Day 4: Ancient Storytelling

Under the dark veil of dawn, Class 53 awoke to witness a glorious and otherworldly moment. Considered the largest religious structure in the world, the Angkor Wat Hindu-Buddhist temple complex patiently awaited our arrival, as it has for hundreds of years. Witnessing the sunrise ascend over the grand, weathered stones that form this breathtaking temple, humbled the mind, body, and spirit. It served as a reminder that the past anchors itself to one’s current state—a cornerstone, if you will—exemplifying once-core values that assist in our life’s journey.

Angkor Wat is one of over 4,000 temples in Cambodia, nestled within a lush forest. Its jagged, pinecone-shaped towers reach up towards the cloud-covered sky. In Siem Reap, out of respect for their cultural heritage and the temple’s historical significance in Hinduism, no structures are built taller than Angkor Wat. The temple’s stone walls, pillars, and roofs are adorned with intricate carvings, now aged with lichen and stained in shades of brown and black by the rains, contrasting with their original gray hue. Inside the temple, four pools represent the cardinal directions—east, west, north, and south. These pools collect sacred rainwater, believed to wash away bad luck for those who bathe in them.

The scale and grandeur of the Angkor Wat temple and over 1000 temples and structures within the complex is impossible to ignore. Class 53 next stopped at Angkor Thom, the royal city established in the late twelfth century by King Jayavarman VII. This 900 square km city (3km on each side) is protected via an encircled moat, the banks of which were said to be patrolled by fighting elephants and skilled guards in its hayday. The only way to enter, via the Victory Bridge, is flanked by the carved stone busts of 54 gods on the left, and 54 demons on the right, looming ominous and metaphysical over the water.

At the pinnacle of Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple watches over intricate stories, carved into the stone, that depict scenes from everyday life, a snapshot into the past. The test of time wears on each sandstone carving throughout each temple, and caretakers of the UNESCO world heritage site must decide how to preserve the past, and share the message we intend for future pilgrims to this site.

While the stories of the Banyon temple captured our imaginations, the Ta Prohm temple captured our awe for mother nature. This ancient city has been engulfed by the jungle, as trees strangle the walls with their powerful roots. Fallen stones remind us that even the most intentional, precise work is subject to the whims of time and space- even our most masterful attempts to engineer marvels cannot extend beyond the grip of the temporal.

In a way, the scale and grandeur of the Angkor temple complex serves as a sort of temporary time machine. While exploring the temple complex one can’t help but be transported, at least in that moment, to a very different time and place. The immediacy of the experience can be almost overwhelming, and as Class 53 boarded our busses to head back to the hotel that afternoon, the cabins were buzzing with interesting discussions of culture, expression, and societal legacy.

Of course, grand physical monuments are not the only way cultural heritage is preserved, and after a brief processing time at the hotel, the class was back on the bus for dinner and a very special treat. “Robam” is a traditional Cambodian dance depicting complex interactions and story telling between a mix of half human-half bird characters; a tradition that can be dated back to at least the 7th century! This ancient art of visual story-telling became the backdrop to the evening meal for the fellows of Class 53. The intricate movements and spectacular costumes of the dance had the entire audience entranced and, it seemed, offered the perfect summation of Cambodian culture; timeless, graceful, gracious, and almost overwhelmingly beautiful.

Our experience with Robam also opened a window for us to examine many of our own cultural legacies, even at a micro level. What are the stories we are telling? What of our cultural mythology is being lost, or reinforced, and how are we communicating it? Much is made in California agriculture of, “telling our story,” but what is the story we are telling, and to whom are we telling it?

These are the questions Class 53 were asking itself as we wrapped up the day in truly special fashion, and looked forward to what might be next on the horizon!

Gratefully,

Tomas, Jeana, Kyle and the members of Class 53