Goodbye Backpacker in Cambodia 6

And, the most impressive thing was, after all, this, Ta Prohm.
Angkor Wat is a Hindu temple built in the first half of the 12th century, but it was left abandoned in the jungle for hundreds of years until it was rediscovered by French scholars in the 19th century.
And, both then and now, tropical plants continue to grow regardless of human intentions.

It is often described as being like 'Castle in the Sky Laputa,' but the roots of the large trees covering the ruins tear through stone walls, spread across roofs in shapes that look as if they landed with a thud from the heavens, and stretch into the air while effortlessly cradling giant stones weighing several tons.
This state where artificial objects and nature are intertwined must surely be the 'correct answer'.
If the banyan trees had been removed during restoration work, just like pulling weeds in a garden, it would certainly have become a dull ruin.

Born as a Hindu temple, it also incorporated Buddhist elements amidst the changing times.
'While resisting collapse, accepting collapse, and aiming for rebirth.'
It feels very Buddhist, somehow.

During the civil war, it was used as a military base by the Khmer Rouge, and today it continues to draw in people and money from all over the world as a spiritual tourist destination.
Transcending good and evil, it continues to attract every kind of human karma.
It is one of a kind.
I feel like I understood a little bit of the passion that drove Taizo Ichinose to head here, even at the cost of his life.

To be continued in Goodbye Backpacker in Cambodia 7.