Borobudur Temple The Biggest Temple in Indonesia

Borobudur is the name of a Buddhist temple located at Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java. The location of the temple is approximately 100 km southwest of Hyderabad and 40 km northwest of Yogyakarta. This temple was founded by the followers of Mahayana Buddhism around the year 800 AD during the reign of the dynasty dynasty. In the ethnic Chinese, this temple is also called Hanyu Pinyin: po luo tu fu in Mandarin.


Borobudur is the name of a Buddhist temple located at Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java. The location of the temple is approximately 100 km southwest of Hyderabad and 40 km northwest of Yogyakarta. This temple was founded by the followers of Mahayana Buddhism around the year 800 AD during the reign of the dynasty dynasty. In the ethnic Chinese, this temple is also called Hanyu Pinyin: po luo tu fu in Mandarin.

Many theories that attempt to explain the name of this temple. One of them states that the name is probably derived from the word Sambharabhudhara, which means "mountain"  where the slopes are located terraces. In addition there are some other folk etymology. Suppose that the word comes from the greeting Borobudur "the Buddha" who because of a shift in sound to Borobudur. Another explanation is that the name comes from two words "coal" and "beduhur". The word bara said to have originated from the word monastery, while there are also other explanations where the coal comes from Sanskrit which means temple or monastery complex and beduhur meaning is "high", or to remind the Balinese language means "above". So the point is a monastery or hostel located on high ground.

Historian J.G. de Casparis in his dissertation for a doctorate in 1950 argued that Borobudur is a place of worship. Based on the inscriptions Karangtengah and Kahulunan, Casparis estimate Borobudur founder of the dynasty was the king of Mataram dynasty named Samaratungga, who do construction around the year 824 AD The giant new building could be completed at the time of her daughter, Queen Pramudawardhani. Borobudur Development estimated take half a century. In Karangtengah inscriptions also mentioned about the bestowal of land sima  by Cri Kahulunan (Pramudawardhani) to maintain kamulan called Bhūmisambhāra. Kamulan term itself comes from the word meaning place of first origin, the ancestral shrine to glorify, probably ancestors of the dynasty Sailendra. Casparis estimates that Bhumi Sambhāra Bhudhāra in Sanskrit language meaning "Mount of the set of ten levels boddhisattwa virtue", was the original name of Borobudur.

Borobudur has the basic structure punden terraces, with a six-yard square, three round circular courtyard and a main stupa as a peak. Also scattered in all pelatarannya several stupas. Ten yard owned Borobudur illustrates clearly the Mahayana school of philosophy. Like a book, Borobudur described ten levels of Bodhisattva who must pass to reach the perfection of the Buddha. Kamadhatu symbolizes the foot of Borobudur, the world is still dominated by kama or "low desire". This section is mostly covered by a pile of stone that allegedly made to strengthen the construction of the temple. At the closed part of this additional structure there are 120 panels Kammawibhangga story. A small additional structure that is set aside so people can still see the relief in this section.

Four floors with wall berelief on it by the experts called Rupadhatu. The floor is rectangular. Rupadhatu is a world that was able to break free from lust, but is still bound by the form and shape. This level represents the nature of that is, between the bottom and the nature of nature. In part this Rupadhatu Buddha statues found in the recesses of the wall above the ballustrade or hallway. Starting the fifth to the seventh floor walls are not berelief. This level is called Arupadhatu (which means no tangible form or not). Circular floor plan. This level represents the nature of, where people are free from all desires and bond forms and shapes, but have not reached nirvana. Buddha statues are placed in the stupa is covered with holes as in captivity. From outside the statues were still vaguely visible.

The highest level that describes the lack of form is represented in the form of the stupa of the largest and highest. Stupa described plain without the holes. In the largest stupa is a Buddhist statue ever found imperfect or unfinished also called Buddha, which disalahsangkakan as sculpture Adibuddha, but through further research there never was a statue at the main stupa, which was not completed sculpture was a mistake pemahatnya in ancient times. according to the belief that one statue in the manufacturing process is not undermined. Archaeological excavations carried out in the courtyard of this temple found many statues like this.

In the past, several Buddha statues along with 30 stones with reliefs, two stone lions, some kala-shaped stone, stairs and gates are sent to the King of Thailand, Chulalongkorn who visited the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1896 as a gift from the Dutch when it.

Borobudur has no worship spaces like other temples. That there are long hallways which is a narrow road. The hallways surrounding the walled temple level by level. In the halls of this is expected to conduct Buddhist ceremonies walk around the temple to the right. Shape of the building without room and terraced structure is believed to be the development of punden form terraces, which is a form of original architecture from prehistoric Indonesia.

Borobudur structure when viewed from above form the structure of the Mandala.

Borobudur structure does not use cement at all, but the interlock system is like Lego blocks that can be attached without glue.

At every level carved reliefs on temple walls. These reliefs read according to the clockwise or called mapradaksina in Old Javanese language derived from Sanskrit meaning is daksina east. These reliefs variety of story content, among other reliefs Jataka stories.

Reading of the stories are always the starting relief, and ends on the east side of the gate at every level, starting on the left and right ends at the gate. So obviously that the east is the ladder up the real (main) and toward the top of the temple, it means that the temple facing the east while the other sides of similar right.

In sequence, the story is short on meaningful temple reliefs as follows:

Karmawibhangga
In accordance with the symbolic meaning on the foot of the temple, reliefs which adorn the walls of a hidden shelf that illustrate the law of karma. Rows of relief is not a story series (series), but in every frame illustrates a story that has a causal correlation. Relief will not only give a picture of human moral turpitude accompanied by a penalty that would obtain, but also human and reward good behavior. Overall, the portrayal of human life in the circle of birth - life - death (samsara) that never ends, and by Buddhism tersebutlah chain will be ended to to perfection

Lalitawistara
It is a portrayal of history of the Buddha in a row of reliefs (but not a complete history) that began the decline of the Buddha from heaven Tusita, and ends with the first sermon in the Deer Park near the city of Banaras. Relief is a row of stairs on the south side, after a row of reliefs exceed a total of 27 frames starting from the east side of the stairs. To-27 frames are described activity, both in heaven and on earth, in preparation to welcome the presence of the last incarnation of the Bodhisattva as the candidate of the Buddha. The reliefs depict the birth of the Buddha in this arcapada as Prince Siddhartha, son of King and Queen Maya of Suddhodana Kapilavastu Affairs. Relief is 120 frames, which ended with the first discourse, which is symbolically expressed as a Screening Wheel of Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha is called dharma which also means "law", whereas dharma is represented as a wheel.

Jataka and Awadana
Jataka is the story of the Buddha before he is born as Prince Siddhartha. Protrusion of the contents is the subject of good works, which differentiates the Bodhisattva of any other creature. Indeed, the collection service / good deeds is a stage of preparation in an attempt to level the Buddhahood. While Awadana, basically almost the same but the culprit is not Jataka the Bodhisattva, but others and the stories collected in the book which means noble deeds Diwyawadana godlike, and the book Awadana Awadanasataka or a hundred stories. In the reliefs of Borobudur temple and awadana Jataka, treated equally, meaning that they are in the same row without a distinguishable. The set of the most famous of the life of the Bodhisattva is Jatakamala or string of Jataka stories, Aryasura poet's work and who live in the 4th century AD.

Gandawyuha
Is a row of reliefs adorn the walls of the hall to-2, is the story of a wandering Sudhana tirelessly in his efforts to find the Highest Knowledge of Truth by Sudhana. Depiction in the 460 frame is based on Mahayana Buddhist scripture entitled Gandawyuha, and for the lid on the story any other book that is Bhadracari.

Apart form the Buddha in Buddhist cosmology is engraved on the walls, there are many statues at Borobudur Buddha sitting cross-legged in the lotus position and displaying a symbolic hand mudras or a certain attitude. Buddha statue in the recesses at the level of Rupadhatu, governed by the fence line on the outside ledge. The amount is less and less on the upper side. The first row of the balcony railing consists of 104 niches, recesses of the second row 104, third line 88 niche, 72 niche fourth row, and fifth rows 64 niches. The total number there are 432 statues of Buddha in Rupadhatu level. In the Arupadhatu (three circular courtyard), statues of Buddha placed in stupas berterawang (hollow). In the court of the first round there are 32 stupas, the second court of the 24 stupas, and the third the court found 16 of the stupa, all total of 72 stupas. Of the original number as many as 504 statues of Buddha, more than 300 have been damaged (mostly headless) and 43 missing (since the discovery of this monument, head of the Buddha is often stolen as collector's item, mostly by foreign museums.)

On the face of all this buddha statues look similar, but there are subtle differences between, namely the attitude of mudras or hand positions. There are five classes mudra: North, East, South, West, and Central, all based on five main compass directions according to the teachings of Mahayana. Fourth fence ledge has four mudras: North, East, South, and West, where each buddha statue facing that direction featuring distinctive mudra. Buddha statue on a ledge fence in the fifth and the Buddha statue in 72 stupas in the parking berterawang above show mudras: Middle or Central. Each mudra symbolize five Dhyani Buddhas, each with its own symbolic meaning. Following the order Pradakshina ie clockwise movement around the beginning of the East side, then the mudra Buddha statues at Borobudur to dketaui meaning.http://fahruddin-nusantara.blogspot.com/

Posted in: Central Java