Books and Papers on

BOROBUDUR
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writings on Borobudur
Dr Uday Dokras
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 Borobudur as Mount Meru ?
Uday Dokras

At the end of his life, the Buddha's disciples asked him what kind of monument he'd
like built in his memory. The Buddha replied, "A stupa." The disciples were
mystified. "What is a stupa?" one asked. In answer, the Buddha overturned his alms
bowl and stood his walking stick on top of it. (a story told in the panels of Borobudur)
https://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/borobudur/blevel_2/blevel2_terraces.html
 AMITABHA BUDDHA AT BOROBUDUR
DR UDAY DOKRAS
“Greater in battle than the man who would conquer a thousand-
thousand men, is he who would conquer just one – himself” – Gautama
Buddha

Historical monuments in the East preserve the past and are a source of
inspiration. The same is true in the west, except some monuments are also believed
to hold the ashes and powers of the dead. Monuments for a man once named
Siddhartha are one example.
Siddhartha Gautama was born to a wealthy ruler, yet he relinquished his fortune to
lead a simple life of meditation in pursuit of enlightenment. He became Buddha, and
his teachings on the pursuit and achievement of enlightenment are the basis for
Buddhism. His words live on past his death, and Buddhists believe his physical
remains still hold protective powers for mankind, imbue his living presence, and
contain his energy. Though thousands of years separate Buddha’s life on earth from
the present, Buddhists today travel to special monuments called stupas to experience
and be affected by his lasting energy.
Stupas (stoop-ahs) were originally traditional burial mounds for everyday people in
ancient India. They had no religious significance; they were simply memorials that
were less elaborate and conspicuous than they are today. Buddha’s death changed all
that.
The Mahaparinirvana Sutra, an ancient Buddhist text, details Buddha’s last days on
earth. It claims that Buddha’s followers divided his remains into eight parts and
distributed them among the eight kingdoms Buddha lived in during his lifetime. In
keeping with traditional burial practices in India, his devotees built burial mounds,
which developed architecturally into stupas, to house his remains.
Stupas today are semispherical monuments that house cremated remains or belongings
of Buddha or Buddhist monks or nuns. There are generally five types of stupas, each
with a purpose to house relics or remains, or to commemorate Buddha’s life and
teachings.
It’s thought that the original eight stupas were built in northern India after Buddha’s
death in 483 or 400 BC. Some sources claim that Emperor Ashoka of India’s Mauryan
Empire later opened the sealed stupas and further divided Buddha’s remains into
eighty-four thousand portions so more stupas could be built around the world.
=============================================================
Original 8 Stupas: The original eight stupas housing Buddha’s remains are in India.
The Sanchi stupa, located in central India, is referred to as “ Stupa 1” because it may
have been the first commissioned by Emperor Ashoka. Tourists from as far west as
America and Buddhists from East Asia visit Sanchi to pay respects to Buddha and
admire the stupa as one of the oldest stone buildings in India.Monks carrying out
Ashoka’s orders to spread the message of Buddha set out from his kingdom, splitting
company from one another and traveling far and wide to Asian nations.
Borobudur Temple of Indonesia
As a bestower of longevity, Amitabha is called Amitayus, or “Infinite Life.” In China and
Japan the two names are often used interchangeably, but in Tibet the two forms are
never confounded, and Amitayus is worshiped in a special ceremony for obtaining long life.
He is depicted wearing ornaments and a crown and holding the ambrosia vase from which
spill the jewels of eternal life.

Historical monuments in the East preserve the past and are a source of inspiration.
The same is true in the west, except some monuments are also believed to hold the ashes
and powers of the dead. Monuments for a man once named Siddhartha are one example.
Siddhartha Gautama was born to a wealthy ruler, yet he relinquished his fortune to lead a
simple life of meditation in pursuit of enlightenment. He became Buddha, and his
teachings on the pursuit and achievement of enlightenment are the basis for Buddhism.
His words live on past his death, and Buddhists believe his physical remains still hold
protective powers for mankind, imbue his living presence, and contain his energy.
Though thousands
BOROBUDUR’s Educational Reliefs
DR UDAY DOKRAS
Projecting from each side. This Kala-Makara motif is commonly found on the gates of
Javanese temples. The main entrance is on the eastern side, the location of the first narrative
reliefs. Stairways on the slopes of the hill also link the monument to the low-lying plain.

