Tag: Temple

Buddhism Stupas

My first exposure to Stupas was at Wat Preah Prom Rath in Cambodian Siem Reap. At that time I had no idea what these monumental structures within Buddhist pagodas were and why they ranged so much in size, color and shape. It was apparent that Stupas are an important part of Buddhism, I just didn’t know what purpose they served. When I got to Wat Bo in Siem Reap, the Stupas were more mesmerizing than the temple itself. That’s also one of the main reasons why I focused on Stupas and managed to miss historically and culturally important Reamker paintings. So what exactly are those Buddhist Stupas and why you always see them at Temple grounds?

Stupas at Wat Bo Pagoda in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Stupas at Wat Bo Pagoda in Siem Reap, Cambodia

I saught answers with one of my students from the English language class at Wat Preah Prom Rath. I came to the pagoda about an hour prior to the lecture and one of the girls from the class was sitting there on the bench. Since I was entirely new to Buddhism, I asked around and she was most happy to explain. The only trick was that the class in which I was teaching was free for all, so students of all levels of English participated. The girl who was my Buddhism guide that day was a very beginner so language barrier was making it a bit difficult to understand each other.

From what I could make out, Stupas are used as graves. These monumental structures located near pagodas are basically tomb stones that house ashes of deceased Buddhists. The reason why some Stupas are bigger than other is wealth of a person or family whose ashes are housed inside. The wealthier a person, the fancier, bigger and more decorated a Stupa they can afford.

Notice the Doorway at the Base of These Stupas
Notice the Doorway at the Base of These Stupas

Stupas oftentimes have small entrance doorways through which ashes of other members of the same family are put inside. Through this door those who are still alive also put offerings for the dead, which include food for their journey through the afterworld, flowers, money and whatever other relics may be needed. Buddhists believe in reincarnation – death is not the end, only a transition.

In Buddhism, aside from practical use as funerary monuments, Stupas are best described as sacred monuments that symbolize enlightenment. Stupas have square bases which symbolize four immesurables as taught by Buddhism. The immeasurables are:

  • Immeasurable love
  • Immeasurable compassion
  • Immeasurable joy
  • Immeasurable equanimity
Stupas Photographed from Wat Bo Main Temple
Stupas Photographed from Wat Bo Main Temple

There is deep meaning to each part of Stupas. They are full of relics and holy objects, decorated with reliefs of important Buddhist events. There is powerful spirituality to each Stupa which is instantly recognized by merely looking upon one. I was drawn to those upon each encounter in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Very powerful, mesmerising monuments that establish peace and harmony and keep negative forces at bay.

RELATED GALLERY:
Wat Bo Stupas in Siem Reap, Cambodia Photo Gallery

Wat Bo Temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia

I was in Siem Reap, Cambodia for the same very reason every other tourist makes it there – Angkor Wat temples. However I was in no rush to get to Angkor but most of all, I did not limit my stay to merely exploring Angkor Archaeological area and moving on. I really wanted to savour the atmosphere of Siem Reap and wanted to explore its hidden gems that may not attract many tourists, but are spectacular in their own way. Wat Bo temple was just like that.

Wat Bo Main Pagoda Photo
Wat Bo Main Pagoda Photo

I used reference map in Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide to find locations of numerous temples located within Siem Reap town itself. Exploring Angkor Wat temples was to be a big adventure for which I wanted to get ready thoroughly (high cost for the entrance ticket was one of the main reasons) so to get accustomed to local climate, customs and everything else, I used the initial days in Siem Reap to explore its own gems. According to the maps, Wat Bo was the closest temple to Two Dragons Guesthouse where I was staying so I made it my first destination on my “exploring the temples of Siem Reap” day.

Wat Bo is located on the east side of the Siem Reap River. Entire area around Wat Bo temple and along Wat Bo Road in Siem Reap is now known as “backpacker’s area” due to vast numbers of budget guesthouses and restaurants.

Monk Dwellings at Wat Bo Grounds Photo
Monk Dwellings at Wat Bo Grounds Photo

Other than Angkor temples, Wat Bo is one of the oldest pagodas in Siem Reap province. It was founded in the 18th century and to day it enjoys high regard among native Khmer population. The most significant part of Wat Bo are 19th century paintings depicting scenes from a Cambodian epic poem Reamker. As a traveller who never uses guides, whether it’s books or professional guide services, I have managed to miss out on Wat Bo’s Reamker entirely. I don’t even know where exactly these depictions are, I just know they are there. Darn, sometimes doing the research prior to going there pays off.

To my credit, other than Wat Preah Prom Rath pagoda, which is a modern, centrally located pagoda, Wat Bo was my first pagoda on my “exploring Siem Reap pagodas” tour. Wat Preah Prom Rath doesn’t count as I stumbled across it by chance, whether as visit to Wat Bo was planned and deliberate. Being my first, I was too overwhelmed with the vastness of the temple grounds and most of all – mesmerized by the number and variety of Stupas. At the time of my visit to Wat Bo, I had no idea what Stupas were, but as my day went on and I have visited other temples in Siem Reap, I learned all about it. More on Stupas in next post!

Stupas with Wat Bo Main Temple in the Background Photo
Stupas with Wat Bo Main Temple in the Background Photo

RELATED GALLERIES:

Wat Bo Temple Photo Gallery
Stupas of Wat Bo Photo Gallery

Teaching English at Wat Preah Prom Rath

Yes, it was one of my intentions to dedicate my time to volunteering and yes, since I didn’t have much experience volunteering before, teaching English seemed like the easiest way to start. As I was talking to that young man, he mentioned that he studied English here at the Wat Preah Prom Rath temple. He said he was from a small village but moved to Siem Reap in order to get some education and perhaps a decent job. I highly approved of this thinking.

He said he didn’t have the money to pay for his own accommodation even though being local he could find a room for $30 a month, so he stayed at the pagoda sharing living space with monks. Classes at the Wat Preah Prom Rath are free and anyone can attend so he takes full advantage of it. Having come from Canada, he asked me if I would like to come to his class which started at 5pm – in about 30 minutes. You wouldn’t have to ask me twice. I could not say “YES” fast enough.

View of the Classroom from the Wat Preah Prom Rath Grounds
View of the Classroom from the Wat Preah Prom Rath Grounds

Before I knew it, I was in a class. Room was full of people who were giving away surprised looks, but the overall feel was that I was welcome. I tried to introduce myself but probably sounded a bit awkward. There were both monks and non monks among students. Before I could get down to anything, a teacher walked in.

The classroom had no doors and no windows, just holes in the wall. The building in which the lectures were held was old, walls on it were mouldy and paint was peeling off. It offered striking contrast to shiny gloss of the temples across the walkway from there.

This Small Building in Bad Condition Serves as English School at Wat Pream Prom Rath
This Small Building in Bad Condition Serves as English School at Wat Pream Prom Rath

The teacher was a monk who spoke great English. I’m guessing he spent some time in England as he bore accent affected by the British. I introduced myself to him, after which he introduced me to the class and told me he had a bit of a sore throat and asked me if I could lead the class on my own. I have picked up his TOEFL book, got to a page where they were and without any ado I got straight down to teaching.

It was amazing. The class was at first a bit reluctant but I poked a funny here and there which eased the mood and so the lecture went like on grease. I enjoyed it so much I could not believe when an hour went by and everyone started leaving to attend to their other duties. My first English class as a volunteer was awesome. Everything about it was awesome. I have enjoyed it thoroughly and could not wait for the following day to do the same thing over again. As I was suggested, they held the same class every day during the week between 5 and 6, except on weekend. This was Tuesday – my first day in Cambodia and I have already taught English. What an amazing start to my new life.

Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple in Siem Reap Photo Gallery

Photographing Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple Compound

Now that I somewhat knew the history of the Wat Preah Prom Rath temple and Reclining Buddha which lies within, I felt encouraged to enjoy the grounds of the temple and photograph surrounding decoration. Replica of the ship on which Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy was sailing when it was cut in half by a shark is outside along with statue of the monk carrying a bowl for food. Cannons from the times of warlord Dap Chhoun are out there too. Garden is nicely trimmed and maintained and lots of other, smaller items are randomly scattered around the Wat Preah Prom Rath temple.

Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy Replica Ship
Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy Replica Ship

One especially impressive part were the architectural monuments of (to me) unknown purpose. I had no idea what they were, but these were structures of various sizes which grow up high into a spike in a pyramid like fashion. They all bear Oriental, rather than Egyptian influence and are found throughout the temple grounds. One big one is right next to the temple, several smaller ones of various sizes and splendour are around it.

Large Monument at Temple Grounds of Unknown Purpose (for now)
Large Monument at Temple Grounds of Unknown Purpose (for now)

It was when I went to photograph this large piece when someone yelled at me: “What are you doing there?” – this scared the living poop out of me. Not literally, but I thought it would have been a question of time before I offend somebody by me presence at holy Buddhist ground. This momet as it seemed had just arrived.

I have half smiling, half sorry answered that I just wanted to take a picture and backed off of the monument. The boy who yelled at me give off wide beaming smile suggesting that he was just kidding
which made me feel a little easier, but still a bit tense as I truly didn’t know what is right and what is wrong at temple grounds.

I shut my camera down, put it in a bag and went to talk to him to hopefully explain that I didn’t mean no harm, I just didn’t know what the right thing to do was. It was unnecessary. He asked me where I was from and the conversation went from there. Turned out that photographing temple compounds is perfectly fine and as I have later learned, Khmer people are excessively tolerant of tourists, even if they offend their holy grounds. The debate with this young boy went on. Either way, I was soaked in sweat already and needed a break from the heat and this gave me good excuse. Putting the camera down and going to take a seat at one of many benches was a relief. Little did I know at the time that talking to this young man will lead me to the most exciting experience ever. I went to teach monks English at upcoming class right there at the Wat Preah Prom Rath temple.

View of the Wat Preah Prom Roth from the Walkway Around the Temple
View of the Wat Preah Prom Roth from the Walkway Around the Temple

Reclining Buddha at Wat Preah Ang Chong-han Hoy Temple

When I was taken to the back of the Temple, I was offered a sight of large Reclining Buddha. The statue of Reclining Buddha is about 4 or 5 meters long. In other words it’s impressively massive. I would not have seen it had that guy not taken me there. I thought the statue of sitting Buddha in the middle of temple was like an altar in Catholic churches. And most of the time it truly is that way. Large statue of Buddha is situation center stage within a temple, surrounded by various decoration pieces, often times including smaller statues of Buddha, candles, and other religious items. It was no different in Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple, but there was yet another Buddha inside there – a Reclining one.

Picture of Reclining Buddha at Wat Preah Ang Chong-han Hoy Temple
Picture of Reclining Buddha at Wat Preah Ang Chong-han Hoy Temple

I have quietly snapped a few pictures of difficult to photograph Reclining Buddha (because of low light and large size). After I have walked out of the temple, I got a chance to read an information panel which explains the history behind Preah Ang Chong-han Hoy Temple (it’s what Wat Preah Prom Rath was once called) and Reclining Buddha. The sign reads the following:

History of Preah Ang Chong-han Hoy Inscription
History of Preah Ang Chong-han Hoy Inscription

History of Preah Ang Chong-han Hoy
BE 1900 – BE 2000 (1358 – 1456)

Replica of the boat and Preah Ang Chong-han Hoy (being warmed rice). This caused us to build this temple (Wat Preah Phrom Rath).

Upon times ago there was a monk named Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy who lived in a temple in Siem Reap city approximately in the late BE 1900 to the early BE 2000, Every morning he always travelled by boat crossing the Tonle-sap Lake to collect alms from Buddhists at Longwek Capital and returned to have lunch at his temple in Siem Reap city.

One day while he was travelling in the middle of the lake his boat was cut by shark: fortunately, it was not sunk but separated into two parts. One part was at Wat Boribo in Boribo District, Kampong Chnang Province, other part was in Siem Reap province, now is at Wat Preah Prohm Rath. To learn that both pieces of boat were replaced the Buddhist statues, at Wat Boribo in Boribo District, Kampong Chnang Province is the standing Buddha, at Wat Preah Prohm Rath is the reclining Buddha. So far we still see them remain perfectly.

In the reign of king Ang Chan in the late 16 and the early 16 century initiated shrine hall and temple dedicating to Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy while he prayed for victory of the country in return.

A replica of his boat built in year 2007 by Most Ven, Tong Ton, Samanera Tong Teuom, fellow-monks and Buddhist laymen to reserve as the knowledge of culture, history and heritage for Khmer generations.

Even though English in this scripture is not perfect, sense can be made from what it’s meant to say. Afterall, my English sucks just as much and so far people have been able to make sense of my blabber. This was my encounter with Reclining Buddha of Wat Preah Ang Chong-han Hoy Temple. Spiritually uplifted, I was ready to leave the temple and face the heat of late afternoon sun.

Photo of Reclining Buddha from Opposite Angle Shows Temple Keeper who Took me to the Statue in the Background
Photo of Reclining Buddha from Opposite Angle Shows Temple Keeper who Took me to the Statue in the Background

Inside Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple

I had a walk around the Wat Preah Prom Rath compound and went to take a peek through the gate that served as doorway to the main temple. The Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple is surrounded by the wall with typical triangular roof. Right by the doorway there was a sign requesting all visitors to the temple to remove their footwear as sign of respect for Buddha who was housed inside. There was a name of the patron of the temple, but I didn’t memorize that.

I left my sandals by the entrance where several pairs of sandals from people who were already inside were placed. Through the gate I saw several people, all dressed in white shirts, sitting on the porch, chanting prayers aloud. Bare foot, but still outside, I was looking at them. I didn’t want to disturb their prayer but then one of the ladies who participated in praying looked over her shoulder and saw me standing at the gate. Continuing with her prayer, she swinged her head as if giving me a sign that it was OK to enter. Encouraged, I did.

Buddhists Praying at the Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple Seen Through the Gate
Buddhists Praying at the Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple Seen Through the Gate

Lady turned back to facing inwards and continued chanting her prayer in Khmer along with everybody else. From the inside, the walls surrounding the Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple had nice colourful relics all over it. I did not understand the motifs revealed, but it was all really pretty, very rich colors and 3 dimensional. I walked all the way around until I got back to the gate and was ready to walk outside.

The same lady who previously gave me the sign that it was OK to enter, looked at me again, smiled and gave me another sign encouraging me to walk inside the temple itself. I was within temple gates, but not inside the temple itself.

Colourful, 3 Dimensional Relics Around the Wall Surrounding the Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple
Colourful, 3 Dimensional Relics Around the Wall Surrounding the Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple

They were praying by the door which made it a bit difficult for me (I really didn’t want to disturb their prayer) but silently I sneaked by and walked straight inside. Unlike Catholic churches, Buddhist Temples are not so richly decorated inside. At least not those found in Cambodia. The inside was actually very modest, with hardly anything inside other than really dominant statue of Buddha sitting on a pedestal with his legs in yoga like position. Few unlit candles were in front of the statue and a ship like thing that was used to hold burning sticks. Pleasant smell of oriental burning stick was prevalent inside the temple.

Entering Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple was a powerful experience for me. I felt strongly spiritual and close to the higher being. I took the camera off my neck, took by sun glasses off top of my head, put it all aside, knelt before the statue and clasped by hands in prayer. As I was kneeling before Buddha, I thanked him for the gift of being here.

Main Statue of Buddha Inside the Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple
Main Statue of Buddha Inside the Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple

It was really hot inside. The temple had no windows so it was also rather dark. Air conditioning or anything of that sort is not used in temples. While obscurity added to the spirituality, heat was making it difficult for me. I felt thousands of sweat drops rolling down my back without break. Then someone else entered the temple.

I was still kneeling before the Buddha when a young Khmer male who I think was one of the people from the Wat Preah Prom Rath compound walked in. I stood up and he asked me if I saw the Reclining Buddha. I had no idea what he was talking about and then he took me to show me something behind the big Buddha statue.

Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple and Pagoda, Siem Reap, Cambodia

After I have passed the funeral procession that was walking down Pokambor Avenue in Siem Reap, I headed straight north up the avenue, along the Siem Reap River until I got to a bridge which continues as Street 23 on the east side. The bridge was unlike others I have seen in Siem Reap – it looked well maintained, brightly painted with undamaged decorations containing Buddhist symbols. West side of the bridge had a large gate which nicely supplemented the splendour of the gate at the opposite side of the road – the gate to Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple and Pagoda, the largest and most astounding pagoda located directly in Siem Reap town, Cambodia.

Colorful Settings of Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple and Pagoda in Siem Reap
Colorful Settings of Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple and Pagoda in Siem Reap

Even though Wat Preah Prom Rath is nothing special when it comes to pagodas, I was attracted to it and found it jaw dropping as it was the first real deal pagoda of this sort I have ever seen. The gate was open and there were people inside, yet I was reluctant to enter. Temples are obviously houses of worship for Buddhists of Cambodia and as many times before – I had no idea what proper etiquette in temples is. The last thing I wanted to do upon my first day in Cambodia is to offend the locals, who are said to be strongly spiritual, closely following the teachings of Buddha.

I stood by the gate, yet nobody seemed to mind my presence, so I allowed the temptation to prevail and stepped right inside the gated and fenced compound of Wat Preah Prom Rath. I was ready to bow down and apologize while pacing my sorry self out of there should I hear someone yelling at me for staining their holy temple with my unworthy presence. But it never happened.

Newly Restored University Building Within the Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple Grounds
Newly Restored University Building Within the Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple Grounds

Wat Preah Prom Rath is beautiful. Located within quite large area, there were several colourful, oriental looking buildings surrounded by lush, well maintained gardens with palm trees and decorative statues. Several benches placed alongside walkways offer resting spots for weary bodies, while temple itself offers soothing for bothered souls.

As foreigner and obviously Caucasian, I stood out like a sore thumb again, but not only have my presence not bother anyone, many locals, including countless monks offered their greetings and smile to me. It made me feel very welcome and shook off my initial uneasiness as I was uncertain whether entering temples was allowed for the likes of me or not.

I spent a lot of time in the Wat Preah Prom Rath compound and for a moment it became my second home. I grew appreciative of the Buddhists and aside from becoming more spiritual, Wat Preah Prom Rath was also a sanctuary for me as a tourist where I would not be bombarded by money hungry Tuk Tuk drivers and the likes. Wat Preah Prom Rath was a whole different world within Siem Reap, which is otherwise extremely hostile towards tourists giving out strong impression that everyone is after your money, whatever it takes. You are constantly jumped and harassed by just about everyone – straight in your face and never taking “NO” for answer. But these people seem to not exist in Wat Preah Prom Rath – or perhaps they simply respect the pagoda as a holy ground where abuse would surely bring upon bad karma.

Silhouettes of Wat Preah Prom Rath Against Cloudy Skies
Silhouettes of Wat Preah Prom Rath Against Cloudy Skies

History of Wat Preah Prom Rath

While Wat Preah Prom Rath is vastly unspectacular as far as the looks and age are concerned, it is spectacular as far as location goes. Located right in the center of Siem Reap and right by the river, Wat Preah Prom Rath gets far more attention than any other temple or pagoda in Siem Reap.

Wat Preah Prom Rath was founded in 1915 making it one of the younger pagodas in Cambodia. The construction of main vihear was finished in 1945 and today proudly hosts larger than life statue of reclining Buddha. Within the grounds of Wat Preah Prom Rath there are also two cannons which are said to have belonged to famous Cambodian warlord Dap Chhoun.

One of the Cannons that Belonged to Cambodian Warlord Dap Chhoun
One of the Cannons that Belonged to Cambodian Warlord Dap Chhoun

Siem Reap, Cambodia

In native Khmer language, the meaning of Siem Reap is “Siam Defeated”. This is hardly the case anymore, as Kingdom of Siam, or Kingdom of Thailand as it is known today ultimately defeated the Kingdom of Cambodia and put both Siem Reap as well as entire Angkor area under their control. The name of Siem Reap remained, much to the dismay of Thailand as it’s become the most popular destination town in Cambodia, serving as gateway to Angkor temples so now everybody thinks the Khmer owned the Siam.

Location of Siem Reap on a map. The map is navigable and interactive:

Siem Reap and Angkor were under Siamese control from 1794 to 1907, until French troops came, conquered Cambodia and put it under their control. It didn’t take long before French explorers discovered the ruins of Angkor Wat temples and through them the buzz about the largest religious complex in the world had spread into Europe. Europeans soon started to flood Cambodia to see what the buzz was all about and Siem Reap quickly started to turn from a complex of villages centred around wats to a popular tourist hub.

Fast expansion of Siem Reap continued and come 1929, the town saw its first hotel – The Grand Hotel d’Angkor. Up until the late 1960’s, Angkor Wat remained one of Asia’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting the likes of Jackie Kennedy and Charlie Chaplin.

All has been put to an abrupt stop in 1975 when communist Khmer Rouge seized power over Cambodia and drove much of Siem Reap’s population into the countryside. This mass evacuation and prosecution of all who practised religious faith stopped the growing influx of tourists who saw Cambodia as dangerous destination for all travelers. On their crusade to eradicate religion, Khmer Rouge destroyed many of Siem Reap’s temples (though protected by its divinity, Ya-Tep Shrine was beyond the scope of their might).

Photo: Ya Tep Shrine in the Heart of Siem Reap Town
Photo: Ya Tep Shrine in the Heart of Siem Reap Town

When bloody reign of Khmer Rouge was put to an end, Cambodians started the process of rebuilding Siem Reap to its former glory. New temples were built in town, old traditions were dusted off and holy days of Buddhism were celebrated once more. The hit Cambodia suffered in the hands of Khmer Rouge took a while to recover from, though. International community did not regain its lost trust in Cambodia until mid 1990’s when first foreign tourists dared to re-enter the country.

Pol Pot, the mastermind behind Khmer Rouge died in 1998 and his death brought upon the new era of Cambodia. Siem Reap has been vastly rebuilt, Angkor temples made more accessible and tourism industry in Cambodia kept growing exponentially. When UNESCO designated Angkor Wat a World Heritage Site, putting it on the map right up there with the Pyramids in Giza, Machu Pichu in Peru or the Taj Mahal in India, Cambodia, and especially Siem Reap quickly spiked as one of the most coveted travel destinations. Nowadays, tourism is the life force behind Siem Reap’s growth that’s been inadequately faster than in the rest of Cambodia.

Cambodia receives more tourists than any of its mightier neighbours and it’s all only thanks to Angkor Wat. Millions of tourists who come to Cambodia only visit the country because of Angkor Archaeological Park. And since Siem Reap is the closest town with all facilities, virtually all of the visitors to Cambodia make it there.

If you are planning to visit Angkor temples, Siem Reap is where you will be staying, dining and getting entertainment. Full scale of accommodation options ranging from budget guesthouses to 5 star hotels are available in Siem Reap. Same goes for restaurants, bars and shops. However, Siem Reap’s rapid boom in an impoverished country comes with its ups and downs. As you read my blog, you will be introduced to all – the good, the bad and the ugly part of Siem Reap. I do not do urban legends. When something about Siem Reap or Cambodia is good, I will tell you it’s good, but when something about Siem Reap or Cambodia is bad, I will again tell you that it’s bad. My reports and reviews are painfully honest because I value you as a reader and would rather you to know the whole truth, even if political correctness dictates to leave some of the less flattering parts out. Welcome to the real Siem Reap!