Meaning of Borobudur

Welcome to Chandi Borobudur, one of the sacred buildings of Buddhism as a World Cultural Heritage site. The splendor and beauty of Borobudur has its own historical value for Indonesian people. The government has designated Borobudur as a major tourist attraction, a priority tourist destination for local and foreign visitors.

Traveling and visiting Borobudur have enthusiasm aims to know its monument more closely, learn about its history and admire the splendor and beauty of architectural art, as an appreciation and participation in maintaining and protecting the world cultural heritage site of Borobudur.

Chandi Borobudur is one of a world cultural heritage site or World Heritage Site, a Buddhist temple located in Borobudur, belongs to Magelang regency and located in Central Java province. To reach the monument is approximately 96 kilometers from Semarang, the capital city of Central Java, and approximately 86 kilometers from the city of Surakarta, and about 40 kilometers from the city of Yogyakarta.

Chandi Borobudur is located right above the hill and built in the middle of several mountains and hills. Looking to the west, there are Mount Sundoro and Sumbing. Looking to the east you can see Mount Merbabu and an active volcano, Merapi. View to the north, it is approximately 15 kilometers from Borobudur, there is Tidar hill, and to the south it is bounded by the Menoreh hill range. Borobudur is located at the confluence of two rivers, they are Progo and Elo, located right in the middle between the east of Chandi Borobudur and Chandi Pawon.

Chandi Borobudur

Borobudur with stepped pyramid architecture, a Buddhist temple in the form of a stupa was built as a sacred building for followers of Mahayana Buddhism, in 800 AD during the reign of Samaratungga from the Syailendra dynasty. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. arisguide's photo.

Buddhist Sacred Building

The three superimposed spheres of kamadhatu, rupadhatu and arupadhatu accord perfectly depicting with bhurloka (earth), bhuvarloka (atmosphere) and svarloka (heaven), symbolizes the Cosmic Mountain, which is in turn the symbol par excellence of the Universe.

The Cosmic Mountain concept is to Buddhism, the Buddhist cosmology ascribes significance to it. The Lord Buddha is said to have once instructed his disciples to burn after that he had entered nirvana, and to deposit the ashes in a stupa. When asked what a stupa was, the Master folded his garments on the ground, put his beggar’s bowl upside down on it, and stood his staff over the bowl. This instruction resulted in the constructions, which usually consist of a square base, a semi - circular dome and a pinnacle.

Consequently, the symbolical meaning of Chandi Borobudur has a two fold origin, in Mahayana Buddhism, and ancestor worship. The ten mounting terraces of the structure then correspond to the ten successive stages the Bodhisattva has to achieve before attaining to Buddhahood. The daring break with tradition is a further demonstration of the high esteem of the founder of Chandi Borobudur for the forefather whom he identified with the Buddha; and a  stepped pyramid with a stupa on top was a most appropriate symboyl to depict the virtue the dynasty had accumulated successively along the Path of the Bodhisattva.

Underlying the doctrine is the conviction that life is misery. The world is not real; life in all its aspects is illusion. Its changing all the time, and nothing in it is eternal. Life is both a continuation of earlier lives, and a preparation for the next one, a station in the endless cycle of being born and reborn. The form and circumstances of each station 4 determined by their predecessors.

Buddhism

In the sense that there was no god to be worshipped, Buddhism was not originally a religion. It was rather a doctrine explaining how to achieve the ultimate release from all sufferings: to nullify karma, to break up, and finally to achieve nirvana. The factor is not the station, but its about the karma, the balance of good and bad acts. A positive balance will secure a better next life, and a life that continues to improve will culminate in a rebirth in heaven. The ultimate goal is therefore to avoid any form of rebirth. At this final stage the devotee achieves arhat to enter nirvana, which is absolute non–existence.

The Four Noble Truths explain how ultimate salvation from samsara is attained. The conviction that life is suffering is the first Truth. The second is that suffering is caused by desire - the desire to exist and to cling to the phenomenal world. The third Truth is that suffering can be eliminated by extinguishing desire. The fourth is formulated in the Eight fold Path, showing the way in which desire can be extinguished.

The Path consists of the following steps: 1. Correct view, 2. Correct thought and purpose, 3. Correct speech, 4. Correct conduct, 5. Correct livelihood or occupation, 6. Correct zeal, 7. Correct remembrance, which retains the true and excludes the false, 8. Correct meditation. Desire is the fundamental source of misery, the result of an illusive insight. The primary source of all sufferings is avidya or ignorance.