The position of narrative bas-reliefs stories on Borobudur wall

Borobudur is constructed in such a way that it reveals various levels of terraces, showing
intricate architecture that goes from being heavily ornamented with bas-reliefs to being plain
in Arupadhatu circular terraces. The first four terrace walls are showcases for bas-relief
sculptures. These are exquisite, considered to be the most elegant and graceful in the ancient
Buddhist world.
The bas-reliefs in Borobudur depicted many scenes of daily life in 8th-century ancient Java,
from the courtly palace life, hermit in the forest, to those of commoners in the village. It also
depicted temple, marketplace, various flora and fauna, and also native vernacular
architecture. People depicted here are the images of king, queen, princes, noblemen, courtier,
soldier, servant, commoners, priest and hermit. The reliefs also depicted mythical spiritual
beings in Buddhist beliefs such as asuras,
gods, bodhisattvas, kinnaras, gandharvas and apsaras. The images depicted on bas-relief often
served as reference for historians to research for certain subjects, such as the study of
architecture, weaponry, economy, fashion, and also mode of transportation of 8th-
century Maritime Southeast Asia. One of the famous renderings of an 8th-century Southeast
Asian double outrigger ship is Borobudur Ship. Today, the actual-size replica of Borobudur
Ship that had sailed from Indonesia to Africa in 2004 is displayed in the Samudra Raksa
Museum, located a few hundred meters north of Borobudur.
The Borobudur reliefs also pay close attention to Indian aesthetic discipline, such as pose and
gesture that contain certain meanings and aesthetic value. The reliefs of noblemen, noble
women, kings, or divine beings such as apsaras, taras and boddhisattvas are usually portrayed
in tribhanga pose, the three-bend pose on neck, hips, and knee, with one leg resting and one
upholding the body weight. This position is considered as the most graceful pose, such as the
figure of Surasundari holding a lotus.

Cosmic meaning of Temple Structure vis a vie the Borobudur

Dr Uday Dokras

The temple represents the three stages of a seeker:

 Kamadhatu or the level of desires which refers to worldly existence. Panels at
this level tell Jatakas or the stories of Bodhisattvas. These stories represent the
earlier lives of Buddha.
 Rupadhatu or the world of forms where we start looking inward but through the
forms which are represented by idols or storytelling panels. This is like the
Saguna stage of Hinduism. The panels at this level tell the story of Buddha with
important scenes from his life journey.
 Arupadhatu or the formless divine for the seekers who no longer need visual
aids to look inside. This is parallel to Nirguna philosophy like the one followed
by poets like Kabir. At this stage no form is required, so no sculpted panels.

Bas-relief panels

Bas-Reliefs on walls & Balustrades

The walls and the inner sides of balustrades have story panels. The carvings on the stone give
you a glimpse of the time when the temple was built. What is interesting is that most human
figures are in Tribhanga i.e. the body is bent in three parts. You can observe the dresses, the
hairstyles, the headgear and the animals in use. There are everyday scenes that depict the life
of a common man. There are scenes from the life of Buddha that depict the places he lived in,
the horse he left on, Bodhi tree under which he meditated and his descent from Tushita
heaven. I also saw symbols of prosperity like Puran Ghatak or the overflowing pot. There are
2600+ bas-relief sculptures in the whole of the temple complex. These panels were probably
painted in bright colors, as was the case with ancient caves like Ellora in India.

Viewed from the top, the complex looks like one single stupa. The geometric design can be
interpreted as resembling a Buddhist mandala or Hindu Shri Yantra. It can also be looked like
a stepped pyramid. Incidentally, the structure follows a uniform ratio of 4:6:9 throughout the
rising pyramid. It was also found that the basic unit of measurement is Tala – that is roughly
the length of the human face or the length of the extent of an extended hand. In Hindi /
Punjabi, this is called Gith. Even though it varies for every person, it can be quite a uniform
measure.
Buddhist transition in Borobudur-Dr Uday Dokras
Transformations to Buddhists, their beliefs, and practices throughout the nineteenth, twentieth, and
twenty-first centuries was a journey of over the centuries, whereby Buddhism changed with
modernity. These changes accelerated in diverse manners during the colonial and postcolonial
periods. As each tradition offers its own distinctive historical and cultural context, Part I in the
Handbook reviews the development of specific traditions. There are seven subsections that demarcate
the regions from which various traditions emerged: South Asia, East Asia, Central Asia, Southeast
Asia, Europe/Americas, Southern, and Global. Part II tracks patterns and themes that relate to the
diverse Buddhist traditions. In this section, chapters address the modes or manners in which Buddhist
traditions manifest in the contemporary age. Jerryson, Michael, 'Introduction: The Buddhist System in
Transition', in Michael Jerryson (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism, Oxford
Handbooks , https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199362387.013.22, For the most part, we are
creatures of habit. Our lives often follow some type of routine with expected everyday norms.
Sometimes it’s the people we see, the type of work we do, or the kinds of interactions we have that we
become accustomed to over time. Even though we all know the common phrase, “The only
constant is change,” most of us assume, usually without consciously thinking about it, that
our lives will always look a certain way. This way of thinking may lead to suffering.

