22/03/10
Yesterday I saw Buddha's footprint. Four of us had hired a tuktuk to take us to Wat Phu, ruins of Khmer Hindu antiquity from the 7th to the 14th century, The ruins were at the base of Phu Pasak known colloquially as Phu Khuai or Mt. Penis. Many linga about. The story goes, according to a notice board at the museum, that Brahma and Vishnu were arguing about who was the greatest and along comes Shiva with his shining and infinite lingum. Vishnu turns himself into a bird and tries to fly above it, Brahma turns himself into a burrowing animal and tries to get below it. Neither is successful so they both have to admit that Shiva is the most powerful.
The ruins themselves were pretty minimal. Six levels. Lots of crumbling stairs. A doorkeeper holding a mace, transformed into a Buddha with orange robes, all the ritual incense in front of him. Behind the sanctuary up on the hill was the footprint. Above an elephant, I was told. I looked and looked. On the ground. On the rock face. No footprint. Then I noticed the elephant in front of me, carved in relief on the rock wall. Above it a carved rectangular shape. Aha! The footprint. Very big. Box shaped. Yes, even 5 r
ectangular toes.
Yesterday I saw Buddha's footprint. Four of us had hired a tuktuk to take us to Wat Phu, ruins of Khmer Hindu antiquity from the 7th to the 14th century, The ruins were at the base of Phu Pasak known colloquially as Phu Khuai or Mt. Penis. Many linga about. The story goes, according to a notice board at the museum, that Brahma and Vishnu were arguing about who was the greatest and along comes Shiva with his shining and infinite lingum. Vishnu turns himself into a bird and tries to fly above it, Brahma turns himself into a burrowing animal and tries to get below it. Neither is successful so they both have to admit that Shiva is the most powerful.
The ruins themselves were pretty minimal. Six levels. Lots of crumbling stairs. A doorkeeper holding a mace, transformed into a Buddha with orange robes, all the ritual incense in front of him. Behind the sanctuary up on the hill was the footprint. Above an elephant, I was told. I looked and looked. On the ground. On the rock face. No footprint. Then I noticed the elephant in front of me, carved in relief on the rock wall. Above it a carved rectangular shape. Aha! The footprint. Very big. Box shaped. Yes, even 5 r
ectangular toes.
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