The dominant religion in Cambodia is Buddhism. Buddhism originated in India, sometime between 6 and 4 B.C. There are two main forms of Buddhism. The older of these forms, Theravada Buddhism, is practiced extensively in Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, and Sri Lanka. Theravada ("tradition of the elders") Buddhism is also sometimes referred to as Hinayana ("little vehicle") Buddhism.
Buddha statue The second form, Mahayana ("great vehicle") Buddhism, is the dominant form in Tibet, China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. Jayavarman VII, often regarded as Cambodia's greatest king, was a Mahayana Buddhist; after about 1300, however, Theravada Buddhism became the more widely practiced form inside the Khmer empire.
Buddhism is largely as system of ethics aimed at acheiving enlightenment. Theravada Buddhism places little or no emphasis on deities; even The Buddha himself did not claim to be divine. The goal of Buddhism is nirvana, a state of blissful release from worldly concerns.
Essentially, Buddhism is a set of methods aimed at achieving enlightenment. Cambodian Buddhism stresses a belief in reincarnation, and one's position in life is believed to derive from actions in one's past life. Respect for Cambodian royalty is largely rooted in this belief; the King's high station in life was the believed to be the result of good deeds in previous lives.
Buddhism stresses the importance of proper behavior, broadly summarized in The Eightfold Path:
Right View
Right Thought
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
Buddhism's most important moral guidelines are the Five Precepts:
I undertake to observe the precept regarding abstention from killing
I undertake to observe the precept regarding abstention from taking anything not given
I undertake to observe the precept regarding abstention from indulging in unlawful sexual relations
I undertake to observe the precept regarding abstention from speaking lies
I undertake to observe the precept regarding abstention from taking intoxicating drinks

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