The 5 of Borobudur

5 of Borobudur-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. The carved panels are all on the walls of the terraces. In order to see them, as I mentioned earlier, one has to climb the stairs of each of the terraces and then do a pradikshina or circumambulation in a clockwise direction round it. This is the correct way to discover the beauties of the temple and also derive maximum spiritual benefit. Each terrace has its own panels showing how skillful the sculptors were. Some of these panels tell the legendary story of the Ramayana. Besides these, there are panels depicting the condition of the society at that time.  Some show farmers working in the fields and some show sailors in boats, thus giving us a glimpse of the advanced state of the navigation techniques of that age. 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. The sculpture of the panels must have left him, just as you and me, spellbound. Buddha’s dictum was that karma or action alone decides our life both now and in there hereafter. The mystery of why the temple was constructed in the first place and how it was buried for centuries is still not clear. In that sense we, the visitor, the novice, the aspirant, student, fledgling, members of the sangha, the Buddhist monastic order, traditionally composed of four groups: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen,the explorer, theseeker of entertainment and the seeker of enlightenment - We are all SUDHANAS: “The Buddhist way of life as modeled by the Buddha’s life story and as delineated in the Borobudur’s allegory of good wealth, provide us with an archetypical template illustrating that leading an affluent life might pave the way to extening a quest for life’s meaning. Living in relative comfort, or even perhaps in “princely” circumstances, middle class people all over the world are in principal all Sudhanas who are ready to seek and learn what life is about, and to start on a profound inner journey of discovering wisdom. Adhering to the message of the BOROBUDUR, relational Buddhism submits that the wisdom of sustainable happiness amidst adversity is largely an intrapersonal equilibrating experience of relationship and an ephiphenomenon of harmonious interpersonal interactivity- of being genuinely kind, compassionate, and joyful in a mutually balanced togetherness and Individual don’t exist independently from one another, but rely on interconnectness and interdependence for this very survival. The Borobudur is a mixture between art and spiritual wisdom in the three-dimensional mandala. The Borobodur is big, in the form of a mandala; it has extensive reliefs on 7 levels (or five depending on how they are counted) with the intention of guiding us (using the life of the Buddha) through life to harmony with people, nature and God until enlightenment. It is a portrait of life in all its activity both permanently and continuous with all its connotations thus becoming an enshrinement, a book about the path to that absolute peace that comes with self-realization or enlightenment. We just need to be able to read “the book”. Furthermore the book includes each pilgrim and his inner struggle. This Cosmologoical science rests on a global concept. Whether in Buddhist philosophy or any other philosophy of India or indeed the world - the starting point of wisdom is to realize that we perceive the world through our five senses. What we perceive are five different energy fields, with different characteristics, issues, benefits and problems. They are the observable manifestations on the gross level of a variety of processes from the subtle to the gross and are better known as the Five Elements. The entire cosmos, including us, is made of these five energy fields.  This means the Stupa can be looked upon as a representation of the cosmos, or indeed the human “body, mind, spirit entity”. Both cosmos and man are then expressed in the five primary levels and the 5 directions of the stupa (East, South, West, North and Zenith).  Some wisdom teachings say that we as human beings have evolved five instruments of perception in order to “compute” these five fields of energy we call: earth, water, fire, air and space. These five fields of energy (solidity, fluidity, trans-formation and transcendence, discrimination and movement, creativity and source spirituality) are manifesting the entire creation including ourselves; hence they are the “building blocks of creation” (as much as the building blocks of Borobodur) and can be found across the globe in all manner of knowledge from medicine to art, architecture to music, martial art to astrology…and spiritual wisdom! Buddhist teachings, especially in the Mahayana tradition, makes ample use of these Elements (aggregates and skandas). The Venerable Thich Nhat Hahn lets Buddha himself explain to his son Rahul what to learn from and how to harmonize these 5 powers (in the biography of Buddha: Old Path White Clouds). The Tibetan Book of the Dead has many references of dissolution to the same. Furthermore all suffering is understood to come from the ignorance, i.e not understanding the temporary, ever changing and ever interacting nature of the five, which results in attachment and distortions which in turn are the cause not just of emotional suffering, but actual physical illness. Moreover Buddhism uses these energies in its psychology and typology of human nature talking of “families” displaying certain behavior and tendencies. (Vajra/ Buddha/ Ratna/ Padma/ Karma). In Yoga we know of the five koshas, the five chakras which have their origin in the same observation. Encoded into the stupa mandala of Borobodur is a very detailed map of human consciousness, from its grossest and most impulsive state- up through successive higher levels of purity until it reaches the pinnacle of human development-full enlightenment and awakening of the Buddha mind. The way this is done in the stupa is placing one specific symbolic Buddha in each direction, as well as dedicating each level to one of the elements and embodying their wisdom in the form of a Meditation (Dhyan) Buddha. These Meditation symbols are called Dhyani Buddhas. Statue Mudra Symbolic meaning Dhyani Buddha Cardinal Point Location of the Statue Bhumisparsa mudra Calling the Earth to witness Aksobhya East Rupadhatu niches on the first four eastern balustrades Vara mudra Benevolence, alms giving Ratnasambhava South Rupadhatu niches on the first four southern balustrades Dhyana mudra Concentration and meditation Amitabha West Rupadhatu niches on the first four western balustrades Abhaya mudra Courage, fearlessness Amoghasiddhi North Rupadhatu niches on the first four northern balustrades Vitarka mudra Reasoning and virtue Vairochana Zenith Rupadhatu niches in all directions on the fifth (uppermost) balustrade Dharmachakra mudra Turning the Wheel of dharma (law) Vairochana Zenith Arupadhatu in 72 perforated stupas on three rounded platforms These Buddhas represent energies with certain tendencies, that we have to work through and they help bringing harmony into these within ourselves and the world. They seem at first glance all looking the same, but their energy-field and their wisdom teaching, in fact their healing power lies in their respective placement and mudra. Furthermore the reliefs on each level show and support this inner work with stories from the life of Buddha (which usually are what attracts attention).So after the base plinth (the first undecorated level), we find the grosser world represented, with the levels of Earth and Water respectively illustrated with the Dhyani Buddha Akshobya and Ratnasambhava. Akshobya, (belonging to the Vajra family) facing east - is portrait with the mudra of witnessing, or rather calling upon the earth to witness the process, (bhumiparsha).  He himself represents the energy of Water; whereas Ratnasambhava (belonging to the Ratna family) represents the energy of Earth (facing South) with the Mudra of supreme giving (wealth and support which the earth provides); the gesture of varada.Many details are enshrined and associated with these simingly simple facts; such as, for example: colors are energy vibrations, so each Buddha has a color – even though there is no color! Each Buddha brings a certain type of wisdom and healing. In this way Akshobya is associated with blue and wisdom that mirrors the facts of the world and Ratnasambhava with yellow, and the wisdom needed to recognize sameness, thus providing stability. Akshobya Akshobya associated with the water energy points to the constant flow and change, which brings uncertainty and fear; hence the issues we have to face on this first level are associated with safety and security in the world; amongst the chaos of the physical world we have to find our place. We live with the illusion that we find that by identifying with the gross physical body. From here derives the will to live and stand up for ourselves. A focus on the material world results from this. As we experience the gross world basically through the senses in this context /on this level we experience much pleasure and pain. Akshobya encourages us to find the needed security in ourselves rather than the outside world, and asks us to overcome hatred, lust, anger, greed and delusion. He offers to help us overcome the emphasis on the physical, material world and learn instead to give and receive. Many of us are stuck on this first level to more or less degree; we need help. Imbalances and stagnation in this energy-field can eventually lead even to physical illnesses (lower back-pain, gynecological and urinary track problems, rectal tumors and cancer and also depression, etc.), but Akshobya can help. These Dhyani Buddhas are looked upon as healers and guides and we can call upon these with seed-syllables and mantras. For Akshobya the seed syllable is Hum (or bam in some context) and the mantra: om vajra akshobya hum. (All disturbing energies, on all five levels can be let –go-of, balanced also with the mantra: shudde shudde soha plus the respective seed-syllable) Ratnasambhava  Ratnasambhava is the next one that helps us discover and heal ourselves; representing the earth element he gives stability and support which is needed in the ever changing world, especially on the mental level. Self-respect and self-confidence in relationship with others grow from his energy. With his help our perception widens and we learn from him, to give spiritually and mentally. However, if this energy is imbalanced, it can be expressed on the emotional level as pride, delusion and jealousy and on the physical level with such illnesses as gastric and duodenal ulcers, anorexia/bulimia, liver dis-functioning, etc. Whether we need balancing mentally or physically Ratnasambhava will help us, if we call upon his energy with the seed syllable Tram (or lam in some context) or the mantra:  Om Ratnasambhava tram Amitaba The third Meditation Symbol is Amitaba. He faces West and lives on the third level of the stupa.  We find he represents the energy-field of fire, has red as his color and represents the Element of Fire. He belongs to the Padma family. His mudra is that of meditation itself from here comes all transformation, even transcendence. Transformation comes from burning, burning leaves what is not needed behind; hence the gift of Amitabha is discriminating wisdom (Interesting that in many culture the direction of the West is the direction that brings concentration and clarity; it’s like the autumn that leaves summer/the world behind and “shrinks to the essence”). Amoghasiddhi In the North-face and on the fourth level we find Buddha Amoghasiddhi. He represents the Air Element (in many cultures, the North is the direction of the ancestral wisdom, and the air element is that which brings clarity). His mudra is abhaya (do not fear); he is green in color and belongs to the Karma kula (family). Encouraged to walk the higher path, one now has to decided what to leave behind, so to ascend one leaves the more manifest levels behind and walk towards enlightenment; now, that we have learned to discriminate what is useful on this path, what not - he protects, encourages and grants us freedom from fear. He encourages us to turn fear and anger into joy and love. If we achieve this, he grants us his blessing, the all- accomplishing wisdom. His mudra says: stand back, do not get involved, cultivate non- object- orientated love; let go of self-interest, loneliness, resentment … If there are imbalances they manifest on the physical level as lung disease, asthma, pneumonia, upper back problems etc. and on the emotional level as issues with clarity, intellect, with acceptance of change, with the ability to let go, etc. Yet Amoghasiddhi will help us; to call upon him we practice with the seed syllable ah (yam) and the mantra om  ah amoghasiddhi  hum. Vairochana The three statues inside the ninth century Mendut buddhist temple, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia, at the center is 3 metres tall statue of Dhyani Buddha Vairocana, at the left is Boddhisatva Avalokitesvara, at the right is Boddhisatva Vajrapani Finally towards the top of the stupa, there is the last level, but within are several smaller levels, elevated circles – just as “Space” has many levels; on these top- layers we find the fifth Dhyani Buddha: Vairochana, and the final great bell-stupa.Vairochana is associated with the Zenith, (Buddha or Tathagata family) and he grants the dhamadhatu wisdom.He appears in two forms, one (more related to manifest Space/as in the mahabhutas) with the gesture of reasoning and virtuous, and secondly we find him with the Dharmachakra mudra, turning the wheel of dharma. (Please note, not karma – but dharma). One could say the mudra represents the upholding the dharma beyond space and time; we would say in Yogic language, the sanatah dharma; the eternal laws. With this we reached the level that is no more concerned with the manifest, the mahabhutas, but we now find ourselves with Vairochana in the mahatattva, the higher mind, the higher buddhi, the great mind beyond the confines of individual mind.Some say this is the level of enlightenment; others connect it to the world of unlimited ideas, the highest intelligence, or even the experiencing of ultimate peace and divine love.Conventionally we can say we have reached the higher Chakras of mind and consciousness, Ajna Chakra and the Sahasra.  