Buddhist Ritual

The Enlightenment of  The Buddha

Within Angkor Wat, there exists an abundance of Buddhist bas-reliefs depicting the Buddha’s process of attaining enlightenment. More specifically, the sculpture and art which depicts the Buddha sitting beneath a Bodhi tree represents the culmination of Siddhartha Guatama’s spiritual journey towards enlightenment. There are a multitude of ritual forms whereby Buddhist practitioners honor the statues of the Buddha at Angkor Wat. One of the most pivotal pieces of Buddhism is meditation and reflection, and practitioners may spend time in front of this bas-relief in order to acknowledge the significance of the Buddha’s enlightenment. Moreover, pilgrims will often offer flowers and incense to this Buddha statue as a gesture of respect and devotion. The Buddhist scriptures are often recited or chanted in front of these Buddhist structures as well, invoking various blessings from spiritual practice. Sculptures and artistic depictions of the Buddha encourage practitioners to contemplate their spiritual journey and inspire them to emulate Buddha's path to enlightenment, perhaps through visits to sacred sites like this exact Buddha statue beneath the Bodhi tree at Angkor Wat.