The magnificent Borobudur Temple

Borobudur temple is the name of a Buddhist temple located in Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java. Location of the temple is approximately 100 km to the southwest of Hyderabad and 40 km northwest of Yogyakarta. The temple was founded by the Mahayana Buddhists around the year 800 AD's during the reign of Sailendra dynasty. In ethnic Chinese, this temple is also called 婆罗 浮屠 (Hanyu Pinyin: po luo fú TU)

Many theories attempt to explain the name of this temple. One of them states that the name is probably derived from the word Sambharabhudhara, which means "mountain" (bhudara) where the slopes are located terraces. In addition there are some other folk etymology. Suppose borobudur word derived from the words "the Buddha" is due to shift the sound to Borobudur. Another explanation is that the name is derived from two words "coal" and "beduhur". The word bara said to have originated from the word monastery, while there are also other explanations where the coal comes from Sanskrit which means temple or monastery complex and beduhur meaning is "high", or to remind the Balinese language means "above". So the point is a monastery or hostel located on high ground.

Historian J.G. de Casparis in his dissertation for a doctorate in 1950 found that Borobudur is a place of worship. Based on the inscriptions Karangtengah and Kahulunan, estimates founder Casparis Borobudur is the king of Mataram dynasty named Samaratungga dynasty, who were doing construction around 824 AD The giant new building could be completed at the time of her daughter, Queen Pramudawardhani. Borobudur Development is expected to take half a century. In Karangtengah inscriptions also mentioned about the bestowal of land sima (tax-free land) by Cri Kahulunan (Pramudawardhani) to maintain Kamulan called Bhūmisambhāra. Kamulan term itself comes from the word meaning first place origin, the ancestral shrine to glorify, probably ancestors of the dynasty Sailendra. Casparis estimates that Sambhāra Bhudhāra Bhumi in Sanskrit means "Hill set ten levels boddhisattwa virtues", was the original name of Borobudur.
Borobudur structure

Punden terraces Borobudur-shaped, consisting of six levels of a square, three levels of a circular and a main stupa as a peak. Also scattered in all levels-the levels several stupas.
Ten stories of Borobudur illustrates clearly the Mahayana school of philosophy. like a book, Borobudur describes ten levels of Bodhisattva who must pass to reach the perfection of the Buddha.

The foot of Borobudur represents Kamadhatu, the world is still dominated by kama or "low desire". This section is mostly covered by a pile of stone that allegedly made to strengthen the construction of the temple. In addition to the closed structure there are 120 panels Kammawibhangga story. A small portion was set aside additional structure so that people can still see the relief in this section.

Four floors with walls berelief on it by the experts called Rupadhatu. The floor is rectangular. Rupadhatu is a world that has been able to break free from lust but still bound manner and form. This level represents the nature among which, between nature and the natural bottom up. In part this Rupadhatu Buddha statues found in the recesses of the wall above ballustrade or breezeway.

Starting the fifth to the seventh floor walls are not berelief. This level is called Arupadhatu (which means no tangible form or not). Circular floor plan. This level represents the nature of, where people are free from all desires and bond forms and shapes, but have not reached nirvana. Statues of Buddha placed in a stupa covered with holes as in captivity. From outside the statues were still vaguely visible.

The highest level that describes the lack of form is represented in the form of the largest and highest stupa. Stupa described plain without the holes. In the largest stupa Buddha statue ever found imperfect or unfinished also called Buddha, who disalahsangkakan as Adibuddha statue, but through further research there never was a statue at the main stupa, which was not completed sculpture was a mistake pemahatnya in ancient times. according to the belief that one statue in the manufacturing process is not to be tampered with. Archaeological excavations carried out in the courtyard of this temple found many statues like this.

In the past, several Buddha statues along with 30 stones with reliefs, two stone lions, some kala-shaped stone, stairs and gates are sent to the King of Thailand, Chulalongkorn who visited the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1896 as a gift from the Dutch Government as it.

Borobudur did not have worship spaces like other temples. That there are long hallways which is a narrow road. The hallways surrounding the walled temple level by level. In the halls is expected to conduct Buddhist ceremonies walk around the temple to the right. Form of the building without room and terraced structure is believed to be the development of a form punden terraces, which is a form of original architecture from prehistoric Indonesia.
Borobudur structure does not use cement at all, but the Interlock system is like Lego blocks that can be attached without glue.

At every level carved reliefs on temple walls. These reliefs read clockwise or called mapradaksina in Old Javanese language derived from Sanskrit meaning is daksina the east. These reliefs variety of story content, among other reliefs Jataka stories.

The reading of these stories are always the starting relief, and ends on the east side of the gate at every level, beginning on the left and ends on the right side of the gate. So obviously that the east is the ladder up the real (main) and toward the top of the temple, it means that the temple facing the east while the other sides of similar right.

In sequence, the story on meaningful temple reliefs briefly as follows:

In accordance with the symbolic meaning of the foot of the temple, reliefs which decorate the walls of a hidden shelf illustrates the law of karma. Rows of relief is not a story series (series), but in every frame illustrates a story that has a causal correlation. Relief will not only give an overview of the human moral turpitude accompanied by penalties that will be obtained, but also human and reward good deeds. Overall a depiction of human life in the circle of birth - life - death (samsara) that never ends, and by Buddhism tersebutlah chain will be terminated for the pursuit of perfection.

A depiction of the Buddha in a row history reliefs (but not a complete history) beginning from the Buddha's descent from heaven Tusita, and ends with the first sermon in the Deer Park near the city of Banaras. Reliefs lined the stairs on the south side, after a row exceeded the relief of 27 frames starting from the east side of the stairs. The 27 frames are describing activity, both in heaven and on earth, in preparation to welcome the presence of the last incarnation of Buddha Bodhisattva as the candidate. The reliefs depict the birth of the Buddha as Prince Siddhartha arcapada, son of King Suddhodana and queen Maya of Kapilavastu Affairs. Relief amounted to 120 frames, which ended with the first sermon, which is symbolically expressed as a Screening Wheel of Dharma, the Buddha's teaching is called dharma which also means "law", whereas dharma is represented as a wheel.

Jataka stories of the Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha before. Protrusion of the contents is the subject of good works, which distinguishes the Bodhisattvas of any other creature. Indeed, the collection service / good deeds is in the preparation stage of the business to the level of the Buddha's.

While awadana, basically almost the same but the culprit is not Jataka the Bodhisattva, but others and the stories collected in the book which means noble deeds Diwyawadana godlike, and the book awadana Awadanasataka or a hundred stories. In the reliefs of Borobudur and awadana Jataka, treated equally, meaning they are in the same row without a distinguishable. The set of the best-known of the life of the Bodhisattva is Jatakamala or strands Jataka stories, Aryasura and poet who lived in the 4th century AD.

Is a row of reliefs adorn the walls of the hall to-2, is the story of a wandering Sudhana tirelessly in his quest for Top Knowledge of Truth by Sudhana. Description of the frame 460 based on Mahayana Buddhist scripture entitled Gandawyuha, and for the lid on the story of another Bhadracari