Java Trip: Borobudur The Mystery of Indonesian Buddha

Finally, we've been to Magelang and only a little miles away to the Borobudur Temple. This Borobudur have became the symbol of Indonesian pride, the biggest temple in the world. This Buddha temple is the biggest Buddhist structure of ancient times, and have an enigmatic mystery.

The Buddha and the Sky

From my childhood, I have seen the picture of Borobudur. Since that time, I always wanted to go to Borobudur. This Borobudur is an enigmatic design of Bhineka Tunggal Ika, you can say the Borobudur is a pyramid building, a stupa, a mandala, or a temple. Even though this is a Buddhist temple, but what sect of Buddha it is is still unknown.

The formation looks like a Mandala

There is no surviving scripture about who, how and why the building was made. Now days this place was interpreted as a pilgrimage complex. Why this Borobudur was identified as pilgrimage temple, first this temple is one of the series of three temple with Mendut and Pawon. In Wesak days, many Bhikku from all over the world do the pilgrimage from Mendut to Pawon and finish in Borobudur.

This make more sense if we saw the structure of the building, there is three stages of building represent three realms in Buddha Cosmology, the Kamadathu, Rupadathu, and Arupadhathu. We live in Kamadhathu where the world is govern by desire, next  step is Rupadhatu where the soul had became an Arahat (the enlightened one), and for the highest form is no form at all the Arupadhatu. This show a path for the Buddha follower to follow.

Borobudur looks like a mountain of Mahameru

Relief at Borobudur

Stupa at Borobudur

As I myself somehow visit the Borobudur never satisfied my expectation. I feel that this sacred place is somehow just a structure. I expected that Borobudur could give me a path of enlightenment. This is also a mystery for me to explore more about this place. I wondered if there is a secret path to enter the building, I always do think that Borobudur has room inside. Or even more cool, this building once was in the artificial lake, and this building is also a symbolized a lotus.

From up above this building resemble the mandala. Mandala is the whole world that picture in a form, usually in form of painting. Meditating this mandala will invoke our Buddha nature, Buddha believe that our self is not only human but also Buddha itself. Maybe I expected too much, going to Borobudur and somehow can get this realization.

I also wondering, how the building was used in the first place. I researched about Indonesian Buddhism and somehow I found the Buddha in Indonesia is just imported Buddhism. The Indonesian Buddhism itself is already lost sometimes in Majapahit Empire. The glimpse of this teaching is in the form of Hindu Dharma in Bali. Mpu Prapanca in Negarakertaga was said that the truth cannot in two form, but only in one form of truth. The one truth in Bhineka Tunggal Ika, which mean the difference in the world only refer at one truth therefore suddenly the form of Buddhism in Indonesia was vanished. Like the symbol in the building, the Buddhism is already in highest form the form of nothingness!

Gate gate paragate parasamgate Bodhisatva

Away away go further away and go to furthest and therefore enlightened