When our lives change in a way that seems positive, like getting a great new job, it’s natural
to conjure up gratitude. Inevitably, life throws a curveball, and without warning, the entire
landscape of our lives can change. An unexpected and unwanted change may be especially
unsettling, as the unpredictability removes illusions of control. It’s far more difficult to feel
blessed and grateful during an unwanted relationship, career change, or even some larger
upending of the life we thought we had. Chinese Buddhism retains several holidays that
demonstrate the connection of Buddhist tradition to its ancient Indian origins, including
celebrations for the birth of Sakyamuni Buddha and the end of the summer retreat. These
liturgies, which differ from most Chinese Buddhist rituals, were directly taught by the
Buddha and revealed in the sutras. Notably, the rite for bathing the statue of the Buddha is
used for celebrating the Buddha’s birthday, while the rite of Ullambana (or avalambana) is
held on the last day of the summer retreat. Recently in Taiwan, while almost all Buddhist
rituals remain liturgically consistent, the celebrations for these two core holidays generate
diverse forms of worship representing a variety of religious and moral themes. These
liturgical variations transform not only the long-term established practice and meaning of
such festivals but also the understanding and roles of these specific religious settings for
the savgha and lay Buddhists. Chen, Pi-yen, 'Variations for New Themes: Liturgical
Transitions in the Major Buddhist Festivals in Taiwan', in Jeffers Engelhardt, and Philip
Bohlman (eds), Resounding Transcendence: Transitions in Music, Religion, and Ritual (New
York, 2016; online edn, Oxford Academic, 21 Apr.
2016), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199737642.003.0004

The whole building symbolizes a Buddhist transition from the lowest manifestations of
reality at the base, through a series of regions representing psychological states, toward the
ultimate condition of spiritual enlightenment at the summit. A yantra or Mechanism in 3D.
The unity of the monument effectively proclaims the unity of the cosmos permeated by the
light of truth. The visitor was meant to be transformed while climbing through the levels of
Borobudur, encountering illustrations of progressively more profound doctrines nearer to the
summit. The topmost terrace, whose main stupa contained an unfinished image of Buddha
that was hidden from the spectator’s view, symbolized the indefinable ultimate spiritual state.
The 72 openwork stupas on the circular terraces, with their barely visible internal Buddhas,
symbolize incomplete states of enlightenment on the borders of manifestation. The usual way
for a pilgrim to pay reverence to a Buddhist stupa is to walk around it, keeping it on his right

Borobudur as a Complete Exposition of Doctrine

DR UDAY DOKRAS

The construction of stupas were considered acts of great merit. The purpose of stupas were
mainly to enshrine relics of Buddha. The design specifications are consistent within most of
the stupas, entrances to stupas are laid out so that their centre lines point to the relic
chambers. It is therefore no surprise that the Shailendra Dynesty not only gave asent to
Temple but also Stupa construction.
The stupas were covered with a coating of lime plaster, plaster combinations changed with
the requirements of the design, items used included lime, clay, sand, pebbles, crushed
seashells, sugar syrup, white of egg, coconut water, plant resin, drying oil, glues and saliva of
white ants. The fine plaster at Kiri Vehera used small pebbles, crushed seashells mixed with
lime and sand were used in the stupas from the fifth to twelfth centuries.
Borobudur is one of the most impressive monuments ever created by humans. It is both a
temple and a complete exposition of doctrine, designed as a whole, and completed as it was
designed, with only one major afterthought. It seems to have provided a pattern for Hindu
temple mountains at Angkor (see above Cambodia and Vietnam), and in its own day it must
have been one of the wonders of the Asian world. Built about 800, it probably fell into
neglect by c. 1000 and was overgrown. It was excavated and restored by the Dutch between
1907 and 1911. It now appears as a large square plinth (the processional path) upon which
stand five terraces gradually diminishing in size. The plans of the squares are stepped out
twice to a central projection. Above the fifth terrace stands a series of three diminishing
circular terraces carrying small stupas, crowned at the centre of the summit by a large circular
bell-shaped stupa. Running up the centre of each face is a long staircase; all four are given
equal importance. There are no internal cell shrines, and the terraces are solid. Borobudur is
thus a Buddhist stupa in the Indian sense. Each of the square terraces is enclosed in a high
wall with pavilions and niches along the whole perimeter, which prevents the visitor on one
level from seeing into any of the other levels. All of these terraces are lined with relief
sculptures, and the niches contain Buddha figures. The top three circular terraces are open
and unwalled, and the 72 lesser bell-shaped stupas they support are of open stone latticework;
inside each was a huge stone Buddha figure. The convex contour of the whole monument is
steepest near the ground, flattening as it reaches the summit. The bottom plinth, the
processional path, was the major afterthought. It consists of a massive heap of stone pressed
up against the original bottom story of the designed structure so that it obscures an entire
series of reliefs—a few of which have been uncovered in modern times. It was probably
added to hold together the bottom story, which began to spread under the pressure of the
immense weight of earth and stone accumulated above.

