Page 14 - PGA Community News - July '21

Page 14, PGA C.A.N.! July 2021 July 2021

Borobudur … The Road To Enlightenment

By Don Kiselewski, MCC, “Candi” is an Indonesian
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens word that describes an old
Travel Leaders structure, and the Buddhist
Forming the spine of shine became known as Candi
Indonesia’s island of Java Borobudur in the early 19
th
are some 21 volcanoes. century. Its original name was
Located between the two lost in time over the decades
twin volcanoes of Sundoro- since it was abandoned,
Sumbing and Merbabu- sometime in the middle of
Merapi is a Javanese the 10 century. During its
th
sacred place, known as the active years, it was not only
“Garden of Java.” This area a place of worship but a
is also bound by two rivers, the Progo and Elo, creating an destination for pilgrims. It
exceptionally fertile area. It was here, in the beginning of has been estimated that it took
the ninth century, that a stupa (literally means “mound”) some 75 years to construct,
was built in the shape of a gigantic Buddhist mandala, which and the stones are not set in
represented the nature of mind. any type of mortar – instead
they use dovetaile, mortise
and tendon joints to fit into
each other.
There were numerous
volcanic eruptions at the
beginning of the 11 century One of 432 Buddha statues
th
that buried the monument
under a deep blanket of ash. A few centuries later there 387-foot sides. There are nine platforms to reach the main
was a major change in the religious beliefs on the island, stupa on top. The first six are square and the upper three
converting to Islam, with the net effect that no one was up are round. The estimate is that it took 72,000 cubic yards
to uncovering the giant hill of ash to see what laid beneath. of stone collected from the surrounding area to build the
Indonesia took a new direction after the Anglo-Dutch monument. It was built on a hill, unlike other temples, which
War and Java fell under the jurisdiction of the British. were built on level ground. With no inner space, it can be
Lieutenant Governor Thomas Stamford Raffles was likened to a pyramid.
assigned the administration of the Java. He became greatly The monument was both a tribute to Lord Buddha
interested in the island’s history and collected many antiques and a destination for pilgrimages. To reach the pinnacle
as he met his subjects while traveling the island. Visiting of Borobudur, a 115-foot high stupa, where the statue of
Semarang in 1814, on the middle of the north coast of the Buddha was supposed to be housed, one travels the square
island, he was advised of the tremendous mound that had sides of the shrine on pathways and stairs of Buddhist
been recaptured by the jungle to the south. His other duties cosmology. The first is called Kamadhatu, the “world of
prevented him for exploring the area himself and instead desire,” the second is called Rapadhatu, the “world of
sent H.C. Cornelius, a Dutch engineer, to explore the area. forms,” and the last is Arupadhatu, the “world of formless.”
It took 200 men working two months to chop their way There are over 1,400 carved relief panels to guide the
through the jungle, remove the overgrowth on the huge pilgrims and their thoughts along the way. Some 432 statues
mound of ash and start the process of digging out the of Buddha also embellish the Rapadhatu level.
hidden shrine. Twenty-one years later the entire shrine was Placed on the round three top layers are 72 smaller stupas.
unearthed. In documenting the find, it was Raffles who gave There are 32 placed on the first round platform, 24 on the
the shrine its name. His notes on Javanese history were the second, and 16 surround the main stupa on the top platform.
first to identify the site. It is believed that the name came Each of these smaller stupas has slits around their sides where
about by connecting the name of the nearest village. “Bore,” one can peer in to see the enclosed Buddha statue. Each
with “Budur,” the term for mountain. Buddha is in a different position. It is believed that good
The main structure is divided into three parts: the foot, luck will come if one can slip their arm through the slit in the
body and top, resembling the comparable portions of the stupa and touch the Buddha inside. It is bad luck if your arm
human body. The shrine was placed on a square platform gets stuck. It was thought that the main stupa housed a great
404 feet on each side, which is raised 13 feet above the
surrounding ground. Borobudur’s base is a square with Borobudur … on page 15

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