Both Hinduism and Buddhism were gradually absorbed from beyond the borders of Cambodia, fusing with the animist beliefs already present among the Khmers before Indianisation. Local beliefs didn't simply fade away, but were incorporated into the new religions to form something uniquely Cambodian. The concept of Neak Ta has its foundations in animist beliefs regarding sacred soil and the sacred spirit around us. Neak Ta can be viewed as a Mother Earth concept, an energy force unit­ing a community with its earth and water. It can be represented in many forms from stone or wood to termite hills - anything that symbolises both a link between the people and the fertility of their land.The purest form of animism is practised among the Khmer Leu (see p47). Some have converted to Buddhism, but the majority continue to worship spirits of the earth and skies and the spirits of their forefathers.