From Afar

Angkor Wat in the distance framed between two Buddhist monks. Growing up I spent a few years in a Christian school and was taught that the Bible was immutable and that God’s word was passed down through the eons exactly as it says in the holy book. Reality, of course, is a much different thing and all it takes is a cursory study of history and archaeology for us to understand how complicated and dynamic the world really is, and how religion, like all things in life, is constantly changing and evolving. Angkor Wat is a prime example. It originally started as a Hindu temple when it was built in the 12th century, but over time as Buddhism became more dominant in the region, Angkor Wat was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple. I met some Indian tourists at Angkor Wat, and they remarked to me how much of the Hindu roots they can see in the temple’s architecture and design. Today Angkor Wat is considered a sacred site by Buddhist monks, and when you visit the temple you will almost certainly run into a few monks there making their pilgrimage, or conducting their prayers, rituals, and ceremonies.

Done