Mandala Comparison & Design similarities of the Bakong in

Cambodia and Borobudur in Java
Dr Uday Dokras PhD Sweden

The striking similarity of the Bakong and Borobudur in Java, going into
architectural details such as the gateways and stairs to the upper terraces, strongly
suggests that Borobudur might have served as the prototype of Bakong. The
enclosures represented the mountain chains surrounding Mount Meru, while a
moat represented the ocean. The temple itself took shape as a pyramid of several
levels, and the home of the gods was represented by the elevated sanctuary at the
center of the temple.

SYMBOLISM. Angkor Wat is a miniature replica of the universe in stone and

represents an earthly model of the cosmic world. The central tower rises from the
center of the monument symbolizing the mythical mountain, Meru, situated at the
center of the universe.
Mount Meru is the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist
cosmology and is considered to be the center of all
the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes.
Many famous Buddhist temples and similarly Jain as well as Hindu temples
have been built as symbolic representations of this mountain. The "Sumeru Throne
style base is a common feature of Chinese pagodas. The highest point (the finial
bud) on the pyatthat, a Burmese-style multi-tiered roof, represents Mount Meru.

Etymologically, the proper name of the mountain is Meru, to which is added the
approbatory prefix su-, resulting in the meaning "excellent Meru" or "wonderful
Meru".Meru is also the name of the central bead in a mālā.
The dimensions attributed to Mount Meru — which all refer to it as a part of the
Cosmic Ocean, along with several other statements that describe it in geographically
vague terms (e.g., "the Sun along with all the planets circle the mountain") — make
the determination of its location most difficult, according to most scholars.
Some researchers identify Mount Meru or Sumeru with the Pamirs, northwest
of Kashmir.
The Suryasiddhanta mentions that Mt. Meru lies in the middle of the
Earth ("bhuva-madhya") in the land of the Jambunad
(Jampudvīpa). Narapatijayacharyasvarodaya, a ninth-century text, based on
mostly unpublished texts of Yāmal Tantra, mentions:

"Sumeruḥ Prithvī-madhye shrūyate drishyate na tu"

(Su-meru is heard to be in the middle of the Earth, but is not seen there).
Several versions of cosmology can be found in existing Hindu texts. In one of
them, cosmologically, the Meru mountain was also described as being
surrounded by Mandrachala Mountain to the east, Suparshva Mountain to
the west, Kumuda Mountain to the north and Kailasa to the south.

The Incipient Tantrism of Borobudur

We as human have struggled to find ways to conceptualize the relation between textuality and
forms of the built environment.

Ever since its discovery by Raffles in 1814, Borobudur has been an object of mystery. Its
imposing size and the magnificence of its conception and carving aside, the uniqueness both
of its structural design and its iconography among religious monuments, not only in its
temporal and spatial proximity, but anywhere in the Indic world, has heightened its aspect of
enigma, inviting conjecture on its intention.

1. Who made Borobudur ?

2. what was it used for?
3. why was it made the way it was made?
these and similar questions arise immediately in connection with the monument. Though
more than 150 years have passed since its discovery, none of these questions have been
definitively answered, though some important preliminary headway has been made, in
establishing the period of its construction and in conclusively identifying the textual sources
of the carving.Borobudur, begun around 825, is the quite simply the largest Buddhist temple
in the world. It is decorated with around 500 statues of Lord Buddha, arranged in terraces of
decreasing size, as if on the sacred slopes of Mount Meru. It was built possibly by the
Sangramadha Nanjaya Sailendra dynasty of Mataram, Central Java, or maybe “charismatic
religious leaders rather than kings.” For surprisingly there is no great temple or palace
complex associated with it. The only inscription associated with Borobudur dates from 842
and is from a woman who gave land to sustain it. For all the mystery, this is the climax of the
ninth century golden age of Java, when so many remarkable monuments were built here, both
Hindu and Buddhist. Like many other monuments of this period Indic ideas have been taken
and dramatic new forms created with and from them.
 A. Twelve-Armed Chakrasamvara and His Consort Vajravarahi, ca. 12th century,
India (Bengal) or Bangladesh
B. A stone Kālacakra Mandala at the Hiraṇyavarṇa Mahāvihāra, a Buddhist temple
in Patan, Nepal built in the 12th century.
Max Nihom in a 1994 monograph Studies in Indian and Indo-Indonesian Tantrism: The
Kuñjarakarṇadharmakathana and the Yogatantra accounted for some anomalies in the
evidence from insular Southeast Asia on the history of esoteric Buddhism, moving between
sources in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Old Javanese.

