Page 12 - Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens - July '21

Page 12, Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens
Borobudur … The Road To Enlightenment

By Don Kiselewski, MCC,
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens
Travel Leaders
Forming the spine of
Indonesia’s island of Java
are some 21 volcanoes.
Located between the two
twin volcanoes of Sundoro-
Sumbing and Merbabu-
Merapi is a Javanese
sacred place, known as the
“Garden of Java.” This area The Borobudur Temple
is also bound by two rivers, the Progo and Elo, creating an
exceptionally fertile area. It was here, in the beginning of Borobudur in the early 19 century. Its original name One of 432 Buddha statues
th
the ninth century, that a stupa (literally means “mound”) was was lost in time over the decades since it was abandoned,
built in the shape of a gigantic Buddhist mandala, which sometime in the middle of the 10 century. During its active monument. It was built on a hill, unlike other temples,
th
represented the nature of mind. years, it was not only a place of worship but a destination which were built on level ground. With no inner space, it
“Candi” is an Indonesian word that describes an old for pilgrims. It has been estimated that it took some 75 can be likened to a pyramid.
structure, and the Buddhist shine became known as Candi years to construct, and the stones are not set in any type The monument was both a tribute to Lord Buddha and
of mortar – instead they use dovetaile, mortise and tendon a destination for pilgrimages. To reach the pinnacle of
joints to fit into each other. Borobudur, a 115-foot high stupa, where the statue of Buddha
There were numerous volcanic eruptions at the beginning was supposed to be housed, one travels the square sides of the
of the 11 century that buried the monument under a deep shrine on pathways and stairs of Buddhist cosmology. The
th
blanket of ash. A few centuries later there was a major change first is called Kamadhatu, the “world of desire,” the second
in the religious beliefs on the island, converting to Islam, with is called Rapadhatu, the “world of forms,” and the last is
the net effect that no one was up to uncovering the giant hill Arupadhatu, the “world of formless.” There are over 1,400
of ash to see what laid beneath. carved relief panels to guide the pilgrims and their thoughts
Indonesia took a new direction after the Anglo-Dutch along the way. Some 432 statues of Buddha also embellish
War and Java fell under the jurisdiction of the British. the Rapadhatu level.
Lieutenant Governor Thomas Stamford Raffles was assigned Placed on the round three top layers are 72 smaller stupas.
the administration of the Java. He became greatly interested There are 32 placed on the first round platform, 24 on the
in the island’s history and collected many antiques as he met second, and 16 surround the main stupa on the top platform.
his subjects while traveling the island. Visiting Semarang in Each of these smaller stupas has slits around their sides where
1814, on the middle of the north coast of the island, he was one can peer in to see the enclosed Buddha statue. Each
advised of the tremendous mound that had been recaptured Buddha is in a different position. It is believed that good
by the jungle to the south. His other duties prevented him for luck will come if one can slip their arm through the slit in
exploring the area himself and instead sent H.C. Cornelius, a the stupa and touch the Buddha inside. It is bad luck if your
Dutch engineer, to explore the area. It took 200 men working arm gets stuck. It was thought that the main stupa housed a
two months to chop their way through the jungle, remove the great statue of Buddha; however, no statue was found when
overgrowth on the huge mound of ash and start the process the site was reclaimed.
of digging out the hidden shrine. Twenty-one years later the In 1982 Borobudur was named a World Heritage
entire shrine was unearthed. In documenting the find, it was site. Once a year, a pilgrimage of Buddhists takes place,
Raffles who gave the shrine its name. His notes on Javanese commemorating Vesak, a holiday commemorating the birth,
history were the first to identify the site. It is believed that enlightenment and passing of Buddha. Borobudur is also the
the name came about by connecting the name of the nearest single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia.
village. “Bore,” with “Budur,” the term for mountain. Don Kiselewski writes from his personal experiences,
The main structure is divided into three parts: the foot, having traveled in 122 countries and cruised the oceans,
body and top, resembling the comparable portions of the seas and rivers of the world. Palm Beach Gardens Travel
human body. The shrine was placed on a square platform Leaders, his family owned and operated agency, is located
404 feet on each side, which is raised 13 feet above the at Mirasol Town Square, 11360 North Jog Road, Building
surrounding ground. Borobudur’s base is a square with A, Suite 102-6, Palm Beach Gardens. The agency has been
387-foot sides. There are nine platforms to reach the main serving the travel needs of the South Florida area for over
stupa on top. The first six are square and the upper three a quarter of a century. Contact him at (561) 694-9696 or
are round. The estimate is that it took 72,000 cubic yards Aussie@PBGTravel.com.
of stone collected from the surrounding area to build the Photos by Don Kiselewski

Carved relief panels

Family owned & operated since 1988

Traveling outside the US is possible with the proper planning.
Just ask Lauren Mezzanotte who traveled to Cancun, Mexico
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We are located at 11360 N. Jog Road, Bldg. A, Suite 102-6
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