Lalitavistara

The Lalitavistara series does not provide a complete biography of the Buddha. It starts with the glorious descent of the Lord Buddha from the Tushita heaven, and ends with his first sermon in the Deer Park near Benares. The relief showing the birth of the Buddha as Prince Siddhartha, son of King Suddhodana and Queen Maya of Kapilavastu (in present - day Nepal), is near the southern staircase.

It is preceded by 120 panels sculptures, depicting the various preparations, in heaven as well as on earth, to welcome the final incarnation of the Bodhisattva (the would - be Buddha). Before leaving the Tushita heaven the Bodhisattva entrusted his crown to his successor, the future Buddha Maitreya. He then descended on earth, and in the shape of a white elephant with six tusks he penetrated Queen Maya’s right womb. To the Queen this event appeared in a dream, which was later interpreted as meaning that a son would be born to her who would grow up to become either a sovereign or a Buddha.

Lalitavistara (Life of the Buddha)

The Buddha lives among the clouds above Indra's palace on the peak of Mt. Sumeru. The Buddha tells the gods he has decided to be reborn on earth. Around his waist there is wrapped a cord that supports his right knee. This is a convention used in Borobudur to denote people of high status. In honor of his upcoming birth, a few gods go to earth to inform the brahmanas. The Buddha teaches the Introduction of the Law to the gods, and gives his crown to the Bodhisattva Maitreya, who is his designated successor. The Buddha then asks the gods what form he should take in his mother's womb. Some recommend the figure of a human, but others tell him that in the brahmanas's books the Buddha is described as an elephant with six tusks, brightly shining, with a head that oozes with sap.

Queen Maya and King Suddhodana live in a palace in the city of Kapilavastu. The king grants her request to undertake a vow of restraint from sensual pleasures. Queen Maya is seated in her quarters awaiting the Buddha's descent. During the Great Descent, the Buddha sits on a throne in a pavilion, accompanied by an uncountable number of gods, nymphs, and other supernatural beings. While Queen Maya sleeps, the Buddha enters her womb in the shape of the elephant. That night a lotus grows out of the ocean and reaches up to Brahma's heaven. The lotus contains the essence of all creation. Brahma collects the essence in a bowl and gives the Buddha the essence to drink as a mark of honor. This is one of the most popular scenes in ancient Buddhist art.

Queen Maya decides to go to a forest of asoka trees. She arrives and sends a servant to ask the king to meet her there. The king arrives at the edge of the forest but is not allowed to go any further. The queen tells him of her dream, in which an elephant enters her womb. She asks him to get brahmans to interpret the dream. The brahmans tell the couple that the queen will bear a son who will become either a Universal Monarch or a Buddha. Indra and other gods offer for the queen to stay in their palace during her pregnancy. The unborn Buddha creates the illusion that the queen is in all the palaces to prevent any of the gods or kings being disappointed.

During her pregnancy, the queen acquires certain powers, such as the ability to restore people possessed by supernatural beings to their normal state by letting them look on her her, and also the power to heal diseases. The king lives like a hermit during her pregnancy. Queen Maya asks the king to be allowed to give birth in the Lumbini Pleasure Garden. The queen sets out for the garden in a carriage. When she arrives, she walks until she comes to an Asoka tree which magically bends down for her. She grasps the branch and the Buddha emerges from her right side. The baby takes seven steps in each of the four directions, and at each step a lotus springs up.

After Shakyamuni's birth, Indra and Brahma disguise themselves as brahmanas to congratulate King Suddhodana along with many other gods. A week after the Buddha is born, Queen Maya dies and becomes a god. Her sister, Gautami, becomes the baby prince's guardian. Some members of the Sakya tribe suggest the child should be taken to the temple. When the prince arrives, the statues in the temple come to life and kneel before him. Later, when Sakyamuni comes of age he is sent to school. The schoolmaster is Visvamitra, and a god named Subhanga is also there. The story skips a few years and then describes a visit to a rural village. This is where the scene of the first meditation takes place. The prince sits down under a guava tree to meditate.

The king wishes Siddhartha would marry because he remembers the prophecy that his son is to become a Buddha or a Universal Monarch. The prince tells him he will give his answer in seven days. The prince consents and chooses Gopa as his wife. Only she can bear to look at him without being blinded by his radiance. Gopa's father is not certain the prince is suitable for his daughter, so he requires the prince undergo some tests to prove his mental and physical abilities.

