Borobudur

What is Borobudur?
Borobudur is a temple considered as one of the seven wonders of the world. This temple is located at Borobudur District, South of Magelang, Central Java.Borobudur was built by Sanmaratungga in the 8th century, and belongs to Buddha Mahayana. The temple was found in ruined condition and was buried.The overall height was 42 meters, but was only 34.5 meters after restoration, and had the dimension of 123 x 123 meters (15,129 square meters). There were 10 floors. The first floor up to the sixth floor was square form, the seventh to the tenth floor were round form. Total size of the temple walls was 2500 square meters, full of relief. The total number of panels with relief was 1212. The total number of Buddha statue was 504.

What will I see from highest and lowest of Borobudur structure? 

From the highest view you can look like Borobudur as “a big lotus flower bud ready to bloom” which was “floating” on a lake.You also can imagination was that from the air, the Borobudur Temple looks floating. Borobudur area was one time a big lake. Most of the villages around Borobudur Temple were at the same altitude, 235 meters above the sea-level. The same altitude included the Pawon and Mendut temples. Thus the area under 235 meter altitude was below the lake water level.

What is (stupa) sculpture? Why? 

Structure of stupa (conical form) with double expression. As a whole, the Borobudur Temple was an open-flat stupa, but on the other hand, the temple expressed the idea of a “closed world”. The latter expression could be felt when one is already inside the temple. Whenever person is inside the temple, his or her view will be limited to high walls full on relieves, the verandah is always squared in such a way that one could not see other parts of the temple, even in a same floor. The same feeling happened if one stood on arupadhatu round platform, he or she will have a wider view only on that level, but are not able to see the lower level nor the upper level like the one on arupadhatu and kamandhatu. It could be said that Borobudur is a symbol of cosmic mountain covered by the sky roof, a specific world that could be reached through isolated alleys as stages. 

RUPADHATU :man enlighten by the meaning of life, to sacrifice one self for others
KAMADATU :realm of desire represents the state of man before acquired knowledge of        morality before the teaching of Buddha.
ARUPADATU : Realm of formlessness in this world of the invisible and the highest to the 3 upper terrances of the monument.

From my opinion, the Borobudur is the more special temple in the world, the temple can see from top is look like a ' lotus ' it may mean that there is a clear and clean place. Clear and clean means that inside the temple u will be a human that without any bad think in your mind, you will be thinking the positive mind think for your heart and your brain.i can feel that the temple is how holy and how beautiful and special in the world. Borobudur also is a temple that is for everyone can go visit din count you are  as a Buddhist or a non-Buddhist, it is a temple that is for every culture. 


Reference:
http://7days-indonesia.blogspot.com/2012/01/borobudur-temple-at-central-java.html 

Written by Teo Eng Seng 1204532

What is Borobudur?
Borobudur is a nith-century Buddhist temple in Indonesia. The monument has six square platforms topped by three circular platforms. Decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues and a main dome on the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues inside perforated stupa.

What is happening in Borobudur?
Borobudur was abandoned following the fourteenth century decline of Buddhist kingdoms and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Borobudur has no record of who built Borobudur or its actual purpose. Borobudur was hidden for centuries under volcanic ash and jungle growth. It is built as a single large stupa, and when viewed from above takes the form of a giant tantric Buddhist mandala.

What will I see from highest and lowest of Borobudur structure?
Top of the structure will found the central stupa (signifying Buddha's enlightenment), and it is a symbol of eternity. There's nonthing in it and its also represents Nirvana. There is 72 bell-shaped smaller stupas encircling the central stupa, depicting as the spiritual world.

Lowest structure of Borobudur represent Kamadhatu (the world of desire), and is decorated with 160 reliefs shown ugly scenes of human desire and their karmic consequences. The illustrations are to motivate the pilgrim to escape their earthly shackles for Nirvana.

What is (stupa) sculpture? Why?
Stupa is a symbol of enlightenment and is one of the most ancient icons of Buddhist art. Stupas is the oldest and most prevalent forms of Buddhist architecture. These holy monuments were designed with deep symbolism and sacred geometry. Filled with Buddhist relics, and other holy objects, stupas emanate blessings and peace.
There was three level of Borobudur stupa, the based level was Kamadhatu, the second level was Rupadhatu, while the highest level was Arupadhatu.

