What does this look like to you?

Let me look inside your mind. You thought it was a concentration camp. Yes, you did. And it's ok to have thought that because well, it kind of does look like the gates to a concentration camp. But it isn't, I'm not in Germany. Hel-lo. Nor would there be kids bicycling by outside or families on motorscooters. Duh.

This was in fact the gates to a temple somewhere in the Mekong Delta. It is not uncommon to see the swastika here, such a controversial symbol in Western society. Archaeological evidence suggests the swastika dates from the Neolithic period. I think that was a long time ago. Long before Adolf emerged from the womb.

The swastika has long been widely used in major world religions such as Hinduism, Roman Catholicism, Buddhism and Jainism. That is what Wikipedia tells me. I did not know that. But I did know that the swastika has been around and has only recently been regarded as a symbol of evil.

Are you familiar with Jainism? I was not. I am now a little more informed. For starters, it is one of the oldest religions in the world. Possibly gave rise to Buddhism. Compassion for all life, human and non-human, is central to the religion and non-violence is particularly emphasized. As you might guess, all Jains are vegetarians.

Sounds kind of cool as far as religions go. If I were a religious man, I might delve into this a little deeper. But I am not. And well, I also just read that Jains practice asceticism - they abstain from drinking alcohol. And from having sex. You have to draw the line somewhere and I'm drawing it right there. More power to them!