THE ROLE OF NAM TONG BUDDHISM IN THE LIFE OF THE KHMER COMMUNITY IN DONG XOAI CITY, BINH PHUOC PROVINCE

Abstract

In 2011, the Binh Phuoc province government granted permission to build the Nam Tam Buddhist temple - Sirivansa to meet the religious needs of the Khmer people. Although, just operating, Nam tong Buddhism has shown an important role in the life of the community. Approaching functional theory and materials from fieldwork methods, participatory observations, in-depth interviews, surveys of 100 families, this article analyzes the role of Nam tong Buddhism in life of the Khmer community in Dong Xoai city, Binh Phuoc province. The analysis results show that Nam tong Buddhism has affected all aspects of the economy, culture and society of the Khmer people.