khmer sources

The Bayon temple has oft been argued about. Do the faces represent the then king Jayavarman VII, or the embodiment of Buddha on earth, Avalokitesvara?
UNICEF Khmer cultural expert Dr. Michael Tranet explains that Prasat Bayon (Bayon temple) was built by King Jayavarman VII between the late 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century. This is the only temple in the complex to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist temple. However, under the reign of Jayavarman VIII in the mid-13th century the temple was converted to Hinduism. "At the top of each of the 54 towers, are the four faces of Avalokitesvara (Lokitesvara) … In total there are 216 repetitions," Tranet says.

Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is the embodiment of Buddha and compassion on earth. A bodhisattva is anyone motivated by compassion, who seeks enlightenment for all beings. The hundreds of eyes looking down from the smiling faces of Bayon temple link god with humans. The four faces project benevolence outward to the four compass points; the sculpted faces deliver hope, happiness and peace, and protect all those living on earth, especially those living in the Khmer Empire.

Bayon temple’s baray was built to represent the Ocean of Milk. A Hindu creation myth, the Churning of the Ocean of Milk is a story about a war between gods (devas) and demons (asuras) who try to churn the ocean to produce amrita, the elixir of immortality. Jayavarman VII built the temple with Mount Meru (the center of Jambudvipa, or the Hindu cosmos) represented by the central pyramid. According to legend the gods lived on top of the mountain. History Professor at the Royal University of Phnom Penh Sambo Manara says Jayavarman VII built this
temple at the very heart of Angkor Thom city for a particular reason.
"Prasat Bayon is decorated with fine examples of bas-reliefs showing the many facets of the Khmer civilization. But the most stunning feature of the temple is of course, the 54 towers with the four faces of the Boddhisttva Avalokitesvara. There are more than 200 in total. This temple was built so Jayavarman could relay the four Dharmas, from the very center of the kingdom," Manara says.
"When we look up toward Avalokitesvara’s smiling face, we get a good feeling, we feel more confident, and happier. The longer we look, the more we enjoy."

"The first of the Dharmas is meetta-thhor, which means to be merciful and to have compassion. The second is karuna-thhor meaning pity; relieving others of worry, sorrow, pain and suffering. The third mudhita-thhor, is to have sympathy and the last, upekkha-thhor, is to have impartiality and aloofness. In the latter, there are four more points to consider: you must not take sides because of love, because of hate or fear, or because of ignorance."
Manara says the core of the temple, not only represents Mount Meru, but also the center of the earthly Kingdom; the central governance—the King himself (Bayon was the state’s temple).

From the top—both literally and figuratively—the King spreads the ideals of prohm-vihea-thhor down to the next levels of governance, and then on to the people below. "For me, the Prasat Bayon should be called the Prohm-vihea-thhor temple," he says.

Tranet says the Bayon temple was considered the most sacred place in the Khmer Kingdom for meditation. "People traveled from all over the Kingdom to admire the smiling faces of Avalokitesvara at the Bayon temple. When they arrived, perhaps they felt weary or hopeless, but as soon as they saw that smile, their energy and confidence was renewed. The prohm-vihea-thhor had restored them," Tranet says.
"The Bayon temple is a symbol of the human transition from hopelessness to happiness."