Angkor Wat & Angkor Thom, Cambodia
One can look at everything in at least two ways. The results may be totally contradictory depending on the angle of view and neither might be right or wrong. Our conclusions are simply based on our past experiences. How do we know the intentions of those who have gone before? Words can be misunderstood and pictures might only tell part of the tale. Is getting up well before dawn a pleasure or a pain? Is east or west the best place to view? Which is the greatest monument? Were the devas and asuras cooperating or arguing? The questions reverberate in our minds as we look at each day with wonder in this intriguing area of the world.
Yes, there were a few in the city of Siem Reap that were not anxious to peer from their windows while the skies were dark, but we were not among their number. Away from the city lights, the stars twinkled above and silence might have reigned but for the shuffling of many feet as we felt our way to a perch inside the wall of the famous Angkor Wat. Spots of light moved around us as others did the same, following the footsteps of what has become a pilgrimage of sorts, to watch the sun rise behind the towers of Angkor Wat. It battled a bit today with filmy clouds and smoky fires, but the silhouette was no less impressive than if a fiery ball had risen from the earth to scorch the land or paint the world with light. It has been almost a thousand years since Suryavarman II built this massive edifice as the residence of his favorite god, Vishnu. Thousands of figures decorate the walls, recounting ancient myths and telling of the rewards of heaven or warning of the tortures of hell. We look upon them. We hear and read authoritarian comments on their meanings. But still one wonders the meaning of each panel. Devas and asuras, gods and demons definitely appear to be locked in a giant tug of war as they churn the ocean of milk. Vishnu is there, in his turtle form, holding the pivot point or churning stick. But were they competing for the elixir of immortality or cooperating to churn the sea into a froth and rediscover it and all mankind? Who knows for sure? We were not there when the story began.
There is little doubt about who were malevolent and who were blessed, however, as we crossed through the gates into the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Facial expressions can say a lot even if we don’t speak the language. Demons guarded one side of the bridge, devas were on the other, both oblivious to our passing. Jayavarman VII looked at life a little differently than his grandfather Suryavarman, and in his monument he chose to show the everyday life of all of the people. Brave and honored hunters still battle with prey, frozen in the relief carvings of the Terrace of the Elephants. But a closer look reveals that those massive beasts were not always the best friend of those assigned to their care. A leg is crushed beneath an enormous foot. Another hangs inverted, wrapping his limbs around a gigantic trunk as the beast attempts to toss him away. (Or was it trying to help the man mount? Who knows?)
Life revolved around the Buddhist temple of Bayon, appropriately located in the center of Angkor Thom. Four colossal faces still stare from each of its 54 towers. Are they boddhisatvas or the image of the king himself? Covering the walls, intricate bas-reliefs show us life in the early 13th century. We see the clothes they wore. We see the animals that lived here. Crocodiles and man compete for fish that appear to have been plentiful in that time.
Will our stories be so well preserved a thousand years from now? One wonders. Rock is an enduring substrate to write your story on. How will our messages be conveyed?
