There is this amazing place near Siem Reap. It covers over 400 square Km(248 sq miles). After housing empires, it was first a Hindu, then a Buddhist temple. Currently, it is both a historical site and a Wat, which is a Buddhist monastery/temple.
Angkor Wat.
For centuries, this amazing set of structures, temples, palaces, hydraulic systems, and canals was the headquarters of several different empires. Besides being massive, the place is filled with intricate carvings, statues, relief work, and architecture.
And everywhere there are the reminders that humans need God. On almost every surface there are images of different 'divine' beings. In many of the buildings there are shrines and idols. It is the largest religious monument in the world. It was erected in honor of deities, not in honor of the king or emperor.
Giant lion-like creatures guard the entrances to many of the buildings. Much like the ancient temple of Solomon would've been, every single surface of wall, ceiling, pillar, and porch was intricately decorated with stone carvings and embellishments.
This was all constructed in a time where heavy machinery was synonymous with an elephant. Yet there is still some mystery to how it was all constructed and has stayed together so well. Stone joints are carefully carved, and gravity is amazingly utilized to hold everything together. It is thought that bamboo scaffolds and pulley systems were behind much of the construction.
It is impossible to even comprehend the time and man-hours that went into this whole place. Some of the inscriptions indicate that 300,000 laborers and 6000 elephants were used in the construction of one temple alone. Massive stones, at least 5 million tons of them, were transported from a quarry about 25 miles away. They were bonded together with a vegetable compound, not mortar, making the joints almost invisible.
A common theme is the seven-headed snake god, Naga. This god represents immortality, energy, timelessness, and earth. This picture has men supporting the body of the snake god, which formed a rail along a bridge. This god is thought of as a sort of intermediary between man and the gods.
The temple below is an evidence of just how far man will go to try to reach God. There are several such temples throughout the grounds. It just speaks to the desperation we have to know our creator. To give worship to One that is Higher than ourselves.
As these structures are ancient, many are crumbling. Trees grow up through some of the temples, buildings, an walkways. The jungle-feel adds an additional element of incredible awe to the whole place. One of the palace areas has an elephant gate, and an entire walkway supported by identical columns, which goes on for hundreds of yards.
In the end, I stand awed by what men can do. At the same time, the ruin of it all... all the years, manpower, planning, work, and lives that went into this incredible place.... and now it is just ruins of what used to be. It is a reminder of human mortality and limitations. The visit reminded me once again of the vapor of our lives. While it is awe-inspiring to see what amazing things men can build and do, it is equally as awe-some to realize what humans cannot do. Despite our best efforts, we are mortal, and our physical labor ends in ruin.
While I may be over-spiritualizing the whole thing, I just felt once again how important it is to invest in eternity. How incredible it is to have a God who allows us access to Himself. It is all just a reminder to let our biggest efforts go toward things of eternal value.
"Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that really don't matter." - Francis Chan
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