Ancestor veneration in Cambodia does not stand apart from Buddhism; it flows through Buddhist life and ritual as a continuous current. Many of the most important religious acts—offering food to monks, sponsoring ceremonies, observing precepts—are consciously dedicated to deceased relatives, with monks chanting to transfer merit to them. In this way, the Buddhist practice of merit-making becomes a primary means of caring for the dead, preserving an older sense of obligation to one’s lineage. Buddhist temples and household shrines alike often reflect this merged orientation, with images of the Buddha placed alongside photographs or symbols of departed family members. Offerings of incense, candles, flowers, and food thus serve a dual purpose: honoring the Triple Gem and sustaining a living relationship with ancestors.

The festival of Pchum Ben provides the clearest ritual expression of this synthesis. Over a dedicated period, families bring food to monasteries, where some is offered to monks and some is symbolically directed to wandering spirits and deceased relatives. Monks chant for the dead while families call out the names of ancestors, inviting them to receive both material offerings and the fruits of merit. Here, the Theravāda doctrine of merit transfer and the older practice of feeding and appeasing the dead are woven into a single ceremonial fabric. The belief that ancestors return and require spiritual nourishment during this time reinforces the sense that Buddhist observance is also an act of familial fidelity.

Funeral and memorial ceremonies further reveal how deeply ancestor worship has shaped Cambodian Buddhist practice. Cremation rites combine canonical chanting with offerings intended to support and guide the deceased, and subsequent observances—such as ceremonies held days or months after death, or on recurring anniversaries—affirm that the relationship between living and dead continues. Monks are frequently invited to perform blessings and chanting specifically for the well-being of departed relatives, and the merit generated is explicitly dedicated to them. In many homes and temples, this ongoing care is visually and ritually anchored by altars where ancestral and Buddhist elements stand side by side.

Underlying these practices is a distinctive spiritual worldview in which ancestors are understood as part of a broader, unseen community that participates in the moral and ritual life of the living. Cambodian Buddhists often approach ceremonies as moments of reciprocity: the living offer food, respect, and merit, while ancestors are expected to provide protection, blessing, and a sense of continuity across generations. By integrating ancestral veneration into temple rituals, household devotions, and the timing of important ceremonies, Cambodian Buddhism has fashioned a religious life in which caring for the dead is not separate from walking the Buddhist path, but one of its most concrete and enduring expressions.