Kamadhatu is the 'world of desire',whom  people live in this level was hero that haven start their journey. Indeed, it also described as "cave" which prison the slaves. These salves is being fooled and also scared of "death", and suffer on the chain of death before they aware the truth.Rupadhatu is the "world of forms", where in this level,they had lost because they was desired of the illusion that being created. They also relief that it was no "death" in the reality. Thus, they must facing the test and "death", so they revived and relief from the chain. Arupadhatu is the "world of formlessness", which the world for people who already revived and relief from the chain. People whom in this level was the hero who will lead others form the world of desire to this level. They definitely not facing the fearing of death, because they was relief from the chain of death.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur
Chew Jue Ann 1003571




Borobudur Temple is one of the greatest monument in the world. It is the biggest Buddha temple in 9th century.Borobudur is located at a high place, people need to go there by climbing the stairs. Besides that, Borobudur consist of 6 levels of square shape at the bottom, while 3 levels on top are circle shape, and the highest level is the Buddhist stupa which facing toward west. 

Each level represent the stages of human life. The base level of the Borobudur, call Kamadhatu, this level illustrating the human behavior of desire, the reliefs depict robbing, killing, rape, torture and defamation.
Follow by the four square levels, call Rapadhatu, have a great deal of purely ornate reliefs.

Next, is the three circular levels, call Arupadhatu, which represent the Buddhist three-part division of the universe. The lower level is the sphere of desire, where the human spirit is chained to greed. The middle level is the sphere of form, where the human spirit is free from greed but is nit yet able to transcend the material world. The upper level is the sphere of formlessness, where the liberated human spirit has left earthly consideration behind. The highest level is an inverted bell shape and contain sculptures of Buddha. 

In my opinion, people who went there before were aimed to aware about their life. If there is a chance for me alive at there, I will go through every levels and every single part of the Borobudur. I will try to relate every single part of it to my life. It may make sense and give a chance for me to understand more about their culture. If I stand at the top, the highest part of the Borobudur, what can I see? I think the first thing i can see is the further part away from the Borobudur,which can represent the world outside of Borobudur, there are a lot of knowledge which we can't learn if we did not go there and experience. Then, I will continue to observe the level i can see on Borobudur, which I actually can see it from different angles and find out what is the problems. This is same theory in our life, we must not always observe it by keep continue looking on the the details, however we need to stand away to look at it sometimes. 

Written by
Tan Xiao Han 
1102883 



Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Indonesia. Borobudur consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms. It is decorated with 2672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.  The main dome at the center of the top platform is surrounded by 72 Buddha seated inside a stupa. Borobudur is used as a place for worship and for pilgrimage. Once a year, Buddhist in Indonesia celebrate Wesak at the monument.
The structure of Borobudur is divided into three levels. The base of monument represent Kamadhatu(the world of desires). this level is illustrating the human behavior of desire. The five square platforms (the body) represent Rupadhatu which is the world of foams. 
Next. the circular levels Arupadhatu( the world of formless) represent the Buddhist three-part division of the universe.
A stupa is domed-shaped monument that memoralize the enlightenment achieved by those passed, radiates enlightened energy to all beings throughout space in the present, and continuously spread the causes of future enlightenment throughout the ten directions.
by Ong Jing Yi



Borobudur is a 9th- century Mahayana Buddist monument inIndonesia. Borobudur temple is the most beautiful and largest Hindu templein South East asia. The first 6 terraces are in square form and the 3 upper terraces are in circle form. there has a big Buddha status located at the top terrace and facing westward. Each terrace symbolizes the stage of human life. In the line with of Buddha Mahayana, anyone who intends to reach the level of Buddha's must go through each of those life stages. 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, visiter should walk clockwise from the entrance of the temple. The relief panels tell the legendary story of Ramayana. 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. 

Borobudur has the main tree layer such as Kamadhatu, Rupadhatu and Arupadhatu. 
The base - Kamadhatu (world of desire) has story about the human still bound by lust. It is present how desire control a person and how karma work.
The second level - Rupadhatu (world of form) has a story about the human has been that free of their self ,but their still bound by face and form. It represent that things and appearances are still an influnce to human.
The third level - Arupadhatu (world of formlessness) has a story that about the human has been free by lust, face and form. It represent eternity, with no beginning and ending.
The top temple is called Arupa that symbolize of nirvana,sat by place buddha.

