120 collapse of the temple. Repetitious rhythms sustained by pure and deep devotion, and accumulated infinitely in compliance with the natural cycle will serve to uphold the temple, which is a product of human prayer. What we refer to as archaeological conservation activity should be natural, and deeply rooted within the hearts of people. This is something I hope for. When I witnessed the wordless devotion of that old man, it was obvious that he was not doing the work for any banal purpose. As I stood there before him, I had the feeling of being silently overwhelmed. Since the return of peace in 1993, traditional rural landscapes have gradually begun to reappear in Cambodia. Village temples have large main halls, where day-to-day festivals are still held in conformity with the lunar calendar. Besides lodgings for monks, there are within the precincts stilt house dwellings for monks engaged in asceticism. The precincts are surrounded by thickets of tall trees, and there are lotus ponds. A total stillness pervades the place, and the only sounds heard are the striking of woodblocks, informing people of the time for sutra chanting. For the villagers it is a place of silent meditation, a gateway to enlightenment. The elderly village folk enter the main hall where they spend the entire day, assisting in the cleansing of the place. Both physically and mentally they pass their time in a mood of never-ending peace, adorning the place with flowers, raising votive candles, and chatting while the flowers bloom. On observing a sight like that, perhaps I am not the only one who is moved to ponder as to what exactly is human happiness. There is a Cambodian proverb that states, “a drop at a time fills a cylinder.” Does that not indicate the path to Nirvana? Amidst a hot and humid climate, deep and dense jungles, and wet and dry seasons, their link with nature was itself life for the villagers, and from the feelings of esteem they bore towards nature, they believed they could lead safe and peaceful everyday lives, by cherishing the guardian spirits (Neak Ta). It is believed that a variety of spirits inhabit the jungles, and they are involved in good and bad fortune.
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