the temple to meditate and prepare for the next life.
