Borobudur Temple, Magelang (Indonesia)

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur temple is the name of a Buddhist temple located at Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java. Location of the temple is about 100 km southwest of Semarang and 40 km northwest of Yogyakarta. The temple was founded by the Mahayana Buddhists around AD 800-AD in the reign of an dynasty dynasty. In Chinese, this temple is also called  婆罗 浮屠 (Hanyu Pinyin: po luo fu tu)

Borobudur Temple is different form Prambanan Temple, want to see article click here.

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 that the word comes from the word Borobudur "the Buddha" is due to shift the sound to Borobudur. Another explanation is that the name comes from two words "coal" and "beduhur". The word bara said to have originated from the word monastery, while there is also another explanation in which the coal comes from Sanskrit which means temple or monastery and beduhur meaning is "high", or remind the Balinese language means "above". So the point is a convent or dormitory that is located on high ground.

Borobudur Temple

Historian J.G. de Casparis in his dissertation to earn his doctorate in 1950 argued that Borobudur is a place of worship. Based on the inscriptions and Kahulunan Karangtengah, founder of the Borobudur Casparis estimate is the king of Mataram dynasty dynasty named Samaratungga, who did the construction of around 824 AD The giant new building can be completed at the time of her daughter, Queen Pramudawardhani. Borobudur construction expected to take half a century. Karangtengah also mentioned in the inscription on the conferment of land sima (tax-free land) by Cri Kahulunan (Pramudawardhani) to maintain Kamulan called Bhūmisambhāra. The term itself comes from the word Kamulan first place the origin of meaning, a shrine to honor ancestors, probably the ancestor of the dynasty Sailendra. Casparis estimates that Bhumi Sambhāra Bhudhāra in Sanskrit which means "Mount of the set of ten levels boddhisattwa virtue", is the original name of Borobudur.
   


The structure of Borobudur

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur punden shaped staircase, which consists of six levels of a square, three levels of a circular and a main stupa as the peak. Also scattered at all levels-levels several stupas.
Borobudur which illustrates clearly the ten-story school of Mahayana 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 rocks that allegedly made to strengthen the construction of the temple. At the closed part of this additional structure there are 120 stories Kammawibhangga panel. 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 passion, but still bound by the appearance and shape. This level represents the nature of which, between nature and the natural bottom up. In part this Rupadhatu Buddha statues found in the recesses of the wall above the ballustrade or walkways.

Start the fifth to the seventh floor the 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. Buddha statues are placed inside the stupa is covered with holes like a cage. From outside the statues were still dim.

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