MANDALA
Site and plan- of Borobudur – Dr Uday Dokras

Our current knowledge

of the names of kings that reign the Medang Mataram kingdom is much owed to Mantyasih
inscription (dated 907), issued by King Balitung (r. 898–910)—that contains genealogy and
the reign order of Medang Mataram kings, and he seek ancestor as far as King Sanjaya. This
inscription is also known as "Balitung charter". The motivation of Balitung's edict has
sparked various assumptions from historians—as if Balitung eagerly seeks legitimacy of his
rule, by stating his ancestral lineage. It is highly possible that he related to the royal family
and shared common ancestry. Thus, suggested that he married to the daughter of previous
king, which made him the royal son-in-law as well as heir.
King Samaratungga (r. 819–838) was credited for the completion of massive stone mandala, the
grand monument of Borobudur (completed in 825). Samaratungga just like Samaragrawira,
seems to be deeply influenced by peaceful Mahayana Buddhist beliefs and strive to become a
pacifist and a benevolent ruler. His successor was Princess Pramodhawardhani that betrothed to
Shivaite Rakai Pikatan, son of the influential Rakai Patapan, a landlord in Central Java. The
political move that seems as an effort to secure peace and Sailendran rule on Java by reconciling
the Mahayana Buddhist with Shivaist Hindus.

The mandala is likened by some to a "floor plan of the universe." The type most familiar in
the West is an intricately patterned painting on cloth or paper that often takes the general
form of a circle within a square.

The word "mandala" comes from the Sanskrit verbal root "mand" (meaning to mark off,
decorate, set off) and the Sanskrit suffix "la" (meaning circle, essence, sacred center).
The mandala's symbolic power can be traced back to millennia-old roots in Indian temple
architecture, which created sacred spaces linking the worshiper to the larger cosmos. In these temples,
time and space were represented in a vocabulary of circles and squares. Similarly, a mandala helps
believers visualize the universe and their place in it, often in relation to a specific deity found in the
center of the image.

Complexities of the Construction of BOROBUDUR

Dr Uday Dokras
Check out- http://www.buddhanet.net/bt_conts.htm

Buddhist\
Western Major Events World Figures and Events
Calender
• Persian Empire founded by
• Life of Siddhartha Guatama, the historical
Cyrus the Great (550 B.C.E.)
6th Century Buddha: conventional dates: 566-486 B.C.E.
- 120* • Confucius (551-479)
B.C.E. * (According to more recent research, revised • Zarathustra (630-553)
dates are: 490-410 BCE). • Birth of Mahavira (550)
• First Buddhist Council at Rajagaha (486) after
• Socrates (469-399)
the Parinirvana*, under the patronage of King
• Plato (427-347)
Ajatasattu.
- 20 5th Century • Battle of Marathon (490)
• The Buddhist Canon as it exist today was • Greek-Persian Wars (490-479)
settled at this Council and preserved as an oral • Partheon Built (438)
tradition.
• Second Buddhist Council at Vesali (386) about
100 year after the Parinirvana. • Aristotle (384-322)
• First schism of the Sangha occurs in which the
144 4th Century Mahasanghika school parts ways with the
Sthaviravadins and the Theravadins. • Alexander the Great (356-323)
• Non-canonical Buddhist Council at Pataliputra invaded India (327)
(367)
244 3rd Century • Reign of Indian Emperor Asoka (272-231) who • Great Wall of China (250)
converts and establishes the Buddha's Dharma
on a national level for the first time. • Hadrian's Wall circa 3rd
• Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra Century AD
(250) under the patronage of Emperor Asoka
 about 200 years after the Parinirvana. • The
modern Pali Tipitaka now essentially complete.
• Asoka's son and
missionary Mahinda established Buddhism in Sri • Hannibal Barca (247?-183?)
Lanka (247)
• Beginnings of Mahayana Buddhism (20O).
• Composition of Prajnaparamita literature. • Buddhist monuments: Sanchi,
• Historical record has it that two Buddhist Amaravati, Bodhi Gaya, India.
missionaries from India in 68 AD, arrived at the (185-175)
344 2nd Century court of Emperor Ming (58-75) of Han Dynasty.
They enjoyed imperial favour and stayed on to
• Han Dynasty in China
translate various Buddhist Texts, one of which,
(206-220)
The 'Sutra of Forty-two Sections' continues to be
popular even today.

