Welcome to Borobudur, one of the sacred buildings of Buddhism as a World Cultural Heritage site. The splendor and beauty of Borobudur has its own historical value for Indonesian people. The Indonesian government has designated Chandi Borobudur as a major tourist attraction, and also a priority tourist destination for domestic and foreign visitors.
Chandi Borobudur attracts extraordinary enthusiasm to visit and explore several narrative sources in thematic tours, with the aim of getting to know more closely the history, architecture and fine arts of this building.
A friendly tour guide, Pamong Carita will accompany you on this interesting opportunity, providing narratives and explanations as a form of appreciation for the study and participation in maintaining, protecting and preserving ancestral cultural heritage. As a form of appreciation for study and participation in maintaining, protecting and preserving ancestral cultural heritage.
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Borobudur wall and balustrade carvings. Borobudur's reliefs and decorative patterns are in a naturalistic style with ideal proportions and a refined aesthetic taste. These reliefs are very beautiful, in fact they are considered the most elegant and graceful in the world of Buddhist art. One of the beautiful carvings is the Gandawyuha reliefs on the walls of Borobudur. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. arisguide's photo. |
Sudhana
Since the King Samaratungga built the Buddhist temple its called Chandi Borobudur, it belonged among to Indonesian people and the monument derives not only from the exceptional architecture, but also from the relief arrangement of carved on the wall bas-reliefs which cover on the six walls of Rupadhatu and the balustrades. They are total surface of 2500 square metres.
The reliefs Borobudur can be divided into two types: the narrative and the decorative. The total of 1460 narrative panels are arranged in eleven rows that go all around the monument for a total length of over 3000 m. They are 1212 decorative panels, although arranged in rows, are treated as an individual reliefs.
The first series of 160 narrative panels are on the base its called hidden foot and probably invisible. Fortunately, a complete set of photographs was made not long after they were rediscovered, and they can be identified as depicting the operation of the law of karma according to the Mahakarmavibhangga text.
The story comes to the narrative, the series of Gandavyuha reliefs covering the wall of the second gallery is devoted to Sudhana’s tireless wanderings in search of the Highest Perfect Wisdom. The story is continued on the walls and the balustrades of the third and fourth galleries. Its depiction in most of the 460 panels is based on the holy Mahayayana text Gandavyuha, the concluding scenes being derived from another text, the Bhadrucari.
The principal figure of the story, the youth Sudhana, son of an extremely rich merchant, does not appear until the sixteenth panel of the series on the wall of the second gallery. The preceding fifteen reliefs form a prologue to the story of the miracles produced by the Buddha’s samadhi (deepest meditation) on the occasion of a hundred disciples in the " Sravasti ".
Gandavyuha is the story told in the final chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra about Sudhana's tireless wandering in search of the Highest Perfect Wisdom. It covers two galleries (third and fourth) and also half of the second gallery, comprising in total of 460 panels.
The principal figure, the youth Sudhana, son of an extremely rich merchant, appears on the 16th panel. The preceding 15 panels form a prologue to the story of the miracles during Buddha's samadhi in the Garden of Jeta at Sravasti.
During his search, Sudhana visited no fewer than thirty teachers, but none of them had satisfied him completely. He was then instructed by Manjusri to meet the monk Megasri, where he was given the first doctrine. As his journey continues, Sudhana meets Supratisthita, the physician Megha (Spirit of Knowledge), the banker Muktaka, the monk Saradhvaja, the upasika Asa (Spirit of Supreme Enlightenment), Bhismottaranirghosa, theu7 Brahmin Jayosmayatna, Princess Maitrayani, the monk Sudarsana, a boy called Indriyesvara, the upasika Prabhuta, the banker Ratnachuda, King Anala, the god Siva Mahadeva, Queen Maya, Bodhisattva Maitreya and then back to Manjusri. Each meeting has given Sudhana a specific doctrine, knowledge and wisdom. These meetings are shown in the third gallery.
