The Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia (; , is the de facto leader of Buddhism in Cambodia.

Titles The titles for the Cambodian Supreme Patriarchs are derived from Pali. The full official title of the Supreme Patriarch of the Maha Nikaya is Samdech Preah Sumedhādhipati (); sumedhādhipati means 'wise lord'. In letters with King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, the following title is used for the Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong: Samdech Preah Agga Mahā Sangharājādhipati (); which is translated as 'foremost great supreme patriarch leader'.Website of Norodom Sihanouk

The full official title of the Supreme Patriarch of the Dhammayuttika Nikaya is Samdech Preah Aphiserei Sukonthea Mohasangreacheathipadei (Abhisirī Sugandhā Mahāsangharājādhipati) (). This title means 'Of Higher Merit and Pure Virtue, Great Supreme Patriarch Leader'. In letters with King-Father Sihanouk, an abbreviated title is used in the valediction: Samdech Preah Sangreach ().'

History Between 1855 and 1981, there were two Supreme Patriarchs in the Kingdom of Cambodia: one for the Cambodian branch of the Thai Dhammayuttika Nikaya order, and one for the Maha Nikaya. In 1981, under the supervision of the Vietnamese-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea, Venerable Tep Vong was elected Supreme Patriarch of a new, unified sangha modelled on the Vietnamese Theravada Buddhist Sangha Congregation.

After the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1991, King Norodom Sihanouk appointed Venerable Bour Kry as Supreme Patriarch of Dhammayuttika Nikaya. Today, the two orders are each headed by their own patriarch, unlike in Thailand where only one Supreme Patriarch heads both orders. The Constitution of Cambodia provides a seat on the Royal Council of the Throne to both Supreme Patriarchs, thus giving each a say in the selection of the Cambodian sovereign.

In 2006, Tep Vong was elevated to the status of Great Supreme Patriarch,Cambodia Daily article on KI Media while Venerable Non Nget was subsequently elevated to Supreme Patriarch of the Maha Nikaya. Tep Vong is the first monk in 150 years to bear the title of Great Supreme Patriarch.

Lists of Cambodian patriarchs Supreme Patriarch of Maha Nikaya #PortraitSecular nameDharma nameTitlesBirth & Death (Common Era)Tenure (Common Era)Notes 1 Nil Teangនិល ទៀង Suvaṇṇakesaroសុវណ្ណកេសរោ Samdech Preah Maha Sangharājaសម្តេចព្រះមហាសង្ឃរាជ 1823-1913 1859-1913 2 Keh Oukកែ អ៊ុក Indattheroឥន្ទត្ថេរោ Samdech Preah Dhammalikhitaសម្ដេចព្រះធម្មលិខិត 1851-1936 1914–1930 3 Prak Hinប្រាក់ ហ៊ិន Sudhammattheroសុធម្មត្ថេរោ Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatīសម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី 1863-1947 1930-1947 4 Chuon Nathជួន ណាត Jotañāṇoជោតញ្ញាណោ Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatīសម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី 1883-1969 1948–1969 5 Huot Tatហួត តាត Vajirapaññoវជិរបញ្ញោ Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatīសម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី 1892-1975 1969–1975 Died from Khmer Rouge execution at the Prang pagoda in Oudong district.communist regimes1975-1991 6 Tep Vongទេព វង្ស Upekkhasambojjhamgikoឧបេក្ខាសម្ពោជ្ឈង្គិកោ Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatīសម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី 1932–2024 1991–2006 Elevated to the status of Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia. 7 Non Ngetនន្ទ ង៉ែត Passaddhisambojjhaṃgoបស្សទ្ធិសម្ពោជ្ឈង្គោ Samdech Preah Maha Sumedhādhipatīសម្តេចព្រះមហាសុមេធាធិបតី 1924–present 2006–present

Supreme Patriarch of Dhammayuttika Nikaya #PortraitSecular nameDharma nameTitlesBirth & Death (Common Era)Tenure (Buddhist Era)Tenure (Common Era)Notes 1 Saukonn Panប៉ាន Paññāsīloបញ្ញាសីលោ Samdech Preah Sugandhādhipatīសម្តេចព្រះសុគន្ធាធិបតី 1826-1893 1855–1893 2 Eamអៀម Bhaddagūភទ្ទគូ Samdech Preah Mangaladebācāryaសម្តេចព្រះមង្គលទេពាចារ្យ 1849-1922 1893-1922 3 Soukស៊ុក Paññādīpoបញ្ញាទីបោ Samdech Preah Mangaladebācāryaសម្តេចព្រះមង្គលទេពាចារ្យ 1861-1943 1923-1943 4 Oung Sreiអ៊ុង ស្រី Buddhanāgoពុទ្ធនាគោ Samdech Preah Sudhammādhipatīសម្តេចព្រះសុធម្មាធិបតី 1870-1956 1943-1956 5 Phul Tesភុល ទេស Indañāṇoឥន្ទញាណោ Samdech Preah Sudhammādhipatīសម្តេចព្រះសុធម្មាធិបតី 1891-1966 1956-1966 6 Tep Leungទេព លឿង Gandharoគន្ធរោ Samdech Preah Sudhammādhipatīសម្តេចព្រះសុធម្មាធិបតី 1883-1975 1966-1975 Died just two days before the fall of Phnom Penh by Khmer Rouge. 7 He Cheaហ៊ី ជា Samdech Preah Sangharājaសម្តេចព្រះសង្ឃរាជ ?-1975 1975 (less than one week) Acting Supreme Patriarch of Dhammayutika Nikaya 8 Bour Kryបួរ គ្រី Candagirikoចន្ទតិរិកោ Samdech Preah Abhisirī Sugandhā Mahāsangharājādhipatiសម្តេចព្រះអភិសិរីសុគន្ធា មហាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី 1945–present 1991–present Hold the title of "Samdech Preah Sugandhadhipati" from 1991. Elevated to current title in 2007.

Head of the Unified Sangha of Cambodia #PortraitSecular nameDharma nameOrderBirth & Death (Common Era)Tenure (Buddhist Era)Tenure (Common Era) 1 Tep Vongទេព វង្ស Upekkhasambojjhamgikoឧបេក្ខាសម្ពោជ្ឈង្គិកោ Maha Nikaya 1932–2024 1981–1991

Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia in exile #PortraitSecular nameDharma nameOrderBirth & Death (Common Era)Tenure (Buddhist Era)Tenure (Common Era) 1 Va Yav Ghosanandaឃោសានន្ទ Maha Nikaya 1913-2007 1988–2007 Note: In 1988, Maha Ghosananda was elected Supreme Patriarch by a group of exiled monks in Paris. During this same period, Tep Vong held the same office in the unified Cambodian sangha. After 1991, Tep Vong was recognized as head of the Maha Nikaya in Cambodia.

Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia #PortraitSecular nameDharma nameTitlesOrderBirth & Death (Common Era)Tenure (Buddhist Era)Tenure (Common Era) 1 Tep Vongទេព វង្ស Upekkhasambojjhamgikoឧបេក្ខាសម្ពោជ្ឈង្គិកោ Samdech Preah Agga Mahā Sangharājādhipatiសម្តេចព្រះអគ្គមហាសង្ឃរាជាធិបតី Maha Nikaya 1932–2024 2006–2024

Notes

References

External links A website with information about each Supreme Patriarch

See also Agga Maha Pandita Buddhism in Cambodia Mahanayaka Sangharaja Sangha Supreme Council State Saṅgha Mahā Nāyaka Committee Supreme Patriarch of Thailand Thathanabaing of Burma