• Entire scriptural canon of Theravada • 01BCE Mar 1, Start of the

School was committed to writing on palm leaves revised Julian calendar in Rome.
in Pali at the Aloka Cave, near Matale, Sri Lanka
444 1st Century
(35-32) • Julius Caesar (100-44)
• Milinda-pañha or Questions of King Milinda to
Venerble Nagasena. • Virgil, Latin poet (70-19)

Why Borobudur?
Dr Uday Dokras
We as human have struggled to find ways to conceptualize the relation between historicism
and forms of the built environment. Ever since its discovery, Borobudur has been an object of
mystery. Its imposing size and the magnificence; the uniqueness of its structural design and
iconography; its conception and carving and its temporal and spatial proximity to the Indic
world, has added to its enigmatic existence inviting conjecture on its intention.

1. Who made Borobudur ?

2. what was it used for?
3. why was it made the way it was made?
these and similar questions arise immediately in connection with the monument. Though
more than 150 years have passed since its discovery, none of these questions have been
definitively answered, though some important preliminary headway has been made, in
establishing the period of its construction and in conclusively identifying the textual sources
of the carving.Borobudur, begun around 825, is the quite simply the largest Buddhist temple
in the world. It is decorated with around 500 statues of Lord Buddha, arranged in terraces of
decreasing size, as if on the sacred slopes of Mount Meru. It was built possibly by the
Sangramadha Nanjaya Sailendra dynasty of Mataram. The only inscription associated with
Borobudur dates from 842 and is from a woman who gave land to sustain it.

SACRED LANDSCAPE - BOROBUDUR & the COMPLEXITIES of its CONSTRUCTION

Dr Uday Dokras

Check out- http://www.buddhanet.net/bt_conts.htm for 1,000 pics of the STUPA

The Borobudur was one of many things or all of them.

 It was a Vihara for the stay of monks and samaneras.
 It was an educational monument to teach them
 It was a Hostel
 It was an Institute
 It may have been a University on the lines of Nalanda
 Like the Byat Ul Hikma it could have been a place for the learned to meet and
discuss.
 Conference place
 It was an edifice to OUTLINE the glory of the |Buddha

Whatever it was the construction must have been a complex and intricate process
involving many participations ans contributions:
Architectural
Procedural
Royal consent
Royal scrutiny and approval
Discussions on the Project
Constructional
Raw material procurement
Human resources
Stores
Engineering
Quarrying & Mining
Procurement of skilled manpower
One can only speculate on how things were carried out.
Here is that story-

Borobudur and the

Experience of Meaning
Also featuring my research paper Geometry, Geomancy, and
Theology at Borobudur
(https://www.scribd.com/document/547160527/Geometry-Geomancy-And-
Theology-at-Borobudurv)
 Dr Uday Dokras

The 5 of Borobudur-SHORT VERSION

Dr Uday Dokras
One should give up anger, renounce pride, and overcome all fetters. Suffering never befalls
him who clings not to mind and body and is detached.

— Verse 221, the Dhammapada[

Education as Key to liberation according to Buddhism: Buddhism is an unworldly tradition
and way of life that originated to teach people to appreciate life as it in a more meaningful way
that leads to inner satisfaction and peace. They all follow the basic path and teach simple tenets
that guide mankind to attain perfect enlightement and peace just like Lord Buddha. It aspires
human beings to live in complete harmony with utmost kindness, sincerity and generosity.
Doing so involves training one’s mind to gain complete control over their thoughts and actions.
Buddhism preaches to rely upon one’s own inner strength than external factors and it can be done
at any moment of time, all a person needs is absolute determination and strong will to transform
any situation good or worst. As, if we wait for better time to come on their own, we will never
begin to find right motivation to practise Dharma. The greatest purpose of life, as per Lord
Buddha was to provide a means of liberation and enlightenment to fellow human beings. And this
can be achieved by gaining control over the mind. Explore more about the Path of Buddhism and
educate yourself with its simple yet powerful wisdom teachings!

Borobudur is said to have been built by King Samaratungga, one of the kings of the old
Mataram Kingdom, the descendants of the Sailendra dynasty. Based on Kayumwungan
inscription, an Indonesian named Hudaya Kandahjaya had a revelation in which he was told
that Borobudur had once been a place for prayer that was supposed to be completed on 26
May 824, almost one hundred years after the construction had started. The name of
Borobudur, as some people say, means a mountain having terraces (budhara), while other
says that Borobudur means monastery on a high place.