Siddhartha and 500 other princes go out to the city to demonstrate their powers. He sets a problem that only he can solve. The next test is an archery competition. Siddhartha uses an ancient bow which had been preserved in a temple since his grandfather's time. He shoots an arrow through seven trees, and through other various targets including an iron boar. Siddhartha having been successful in all the tests Gopa's father agrees to the marriage. Various gods including Indra and Brahma congratulate him on his marriage and ask when he will begin his quest for enlightenment.

The king dreams of the prince's departure and tries to attract him to remain by building three more palaces to amuse him. The king posts guards around the prince's palace and sends young women to entertain him. This is one of the most successful compositions on the monument.

One day the prince decides to go to a royal pleasure garden. Suddenly an old man appears to him, and the prince goes back to the palace. This is the first of the Four Encounters which motivate the prince to begin his quest for Awakening. The second encounter occurs when the prince again sets out for the pleasure garden and sees a sick man. There is another occasion when the prince sees a dead man surrounded by grieving relatives. The last encounter is again created by the gods, and involves a monk. He is at peace compared to the grief and suffering felt by the others.

The princes meditates based on the example of the monk and on the path of salvation from suffering. Siddhartha comforts Gopa that night who had a bad dream, then the next day goes to the king and asks permission to leave. After the prince says goodbye to the gods and other supernatural beings he cuts off his hair. Then he discards his royal robes and puts on the rough robes of a passing hunter. The prince goes to two places where brahmana female hermits offer him food. Sakyamuni embarks on a life of a wandering monk.

Eventually he reaches Vaisali, the capital of the Vrajji confederation, where he asks permission to become a pupil of a brahmana named Arada Kalapa. After some time Arada acknowledges the prince as his equal, and Sakyamuni also becomes a teacher.

Later Siddhartha decides to resume his travels, and comes to the city of Rajagrha to go on almsround. The people are in awe of his appearance and think Brahma himself has come to the city. The next day a bright shining light comes from Mount Pandava where Sakyamuni is staying. The king asks him to stay and take half the kingdom but he declines. Siddhartha later visits a teacher in Rajagrha named Rudraka Ramaputra and is invited to join him.

After a while the prince Siddhartha goes to Magadha. Five men from Rudraka's group decide to follow him, and they meditate on Gayasirsa Mountain. Then the prince and his new disciples go to meditate beside the river Nairanjana. This is where Sakyamuni practices such austerity that he nearly starves himself. When he is near death Queen Maya comes to see him and begins to cry. The gods offer to feed him through the pores of his skin so he will not have to eat, but he is scared the people will believe he can live without food. He abandons his fast, and the five disappointed disciples leave him.The prince then goes to Uruvila. Siddhartha decides to put on a new robe, and takes a shroud from a dead woman named Radha. He washes it on a stone by a pond. When Siddhartha tries to leave the pond, the demon Mara makes the banks rise enormously high. The goddess of a tree beside the pond bends her branch and saves him. Another god gives the prince a reddish robe. The village chief's daughter, Sujata, invites the prince to her house and feeds him.

Siddhartha returns to the Nairanjana River to bathe and takes a golden bowl which Sujata gave him. Gods come to him and attend him. The prince sits down and finishes the food Sujata gave him. When he is finished, Siddhartha throws the bowl into the river. Indra desires it and turns into a Garuda to take it from the Naga king who saved the bowl.

The prince then sets out for the enlightenment tree. Brahma and a group of gods go to pay homage to the prince. It is now time for Sakyamuni to seek a tree to meditate under. The demon Mara attacks the prince in a final effort of preventing him to seek Awakening. Mara fails to defeat Sakyamuni by force, so he sends his beautiful daughters to try to arouse him, but this fails also. Siddhartha reaches Supreme Enlightenment, and becomes the Buddha, the Awakened One. The Buddha remained in the same position for seven days, but rises to walk twice to far distances. Both times however, he returned to the sacred Bodhi Mandala.

Four weeks after his awakening the Buddha goes to stay with a naga king named Mucilinda. The weather was poor so the naga king protects the Buddha while he meditates. After a week Buddha leaves Mucilinda's palace to walk to a banyan tree. On the way he meets wanderers who asks him how he has borne such a week of bad weather. Buddha goes to meditate under another tree, and merchants pass by who are frightened by the portents, but a goddess who was their former Mother reassures them.

The merchants offer Buddha food. He would like a bowl to put it in, and the Four Great Kings, each offer him bowls. Afraid to offend them he takes them all and combines them into one. That same night, the gods including Brahma and Indra, ask the Buddha to preach the Law. By morning he agrees to preach, and asks to whom he should first preach the Law. He asks for Rudraka but he has been dead for a week. Next he asks for Arada Kalapa but he is also dead. Buddha then asks for the five disciples he had earlier, and he sees they are in the Deer Park at Benares.

The Buddha sets off for Benares, and on the way he meets the Abstainer Upaka who asks where he is going. He goes through several cities, and is honored in each of them. the Buddha comes to the River Ganges, and the ferryman refuses to row him across without payment. Buddha flies across the river, and the boatman faints.

The Buddha arrives in Benares, and goes out on alms round. He finds the five former disciples, and they are awed by his radiance and arise to serve him. The disciples ceremonially bathe Buddha. Then Buddha preaches his first sermon, which sets the Dhamma-Wheel Rolling.

Relief of Lalitavistara (Life of the Buddha)

East Wall (Center to South)

The Prelude to the Birth of Buddha

1. Bodhisattva in Tusita Heaven among the Gods.

2. Bodhisattva’s announcement that he will be reborn on earth.

3. The Gods take the form of Brahmins on earth.

4. Pratyeka Buddhas leave earth now that the Bodhisattva will be Born.

5. Bodhisattva’s guidance to the Gods.

6. Passing the crown to Maitreya.

7. Choosing the incarnation.

8. King Suddhadana and Queen Maya.

9. Goddesses visit Queen Maya who has vowed celibacy.

10. The Gods discuss who should accompany the Bodhisattva.

11. The Gods worship Bodhisattvas.

12. The Bodhisattva descends to earth accompanied by the Gods.

13. The Bodhisattva enters Queen Maya's womb.

14. The Bodhisattva inside Queen Maya's womb.

15. The Queen wanted to meet King Sudhodana at Asoka Park.

South Wall

The Birth and Early Life of Buddha

16. The King went to see the Queen.

17. The Queen told her dream.

18. The Brahmins interpreted the Queen's Dream.

19. The Brahmins received Gifts.

20. The Gods prepared Queen Maya.

21. Queen Maya in more than one palace.

22. Queen Maya healed the sick.

23. The Sakya tribe gives gifts to the poor.

24. King's Discourse on Women's Obligations.

25. Omens Before the Birth of the Bodhisattva.

26. The time of Queen Maya is approaching.

27. Queen Maya traveled to Lumbini.

28. Queen Maya gives birth.

29. The king named his son Siddhartha.

30. Gautami looked after Siddhartha.

31. Siddhartha will become Buddha.

32. The Gods worship Siddhartha.

33. The king was asked to take Siddartha to the temple.

34. Procession to the Temple.

35. The statues worship Siddhartha, Siddhartha and the King.

36. The nobles presented Jewels to Siddhartha.

37. Siddhartha goes to school.

38. Siddhartha Studying in Class.

39. Siddhartha in the Village.

40. Siddhartha Meditates under a Guava Tree.

41. The family decides to ask Siddhartha to marry.

42. Presenting the Ring to the Gopa.

43. Siddhartha agreed to a contest.

44. Devadatta Beats an Elephant to Death.

45. Siddhartha got rid of the Elephant.

West Wall

Buddha's Marriage and Renunciation

46. Siddhartha won in Mathematics.

47. Siddhartha won a competition.

48. Siddhartha wins another Competition.

49. Siddhartha wins the Archery Competition.

50. Gopa agrees to marry Siddhartha.

51. Siddhartha and Gopa in the Palace.

52. The Gods congratulated Siddhartha.

53. The Gods reminded Siddhartha of his Duty.

54. Siddhartha is presented with the Three Palaces.

55. Siddhartha speaks at the Palace.

56. Siddhartha sees the Old Man.

57. Siddhartha meets the Sick Man.

58. Siddhartha saw someone who had died.

59. Siddhartha meets a Bhikkhu.

60. Gopa told his nightmare to Siddhartha.

61. King Suddhodana gave Siddhartha permission to leave the Palace.

62. Gautami brought beautiful women to Siddhartha.

63. Siddhartha is surprised by the Sleeping Woman.

64. Siddhartha leaves the Palace, Chanda.

65. The Gods bid farewell to Siddhartha.

66. Siddhartha began his long Journey to Exile on the horse Kanthaka.

67. Siddhartha cut his hair.

68. Siddhartha changes his clothes.

69. The Gods honor the Bodhisattva.

70. The Bodhisattva wandered and came to Padmapani Hermitage.

71. Bodhisattva meets Arada Kalama.

72. Arada Kalama offers Bodhisattva Co-Leadership.

73. King Bimbisara offered food to the Bodhisattva.

74. King Bimbisara worshiped the Bodhisattva.

75. Bodhisattva meets Rudraka Ramaputra.

North Wall

The Buddha's Awakening

76. The Bodhisattva begins Meditation in the Cave with the Group of Five.

77. Bodhisattva during his Ascetic Life.

78. His mother tried to persuade the Bodhisattva to surrender.

79. Mara tried to persuade the Bodhisattva to surrender.

80. The Gods offered to give food to the Bodhisattva.

81. The Village Chief's Daughter offers Food to the Bodhisattva.

82. The Bodhisattva Bathed and Changed His Clothes by Wearing Radha's Shroud.

83. The Gods offer Clean Clothes to the Bodhisattva.

84. Sujata offered food to the Bodhisattva in his House.

85. The Bodhisattva took a bowl and went to the river to bathe.

86. The Gods assist the Bodhisattva when he Baths and collects Relics.

87. A Nagi offers a Throne for a Bodhisattva to sit on.

88. Bodhisattvas eat leftovers.

89. The Bodhisattva who threw out the Bowl.

90. Svastika gives grass to the Bodhisattva to sit on.

91. Brahma and other Gods worship Bodhisattvas.

92. The Gods decorate the Bodhi Tree, hoping that the Bodhisattva will sit there.

93. Bodhisattvas pay homage to our Bodhisattva.

94. Mara sent her daughter to enchant the Bodhisattva.

95. Mara and his Army attacked the Bodhisattva.

96. Bodhisattva attains Awakening and becomes Buddha.

97. Another Buddha sent an umbrella to shade the new Buddha.

98. The Gods bathed the Buddha.

99. The Buddha demonstrated Abhaya Mudra.

100. The Buddha Around the Bodhi Tree.

101. The Buddha meets Mucilinda.

102. The Buddha met the Ascetics around him.

103. The Buddha meets Trapussa and Bhallika.

104. The Gods offered the Buddha four bowls.

105. Sujata offered Food to the Buddha.

East Wall (North to Center)

The Preaching of the First Sermon.

106. The Gods asked the Buddha to Teach.

107. The Buddha agreed to Teach.

108. The Gods prepare the Way to Rsipatana.

109. The Buddha on His Way to Rsipatana.

110. The Buddha met several people on the Road.

111. The Buddha is entertained by Cunda.

112. The Buddha is entertained by Kamandaluka.

113. The Buddha was entertained by Kandha.

114. The Buddha is entertained by the householders..

115. The Buddha crossed the Ganges by flying through the Air.116. The Buddha was offered Dana.

117. The Buddha meets the Good Five.

118. The Buddha taught the Dhamma.

119. People bring gifts to the Buddha.

120. The Buddha taught the Dhamma to Gods and Men.

Source: Guiding Technique Chandi Borobudur by Aris guide.

View of Borobudur from Dagi hill

The beauty of Borobudur view from Dagi Hill. Borobudur is a Buddhist temple built on a hill during the reign of Samaratungga around 824 AD.

Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple built in the 9th century, consisting of nine terraced terraces, six square terraces and three circular terraces, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur

is a 9th–century Mahayana Buddhist temple, which consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide.

Read the complete narrative and material about Chandi Borobudur by visiting and make your tour even more enjoyable, explore in more detail the thematic narrative of Borobudur culture with Pamong Carita. Reading becomes more fun, digging into the narrative in more detail and reading in English is indeed fun and also seems very interesting to translate into easy and flexible language, get detailed reading at Welcome to Borobudur Temple, the fabric of life in the Buddhist culture. Explore, admire the beauty of fine art in images and photos at PHOTO IMAGE BOROBUDUR.

Chandi Borobudur

World Cultural Heritage Site since 1991, one of the views of Borobudur from the northwest. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Welcome to Borobudur Temple

Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple built in the 9th century, consisting of six square terraces and three circular terraces, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur

is a 9th–century Mahayana Buddhist temple, which consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide.