Who does not know
Borobudur? This Buddhist
temple has 1460 relief panels
and 504 Buddha effigies in its
complex.
Millions of people
are eager to visit this building
as one of the World Wonder
Heritages. It is not surprising
since architecturally and
functionally, as the place for
Buddhists to say their prayer,
Borobudur is attractive.
Borobudur was built by King
Samaratungga, one of the
kings of Old Mataram
Kingdom, the descendant of
Sailendra dynasty. Based on
Kayumwungan inscription, an
Indonesian named Hudaya
Kandahjaya revealed that
Borobudur was a place for
praying that was completed to
be built on 26 May 824, almost
one hundred years from the
time the construction was
begun.
The name of
Borobudur, as some people
say, means a mountain having
terraces (budhara), while
other says that Borobudur
means monastery on the high
place.
Borobudur is constructed as a
ten-terraces building. The
height before being renovated
was 42 meters and 34.5
meters after the renovation
because the lowest level was
used as supporting base.
The
first six terraces are in square
form, two upper terraces are
in circular form, and on top of
them is the terrace where
Buddha statue is located
facing westward. Each terrace
symbolizes the stage of human
life. In line with of Buddha
Mahayana, anyone who
intends to reach the level of
Buddha's must go through
each of those life stages.
The base of Borobudur, called
Kamadhatu, symbolizes
human being that are still
bound by lust. The upper four
stories are called Rupadhatu
symbolizing human beings that
have set themselves free from
lust but are still bound to
appearance and shape. On
this terrace, Buddha effigies
are placed in open space;
while the other upper three
terraces where Buddha
effigies are confined in domes
with wholes are called
Arupadhatu, symbolizing
human beings that have been
free from lust, appearance
and shape.
The top part that is
called Arupa symbolizes
nirvana, where Buddha is
residing.
Each terrace has beautiful
relief panels showing how
skillful the sculptors were. In
order to understand the
sequence of the stories on the
relief panels, you have to
walk clockwise from the
entrance of the temple. The
relief panels tell the
legendary story of Ramayana.
Besides, there are relief
panels describing the
condition of the society by
that time; for example, relief
of farmers' activity reflecting
the advance of agriculture
system and relief of sailing
boat representing the advance
of navigation in Bergotta
(Semarang).
All relief panels in Borobudur
temple reflect Buddha's
teachings. For the reason, this
temple functions as educating
medium for those who want to
learn Buddhism.
Jowo
suggests that you walk
through each narrow passage
in Borobudur in order for you
to know the philosophy of
Buddhism. Atisha, a Buddhist
from India in the tenth century
once visited this temple that
was built 3 centuries before
Angkor Wat in Cambodia and
4 centuries before the Grand
Cathedrals in Europe.
Thanks to visiting Borobudur
and having supply of Buddha
teaching script from Serlingpa
(King of Sriwijaya), Atisha was
able to improve Buddha's
teachings after his return to
India and he built a religion
institution, Vikramasila
Buddhism. Later he became
the leader of Vikramasila
monastery and taught
Tibetans of practicing
Dharma. Six scripts from
Serlingpa were then
summarized as the core of the
teaching called "The Lamp for
the Path to Enlightenment" or
well known as
Bodhipathapradipa.
A question about Borobudur
that is still unanswered by far
is how the condition around
the temple was at the
beginning of its foundation
and why at the time of it's
finding the temple was buried.
Some hypotheses claim that
Borobudur in its initial
foundation was surrounded by
swamps and it was buried
because of Merapi explosion.
It was based on Kalkutta
inscription with the writing
'Amawa' that means sea of
milk. The Sanskrit word was
used to describe the
occurrence of disaster. The
sea of milk was then
translated into Merapi lava.
Some others say that
Borobudur was buried by cold
lava of Merapi Mountain.
With the existing greatness
and mystery, it makes sense if
many people put Borobudur in
their agenda as a place worth
visiting in their lives. Besides
enjoying the temple, you may
take a walk around the
surrounding villages such as
Karanganyar and Wanurejo.
You can also get to the top of
Kendil stone where you can
enjoy Borobudur and the
surrounding scenery. Please
visit Borobudur temple right
away.
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