qi:eh depiring the Buddha's past birth stories (JPn&ria and

J¢; ), Buddha's life story (LaJitarisiara), and a bodhisattva's

journe y from teacher to teacher to seek tmth (Bliadracarf or
c••a•cy¡iJia). This five-leveled part of the sanctuary has been
iden€fied as the symbol of riipadliéiu, or the region of form.
On top of this paa there are again three concentric circular
levels, topped in the center by the big main stiipa. The three
circular levels bear rows of perforated stGpas, each one contain-
ing a statue of a seated Buddha. No ornamentation is found in
this part of the stmcture. This uppermost part has been inter-
preted as representing the formless, shapeless region called
the a••“R••!*•‘••
The concept of the three dhétu is in essence referring to
the sequence of a spiritual path, indicated to the human being
as a microcosmos. It is not a descriptive concept of the macro-
cosmos, thus unlike the Hindu three loin.
There is also the interpretation of J.G. de Casparis who
sees the sanctuary of Borobudur with its ten levels (the hidden
foot, the five square levels, the three circular levels and big
stiipa as the tenth level) represent the ten bodhisottvn- bbiimi
(levels of Bodhisattva-hood)." All these interpretations see
Borobudur as instrumental symbolization of a cosmos of spi-
ritual paths.