The preceding fifteen reliefs form the miracles produced by the Buddha’s samadhi (deepest meditation) on the assembly of a hundred disciples in the Garden of Jeta at Sravasti. Upon his arrival at the sanctuary of Vichitrasaladhvaya the people of the town rush out in large numbers to hear the Bodhisattva describe the wonderful deeds performed by the Buddha. After a brief meeting with Manjusri, Sudhana proceeds to the residence of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (fourth gallery of Chandi Borobudur).
The disciples surrounding the meditating Buddha are unable to see the miracles which occur right in front of their eyes, but the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra explains the nature of the Buddha’s samadhi. At the end of the demonstration of miracles the Bodhisattva Manjusri bids farewell to the Buddha, and sets out for the South, followed by a host of Bodhisattvas and thousands of monks.
Upon his arrival at the sanctuary of Vichitrasaladhvaya the people of the town rush out in large numbers to hear the Bodhisattva describe the deeds performed by the Buddha. On this occasion Manjusri singles out the youth Sudhana who proves to be the one ready to receive instruction in the Supreme Knowledge. The encounter with the Bodhisattva Manjusri means that it is time for Sudhana to start on his wanderings, and from now on Sudhana is sent from one teacher to another. Each time he visits the person appointed by the previous teacher, he receives new instructions and obtains new answers tohis queries, and has to meditate on his newly-acquired knowledge before he proceeds further.
Sudhana visits no less than thirty teachers, but none of them can satisfy him completely: each is limited to his or her special knowledge of the Doctrine. Instructed by Manjusri, Sudhana goes to Mount Sugriva to see the monk Megasri. After greeting the sage respectfully, Sudhana asks to be instructed in the conduct of the Bodhisattva. The monk tells him how he has visited the Buddhas of all lands and of all schools, how he continually pays homage to them, and how he can visualize an infinite number of them.
After the necessary explanations he sends Sudhana on to another sage, Sagaramegha. Sudhana studies under Sagaramegha. The sage tells him of a miracle thathe experienced after spending twelve years in meditation. A huge lotus flower rose from the sea, surrounded and supported by a host of heavenly beings. Upon that lotus the Buddha was seated. The monk paid homage, and for twelve hundred years he received the Buddha’s instruction which he now transmits to Sudhana.
The next sage Sudhana meets is Supratisthita, who gives his instruction frommid-air, since Sudhana finds him walking in the air amid a host of gods and heavenly beings. Sudhana is further referred to the physician Megha at Vajrapura. The physician-sage Megha was explaining the Doctrine to a crowd of ten thousand men when Sudhana appeared before his seat.
Upon hearing that Sudhana has evoked the Spirit of Supreme Knowledge, the sage pays homage to Sudhana. Then follows the interview, after which the sage refersthe hero to a banker Muktaka. Responding to Sudhana’s questions, the sage Muktaka starts meditating. His body becomes translucent and shows innumerable Buddhas from all over the world.
Some what similar is Sudhana’s next experience, when he visits the monk Saradhvaja. This time the apparition of countless heavenly beings, including Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, does not appear on his motionless body but comes out of it. Sudhana now meets the first female sage, the upasika Asa, wife of King Suprabha, who has renounced earthly pleasures to spend her life in solitude in the forest. When Sudhana asks her when in the past she evoked the Spirit of Supreme Enlightenment, she tells him how she paid homage to all the Buddhas of the past, and how she has accumulated the merits of her previous births.
The following sage Sudhana meets is the seer Bhismottaranirghosa, who is clad in bark-cloth and a deer hide, seated on a bundle of straw, and surrounded by a thousand other seers. Complying with Sudhana’s request the sage performs a miracle by introducing the young wanderer to the Buddhas of all the worlds in the Ten Quarters of the Universe.
Sudhana proceeds on wards and sees the Brahman Jayosmayatana, whomhe finds practising asceticism on the Sword Mountain, immersed in flames on all sides. He is then told that in order to purify his conduct he must climb the Sword Mountain and fling himself into the flames. He does so, and immediately obtains samadhi in mid-air.
Once again purified, Sudhana now proceeds to the palace of King Singhaketu, where he sees the Princess Maitrayani, who is unfolding the Dharmato a crowd. The next teacher of Sudhana is the monk Sudarsana. Standing on a lotus flower which is held up by heavenly beings, the sage explains to Sudhana how he has paid homage to all the Buddhas of all the worlds, seeing their lives unfold from birth to parinirvana, and how he can relive these experiences in a moment’s thought.
The next kalyanamitra (spiritual guide) is a boy, called Indriyesvara, whom Sudhana finds playing in the sand on the bank of a river with thousands ofhis friends. It turns out that the boy has attained to quite a high degree of enlightenment, thanks to the teachings he has received from the Bodhisattva Manjusri himself. Sudhana proceeds to his second female teacher, Prabhuta. In contrast to the splendour of her residence, the upasika is clad in simple white without any jewellery. In front of her stands a magic bowl which enables her to satisfy hunger and thirst, and the wishes of all living beings.
Paying a visit to the banker Ratnachuda, Sudhana is shown the ten storeys of the magnificent residence. In each storey are kept different things, beginning with food and drink in the first, clothes in the second, and ending with Bodhisattvas and Buddhas in the highest storeys. Ratnachuda’s present state is the result of merits accumulated in former lives. Sudhana’s next spiritual guide is King Anala, who demonstrates, not miracles, but horror. The most cruel torments are shown. At the command of the king a large number of his subjects are severely punished. Some are be headed, others see their own hands and feet cut off, culprits are boiled or thrown into a fire. Sudhana is disgusted at these in human scenes, and is about to turn away when a deva persuades him to stay and ask King Anala for instruction in the conduct of the Bodhisattva.
The king leads Sudhana into the palace, shows him its great splendour, and explains to his guest that his harsh treatment of his guilty subjects is meant to make them follow the example of the Bodhisattvas and not risk falling into sin. King Anala’s exposition of the Law by means of a demonstration of cruelty is the only instruction of the kind Sudhana receives from his kalyanamitras.
The further wanderings of the pilgrim bring him to a succession of teachers whose instruction follows the same pattern: miracles produced by samadhi, the attainment of illumination by paying a continual homage to the Buddhas, and the achievement of an exceptional position through the accumulation of merits during previous incarnations. It is surprising to find Sudhana’s encounter with the overlord of the Hindu pantheon, the god Siva Mahadeva, who is easy to recognize since he is always depicted with his main attributes the rosary and the fly whisk. It is also interesting to note that Sudhana is once directed to Kapilavastu, the birth-place of the historical Buddha, to see the Eight Night Goddesses for instruction.
There after Sudhana is referred to the goddess of the Lumbini park, who describes at great length the miracles which occurred at the moment of the birth of Prince Siddhartha. Sudhana also visits Maya, the queen who gave birth to Prince Siddhartha and who now resides on a gigantic lotus which rises into the sky. She recited the names of the Buddhas to whom she gave birth in previous incarnations. Sudhana’s encouter with the Bodhisattva Maitreya, who is destined to become the human Buddha of the future, marks the end of his wanderings, as depicted along the second gallery of Chandi Borobudur.
Maitreya resides at the kutagara (towering palace) of Mahavyuha in the country of Samudrakatiha. Once he has instructed Sudhana he does not send him away, but invites him into the wonderful palace. Maitreya snaps his fingers, and the doors of the kutagara open. Sudhana enters a world of unequalled splendour. He admires the wonders of the celestial realm and the virtuous properties of the Bodhisattva (along the third gallery of Chandi Borobudur), and witnesses the countless miracles performed by Maitreya. Sudhana is deeply impressed, and can not realize what he is actually experiencing until Maitreya enters the kutagara and breaks the spell by snapping his fingers once again. He then receives the final instructions from the Bodhisattva, where upon he is sent to the Bodhisattva Manjusri.
After a brief meeting with Manjusri, Sudhana proceeds to the residence of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (fourth gallery of Chandi Borobudur). The entire series of reliefs is now devoted to the teachings of Samantabhadra, who touches Sudhana’s head to impart the final samadhi. The narrative gets lost in another profusion of miracles and apparitions, centred upon celestial Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, but ends with the Sudhana’s achievement of the Supreme Knowledge and the Ultimate Truth.
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Wall of relief story Borobudur Terdapat di dinding dan langkan pahatan relief berjumlah 1.460 panil cerita yang terbagi dalam 160 panil cerita Karmawibhangga, 1300 panil cerita Lalitavistara, cerita Jataka Avadana dan cerita Gandawyuha. Sedangkan panel relief dekoratif berjumlah 1.212 panel relief. Sumber: Tehnik Kepemanduan Candi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide. |
Borobudur
Relief of Sudana
Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide.
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Welcome to Borobudur Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur is a 9th–century Mahayana Buddhist temple, which consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide. |
Traveling and visiting with the aim of getting to know Borobudur more closely, studying its history, taking part in thematic tours and exploring Borobudur as a sacred Buddhist building is something very special. Admiring the splendor and beauty of the architectural artistic value, is a form of appreciation and participation in preserving and protecting Borobudur as a world cultural heritage site, Chandi Borobudur.
In the historical narrative of Borobudur, the relief panels carved on the walls at the foot of the temple are mentioned in the Karmawibhangga text, regarding the offering of footwear called 'Upanat' to the Brahmins.
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Upanat Borobudur |
Giving footwear with the name 'Upanat', footwear offered to Brahmins, in order to obtain rewards and prosperity in life. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. arisguide's photo.
Upanat Borobudur
One of the reliefs on the wall at the foot of the temple in the Karmawibhangga text, is about offering footwear with the name 'Upanat', footwear offered to Brahmins, in order to obtain rewards and prosperity in life. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisgiuide.
Explaining that 'Upanat' is the footwear used when visiting the terrace of Borobudur Temple. This visit aims to get to know Borobudur better, learn about its history, take a thematic tour and admire the splendor and fine art of this monument. This is a form of appreciation and getting to know Borobudur, as well as playing a role in maintaining and protecting the world cultural heritage site in Borobudur, Indonesia.
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Get more narratives and materials about Chandi Borobudur in Barabudur atau Borobudur, Candi Buddha Pusaka Budaya Indonesia.
Reading is more fun, exploring thematic narratives in more detail in Kebudayaan Borobudur - Belajar Dengan Pemandu Wisata.
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Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur is a 9th–century Mahayana Buddhist temple, which consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide. |
Read the complete narrative and material about Chandi Borobudur by visiting and make your tour even more enjoyable, explore in more detail the thematic narrative of Borobudur culture with Pamong Carita. Reading becomes more fun, digging into the narrative in more detail and reading in English is indeed fun and also seems very interesting to translate into easy and flexible language, get detailed reading at Welcome to Borobudur Temple, the fabric of life in Buddhist culture. Explore, admire the beauty of fine art in pictures and photos at PHOTO IMAGE BOROBUDUR.
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Borobudur World Heritage site. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide. |
Gandawyuha
A row of reliefs adorning the walls of the 2nd aisle, is the story of Sudhana who traveled tirelessly in his search for the Ultimate Knowledge of True Truth by Sudhana. The depiction in 460 frames is based on the Mahayana Buddhist scripture entitled Gandawyuha, and the closing part is based on the story of another book, namely Bhadracari. This clever design explains the concept of transition to a state of disembodiedness, namely that the Buddha statue is there but not visible.
arisguide
Its fun on the temple trip with me.
Images of Borobudur
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| Welcome to Borobudur |
Borobudur Temple is a Mahayana Buddhist temple, built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, this temple was designed in the form of Javanese Buddhist architecture, which combines native Indonesian culture, namely ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of achieving Nirvana. Source: Chandi Borobudur Scouting Techniques arisguide. arisguide's photo.
The largest main stupa is located in the center and crowns this building, surrounded by three circular rows of 72 perforated stupas in which there is a statue of Buddha sitting cross-legged in a perfect lotus position with the Dharmachakra mudra (turning the wheel of dharma). Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.
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View of Borobudur from Dagi hill The beauty of Borobudur view from Dagi Hill. Borobudur is a Buddhist temple built on a hill during the reign of Samaratungga around 824 AD. Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple built in the 9th century, consisting of nine terraced terraces, six square terraces and three circular terraces, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur is a 9th–century Mahayana Buddhist temple, which consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide. |
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Chandi Borobudur World Cultural Heritage Site since 1991, one of the views of Borobudur from the northwest. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide. |
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