Vairochana stands for that level where individual mind is open towards the total mind, the all mind –pure consciousness.And it is said if these energy are imbalanced they might manifest as brain tumours and neurological disturbances, chronic fatigue, extreme sensitivity to light and sound etc… on the physical level. For working with Vairochana’s energy we work with his seed syllable - om (eh) and the mantra om vairochana hum. With his help total integration of the personality might be achieved and one develops trust into the divine – with his help only the highest ethical and humanitarian values are left, and a life to be lived in expanded consciousness governed by divine inspiration. On the top of the stupa On the top of the stupa in the three sub-circles we find 72 Mediation - Buddhas enclosed in their own stone- bells, their own caves, meditating for the benefit of the world, turning the wheel of dharma. Here is the soul’s place to rest in eternal meditation and live in unconditional joy.  The pilgrim too has reached a state of inner peace, and rejoices having concluded the meditative walk encircling each level, meditating on the relevant Buddha with its mantra.  Now the pilgrim, with a calm peaceful mind can look from high above the land onto the green fertile landscape below…until the security guards comes and gestures to “move on” – no sitting down to meditate! Keep walking….this is after all Indonesia’s biggest, most busy Tourist site! We are all Sudanas…in search of the Buddha The pilgrimage of Sudhana mirrors the IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE OF BORUBUDUR Gandavyuha- Sutra: Tells the story of Sudhana a youth from India who was seeking bodhi (enlightenment). At the behest of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, Sudhana takes a pilgrimage on his quest for enlightenment and studies under 53 "good friends", those who direct one towards the Way to Enlightenment. The 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō are a metaphor for Sudhana's journey. Avalokiteśvara is the 28th spiritual master Sudhana visits at Mount Potalaka. Sudhana's quest reaches it climax at when he meets Maitreya, the Future Buddha, who snaps his fingers, thereby opening the doors to his marvelous tower. Within the tower, Sudhana experiences all the dharmadhatus (dimensions or worlds) in a fantastic succession of visions. The final master he visits is Samantabhadra, who teaches Sudhana that wisdom only exists for the sake of putting it into practice. _______________________________________________________________________ 1.Founded by Emperor Taizu of Song  ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The Song often came into conflict with the contemporaneous Liao, Western Xia and Jin dynasties in northern China. After decades of armed resistance defending southern China, it was eventually conquered by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty The pilgrimage of Sudhana mirrors that of Gautama Buddha and the Gandavyuha sutra becomes very popular in China during the  Song dynasty which was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279,.when it was adapted and circulated in small amply illustrated booklets, each page dedicated to one of Sudhana's spiritual teachers.1 Direct translations from the Sanskrit name Avalokitasvara  in Chinese include Guānyīn  referring to the Mahāyāna bodhisattva of the same name. Another later name for this bodhisattva is Guānzìzài. It was initially thought that the Chinese mistransliterated the word Avalokiteśvara as Avalokitasvara which explained why Xuanzang translated it as Guānzìzài instead of Guānyīn. However, the original form was indeed Avalokitasvara with the ending svara ("sound, noise"), which means "sound perceiver", literally "he who looks down upon sound" (i.e., the cries of sentient beings who need his help). This is the exact equivalent of the Chinese translation Guānyīn. This etymology was furthered in the Chinese by the tendency of some Chinese translators, notably Kumārajīva, to use the variant Guānshìyīn, literally "who perceives the world's lamentations"-wherein lok was read as simultaneously meaning both "to look" and "world" (Sanskrit loka). Sudhana was a youth from India who was seeking bodhi (enlightenment). At the behest of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, Sudhana takes a pilgrimage on his quest for enlightenment and studies under 53 "good friends", those who direct one towards the Way to Enlightenment. The 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō are a metaphor for Sudhana's journey. Avalokiteśvara is the 28th spiritual master Sudhana visits at Mount Potalaka. Sudhana's quest reaches it climax at when he meets Maitreya, the Future Buddha, who snaps his fingers, thereby opening the doors to his marvelous tower. Within the tower, Sudhana experiences all the dharmadhatus (dimensions or worlds) in a fantastic succession of visions. The final master he visits is Samantabhadra, who teaches Sudhana that wisdom only exists for the sake of putting it into practice. The pilgrimage of Sudhana mirrors that of Gautama Buddha and the Gandavyuha sutra becomes very popular in China during the Song dynasty when it was adapted and circulated in small amply illustrated booklets, each page dedicated to one of Sudhana's spiritual teachers. Tale of Guanyin and the Southern Seas : Chapter 18 of the Complete Tale of Guanyin and the Southern Seas (,a 16th-century Ming dynasty novel, is the first text that established a connection between Shancai and Guanyin. In the tale, Shancai was a disabled boy from India who was very interested in studying the Buddha's teachings. At that time, Guanyin had just achieved enlightenment and had retired to Mount Putuo, an island in the South China Sea. When Shancai heard that there was a bodhisattva on Mount Putuo, he quickly journeyed there to learn from her despite his disability. An altar for Guanyin worship. Guanyin, after having a discussion with Shancai, decided to test his resolve to fully study the Buddhist Dharma. She transformed the trees and plants into sword-wielding pirates, who ran up the hill to attack them. Guanyin took off and dashed to the edge of a cliff and jumped off, with the pirates still in pursuit. Shancai, in his desperation to save Guanyin, jumped off after her. Shancai and Guanyin managed to reascend the cliff, and at this point, Guanyin asked Shancai to look down. Shancai saw his mortal remains at the foot of the cliff. Guanyin then asked him to walk and Shancai found that he could walk normally and that he was no longer crippled. When he looked into a pool of water, he also discovered that he now had a handsome face. From that day onwards, Guanyin taught Shancai the entire Buddhist dharma. Guanyin and Shancai later encountered the third daughter of the Dragon King, and in the process, Guanyin earned Longnü as a new acolyte. The Precious Scroll of Shancai and Longnü  or Shàncái Lóngnǚ Bǎozhuàn, an 18th or 19th century scroll comprising 29 folios, provides a different account on how Shancai and Longnü became the acolytes of Guanyin. This tale seems to have a Taoist origin. The story is set in the Qianfu era of the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang. A virtuous minister Chen Bao and his wife Lady Han are still childless when they are getting older. When Chen rejects his wife's recommendation to take a concubine, she suggested that they pray to the bodhisattva Guanyin for help. Guanyin saw that the couple was destined to not have any children, so she ordered a Boy Who Brings Wealth, to be born into the family. Lady Han soon gave birth to a boy, who was named Chen Lian. She died when his son was only five years old. A Yuan Dynasty hanging scroll depicting Shancai (walking on waves), the Filial Parrot (above), Guanyin and Longnü.RIGHT Kṣitigarbha This panorama depicts the penultimate chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra, centering on Sudhana (Shàncáitóngzǐ). In the chapter, Sudhana, in pursuit of enlightenment, goes on a pilgrimage to 53 different spiritual teachers (ranging from non-Buddhists to Bhikkhunīs to kings to devas to Bodhisattvas and so on) of which Guanyin is one. The central statue depicts Guanyin, the one on the right depicts Sudhana, and the rest of the figures depicts the other spiritual teachers. As a child, Chen Lian was not interested in civil or military pursuits, but rather, in religious enlightenment, much to his father's disapproval. At the age of seven, his father finally gave in to his pleas and allowed him to study under the tutelage of the Yellow Dragon Immortal. Chen Lian was renamed to Shancai and became a dutiful apprentice of the immortal. However, he ignored all of his father's requests to visit home during his apprenticeship. When his father's 60th birthday approached, Shancai was once again asked to go home for a visit. As his master was away, Shancai decided to return home since it was a special occasion. On his way down a mountain path, he heard a voice crying out for help. Upon investigation, he saw that it was a snake trapped in a bottle for the last 18 years. The snake begged Shancai to release her, and after Shancai did so, she revealed her true form as a giant serpent and wanted to eat him. When Shancai protested at the snake's behaviour, she argued that ēn, (an act of kindness) should be repaid with a feud, as is the way of nature. However, the snake agreed to bring the case before three judges. The first judge was the Golden Water Buffalo Star in human form. He agreed with the snake that given her past experiences with humans, she was right to repay Shancai's kindness by devouring him. The Buffalo related how he was forced out of Heaven by the bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha 1 into the human world to help humans plough the fields. Kṣitigarbha vowed that if the humans did not repay one's kindness by showing kindness in return, his eyes would fall out. As the Buffalo landed face first on Earth, he lost all his upper front teeth. He later suffered greatly, and after years of toiling for his human master, he was butchered and eaten. Because of this, Kṣitigarbha's eyes fell out and landed on Earth and transformed into snails, which buffaloes trample on when they plough the fields. The second judge was the Taoist master Zhuang Zhou, who also sided with the snake. He cited an incident where he resurrected a dead man, who repaid his kindness by bringing him to court and accusing him of stealing his money. The third judge was a young girl. The girl told the snake that she could eat her as well if the snake could show them how it was able to fit into the bottle she was released from. As soon as the snake wormed itself back into the bottle, it was trapped. The girl then revealed herself as Guanyin. When the snake begged for mercy, Guanyin told her that if she wanted to be saved she must engage in religious exercises in the Grotto of the Sounds of the Flood (present-day Fayu Temple) on Mount Putuo. Around this time, Guanyin also gained a new disciple, the Filial Parrot. Three years later, when Guanyin returned to Mount Putuo, she appeared to Shancai in the middle of the ocean. Shancai joined her in walking across the sea and became her acolyte. With the confirmation of his faith, Shancai's parents were reborn in Heaven. As for the snake, she committed herself to seven years of austerity and eventually cleansed itself of venom and produced a pearl. She transformed into Longnü and joined Shancai as an acolyte of Guanyin. LEFT Alter of Guanyin// Longnü depicted as a female bodhisattva in China in precious scrools RIGHT Dragon Girl Painting by Thomas Elliot Longnü  (or nāgakanyā; is Sanskrit meaning daughter of the Snakes also as Dragon Girl, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.Kṣitigarbha - क्षितिगर्भ,  is a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism and usually depicted as a Buddhist monk. His name may be translated as "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix", or "Earth Womb". Kṣitigarbha is known for his vow to take responsibility for the instruction of all beings in the six worlds between the death of Gautama Buddha and the rise of Maitreya, as well as his vow not to achieve Buddhahood until all hells are emptied. He is therefore often regarded as the bodhisattva of hell-beings, as well as the guardian of children and patron deity of deceased children and aborted fetuses in Japanese culture, where he is known as Jizō or Ojizō-sama.Usually depicted as a monk with a halo around his shaved head, he carries a staff to force open the gates of hell and a wish-fulfilling jewel to light up the darkness. along with Sudhana are considered acolytes of the bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) in Chinese Buddhism. Her presence in Guanyin's iconography was influenced by tantric sutras celebrating the esoteric Amoghapāśa and Thousand-armed forms of Guanyin, which mention Longnü offering Guanyin a priceless pearl in gratitude for the latter visiting the Dragon King's palace at the bottom of the ocean to teach the inhabitants her salvific dharani. There are no scriptural sources connecting both Sudhana and Longnü to Avalokiteśvara at the same time. It has been suggested that the acolytes are representations of the two major Mahāyāna texts, the Lotus Sūtra and the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, in which Longnü and Sudhana appear, respectively. The depiction of Longnü and Sudhana with Avalokiteśvara may have been influenced by Yunü (Jade Maiden) and Jintong (Golden Youth) who both appear in the iconography of the Jade Emperor. She is described as being the eight-year-old daughter of the Dragon King- Lóng Wáng;  which is King of Snakes in Sanskrit:-“ nāgarāja” of the East Sea. Folk Tales -Tale of the Southern Seas A single chapter in the Complete Tale of Avalokiteśvara and the Southern Seas - Nánhǎi Guānyīn Quánzhuàn, a sixteenth century Ming Dynasty novel is the first text that connects Longnü and Sudhana together as being acolytes of Avalokiteśvara. When the Dragon King's third son was out for swim in the sea in the form of a carp, he was captured by a fisherman. Unable to transform into his dragon form due to being trapped on land, he was going to be sold and butchered at the local market. Once Avalokiteśvara learned of his predicament, she gave Shancai all her money and sent her disciple to buy him from the market and set him free. Because the carp was still alive hours after it was caught, this drew a large crowd and soon a bidding war started due to people believing that eating this fish would grant them immortality. Shancai was easily outbid and begged the fish seller to spare the life of the fish, but to no avail and earning the scorn of the people at the market. It was then that Avalokiteśvara projected her voice from far away saying, "A life should definitely belong to one who tries to save it, not one who tries to take it". The crowd realizing their mistake soon dispersed and Shancai was able to bring the carp back to Avalokiteśvara and return it to the sea. As a token of gratitude, the Dragon King asked Ao Guang to bring the "Pearl of Light", but his granddaughter volunteers to go in his father's place instead. After offering the pearl to Avalokiteśvara, she decides to stay with her and become her disciple to learn the Buddhist Dharma. The above short discussion is about the legand of the Sudhana and his journey towards enlightenment. The Borobudur is also built as a BOOK. To read it one has to walk up the monument. This travel is like a cinema. From start to “THE END”- it relates all the aspects of Buddhism a novice needs to know so as to not exactly become enlightened but to realize what enlightenment is- The formula or the concept of enlightenment. Iconography for the Portrait of the Bodhisattva Guanyin In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is one who has attained enlightenment but chooses to delay the rewards of nirvana. Instead, he or she helps ordinary people reach enlightenment more easily and quickly. The wise and compassionate bodhisattva known as Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit, and Guanyin in China, was frequently prayed to for assistance. Iconography is the reading of symbols in a painting or sculpture. Be an art detective and use the clues below to read the picture of Guanyin. Sudhanakumara  or Sudhana Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism) Sudhanakumāra (सुधनकुमार) is the name of a deity sometimes seen accompanying Mañjuśrī, as depicted in Buddhist Iconography.-In his simplest form Mañjuśrī carries the sword in his right hand and the Prajñāpāramitā manuscript in his left. In representations sometimes the two symbols are placed on lotuses. Sometimes Mañjuśrī is accompanied only by Yamāri, sometimes only by his Śakti or female counterpart, sometimes by Sudhanakumāra and Yamāri and sometimes again by the four divinities, Jālinīprabha (also called Sūryaprabha), Candraprabha, Keśinī and Upakeśinī. Though the last four are required to be present with Arapacana, they are nevertheless found in others also. The formula of Enlightenment according to UNESCO According to UNESCO, the main temple is a stupa built in three tiers around a hill which was a natural centre: 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 2,520 m2. Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. The vertical division of Borobudur Temple into base, body, and superstructure perfectly accords with the conception of the Universe in Buddhist cosmology. It is believed that the universe is divided into three superimposing spheres, kamadhatu, rupadhatu, and arupadhatu, representing respectively the sphere of desires where we are bound to our desires, the sphere of forms where we abandon our desires but are still bound to name and form, and the sphere of formlessness where there is no longer either name or form. At Borobudur Temple, the kamadhatu is represented by the base, the rupadhatu by the five square terraces, and the arupadhatu by the three circular platforms as well as the big stupa. The whole structure shows a unique blending of the very central ideas of ancestor worship, related to the idea of a terraced mountain, combined with the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana. The Temple should also be seen as an outstanding dynastic monument of the Syailendra Dynasty that ruled Java for around five centuries until the 10th century. The Borobudur Temple Compounds consists of three monuments: namely the Borobudur Temple and  two smaller temples situatued to the east on a straight axis to Borobudur. The two temples are Mendut Temple, whose depiction of Buddha is represented by a formidable monolith accompanied by two Bodhisattvas, and Pawon Temple, a smaller temple whose inner space does not reveal which deity might have been the object of worship. Those three monuments represent phases in the attainment of Nirvana. The temple was used as a Buddhist temple from its construction until sometime between the 10th and 15th centuries when it was abandoned. Since its re-discovery in the 19th century and restoration in the 20th century, it has been brought back into a Buddhist archaeological site. Criterion (i): Borobudur Temple Compounds with its stepped, unroofed pyramid consisting of ten superimposing terraces, crowned by a large bell-shaped dome is a harmonious marriage of stupas, temple and mountain that is a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture and monumental arts. Criterion (ii): Borobudur Temple Compounds is an outstanding example of Indonesia’s art and architecture from between the early 8th and late 9th centuries that exerted considerable influence on an architectural revival between the mid-13th and early 16th centuries. Criterion (vi): Laid out in the form of a lotus, the sacred flower of Buddha, Borobudur Temple Compounds is an exceptional reflection of a blending of the very central idea of indigenous ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana. The ten mounting terraces of the entire structure correspond to the successive stages that the Bodhisattva has to achieve before attaining to Buddhahood. CREATION of the IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE Creating an immersive experience is no small endeavor. There are myriad opportunities to influence your visitors’ perceptions, but they must work together in a seamless manner. Your purpose and the story you want to tell will help guide the decisions that come after. Today the use of technology, storytelling, and space to convey a message, educate, or entertain transports visitors to another time and/or place. It is an opportunity to engage with customers/Visitors/ in a unique and powerful way. Today they have 6 Tips for Creating an Immersive Experience Know your purpose. Delivering an immersive experience is exciting. ... Tell a story. ... Engage the senses. ... Sum of its parts Personalize the experience. ... Incorporate visitor interaction. Know your purpose. Delivering an immersive experience is exciting. But to be effective, you need to know what it is you’re trying to achieve. Are you looking to entertain? Educate? Increase brand awareness? Understanding why you’re building an immersive experience will help you… Tell a story. Great content is the foundation for your immersive experience, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is your opportunity to tell a story in a way that you want it to be told—you have control over the content as well as its delivery. Remember, a story has a beginning, middle, and end, as well as a cast of characters. Consider what role your visitors will play in the story, and the message you want to leave them with. Engage the senses. The more the better. An immersive experience should evoke emotion and imagination. The best way to do that is to incorporate the senses through details that bring the experience to life. Sound, imagery, the temperature of the room, the smell and feel of the air… Every detail brings visitors deeper into your story. Sum of its parts: A successful immersive experience is the sum of its parts, and sometimes the simplest use of technology is the best solution. Personalize the experience. A responsive environment can help create a personalized experience for each visitor. For example, when properly integrated, an RFID badge can trigger a greeting in the guest’s native language while seamlessly granting them access to various areas of a space, be it an office building, museum, or amusement park. Incorporate visitor interaction. Involving your guest in the experience through interaction allows them to engage in a meaningful way. This will help increase the likelihood of buy-in and continued engagement while creating a longer lasting memory. Visitors will have a stake in the outcome and feel empowered as an active participant as opposed to a passive viewer. HOW DOES BOROBUDUR CREATE THIS IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE? There are almost 1,300 narrative panels illustrating the life of Buddha and Buddhistic texts, the largest and most complete collection of Buddhist relief in the world. These religious illustrated texts consists of 6 different Mahayana Buddhist Doctrines: KARMAVIBHANGHA, LALITAVISTARA, JATAKA, AVADANAS, GANDAVYUHA, AND BHADRACHARI (SOEKMONO, 1976). All of these six manuscripts are carved 2,500 meters, long of stone inscriptions on 4 consecutive galleries walls the very first engraved image of the manuscripts start from east gate on gallery 1 circulating to the left, following round 1,2,3,------ 10, as shown. Table1: For every Buddhist Monks, it is Day (VESAKA DAY), and to walk around the galleries and terraces always turning to the left & keeping the edifice to the right while either chanting or meditating. In total, Borobudur temple represent the ten levels of a Boddhisattav’s life which they must develop to become a perfect and full enlightenment of a Buddha. TABLE 1: All of 1460 Relief and Manuscript. ROUND- RELIEF’S LOCATION – NO. OF PANELS- MANUSCRIPTS Hidden Basement- 160 – KARMAVIBANGGAS - Main wall of gallery o – 1212 – DECORATIVE PANELS 1. Gallery 1, upper main wall- 120- LALITAVISTARA 2. Gallery 1, lower main wall- 120- JATAKAS & AYADANAS 3. Gallery 1, Balustrade, upper wall- 372- JATAKAS & AYADANAS 4. Gallery1, Balustrade, lower wall- 128- JATAKAS & AYADANAS 5. Gallery 2, Balustrade,- 100- JATAKAS & AYADANAS 6. Gallery 2, main wall- 128- GANDAVYUHA 7. Gallery 3, main wall- 88- GANDAVYUHA 8. Gallery 3, Balustrade- 84- GANDAVYUHA 9. Gallery 4, Balustrade- 84- GANDAVYUHA 10. Gallery 4, main wall- 72- BHADRACARI On the highest terrace, arupadhatu level has no relief or decoration but has 3 Sub-terraces (balcony), circular in shape with round walls: circle without beginning or end. Here is the place of the seventy-two Vajrasattvas or Dhyani Buddha tucked into small stupas. each of the statues in the temple has a mudra (hand gesture) indicating one of the four directions: east, with the mudra of calling the earth to witness (Bhumisparca mudra); South, with the hand position symbolizing of charity and blessings (Vara mudra); west, with the gesture of meditation (Dhyana mudra); North, the mudra of fearlessness (Abhaya mudra); and the centre/ Zenith (DHARMACAKRA MUDRA) with land gesture of teaching. Visitors as participants KARMAVIBHANGHA is the first manuscript describing the doctrine of cause and effect as well as good and evil. The pains of hell and pleasure of heaven are illustrated on the karma-vibhanga manuscript. There are also praiseworthy activities that include charity and pilgrimage to sanctuaries and there subsequent rewards on this relief. The complete Series of 160 panels on Karmavibhangga relief is not visible as it is hidden and surrounded by broad base of stone walls. Only parts of the southeast temple wall were dismantled for visitors, which are represented by panel numbers: 19,20,21& 22. LALITVISTARA is the second manuscript, & represent the life of Buddha Gautama from His birth until His first sermon at Banaras. The Relief story of Lalitvistara starts from the glorious descent of the Lord Buddha from the TWSHITA HEAVEN prior to Gautam’s birth & ends with his first serman is the Deer Park in Benares. The most famous relief on the Lalitvistara story is the birth of Buddha as Prince Siddharta, son of king Suddhana and Queen Maya at Lumbini Park outside the Kapilvastu city. On the full round on the first gallery (upper main gallery) was dedicated to this manuscript with total number of 120 panels. The 3rd script, Jatakamala or Garland of Jatakas is a collection of poems consisting of 34 Jatakas. Based on manuscript written by Aryacara in the 4th century these Jatakas contains stories on great deeds performed by Buddha in his former lives preparing for Buddhahood. These episodes of reincarnations serve as example of self-sacrifice. Similar to Jatakas, 4th script of AVADANAS narrative is devoted for Buddha, but the main figure is not Bodhisattva (Prince Siddharta) himself. The sainly deeds in Avadanas are attributed to other legendary persons. Both Jatakas and Avadanas are treated in one and the same series of 720 relief panels. The 5th and longest manuscript is described in Gandavyuha: gallery 2,3&4. Gandhavyuha, Sometimes referred to as a Mahayana pilgrims progress. Describes Sudhana, son of a rich merchant who meets several Bodhisattvas, in His aim to reach the highest wisdom, two of these spiritual teachers of Bodhisattvas are Maitreya (future Buddha). SAMANTABHADRA: The Lord of the truth in Buddhism who represents the practice and meditation of all Buddhas. A total of 388 panels present the Gandavyuha text. At last manuscript, Bhadrachari doctrine is represented in the 4th gallery. It comprises panels with the pledge of Sudhana to follow examples and teachings of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. The narrative panels on Bhadrachari and with the Sudhana’s achievement of the Supreme knowledge and the Ultimate Truth. All 72 panels on main wall of gallery 4 are dedicated for the Bhadrachari. As a descendent of a noble family, Good wealth started a quest of “Kingliness without and sageliness within”. This ended up in the pinnacle of the Buddhist experience: emptiness, to be filled and overflow by the nectar of loving kindness. Apparently, This kind of seeking by affluent youngmen is an archetypical pattern in the Buddhists lore throughout Asia during those days. Stone construction details at Borobudur temple, base of platform or level. Candi Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. THEMED PERSPECTIVE From your first step to last experiencing the magic of themed perspective into Borobudur offers the ultimate vehicle for innovations in storytelling technology and immersive experiences that keep us all wanting more. Even in this uncertain era and as the technological landscape reshapes, there is much to celebrate about the innovative and impactful nature of the Stupa site and the powerful moments and memories that lie at its core.Leveraging Powerful Storytelling Technology that Leaves a Lasting Impact Designers of Borubudur created a masterpiece which they knew will stun the visitor, educate the wanderer and leave an lasting impression on the minds of all those who look at it closely. It is great storytelling one can relate to, whether it’s about books they would have read or even places of religion and worship they have visited. Finding a reference that resonates with the life of the visitors is Borobudur’s key to success as an themed entertainment experience. Forgive me for saying so and I an not being disrespectful, but Gunadharma was himself like Sudhama when he took upon himself the cudgels of transforming an idea that he sahed with the Srivijaya rulers and takng their backing to see it into fruition. Attraction design, religious experience , awesome size and details, gigantic task to be overcome all over-whelm the visitor and all play a role, but it’s really leaps in narrative experiences that has resulted in forging the path forward for Borobudur as No 1 then and still No 1 now! Narrative is at the heart of human experience, and no amount of thrill will get visitors through the doors again and again without a story to tie it all together. Whether adapting an existing story to the themed cinema like entertainment setting or crafting a wholly original narrative, getting it right and making the way it’s presented has been the success factor for the awe that Borobudur inspites in all those who visit it closely looking at it. Borobudur has to be immersed into. If one looks at it from afar and says : “ oh wow. Big thing!” and then goes away- Borobudur’s knockout shock is not for him because he will not have felt it. It is only those who climg from the “Ground Floor” to the top watching the cinema of buddhism –floor through floor will feel authentic and critical. Visitors climbing the stairs Having climbed the stairs, visitors reach the top but on the way they are displayed the Buddhist scriptures to enlighten and educate them. Here are some strategies that Gunadharma used to create this memorable experience through storytelling: Pan out and display the entirety of the story and setting to bring it to life in a way that feels holistic. Think about the narrative in layers of engagement. From visitors just passing through to the most obsessive of Buddhism fans, everyone needs to identify with and understand the story you’re looking to tell. Use of carvings, statutes, Balustrades, stairs, passages all technology of those days to enlighten and entertain but not to become the STAR. Consideration of the location and region of the structure. Giving the visitor or “audience” more information to truly be immersed in the story step by step. No narrative or memorable experience reaches its full impact without immersion: When guests take in themed entertainment they want to be transported. They want to be fully immersed in the world that has been created, not feel like they’re an outsider looking in at the fun. The quickest way to ensure immersion is to engage and surround the guest with the experience, not have them simply watch it unfold on a screen or in person before them. At the same time, however, immersion can also be broken by “technology” that’s too overbearing and in the guests’ face. The goal should be to integrate technological solutions into the world that has been created in such a way that the visitor never knows it’s there, yet feels its impact at all time. To achieve this, it’s critical to work in delivering end-to-end, holistic strategies and plans that result in powerful experiences. They did not think it enough to simply throw the “technology” into a space – it was thoroughly integrated into the very bones of the physical location and narrative atmosphere. Borobudur and the experience of meaning Read my article (https://www.scribd.com/document/547160527/Geometry-Geomancy-And-Theology-at-Borobudurv) Experience is the fact or state of having been affected by or gained knowledge through direct observation or participationand includes practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from direct observation of or participation in events or in a particular activity and meaning on the other hand includes the thing one intends to convey especially by language - implication of a hidden or special significance. Borobudur is one such monument that one has to experience and understand the meaning of. 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. 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. 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 hand. The vast series of reliefs about three feet (one metre) high on the exterior walls of the terraces would thus be read by the visitor in series from right to left. Between the reliefs are decorative scroll panels, and a hundred monster-head waterspouts carry off the tropical rainwater. The gates on the stairways between terraces are of the standard Indonesian type, with the face of the Kala monster at the apex spouting his scrolls. The reliefs of the lowest level illustrate scenes that show the causal workings of good and bad deeds through successive reincarnations. They show, for example, how those who hunt, kill, and cook living creatures, such as tortoises and fish, are themselves cooked in hells or die as children in their next life. They show how foolish people waste their time at entertainments. From these scenes of everyday life, one moves to the terraces above, where the subject matter becomes more profound and metaphysical. It illustrates important Mahayana texts dealing with the self-discovery and education of the bodhisattva, conceived as being possessed by compassion for and devoted wholly to the salvation of all creatures. The reliefs on the uppermost terraces gradually become more static. The sensuous roundness of the forms of the figures is not abated, but, in the design, great emphasis is laid upon horizontals and verticals and upon static, formal enclosures of repeated figures and gestures. At the summit all movement disappears, and the design is entirely subordinated to the circle enclosing the stupa. The aesthetic and technical mastery of Borobudur, and also its sheer size, has evoked the sense of grandeur and pride for Indonesians. Just like Angkor Wat for Cambodia, Borobudur has become a powerful symbol for Indonesia — to testify for its past greatness. Indonesia's first President Sukarno made a point of showing the site to foreign dignitaries. The Suharto regime — realized its important symbolic and economic meanings — diligently embarked on a massive project to restore the monument with the help from UNESCO. Many museums in Indonesia contain a scale model replica of Borobudur. The monument has become almost an icon, grouped with the wayang puppet play and gamelan music into a vague classical Javanese past from which Indonesians are to draw inspiration. Several archaeological relics taken from Borobudur or its replica have been displayed in some museums in Indonesia and abroad. Other than Karmawibhangga Museum within Borobudur temple ground, some museums boast to host relics of Borobudur, such as Indonesian National Museum in Jakarta, Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, British Museum in London, and Thai National Museum in Bangkok. Louvre museum in Paris, Malaysian National Museum in Kuala Lumpur, and Museum of World Religions in New Taipei also displayed the replica of Borobudur. The monument has drawn global attention to the classical Buddhist civilization of ancient Java. The rediscovery and reconstruction of Borobudur has been hailed by Indonesian Buddhists as the sign of the Buddhist revival in Indonesia. In 1934, Narada Thera, a missionary monk from Sri Lanka, visited Indonesia for the first time as part of his journey to spread the Dharma in Southeast Asia. This opportunity was used by a few local Buddhists to revive Buddhism in Indonesia. A Bodhi Tree planting ceremony was held in Southeastern side of Borobudur on 10 March 1934 under the blessing of Narada Thera, and some Upasakas were ordained as monks. Once a year, thousands of Buddhist from Indonesia and neighboring countries flock to Borobudur to commemorate national Waisak celebration. Behind the splendor of the great temple built by Syailendra dynasty on the 8th century AD which is also known as one of the 7 wonders of the world. Till this day, the Borobudur temple was still leaves some big question marks about its existence. The temple has been described in a number of ways. Its basic structure resembles that of a pyramid, yet it has been also referred to as a caitya (shrine), a stupa (reliquary), and a sacred mountain. In fact, the name Śailendra literally means “Lord of the Mountain.” While the temple exhibits characteristics of all these architectural configurations, its overall plan is that of a three-dimensional mandala—a diagram of the cosmos used for meditation—and it is in that sense where the richest understanding of the monument occurs. The emblem of Central Java province and Magelang Regency bears the image of Borobudur. It has become the symbol of Central Java, and also Indonesia on a wider scale. Borobudur has become the name of several establishments, such as Borobudur University, Borobudur Hotel in Central Jakarta, and several Indonesian restaurants abroad. Borobudur has appeared on Rupiah banknotes and stamps and in numbers of books, publications, documentaries and Indonesian tourism promotion materials. The monument has become one of the main tourism attraction in Indonesia, vital for generating local economy in the region surrounding the temple. The tourism sector of the city of Yogyakarta for example, flourishes partly because of its proximity to Borobudur and Prambanan temples. Moving past the base and through the four galleries, the devotee emerges onto the three upper terraces, encountering 72 stupas each containing a three-dimensional sculpture of a seated Buddha within a stone latticework. At the temple’s apex sits the large central stupa, a symbol of the enlightened mind. While the sheer size and scope of a mandala structure such as this makes the site of Borobudur, worthy of admiration, it is important to understand how the experience of Borobudur relates to the philosophic and spiritual underpinnings of the Buddhist religion it reifies and commemorates. Since its inception, roughly 2500 years ago, Buddhism has directly engaged what it sees as the paradoxical nature of human existence. The most essential tenet the religion promulgates is the impermanent, transient nature of existence. Transcendental wisdom via the Dharma (the Noble Eight-Fold Path) hinges on recognizing that attachment to the idea of a fixed, immutable “self” is a delusion. Enlightenment entails embracing the concept of “no-self” (anattā), understood to be at the heart of eliminating the suffering and dissatisfaction (dukkha) of sentient beings. This is the ultimate message expressed in the sacred scriptures that are solidified in artistic magnificence along the stone walls and railings of Borobudur. The physical movement of circumambulating the structure symbolizes the non-physical—or spiritual—path of enlightenment. In a real sense, then, the concept of path within Borobudur monumentalizes the impermanent. Like a river that is never the same from moment to moment, to physically move along the path while meditating on the spiritual message of the sutras is meant to help one fully embrace the Buddha’s paradoxical message of impermanence. Borobudur differs markedly from the general design of other structures built for this purpose. Instead of being built on a flat surface, Borobudur is built on a natural hill. However, construction technique is similar to other temples in Java. Without the inner spaces seen in other temples, and with a general design similar to the shape of pyramid, Borobudur was first thought more likely to have served as a stupa, instead of a temple. A stupa is intended as a shrine for the Buddha. Sometimes stupas were built only as devotional symbols of Buddhism. A temple, on the other hand, is used as a house of worship. The meticulous complexity of the monument's design suggests that Borobudur is in fact a temple. Little is known about Gunadharma, the architect of the complex. His name is recounted from Javanese folk tales rather than from written inscriptions. The basic unit of measurement used during construction was the tala, defined as the length of a human face from the forehead's hairline to the tip of the chin or the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the middle finger when both fingers are stretched at their maximum distance. The unit is thus relative from one individual to the next, but the monument has exact measurements. A survey conducted in 1977 revealed frequent findings of a ratio of 4:6:9 around the monument. The architect had used the formula to lay out the precise dimensions of the fractal and self-similar geometry in Borobudur's design. This ratio is also found in the designs of Pawon and Mendut, nearby Buddhist temples. Archeologists have conjectured that the 4:6:9 ratio and the tala have calendrical, astronomical and cosmological significance, as is the case with the temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The main structure can be divided into three components: base, body, and topThe base is 123 m × 123 m (404 ft × 404 ft) in size with 4 metres (13 ft) walls. The body is composed of five square platforms, each of diminishing height. The first terrace is set back 7 metres (23 ft) from the edge of the base. Each subsequent terrace is set back 2 metres (6.6 ft), leaving a narrow corridor at each stage. The top consists of three circular platforms, with each stage supporting a row of perforated stupas, arranged in concentric circles. There is one main dome at the center, the top of which is the highest point of the monument, 35 metres (115 ft) above ground level. Stairways at the center of each of the four sides give access to the top, with a number of arched gates overlooked by 32 lion statues. The gates are adorned with Kala's head carved on top of each and Makaras 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 Art of Mandala – Rituals Today Buddhist lamas or priests draw Mandalas which are beautiful works of art. They also aid in the exploration of deep and divine concepts. Initiation rituals help to define the sacred space of a mandala. They come with a beautiful set of highly symbolic accessories. Before the mandala ritual takes place, practitioners use the tantric hand dagger to eliminate negative forces that may inhabit the space. The mandala is a central entity in Hinduism and Buddhism and is the generic name for any plan or chart, which represents the cosmos (MICHEL, 1977). In Sanskrit mandala means ‘circle and center’ or ‘Holy Circle’ and points to its cyclic character. This circle is often embedded in a square, being a symbolic rendering of the surface of the earth (Prithvi). The earth is  ‘Caturbhsti’ or ‘four cornered’. The Vaasta Purusha mandala is a specific type of mandala used in Vaastu Shastra, representing a metaphysical plan of a building or temple in relation to the course of the heavenly bodies and supernatural forces. Purusha refers to the energy and power, which is generated by the understanding of this cosmic presence. The form is a square, subdivided in smaller squares. The number of subdivisions can vary and each type has a distinct name and is used in a specific context. The central area is called the Brahma-sthana, because Brahma or some other prominent deity concerned with the creation usually occupies it. The building (of a temple) takes place from a chosen grid, dedicated to a particular deity. Planetary divinities are arranged around the Bramasthana. The central place, being the most important part of the building, remains unbuilt. The cosmic man or mahapurusha, drawn on a temple mandala indicates the relation between parts of the body and the meaning of its position within the architectonic setting. The outlay of a temple is subject to the principle of vimana, meaning ‘well-measured’ or ‘well-proportioned’. This picture is derived from an ancient manual of architecture. The main axis runs here from south-east to north west (head), but an orientation from south-west to north-east is also known. The square and rectangular outlay: The ‘Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture’ by Michael MEISTER (1988/1991) says that the Indian temple architecture, both in its northern and southern variety, are deeply inspired by a tetradic consciousness. The square and rectangular outlay, if possible orientated along an east-west axis, with the entrance to the east, is the main characteristic. In front of the doorway is often a pillared hall, or mandapa. The attention to the four directions, either in the form of entrances or stairs, is prominent. The layout of Borobudur is in fact a cosmological map of the Buddhist universe. Seen from above the shape of the pyramid is that of a traditional mandala whereby a square with four cardinal entry points gives way to a circular centre point. Moving from outside to inside one crosses three regions of Buddhist cosmology; Kamadhatu is the realm of desires, that of ordinary people; Rupadhatu is the realm of forms, where beings have controlled their earthly desires but are still bounded by physical form; Arupadhatu is the formless realm, of beings who have achieved sufficient merit to escape not just desires but even form and location. Aerial view of the concentric circulatory The beginnings of the Buddhist school of architecture can be traced back to B.C. 255 when the Mauryan emperor Asoka established Buddhism as the state religion of his large empire. Buddhism spread rapidly throughout India and other parts of Asia. Buddhism was, as it were, a graphic creed, and correspondingly its expansion was accompanied by a distinctive style of architecture that expressed the teachings of the Buddha. In India this early Buddhist art was influenced to a large extent by Asoka. He was responsible for the construction of several stupas, which are sacred mounds of brick commemorative of the Buddha. Asoka also constructed stone pillars symbolizing his creed. These were lofty free-standing monolithic columns erected on sacred sites. The most famous of these is at Sarnath. From at least the third century B.C., Buddhist ritual focused on stupas, stylized replicas of the mounds of earth in which early Buddhists interred relics of the Buddha. Beginning in the first century B.C., Buddhist monks in western India began manipulating the physical shape of monastic stupas to make them appear taller and more massive than they actually were. These manipulations were used to help assert authority over the Buddhist laity. Employing theories of practice, materiality, and semiotics, later stupas became symbols of the Buddha and Buddhist theology. The Buddhist image cult and Mahayana Buddhism emerged in the first through fifth centuries A.D. due to this change.The development of Mahayana Buddhism and Buddha images signified a return to iconic worship of the Buddha. 1 Buddhist Architecture and Sculpture The Stupa in India first built in the second century BCE to house the Buddha’s relics was later used as symbolic or commemorative purposes. Then Buddhism which started in India reached China at the Han Dynasty (67CE). Together with the literature of teachings came the need for architecture to receive the holy relics as well as to establish educational institutions for Buddhism. So this is the beginning of Buddhist architecture in China. With the fusion of Buddhism and the Han culture and technology, pagodas were built. These buildings find their shapes and sizes in great variety as they appeared in different places. How these forms relate to the philosophy of Buddhism will be discussed. On the other hand, Buddhism was disseminated directly into Tibet in the seventh century. Indian Stupas were also transformed through local culture and technology into Tibetan Chorten. These can be placed within temples or individually. different symbolic meanings of these Stupa, Pagoda and Chorten in the context of the philosophy of Buddhism. 