Borubudur is a movie in stone. Gunadharma its architect is the director, Sudana is the main
character and Buddha is the real hero. As one walks through each narrow passage in
Borobudur with a competent guide one canl come to know much of the philosophy of
Buddhism. Atisha, a Buddhist monk 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. After gathering a lot of information from these reliefs he returned to
India and started another sect known as Vikramashila Buddhism. Later he became the leader
of the Vikramashila monastery and became a teacher in Tibet. Six scripts from Serlingpa
were then summarized as the core of the teaching called "The Lamp for the Path to
Enlightenment" known as Bodhipathapradipa. The function of arts to their culture of
Borobudur Temple is that it blends geometry, geomancy, and theology all instruct adherents
toward the ultimate goal of enlightenment. Meticulously carved relief sculptures mediate a
physical and spiritual journey that guides pilgrims progressively toward higher states of
consciousness.

3 MANDALAs
The 3 circular platforms & the big stupa of
Borobudur
Dr Uday Dokras Phd Stockholm
Sanchi
The first photograph by Isidore van Kinsbergen (1873) after the monument had been cleared up.

With over 17,000 islands, Indonesia is the world's largest island country and boasts of
mesmerising history and culture but did You Know Indonesia Houses The World's Largest
Buddha Temple, With 504 Buddha Statues and Covering a Vast Area of 56,600 Cubic
Metres?
Borobudur is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage.
The ten levels of the temple symbolize the three divisions of the religion's cosmic system. As
visitors begin their journey at the base of the temple, they make their way to the top of the
monument through the three levels of Budhist cosmology, Kamadhatu (the world of desire),
Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). As visitors walk
to the top the monument guides the pilgrims past 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and
the balustrades.
This design is a mix of Javanese style and Gupta dynasty architecture, reflecting the blend of
indigenous and Indian aesthetics in ancient Java. Over 500 statues of Buddha are positioned
around Borobudur, and Borobudur contains roughly 3,000 bas-relief sculptures.The design of
Borobudur, a temple-mountain symbolizing the structure of universe, influenced temple built
as Angkor, Cambodia.

However, the symbolization of enlightenment these stupas represent is not intended to be

merely aesthetic. Buddhist stupas and mandalas are understood as “spiritual technologies”
that harness spiritual “energies” in the creation of sacred space.It was built in three tiers: a
pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular
platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with
fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 m2.

Candi Sewu complex

The Blueprint for Borobudur
Candi Sewu complex
Candi Sewu complex ; 800 metres north of the Hindu Prambanan Temple is the Candi
Sewu complex. It is the second largest Buddhist temple in Java. The name Sewu means
a thousand, but in fact this complex only has 253 building structures. Candi Sewu
predates the Prambanan Hindu temple complex, it was most likely originally built in the
8th Century by Rakai Panangkaran, of the Mataram Dynasty, and then expanded by
Rakai Pikatan, a prince of the Sanjaya Dynasty who married a Buddhist princess from
the Saliendra Dynasty. The rectangular grounds measure 185m by 165m, placed in the
traditional mandala pattern around a central temple. This temple most likely used for
royal ceremonies.

Created as a structure used by tantric Buddhists to aid in meditation, the goal; to join one’s
mind with the universe-the word for a Hindu or Buddhist temple in Indonesian is "candi,"
hence the common name is "Candi Sewu."; Borobudur is the largest. Sewu predates nearby
"Loro Jonggrang" temple at Prambanan. Although the complex consists of 249 temples,
this Javanese name translates to 'a thousand temples,' which originated from popular
local folklore (The Legend of Loro Jonggrang). Archaeologists believe the original name for
the temple compound to be Manjusrigrha.

The Ancient Puzzles of Borobudur

Brought here by Uday Dokras
The Borobudur Temple is considered by many to be a wonder of the ancient world. We all
probably have heard raves of its majestic landscapes at the break of dawn, the timeless beauty
of its reliefs, or the “spiritually enlightening” physical challenge of reaching its top.
Standing 13 centuries old, the largest Buddhist monument in the world is bound to have
mysteries. It is hard enough to fathom its 100-year construction in the 8th and 9th centuries,
and such perfect structures produced with such simple technology. Nobody knows who
ordered the construction of Borobudur, though tradition credits it to the Syailendra Dynasty,
which probably meant two to three kings including Samaratungga. And apart from the
temple’s obvious religious functions, researchers have long hypothesised surprising
alternative functions.
Professor Agus Aris Munandar, a University of Indonesia archaeologist who has been
studying Javanese temples for 30 years, confirms that there are many unsolved mysteries of
Borobudur. Some of them indicate how mindbogglingly intelligent ancient Indonesians were.
“There is so much finesse in Borobudur that early Dutch archeologists refused to believe that
Javanese people made it. It must have been the Indians who came to Java to spread Hinduism
and Buddhism,” said Prof Agus. “But Indian [polymath] Rabindranath Thakur visited Java in
the early 20th century and said, “I see India everywhere in Java, but I do not know where,”
meaning that as much as there are strong Indian influences in Javanese temples, they are also
very different from Indian ones.

According to Prof Agus, one of the greatest mysteries of Borobudur is the hidden base, also
known as the Mahakarmavibhanga. Hundreds of beautifully carved relief panels are
completely covered a couple of metres underground, except for a section in the southeast,
which the Japanese detonated in the 1940s out of curiosity. Previously, Dutch archaeologists
had unearthed it for research and re-covered it.

There are two theories for why the Mahakarmavibhanga is buried. “The first theory reckons
that when the construction of Borobudur was completed, the foundation turned out unstable.
So to prevent collapse, the builders had to fasten the foundation from all directions,” said
Prof Agus, adding that this is the theory he supports.

The second theory speculates religious reasons. The Mahakarmavibhanga portrays despicable
human acts such as torture, decapitation, robbery, and begging – thus deemed inappropriate
for laymen’s eyes. “But violence only makes up a small percentage of these reliefs, so I don’t
think it makes sense to cover them for that reason,” said Prof Agus.

Borobudur can be divided into three levels from the bottom to the top: Kamadhatu (realm of
desire-filled common people), Rupadhatu (life on earth in which the soul has been purged of
all desires), and Arupadhatu (the soul’s departure from the body and uniting with the gods in
Nirvana). Which leads to another marvel: the holey stupas on the Arupadhatu level and the
superstition that touching the Buddha through the holes would make wishes come true.
“Buddhist scholars philosophise the shadows of the form. Only Buddha’s shadows are
visible, because Buddha exists in another realm, like a relic housed in a stupa,” said Prof
Agus.

The STRUCTURE of the Borobudur as a Tantric Stupa

Dr Uday Dokras
The mandala represents an imaginary palace that is contemplated during meditation. Each
object in the palace has significance, representing an aspect of wisdom or reminding the
meditator of a guiding principle. The mandala's purpose is to help transform ordinary minds
into enlightened ones and to assist with healing.The evidence for a belief in Adi-Buddha is
also evidenced by the symbolism of Borobudur’s final stupa. Inside that stupa once was an
incomplete and rough Buddha statue which is depicting the Adi Buddha which is
unimaginable by humans. This is seen as proof that theistic Buddhism was present in Java
since at least the 8th century. In Buddhism mandalas are used in the rituals of tantric
initiation. They are constructed at the beginning of the initiation, out of grains of colored sand
carefully placed on a specially prepared platform. Thus mandalas, like Vedic altars, are
temporary structures built of impermanent materials.In my papers:

1. https://www.academia.edu/96314496/Ancient_Indonesia_and_Indian_Tantra
I have pointed out how Tantric science came over to Indonesia by boats of traders.

2. In https://www.academia.edu/96334414/The_5_of_Borobudur_LONG_VERSION I
have underlined the B|Uddhist need for education leading to enlightenment and how
Borobudur fulfilled that function.

3. In my very recent paper- BOROBUDUR---The Buddha SUTRAS and the Journey of

Sudhana,
https://www.academia.edu/96479340/BOROBUDUR_The_Buddha_SUTRAS_and_t
he_Journey_of_Sudhana Borobudur design takes us on a journey just as the disciple
of Gautama Buddha did to understand the life of |Gautama and also learn about our
life and buddhism

Indonesian Buddhayana followers use the greeting Namo Sanghyang Adi Buddhaya. The
complete salutation which is commonly used as a greeting in the books’ preface, letters, or
meetings is:
Namo Sanghyang Adi Buddhaya

Since the time of Sailendra and Mataram Kingdom, Indonesian Buddhists have the same
belief in the existence of the Adi-Buddha as the Buddhists in Tibet, Nepal, and the northern
schools. Nepalese uses the term Adinata, which means "main protector"
and Swayambhulokanatta, which means "the unborn protector of the universe". The Tibetan
familiar with terms such as Vajradhara (Tibet= Dorjechang; lit. "ruler of all the mysteries").
Namasangiti Text of Candrakīrti (a monk who was staying in Indonesia), and the symbolism
of Borobudur's mandala stupa, provided evidence that the Buddhism embraced by Indonesian
people since the days of Srivijaya, Ancient Mataram, Sailendra, and Majapahit is
the Buddhism which honors the Primordial Buddha.
Some Indonesian sacred texts which contains the name of Sanghyang Adi Buddha are: