IV. Silent wisdom of temples
Part 4 of an international solo on ”Lanna“ by Lim Siang Jin. This online exhibition on contemporary photography, comprising 20 parts, is from May 6 to June 5, 2025
TEMPLES are an integral part of daily life in Lanna—in cities, villages, and even remote hillsides. They quietly share wisdom in a busy world. But can they compete with society’s obsession with materialism? We’re told to go after bigger houses, faster cars, and thicker wallets, but does money feed the soul? Research shows it buys happiness only up to a point. What really matters are the things that make life more meaningful—art, faith, and traditions. We risk shunting aside these life essentials in our pursuit of wealth. Yet temples endure. They remain patient as old teachers, asking us to slow down and listen. What will we choose? The fleeting sparkle of gold, or the quiet light of what lasts?
Transcending desire
ALL VISITORS to Wat Rong Khun are forced to see hundreds of sculpted hands reaching desperately upwards, beside a bridge that leads to the temple. They are a powerful Buddhist symbol for souls ensnared by insatiable earthly desire. In many ways, the White Temple’s pristine exterior masks a darker interior. Inside, chaotic murals of demons and dystopian scenes critique humanity’s greed. Much like Camus’s conviction to the need to create meaning within the universe of the absurd, the temple challenges each visitor to embrace mindfulness over materialism. Some rush through the temple, but others pause to reflect, struck by its brutal honesty about who we are.
Resilience in the daily rhythm
LIFE FLOWS through hardship, sporadic triumphs, and quiet moments. Daily resilience and living a life of grit are the invisible forces that carry us forward—through steady steps and not grand gestures. Research links these qualities to well-being. Contentment often comes from enduring challenges, not avoiding them. Ancient symbols speak to this truth. Nagas and skulls serve as warnings against excess, yet many see only art and not the underlying meaning. Still, not everyone seeks symbolism and its quiet truths. For some, the steady rhythm of daily life is enough.
Like Sisyphus, we find purpose in continuing. This photograph, bathed in purples, oranges and more, captures the extraordinary in an ordinary Chiang Mai market exchange. Resilience and grit manifest in morning rituals, daily negotiations, and shared smiles. It is life itself—pushed along unstoppingly in the routines that form our days.
Modernity’s path, ancient echoes
MODERNISATION reshapes global landscapes, prioritising material gain over heritage. While economic growth fuels progress, it marginalises non-monetised traditions. Despite UNESCO’s 2015 World Heritage Policy emphasising sustainability through cultural preservation, economic frameworks struggle to quantify heritage’s worth.
From Himalayan villages to megacities, heritage is frequently packaged for tourism or abandoned. However, ancient symbols—nagas and sacred forests—persist as reminders that true prosperity harmonises with inherited knowledge, not merely financial metrics.
For more information, click on links: Stephen Menon, O Art Space Gallery, Lim Siang Jin and his art, here and here. For a detailed acknowledgment, click here