A trip to visit Cambodia this time is the project of ASEAN Studies Center of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University arranged for students to learn about Cambodian’s education and joined mini conferences to exchange knowledge between Thai-Cambodian Buddhist University. And this is a good project which the participants can get more knowledge even though, art and cultural, economic, social and daily life of Cambodians.
On this trip we also learned more innovations about those places form guide, venerable and our teacher who gave us a lot of useful information. And they let us to know about Cambodia which has own old civilization and wonder art and cultural attractions. Some ancient places of Cambodia UNISCO Organization had registered as the wonderful things of the world because they have their own beautiful view and beautiful scene. But all of these places I really interested in Angkor Thom temple because it has high towering more than others and it’s so beautiful. Especially, we can also called Angkor Thom as Bayon Temple or Lonely Planet too. Bayon Temple is on of Angkor arts which had built during 1724-1762 B.E. by king Jayavarman VII.
The word “ART” means “something which people created or constructed to show the feeling, wisdom, thought and beauty or art working by human being. But “ART” in English is the broadest sense but most of them are talk about the creation, construction and beauty or creating emotions. The creation in some areas was not the same types. They often built as their own cultures. For example; Thai art, Loa art and Angkor art will show about their own culture. But in here I will talk about Angkor art only which shown on Bayon Temple and it is the main point of Angkor Thom during Khmer empire that reigning by King Jayavarmam VII (1724-1762 B.E.). This temple was built in his empire for worship place and respected to Mount Meru.
And the model of the temple was designed as Buddhism art combined with Hindu art. Bayon temple has almost 54 towers and each tower was sculpted as the face of Avalokitesvara and facing to all four directions to take care his people. This smiling was called “Bayon Smiling or Stone Smiling” which including mindfulness and kindness. The smiling is the center of Buddhist and expressed the strong faith of his Manchester King. And all kinds of arts in this temple show on the faithfulness of people and the King to Buddhism in that empire.
So Bayon Temple is a symbol to show the growth of Khmer empire and they are the ancestors of Khmer people in the present time. Regarded as a proudly which I had a chance to visit there and also say thanks to ASEAN Studies Center of Mahachulalongkornrajavidaylaya University arranged this project. This project is the first project of ASEAN Studies Center to abroad. I hope that in the future ASEAN Center will have a good project like this again.
Writer : Venerable Sompone Sucitto ,4th Year Student Buddhism Major ,Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Khonkaen Campus.