1 Stupas evolved over time from simple funerary monuments to elaborately decorated objects of veneration. Emperor Ashoka, who ruled from 274–236 BCE during the Maurya Dynasty , is said to have redistributed the relics housed in the original stupas of the Buddha into thousands of stupas throughout India. All stupas contain a treasury , a Tree of Life, and small offerings known as Tsa-Tsas. It is believed that the more objects placed into the treasury, the stronger the stupa’s energy. There are five types of stupas: Relic stupas, Object stupas, Commemorative stupas, Symbolic stupas and Votive stupas. A stupa is thought to bring enlightenment to the one who builds and owns it; it is also considered a placed of worship for many Buddhists. Structure and Style While they can vary visually, all stupas have a few features in common. Every stupa contains a treasury filled with various objects—small offerings, or Tsa-Tsas, fill the majority of the treasury, while jewelry and other precious objects are also placed within. It is believed that the more objects placed into the treasury, the stronger the stupa’s energy. The Tree of Life, a wooden pole covered with gems and mantras , is an important element of every stupa and is placed in the stupa’s central channel during an initiation ceremony , where participants’ most powerful wishes are stored. There are five types of stupas: Relic stupas, in which the relics of Buddha and other religious persons are buried. Object stupas, in which the objects belonging to Buddha or his disciples are buried. Commemorative stupas, built to commemorate events in the life of Buddha and his disciples. Symbolic stupas, built to symbolize various aspects of Buddhist theology. Votive stupas, constructed to commemorate visits or gain spiritual benefits. In the Buddhist religion, it is believed that a stupa brings enlightenment to the one who builds and owns it. In addition, the stupa is considered a place of worship, and many Buddhists complete pilgrimages to significant stupas. ______________________________________________________________________________ Stupa, Pagoda and Chorten: origin and meaning of Buddhist Architecture W.Wong,2014https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Stupa%2C-Pagoda-and-Chorten%3A-origin-and-meaning-of-Wong/512d89e26a97af79c13b81d7d231525fb4ab86ba#paper-header According to Shubham Jaiswal in his paper Genesis of Stupas (Conference: International Conference of Architectural Science Association 2019,Geethanjali Raman,Shubham Jaiswal,Avlokita Agrawal https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339676008_GENESIS_OF_STUPAS) Architecturally speaking, the earliest and most basic interpretation of stupa is nothing but a dust burial mound. However, the historic significance of this built form has evolved through time, as has its rudimentary structure. The massive dome-shaped “anda” form which has now become synonymous with the idea of this Buddhist shrine, is the result of years of cultural, social and geographical influences. The beauty of this typology of architecture lies in its intricate details, interesting motifs and immense symbolism, reflected and adapted in various local contexts across the world. Today, the word “stupa” is used interchangeably while referring to monuments such as pagodas, wat, etc. This paper is, therefore, an attempt to understand the ideology and the concept of a stupa, with a focus on tracing its history and transition over time. The main objective of the research is not just to understand the essence of the architectural and theological aspects of the traditional stupa but also to understand how geographical factors, advances in material, and local socio-cultural norms have given way to a much broader definition of this word, encompassing all forms, from a simplistic mound to grand, elaborate sanctums of great value to architecture and society as a whole. This word is now used for the pre-eminent type of Buddhist monument, which is at least a freestanding mound, usually with a circular drum (Medhi) forming the base for a massive solid dome (anda) topped by a turret (chattri), while the bell or dome-shaped mound covers the relics or holy objects At its simplest, a stupa is a dirt burial mound faced with stone. Stupas exist all over the world and are one of the oldest Buddhist monuments. Historically, stupas have been symbolize and represent the following elements: 1. The Buddha, 2. The path to Enlightenment, 3. A mountain and 4. The universe all at the same time. A stupa, which was conceived as a simple monument for the Buddha’s corporeal relics, has over time transformed in its form and nomenclature and resulted in various types of structures all over the world. In some regions, even supplementary structures like monasteries have come up alongside stupas, fuelling the inception of new Buddhist orders and sects. However, the core ideology of the stupa remains constant throughout each new development, as does its symbolism and several crucial architectural features. These characteristics must, therefore, be given due consideration and importance while designing any stupa project. Simple pic to introduce the perspective of stupas In her article on Symbolism of a Stupa1 , Supriya Sinha believes that Containment finds significance in the vedic corpus, and, antedates it, as is evident from depictions in Indus valley seals .This decryption at the emblematic level begs an obvious question. What would compel a heterodox religion to attach itself with conventional symbolism? The dichotomy is explicable if one views the stupa as a product of its times. A time when structural aspects were based not on functional, utilitarian foundations but on deeply spiritual conceptions. The act of creation, as Coomarswamy has famouly said, was an act of replication.”We must do what the gods did in the beginning. Thus the gods did; thus men do.” The stupa, in its meaning, is replete with this primordial injunction and its appropriation reflects fundamental, primal, human motivations. At another level, this inclusion may have been necessitated by the dynamics of the existing religious milieu. A rudimentary situation analysis of the moment in time when this fledgling religion operated, and, when the first stupa was instituted, reveals the case of a relatively new entrant jostling for space against a dominant ideology. Of an incumbent mythology replete with cosmological interpretations and paradigmatic creator gods. In this setting, legitimacy would require equally potent antecedents. What better way to consecrate the remains of the one, who, like the Vedic god, Indra was born from his mother’s side than to have the sacred place of his interment evoke the archetypal feat of Indra? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (http://thesacredspace.in/?p=163#:~:text=In%20its%20most%20fundamental%20essence,the%20remains%20of%20the%20Buddha%20.&text=In%20its%20earliest%20meanings%2C%20the,the%20remains%20of%20the%20Buddha%20) Parikrama or Pradakshina refers to circumambulation of sacred places to imbibe their energy in Sikh, Hindu, Jain or Buddhist context, and the path along which this is performed. Parikrama means "the path surrounding something" in Sanskrit, and is also known as Pradakshina ("to the right"), representing circumambulation. Both words are mostly used in the context of religious deities in a temple, sacred rivers, sacred hills and a close cluster of temples, and "doing a parikrama" as a symbol of prayer is an integral part of Hindu worship. In Hinduism and other Indian religions, the Parikrama inside temples or sacred sites is traditionally clockwise. Most Hindu temples and Buddhist Stupa include various Pradakshina paths. Pradakshina paths are defined. as: Circumbulatory or pathway around the shrine of the temples by keeping time is a common form of prayer in India.It includes Narmada,Shetrunjaya,Girnar. This pathway made of stone around the shrine is called Pradakshina path. Parikrama is also practiced in Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Pic shows circumambulatory path of a STUPA( Left Pic ) and Hindu temple. There could be one surrounding the main deity, other paths could be broader being concentric to the main path. However, it is not uncommon to find non-concentric parikrama paths in a single temple structure. At times the outermost parikrama path covers the whole village/town/city, thereby implying that the length of the path can stretch. Parikrama is done around sacred fire (Agni – the fire God), Tulsi plant (Ocimum tenuiflorum) and Peepal tree. Parikrama of Agni or Agni Pradakshina is a part of the Hindu marriage ceremony. Some of the Parikramas are Narmada River, Govardhan hill, Vrindavan, Vraj Mandala, Dwadash Madhav parikrama Tirthraj Prayag, Ayodhya, Girnar, Chitrakoot hill, Varanasi, Mathura, and Mathura-Vrindavan yugalabandi in Kartik ..... Typically, Parikrama is done after the completion of traditional worship (puja) and after paying homage to the deity. Parikrama is supposed to be done with a meditative mood. The pathway made of granite stone around the shrine is called the Pradakshina path. Pradakshina around the sacred fire is a part of the Hindu marriage ceremony. Schematic drawing of traffic (in black) and circumambulation (in blue) routes around stupa, south end of Zhongdian Town. In Buddhism circumambulation or pradakhshina has been an important ritual since early times. Sacred structures such as stupa or images have a pradakhshina path around them. The chaitya is a distinct ancient type of building that only survives in Indian rock-cut architecture, a hall with a stupa at the far end, always built with a rounded apse-like end, to allow pradakhshina.[14] A mandapa (prayer hall), added in the front transforms the original stupa into the stupa shrine — as a sacred entity which requires a circumambulatory path around it for the purpose of worship. The whole structure is planned in such a way that it becomes the centre of the mandala and symbolically represents Mount Meru. Buddhist faithful may perform pradakhshina by prostrating themselves at every step, thus greatly prolonging the process. The most extreme pradakhshina is that of the sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet, a mountain trek some 52 km (32 mi) long, at altitudes between 15,000 ft (4,600 m) and 18,200 ft (5,500 m). This may also be undertaken by Hindus and Jains, and some pilgrims progress by prostration, taking some weeks. Further according to Ms. Supriya Sinha in her brilliant article” Thus in the design of the Stupa the vedika enclosure marks off a path (Pradakshina Path) for the ritual of circumambulation. An important rite, it involved a physical engagement with the stupa and was performed by entering the precinct through the east gate and walking clockwise. The directional emphasis related the devotee to the passage of the sun, “the transcendent centre of the universe” , “cosmic intelligence” whose light is “intellectual wisdom”. In vedic mythology Indra is credited with releasing the sun , setting its “wheel in motion” and “making a pathway through the darkness” . The Buddha, whose birth is likened to the rising of the sun , compares his abhijana (“superknowledge”) to a rediscovery of ancient wisdom , “ clearing of an ancient jungle path from the brush that has overgrown and concealed it for generations” – a veritable pathway, a casting of light on what has been hidden in the darkness. And thence he proceeds to “turn the wheel of law”. With these inherent parallels, the ritual act performs the important function of linking the worshipper with the wheel turning Buddha, and the Sun , on a path that is homologous with the archetypal path .A further instrument to re-emphasize this symbolism is seen in the alignment of the gateways, which form a cosmological diagram in the form of a swastika- a metonymical symbol evoking the wheel and the movement of the light giving sun. This act, replete with cosmological significance puts the worshipper in harmony with the cosmos while it also reminds him of the Buddha and his odyssey across several lifetimes to attain final liberation-transcendental nirvana. At the centre of the stupa complex is the solid hemispherical dome described variously in Buddhist texts as garbha, container or alternatively as anda . It bears within itself the seed (bija)-relic. Symbolically this links the dome to the cosmic womb eg: the vedic hiranyagarbha (golden womb) which emerges from the primordial waters of chaos . This analogy is explicit in reliefs at Sanchi and on some early coins where the stupa is shown floating on water .So deep are the cosmological interlinkages that the mythic womb, the embodiment of life and prosperity, was said to encompass the riches of the universe. In a ritual enactment of the myth, the relic caskets are often made of precious metals/stone and routinely suffused with precious elements. In the brahmanical context, the womb represents the creative unity. In the Buddhist context, it is the enfolder of the seed and signifies the involutional tendency of the spiritual path- the return to the centre, to unity. “The stupa symbolically designates this centre to which the seeker directs his life’s pilgrimage”. and it bears within itself the “pivotal presence” of the wheel turning Buddha . This is significant in the light of inscriptions , which state that the corporeal remains of the Buddha are “endowed with life” ( “prana sammada”) for it implies that the dome not only allows the devotee to experience proximity to the Buddha, but also makes him aware of his involutional unity. The cosmological theme continues with the axial pillar which represents the world axis . This pole is symbolic of the link between the human and the divine worlds. It indicates a pathway of spiritual acscent, an upward movement away from the confines of the physical world , to the limitless realm. In this sense, the pole is a beacon, a representation of the devotee’s goal, for in its verticality, one can measure one’s own progress towards the supreme attainment, a goal triumphantly achieved by the Buddha in nirvana. 