Borobudur-Not your everyday temple.

19-August-2010

Borobudur is not your ordinary, everyday temple. It is undoubtedly one of Buddhism’s most spectacular monuments, and is one Asia’s premier cultural attractions. Borobudur easily could be considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It makes our list so far.

Borobudur sits on a broad, verdant plain surrounded by rice paddies and fields of tobacco at the base of precipitous mountains. One of several Buddhist temples in the area, Borobudur is the most grand and majestic (possibly in the world). After marveling at this temple’s scale and fine detail you cannot help but ponder what drove the Sailendra dynasty to build Borobudur in the 8^th and 9^th centuries. The temple was unknown to westerners until the 19th century. Covered by volcanic ash from nearby Gunung Merapi Borobudur was in bad repair, and restoration is still ongoing. Awe-inspired by its thousands of stone carvings and carefully placed stone blocks it is hard to believe that Borobudur was abandoned shortly after its completion. We all know that “Why,” is always the hardest question to answer.

Borbudur is staggering in scale. It consists of 2 million stone blocks arranged in the form of a stupa (bell shaped) with six concentric square terraces topped by 3 circular terraces. The terraces are lined with over 2500 intricately-carved stone panels. Many illustrate Buddha’s life and philosophical teachings, but some are purely decorative. Walking around the temple you literally view millions of stone carvings, and it is hard to believe that all of this work was done by hand. Chambers in Borobudur’s walls contain more than 400 carved, seated Buddha statues, each about 4 feet tall. The upper terraces of the temple are lined by 72 large stupas, inside each of which sits a similar Buddha statue. Complicated, intricate, and beautiful are three words that accurately describe Borobudur.

We spent one afternoon and one morning exploring Borobudur. We walked around each terrace clockwise (as one should do in a Buddhist temple) and gawked at the multitude of beautiful stone carvings. Many of the carvings are so ornate that they would be tourist attractions in and of themselves. We watched as the sunset and following day’s sunrise cast shadows and placed emphasis on separate parts of the temple. We observed as mist emanated from the surrounding mountains while casting views toward the distant, massive Gunung Merapi. We observed early morning light filtering through the windows formed by a stupa’s stone blocks, illuminating the head of a Buddha statue contained within. We watched as the sun peered over the dark clouds that lined the horizon partially blinding us and making silhouettes out of dozens of massive stupas.

We are told that Buddhist pilgrims used to (and still do?) make their way to Borobudur on their own paths toward enlightenment. They would walk around each terrace examining each stone carving and meditate on their meanings. While our experience at Borobudur was far from a religious pilgrimage it was indeed spiritual. Maybe this is the true meaning and purpose behind spectacular religious monuments like Borobudur. You don’t need to be a devotee to be moved and to experience the spiritual power that drove its creation more than 1100 years ago. We shared our enjoyment of Borobudur with visitors from all colors and creeds. At sunrise and at sunset the Muslim call to prayer blared from the village mosque. Somehow this all seems to fit in a place like Java where visits on successive days to world-class Hindu and Buddhist sites are marked by fireworks celebrating the end of each day’s Ramadan fast.

We will never know what drove Borobudur to be abandoned more than 1000 years ago. All we know is that its beauty shines as bright today as it did the day of its completion. Watching the sunrise illuminating thousands of intricate stone carvings, dozens of massive stupas, and hundreds of serene Buddha statues we are, at least for a few moments, enlightened.

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