After climbing down from the top of the Baksei Chamkrong Temple, we walked towards the riverside.
Beside the bank of the river, we came across another “linga” shrine. Theoun explained once again, that the base disk represents the female organ, (the vulva) and the erect elongated oval statue represents the male organ, (the phallus) and together they represent “fertility”. Believers would come to these shrines to pray for the woman to be fertile in order to have children and also to pray for the land to more be fertile in order to produce an abundance of crops. Although his explanation made sense, we did some research on our own, as we found it very interesting that there are so many of these shrines scattered around the park.
What we discovered was that the Khmer Empire was a Hindu kingdom for most of its history thus explaining why the park is abound with depictions of major Hindu deities.
Shiva, being the most prominent God worshipped during Angkor’s Hindu era.
Shiva is known as the “destroyer,” but this could also be interpreted as the destruction of ignorance. He is symbolized in some shape or form at nearly all Angkor temples, even at the later Buddhist ones. He is often depicted as a bearded old man or sometimes as a multi-armed being but he is also represented by other, more abstract symbols, like the “linga”!
It is written that the Hindu God Shiva, was worshiped in the form of a “Shiva linga”. The linga was therefore a phallic symbol representing masculine energy, while the yoni symbolized the feminine and together, they represented both energies of the world and beyond.
The Shiva Linga or Lingam is therefore a Hindu symbol representing Shiva, the omnipotent Lord, which is formless. It is also written that there are those who see the Shiva Linga as a symbol of fertility. The phallus and vulva (male and female organs), together representing the fundamental creation of life and of nature itself as well as a fundamental spiritual balance. So, Theouns explanation confirmed that there are those that see this shrine to Shiva as a symbol of fertility.
Moving on from the “linga” depicting a union of male and female, we witnessed an actual union of male and female. On the river, in boats, a pre wedding photo shoot was in progress. In Cambodia, it is common practice to do a pre wedding photo shoot. The bride and groom usually wear traditional Cambodian costumes and there is no prettier background for an outdoor photo shoot than the Angkor Archaeological Park.
As we were just, at the right place, at the right time, we managed to get some nice photographs of the bridal couple in their boats right in front of the South Entrance bridge to the City of Angkor Thom.
Although we have been through the south entrance a few times, this was the first time that we had a guide with us and what a difference it made. If it wasn’t for Theoun pointing out to us, we would probably have missed this interesting detail again!
Theoun told us to look at the faces of the statues on either side of the bridge. The faces of the statues on the left were more angelic looking whereas the faces of the statues on the right, were more demonic. According to Theoun, this symbolized the teaching of the “middle way” by The Buddha. In his transcendent state, Buddha believed himself to have been made aware of the fact, that true happiness or contentment can only be found in a life of moderation, in which one chooses to walk a middle path between extreme indulgence and self-deprivation.
According to the Buddha, everything in the world is transient, nothing endures. Birth and death, growth and decay are both part of the natural process. So, there is no meaning in any kind of panic flight from pain and death. The middle path is the core of Buddha’s teaching and can be adopted in all walks of life.
Theoun also went on to explain a popular myth called “the churning of the milk”.
The row of 54 devas (guardian deities) on the right and the row of 54 asuras (demon gods) on the left, each row holding a naga (serpent) in the attitude of a tug-of-war. The devas pull the head of a mythical naga, while the asuras on the other side, push the tail of the serpent. The whipping motion of the serpent’s body was said to churn the ocean.
The “Churning of the Sea of Milk” is found in Hindu’s myth of creation. The central Bayon temple or perhaps the gate itself, would then be the pivot around which the churning takes place. The nagas, may also represent the transition from the world of men to the world of the Gods. The dancing female deities, known as “apsaras”, were according to myth, the first beings to emerge from the sea of creation.
A very interesting myth which is clearly depicted in the statues and carvings at the south entrance to the ancient City of Angkor Thom.
Besides being a knowledgeable tour guide, Theoun is also a great photographer. Before entering though the south gate, he coached us into sitting in a certain position. so that our nose seemed to be touching the nose of the Buddha face, on the side of the central tower.
The south gate of Angkor Thom is the best preserved of the entrances to this ancient Angkor City. The central tower of the stone gate is capped by three face-towers that face the four directions (the central tower faces both out and in).
Below these magnificent carved faces, are two sets of elephant statues, that flank the entrance on both sides. Sitting on top of each elephant is a figure of the Hindu God Indra, carrying his usual weapon, the vadra (a lightning bolt).
The gate itself is shaped like an upside-down ‘U’ and it is still possible to see where wooden doors would have once been fitted to the gate.
This was yet another very interesting excursion that will continue into the actual City of Angkor Thom, with a visit to the amazing Bayon Temple.
So, please join us for our next blog update where we visit the temple of Bayon, a Buddhist shrine adorned with 216 smiling, serene faces that are carved onto gigantic towers with a surrounding wall of intricate carvings.
A must see…