Apsara dancers, Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Two girls dressed in traditional Khmer dance costumes pose for tourists, in the inner sanctum of Angkor Wat. Visible in the background the steep stairs leading up are an intentional everyday reminder for temple attendants and visitors alike, of the effort required to achieve enlightenment and reach nirvana. It is not even easy to climb these today assisted by a wooden structure and railings, but imagine climbing the narrow stone steps in the heat or after a monsoon rain.