After a leisurely breakfast we set off for Wat Si Muang. It is a beautiful, everyday busy, working temple. I asked Was, our tour guide, how the communist government viewed Buddhism. He said that the state integrates Buddhist traditions to promote cultural and social stability. For example, Monks actively contribute to social development, teaching literacy, dispensing traditional medicine, and maintaining community temples. At the same time reconciling the spiritual and karmic foundations of Buddhism with the materialist framework of Marxism is an ongoing challenge for the government.
Next we drove out of town to Buddha Park, a famous open-air sculpture park located alongside the Mekong River. It is renowned for its surreal collection of over 200 weathered concrete sculptures that blend Buddhist and Hindu traditions.
The Park was created in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, a charismatic priest-shaman who sought to integrate Hindu and Buddhist mythology into a unified philosophy. Interestingly, Sulilat was not a trained sculptor; the works were cast in concrete by his followers using raw volunteer labor. Following the 1975 revolution, Sulilat fled across the Mekong River to Thailand.
The next stop was Cope, a charity started to assist those maimed by bombs left behind by the American (Vietnamese) War. Very moving – Laos is the most bombed country in the world per head of population, mostly cluster bombs (shown in the 2nd photo)
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