I hope that I have a chance to visit there.
by Tang Yong Sheng
1103341


What is borobudur?

is a ninth-century Buddhist temple in Indonesia. it was abandoned following the fourteenths century decline of Buddhist kingdoms and the javanese conversion to islam. It also was a Buddhist stupa which is largest Buddhist monument in the world. which located on the indenesian island of java,40km (25m1) northvest of yogyakarta, borobudur was built around 750AD. The magnificient temple is a 3D mandala and a visual representation of Buddhist teachings.

What will you see from highest and lowest of the  borobudur structure?

due to my research the highest view can see is the form of giant mandala which brings the sign that the path of the bodhisattva from samsara to nirvana. There are 3 level which are Kamadhatu, Radhadatu and Arupadhatu. what i can see from the picture is a level of th eflowers layer by layer. which represent kamadhatu,ramadhatu and arupadhatu. 
actually borobudur building is describing the Buddha journey in pursuit of perfection. this temple is a kind of book that can be written as a source of knowledge for everyone who willing to learn about the philosophy of Buddhism. Ten levels of the temple is describe as ten bodhisattva levels must be traversed to reach the perfection of the Buddha. The fourth side of the temple there is a gate and ladder is just like a Pyramid. it brings a philosophy that all life came from stone. stone turn to become a sand.then turn to be plants and then insects then wild animals and then finally be human. this process is call hero journey.  



What is stupa? 
is a sited between powerful landforms. it balance and brings together the energies of these surrounding landforms.  Stupas are to promoto harmony, prosperity ,longevity, good healthy,peace and freedom from ignorance. they subdue fear, corruption,and pollution and bringg blessing to the environment in which they built. 

Teh wennie 1005158

Borobudur

Borobudur is a biggest Buddhist monument built in behest of rulers of Sailendra Dynasty, king Samaratungga around AD 750-AD850. The word Borobudur Is derived from Sanskrit words ‘Vihara Buddha Uhr’ which mean ‘Buddhist temple on a hill’. It located Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia.

Borobudur was once abandoned due to the decline of Buddhism and buried under layers of volcanic ash. An enormous restoration project was taken between 1973 -1983. Borobudur was seriously massive in size after it’s fully revealed. Borobudur height is 98 feet with 400 feet width per side. It posses 10 levels which consist of 6 levels of a square, 3 levels of circular and a main stupa at the peak. The 4 stairways in Borobudur are aligned with the cardinal points.

One can see there is a ‘big lotus’ silhouette neither in bird’s view and worm’s view of Borobudur. Lotus symbol purify and divine birth. According to Lalitavistara, the spirit of human is spotless, like a lotus grows up from mud, clean and not affected by dirty mud. In worm’s view of Borobudur  

There is a main stupa surrounded with 72 small stupas at the upper three levels of Borobudur. There is a Buddha statue on every small stupa. The thing inside the stupa – Buddha Relics is the most important thing. It represents the Buddha’s heart and mind of 3 times: past, present and future. Besides, it also represents the wisdom of dhamakaya. The intention of stupa is to release sentient beings through touching, seeing, remembering and walking around it.

Reference:
Irvan.H.(2012).Borobudur temple.
Retrieved from http://indonesiatells.blogspot.com/2012/07/borobudur-temple.html

by Tan Keh Guan (1201123)

What is Borobudur?

Borobudur is one of the seven wonders in the world. It is very unique and famous Buddhist temple which located in the cetral of Jawa. It was built in three tiers which a pyramid style base with five consentric square terraces.The monument consists of six square platforms and at the top of the building, there are Buddha statues in each of the stupas.The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,520 m2. The name of the Borobudur is from the words

What will I see from highest and lowest of Borobudur structure?

I will be able to see a lotus flower that is floating on a lake. It is like a big lotus flower that are ready to bloom.It is growing from the mud but it blooms pure and untainted as it grows above the muddy water.It purifying the negative intention and lead to enlightenment.

What is (stupa) sculpture? Why?

According to wikipedia, "Stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship. The term "reliquary" is sometimes used, after a Christian functional equivalent. " It is a holy and unique building structure that the Buddhist used to workship.It is like the lamp light that lead us to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss or Sukhavati in Sanskrit.

Written by Lai Wan Cheng (1005433)

(2012)Borobudur.Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur