In a May 12, 2017 New York Times article by Mike Ives ( “Quake Propels Competing Visions for Restoring Myanmar’s Temples”) about what should be done to restore the Buddhist temples in Bagan, Myanmar—many of which have a checkered conservation past, he notes that the archaeology department has made the decision not to rebuild damaged spires. U Thay Zaniya, a monk is quoted as saying, “In our Buddhist tradition, not having a top on a temple is like having a person without a head. It’s a disgraceful sight.” If the Buddhist position has equal validity to the archaeology department’s position, is there any way that these two seemingly opposing philosophies can be reconciled?