1 Perspective or View or position in design architecture What are the 4 types of perspective drawing? In linear perspective, there are 4 major types of perspective defined by the number of primary Vanishing Points lying on the Horizon Line: 1-point perspective, 2-point perspective, 3-point perspective, and Multi-point perspective. Linear or point-projection perspective (from Latin: perspicere 'to see through') is one of two types of graphical projection perspective in the graphic arts; the other is parallel projection. Linear perspective is an approximate representation, generally on a flat surface, of an image as it is seen by the eye. The most characteristic features of linear perspective are that objects appear smaller as their distance from the observer increases, and that they are subject to foreshortening, meaning that an object's dimensions along the line of sight appear shorter than its dimensions across the line of sight. All objects will recede to points in the distance, usually along the horizon line, but also above and below the horizon line depending on the view used. The main characteristic of perspective is that objects appear smaller the further they are from the observer.  Perspectiv http://thesacredspace.in/?p=163#:~:text=In%20its%20most%20fundamental%20essence,the%20remains%20of%20the%20Buddha%20.&text=In%20its%20earliest%20meanings%2C%20the,the%20remains%20of%20the%20Buddha%20. e is often used to generate 'realistic' images of buildings to help people understand how they will look on the inside, from the outside, or within their context. Perspective is the space in which the drawings – and the architecture that they propose – occur. ' This unique wall hang according to the logic of vanishing points and perspective lines provides the viewer with their own unique perspective on artwork by some of the most talented designers in history. Perspective works by representing the light that passes from a scene through an imaginary rectangle (realized as the plane of the painting), to the viewer's eye, as if a viewer were looking through a window and painting what is seen directly onto the windowpane. If viewed from the same spot as the windowpane was painted, the painted image would be identical to what was seen through the unpainted window. Each painted object in the scene is thus a flat, scaled down version of the object on the other side of the window. Because each portion of the painted object lies on the straight line from the viewer's eye to the equivalent portion of the real object it represents, the viewer sees no difference (sans depth perception) between the painted scene on the windowpane and the view of the real scene. All perspective drawings assume the viewer is a certain distance away from the drawing. Objects are scaled relative to that viewer. An object is often not scaled evenly: a circle often appears as an ellipse and a square can appear as a trapezoid. This distortion is referred to as foreshortening. Perspective drawings have a horizon line, which is often implied. This line, directly opposite the viewer's eye, represents objects infinitely far away. They have shrunk, in the distance, to the infinitesimal thickness of a line. It is analogous to (and named after) the Earth's horizon. Any perspective representation of a scene that includes parallel lines has one or more vanishing points in a perspective drawing. A one-point perspective drawing means that the drawing has a single vanishing point, usually (though not necessarily) directly opposite the viewer's eye and usually (though not necessarily) on the horizon line. All lines parallel with the viewer's line of sight recede to the horizon towards this vanishing point. This is the standard "receding railroad tracks" phenomenon. A two-point drawing would have lines parallel to two different angles. Any number of vanishing points are possible in a drawing, one for each set of parallel lines that are at an angle relative to the plane of the drawing. Perspectives consisting of many parallel lines are observed most often when drawing architecture (architecture frequently uses lines parallel to the x, y, and z axes). Because it is rare to have a scene consisting solely of lines parallel to the three Cartesian axes (x, y, and z), it is rare to see perspectives in practice with only one, two, or three vanishing points; even a simple house frequently has a peaked roof which results in a minimum of six sets of parallel lines, in turn corresponding to up to six vanishing points. Of the many types of perspective drawings, the most common categorizations of artificial perspective are one-, two- and three-point. The names of these categories refer to the number of vanishing points in the perspective drawing. View or position (Pali diṭṭhi, Sanskrit dṛṣṭi) is a central idea in Buddhism View or position (Pali diṭṭhi, Sanskrit dṛṣṭi) is a central idea in Buddhism. In Buddhist thought, a view is not a simple, abstract collection of propositions, but a charged interpretation of experience which intensely shapes and affects thought, sensation, and action. Having the proper mental attitude toward views is therefore considered an integral part of the Buddhist path, as sometimes correct views need to be put into practice and incorrect views abandoned, and sometimes all views are seen as obstacles to enlightenment. In describing the highly diverse intellectual landscape of his day, the Buddha is said to have referred to "the wrangling of views, the jungle of views". Views are produced by and in turn produce mental conditioning. They are symptoms of conditioning, rather than neutral alternatives individuals can dispassionately choose. The Buddha, according to early texts, having attained the state of unconditioned mind, is said to have "passed beyond the bondage, tie, greed, obsession, acceptance, attachment, and lust of view."[ Those who wish to experience nirvana must free themselves from everything binding them to the world, including philosophical and religious doctrines. Right view as the first part of the Noble Eightfold Path leads ultimately not to the holding of correct views, but to a detached form of cognition. What is perspective and where does it come from? Perspective is a method of representing three-dimensional space on a flat surface. It depicts an idea of space that seems to coincide with our understanding of reality. Yet, it is not reality. It is a system, an artificial construct, that manipulates and distorts our visual perception while enabling accessible and popular representation of a design in three dimensions. The depiction of space has a long and wide-reaching history as Sam Jacob writes in the accompanying essay to the exhibition: 'If we scan a history of how space has been drawn, either as representation of the world or as architectural proposition, we see just how fluid and varied conceptions of space have been …from, say, Neolithic cave paintings through medieval maps, Byzantine paintings, Asian handscrolls to Google Maps we see how different worldviews are codified through representation. We see space itself shifting like a camera pulling focus.' Perspective was evidenced and formalised in the Italian Renaissance, but of course existed long before this era. Vitruvius, who published the first architectural treatise 'Ten Books of Architecture', credits the painter Agatharchus (fifth century BC) with knowledge of perspective when designing stage sets. However, it was Leon Battista Alberti in 'De pictura' (1435), who first described the principle. Since then, a number of architects, mathematicians and artists have written extensively on the subject with Sebastiano Serlio being the first architect to dedicate an entire book to perspective in the mid-sixteenth century. Through clear instructive text accompanied by woodcuts, Serlio explains the basic use of a vanishing point, perspective lines and horizon to draw in three-dimensions. Not long after its usage in depicting and decorating architecture was the technique of perspective deployed by the military and the navy, for topographic surveying, designing fortifications, calculating projectile trajectories and navigation. Similarly, the iconography of Borobudur suggests that the legend of the royal bodhisattva recounted in many of the reliefs was meant to “authenticate” some king or dynasty. Yet, it hardly seems possible that Borobudur was the focus of a specific royal cult, as there is no provision at all for the performance of royal ritual. It must have been, then, in some sense a monument for the whole people, the focus for their religion and life, and a perpetual reminder of the doctrines of their religion. R E L I E F S 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. During Borobudur excavation, archeologists discovered colour pigments of blue, red, green, black, as well as bits of gold foil, and concluded that the monument that we see today – a dark gray mass of volcanic stone, lacking in colour – was probably once coated with varjalepa white plaster and then painted with bright colors, serving perhaps as a beacon of Buddhist teaching. The same vajralepa plaster can also be found in Sari, Kalasan and Sewu temples. It is likely that the bas-reliefs of Borobudur was originally quite colourful, before centuries of torrential tropical rainfalls peeled-off the colour pigments. Narrative panels distribution Section Location Story No. of panels hidden foot wall Karmavibhangga 160 first gallery main wall Lalitavistara 120 Jataka/Avadana 120 balustrade Jataka/Avadana 372 Jataka/Avadana 128 second gallery balustrade Jataka/Avadana 100 main wall Gandavyuha 128 third gallery main wall Gandavyuha 88 balustrade Gandavyuha 88 fourth gallery main wall Gandavyuha 84 balustrade Gandavyuha 72 Total 1,460 Borobudur contains approximately 2,670 individual bas reliefs (1,460 narrative and 1,212 decorative panels), which cover the façades and balustrades. The total relief surface is 2,500 square metres (27,000 sq ft), and they are distributed at the hidden foot (Kāmadhātu) and the five square platforms (Rupadhatu) The narrative panels, which tell the story of Sudhana and Manohara, are grouped into 11 series that encircle the monument with a total length of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). The hidden foot contains the first series with 160 narrative panels, and the remaining 10 series are distributed throughout walls and balustrades in four galleries starting from the eastern entrance stairway to the left. Narrative panels on the wall read from right to left, while those on the balustrade read from left to right. This conforms with pradaksina, the ritual of circumambulation performed by pilgrims who move in a clockwise direction while keeping the sanctuary to their right. The hidden foot depicts the workings of karmic law. The walls of the first gallery have two superimposed series of reliefs; each consists of 120 panels. The upper part depicts the biography of Lord Buddha, while the lower part of the wall and also the balustrades in the first and the second galleries tell the story of the Buddha's former lives.[94] The remaining panels are devoted to Sudhana's further wandering about his search, terminated by his attainment of the Perfect Wisdom. The law of karma (Karmavibhangga) The Karmavibangga scene on Borobudur's hidden foot, on the right depicting sinful act of killing and cooking turtles and fishes, on the left those who make living by killing animals will be tortured in hell, by being cooked alive, being cut, or being thrown into a burning house. The 160 hidden panels do not form a continuous story, but each panel provides one complete illustration of cause and effect. There are depictions of blameworthy activities, from gossip to murder, with their corresponding punishments. There are also praiseworthy activities, that include charity and pilgrimage to sanctuaries, and their subsequent rewards. The pains of hell and the pleasure of heaven are also illustrated. There are scenes of daily life, complete with the full panorama of samsara (the endless cycle of birth and death). The encasement base of the Borobudur temple was disassembled to reveal the hidden foot, and the reliefs were photographed by Casijan Chepas in 1890. It is these photographs that are displayed in Borobudur Museum (Karmawibhangga Museum), located just several hundred meters north of the temple. During the restoration, the foot encasement was reinstalled, covering the Karmawibhangga reliefs. Today, only the southeast corner of the hidden foot is revealed and visible for visitors. Borobudur represents the Buddhist cosmos As one climbs the temple of Borobudur one enters each of these realms. These first four levels around the temple represent the Rupadhatu realm, of beings who have controlled desire. Starting at the east facing entrance the carved stone reliefs depict mainly Jataka scenes, that is scenes from the Buddha’s life, organised to instruct devotees as they proceed clockwise around each of the first four levels in turn. East facing Buddha statues in the Calling the Earth to Witness posture One of the lower Rupadhatu galleries of Borobudur On the four Rupadhatu levels there are also 432 Buddha statues located in niches along each side of the temple . On the east facing terraces these statues are all in the Calling the Earth to Witness posture. Moving round to the south the statues are in the Alms Giving posture and then to the west they are in the Concentration & Meditation posture. On the north facing levels they are in the posture of Courage, fearlessness. Around the fifth uppermost balustrade of the Rupadhatu levels the Buddha images facing in all directions are in the Reasoning & Virtue posture. On reaching the fifth level one moves into the Arupadhatu formless realm of nirvana, represented by the shift to a circular layout. This realm is perhaps the most famous aspect of Borobudur due to its iconic perforated stupas. A total of 72 of these stupas are arranged on three circular terraces around the main central stupa. On the first two Arupadhatu levels the stupas have rhombic perforations whereas on the third and highest level the openings are square. In each of the 72 stupas there is a Buddha statue in the posture of Turning the Wheel of Dharma. The upper Arupadhatu levels of Borobudur representing nirvana The central stupa represents the centre of the Buddhist universe. It looks rather truncated because it is missing its original chattra, a three-tiered stone parasol that would have topped the stupa. There is known to be an empty room at the centre of the stupa which would be expected to contain the most highly revered images and relics. It is not known when or how these were lost. Archaeologists have discovered traces of coloured pigments and gold leaf on the reliefs and believe that rather than the drab volcanic stone we see today Borobudur was once covered in white plaster, painted in vivid colours and covered in gold. It would have been a truly awe inspiring sight 1000 years ago. The Hidden Foot One of the mysteries of Borobudur concerns the lowest level of the temple representing the Kamadhatu realm of desires. On an initial climb of the temple the first level appears to start in the second level realm of Rupadhatu with tales of the Buddha’s life. In fact the lowest Kamadhatu realm is represented by a gallery of carved reliefs which are hidden under an encasement and are hence known as the “hidden foot”. This Hidden Foot was only re-discovered during European led restoration activities in 1885. It is not known exactly why this lower level has been covered up. Some postulate that the encasement had to be add The story of Prince Siddhartha and the birth of Buddha (Lalitavistara) Queen Maya riding horse carriage retreating to Lumbini to give birth to Prince Siddhartha Gautama The story starts with the descent of the Buddha from the Tushita heaven and ends with his first sermon in the Deer Park near Benares. The relief shows the birth of the Buddha as Prince Siddhartha, son of King Suddhodana and Queen Maya of Kapilavastu (in Nepal). The story is preceded by 27 panels showing various preparations, in the heavens and on the earth, to welcome the final incarnation of the Bodhisattva.[96] Before descending from Tushita heaven, the Bodhisattva entrusted his crown to his successor, the future Buddha Maitreya. He descended on earth in the shape of white elephants with six tusks, penetrated to Queen Maya's right womb. Queen Maya had a dream of this event, which was interpreted that his son would become either a sovereign or a Buddha. Prince Siddhartha Gautama became an ascetic hermit. While Queen Maya felt that it was the time to give birth, she went to the Lumbini park outside the Kapilavastu city. She stood under a plaksa tree, holding one branch with her right hand, and she gave birth to a son, Prince Siddhartha. The story on the panels continues until the prince becomes the Buddha. The stories of Buddha's previous life (Jataka) and other legendary people (Avadana) A relief of Jataka story of giant turtle that saving drowned sailors. Jatakas are stories about the Buddha before he was born as Prince Siddhartha. They are the stories that tell about the previous lives of the Buddha, in both human and animal form. The future Buddha may appear in them as a king, an outcast, a god, an elephant—but, in whatever form, he exhibits some virtue that the tale thereby inculcates.[98] Avadanas are similar to jatakas, but the main figure is not the Bodhisattva himself. The saintly deeds in avadanas are attributed to other legendary persons. Jatakas and avadanas are treated in one and the same series in the reliefs of Borobudur. The first twenty lower panels in the first gallery on the wall depict the Sudhanakumaravadana, or the saintly deeds of Sudhana. The first 135 upper panels in the same gallery on the balustrades are devoted to the 34 legends of the Jatakamala.[99] The remaining 237 panels depict stories from other sources, as do the lower series and panels in the second gallery. Some jatakas are depicted twice, for example the story of King Sibhi (Rama's forefather). Sudhana's search for the ultimate truth (Gandavyuha A Buddha statue with the hand position of dharmachakra mudra/A relief of the Gandavyuha story from Borobudur 2nd level north wall. 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.[100] The principal figure of the story, 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. Sudhana was instructed by Manjusri to meet the monk Megasri, his first spiritual friend. As his journey continues, Sudhana meets 53 teachers, such as Supratisthita, the physician Megha (Spirit of Knowledge), the banker Muktaka, the monk Saradhvaja, the upasika Asa (Spirit of Supreme Enlightenment), Bhismottaranirghosa, the 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 spiritual friend gives Sudhana specific teachings, knowledge, and wisdom. These meetings are shown in the third gallery. After a second meeting with Manjusri, Sudhana went to the residence of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, depicted in the fourth gallery. The entire series of the fourth gallery is devoted to the teaching of Samantabhadra. The narrative panels finally end with Sudhana's achievement of the Supreme Knowledge and the Ultimate Truth. Apart from the story of the Buddhist cosmology carved in stone, Borobudur has many statues of various Buddhas. The cross-legged statues are seated in a lotus position and distributed on the five square platforms (the Rupadhatu level), as well as on the top platform (the Arupadhatu level). The Buddha statues are in niches at the Rupadhatu level, arranged in rows on the outer sides of the balustrades, the number of statues decreasing as platforms progressively diminish to the upper level. The first balustrades have 104 niches, the second 104, the third 88, the fourth 72 and the fifth 64. In total, there are 432 Buddha statues at the Rupadhatu level.[4] At the Arupadhatu level (or the three circular platforms), Buddha statues are placed inside perforated stupas. The first circular platform has 32 stupas, the second 24 and the third 16, which adds up to 72 stupas. Of the original 504 Buddha statues, over 300 are damaged (mostly headless), and 43 are missing. Since the monument's discovery, heads have been acquired as collector's items, mostly by Western museums. Some of these Buddha heads are now displayed in numbers of museums, such as the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, Musée Guimet in Paris, and The British Museum in London. Germany has in 2014 returned its collection and funded their reattachment and further conservation of the site. Head from a Borobudur Buddha statue in Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam./Headless Buddha statue in Borobudur. Since its discovery, numbers of heads have been stolen and installed in museums abroad.//Lion gate guardian At first glance, all the Buddha statues appear similar, but there is a subtle difference between them in the mudras, or the position of the hands. There are five groups of mudra: North, East, South, West and Zenith, which represent the five cardinal compass points according to Mahayana. The first four balustrades have the first four mudras: North, East, South and West, of which the Buddha statues that face one compass direction have the corresponding mudra. Buddha statues at the fifth balustrades and inside the 72 stupas on the top platform have the same mudra: Zenith. Each mudra represents one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas; each has its own symbolism.[ Following the order of Pradakshina (clockwise circumumbulation) starting from the East, the mudras of the Borobudur buddha statues are: The aesthetic and technical mastery of Borobudur, and also its sheer size, has evoked the sense of grandeur and pride for Indonesians. Just like Angkor Wat for Cambodia, Borobudur has become a powerful symbol for Indonesia — to testify for its past greatness. Indonesia's first President Sukarno made a point of showing the site to foreign dignitaries. The Suharto regime — realized its important symbolic and economic meanings — diligently embarked on a massive project to restore the monument with the help from UNESCO. Many museums in Indonesia contain a scale model replica of Borobudur. The monument has become almost an icon, grouped with the wayang puppet play and gamelan music into a vague classical Javanese past from which Indonesians are to draw inspiration. Several archaeological relics taken from Borobudur or its replica have been displayed in some museums in Indonesia and abroad. Other than Karmawibhangga Museum within Borobudur temple ground, some museums boast to host relics of Borobudur, such as Indonesian National Museum in Jakarta, Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, British Museum in London, and Thai National Museum in Bangkok. Louvre museum in Paris, Malaysian National Museum in Kuala Lumpur, and Museum of World Religions in New Taipei also displayed the replica of Borobudur. The monument has drawn global attention to the classical Buddhist civilization of ancient Java. The rediscovery and reconstruction of Borobudur has been hailed by Indonesian Buddhists as the sign of the Buddhist revival in Indonesia. In 1934, Narada Thera, a missionary monk from Sri Lanka, visited Indonesia for the first time as part of his journey to spread the Dharma in Southeast Asia. This opportunity was used by a few local Buddhists to revive Buddhism in Indonesia. A Bodhi Tree planting ceremony was held in Southeastern side of Borobudur on 10 March 1934 under the blessing of Narada Thera, and some Upasakas were ordained as monks. Once a year, thousands of Buddhist from Indonesia and neighboring countries flock to Borobudur to commemorate national Waisak celebration. The emblem of Central Java province and Magelang Regency bears the image of Borobudur. It has become the symbol of Central Java, and also Indonesia on a wider scale. Borobudur has become the name of several establishments, such as Borobudur University, Borobudur Hotel in Central Jakarta, and several Indonesian restaurants abroad. Borobudur has appeared on Rupiah banknotes and stamps and in numbers of books, publications, documentaries and Indonesian tourism promotion materials. The monument has become one of the main tourism attraction in Indonesia, vital for generating local economy in the region surrounding the temple. The tourism sector of the city of Yogyakarta for example, flourishes partly because of its proximity to Borobudur and Prambanan temples. Behind the splendor of the great temple built by Syailendra dynasty on the 8th century AD which is also known as one of the 7 wonders of the world. Till this day, the Borobudur temple was still leaves some big question marks about its existence. The temple has been described in a number of ways. Its basic structure resembles that of a pyramid, yet it has been also referred to as a caitya (shrine), a stupa (reliquary), and a sacred mountain. In fact, the name Śailendra literally means “Lord of the Mountain.” While the temple exhibits characteristics of all these architectural configurations, its overall plan is that of a three-dimensional mandala—a diagram of the cosmos used for meditation—and it is in that sense where the richest understanding of the monument occurs. Moving past the base and through the four galleries, the devotee emerges onto the three upper terraces, encountering 72 stupas each containing a three-dimensional sculpture of a seated Buddha within a stone latticework. At the temple’s apex sits the large central stupa, a symbol of the enlightened mind. 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 36