Buddha – Page 2 – Traveling Mark

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.

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
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

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

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

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

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.

Morning Rituals of Buddhist Monks

While I was munching on my Fish Curry with Steamed Rice at the Khmer Family Restaurant, something extraordinary happened, something that I had no idea how to properly respond to. Since I was sitting on an outside patio, I was within reach of people on the street which was abused by little kids and landmine victims who continuously and repeatedly kept bothering me with requests to buy something from them. Since none of them takes “No” for an answer and each is determined to literally molest you into buying something from them just so they can leave you the hell alone at last – I grew excessively wary of not being left alone for half a minute. Then a couple of young Buddhist Monks came, stopped before the restaurant and stood there motionless with a firm stare pointing inside the wide open restaurant. Having just been to a country for a few hours and unaware of morning rituals of Buddhist Monks, I had no idea what they were expecting and how to respond to it without stepping over the line and offending (or worse).

I did the best I could in this situation – I pretended I was too busy reading stuff from the menu, hoping it will look like I have not noticed they are standing there, staring in a general direction where I was seated and that it will get resolved without my involvement, which would be inappropriate in any case.

The monks were young boys. While age of Khmer people is oftentimes hard to guess as they are of smaller built than us Westerners and virtually all of them are slender (kind of looking like kids most of the time), these monks looked like boys of about 16 years of age. They were definitely teenagers. They were both dressed in bright orange robes, which appeared to be made of one solid piece of fabric which was skillfully wrapped around their bodies offering an impression of a safely enclosed and well protected body temple within. Both monks had their heads shaved and one of them seemed to have been carrying something that resembled a large bowl underneath his robe.

I saw them as they were walking up the street when they were just outside the restaurant and since this was the first time for me to see a real Buddhist Monk, it was kind of exciting. Yet still, being anaware of proper etiquette when dealing with monks (who are undoubtedly considered a form of “holy men” walking the Earth), I feared that my actions, regardless of good intentions, would be inappropriate, offensive or worse. What do you do when two Buddhist Monks stop right by the table at which you are seated and silently look inside in a general direction of your presence? I have rejected all beggars and hustlers who approached me so far – should I now break my stance on not being able to financially support everyone who asks me for the money and offer some to the monks? Or am I supposed to share some of my food or drink? Or just play a complete dumb tourist, pick up my camera, shove it in their faces and start taking pictures while mumbling to myself: “Cool, a real Buddhist Monk!” I really had no idea what these monks were there for, so coming at them with the money could potentially offend? But does ignoring and not giving do any better? I was stuck, unable to act. I did not know what to do in this situation. It seemed like a standard morning ritual of the Buddhist Monks as while I was sitting there embarrassed, not knowing what to do, I have noticed another pair of Buddhist Monks stopping in the same way at the restaurant across the street.

The rescue for my stickiness came quickly, though. The boy who worked the shift in the restaurant along with that cute girl who served me my breakfast came to the monks after about a minute of them standing there and passed them small plastic container the content of which they had emptied into the bowl one of the was carrying underneath his robe, the boy then gave them a bank note (not sure how much), joined his hands together as if for a prayer and bowed his head. The monks did the same and uttered a prayer in native Cambodian language. It was just something short, perhaps a brief sentence thanking the boy and the establishments for their generous donation and blessing them in the name of Buddha.

After that the monks moved on to the next restaurant to do the same there. It truly seemed like a morning ritual that Buddhist Monks in Cambodia perform as part of the beginning of every day. As I have learned later, monks rely on support from all people who offer money and food as monks don’t work and have no income similar to regular working class of Cambodia. Cambodia people are impowerished, they don’t make much. Average monthly salary is about $60 to $80. However they always take out of that little bit and give to the monks. Very devoted believers who despite not having much themselves, always find some money to give to the representatives of Buddha on Earth.