The Ploysemic Form of the Borobudur?

Dr Uday Dokras
Borobudur Temple is a Buddhist Temple which is located in Magelang, Central Java, not far
from the Yogyakarta City. Its existence is not only popular in the national level, but also at
international level. This amazing historical relic is so special. How the stones are arranged
and formed in such a way as to form a building with high artistic value. Apart
from Prambanan Temple, Borobudur has always been a tourist destination for both domestic
and foreign tourists. Until now, Borobudur Temple still stands majestically and charmingly
without showing its senility.

Talking about its founder, there is no clear record of who exactly created this temple.
However, this temple is known to have been built during the glory of the Syailendra Dynasty.

In addition, it has not been known for sure if this temple was built for Hindus or Buddhists.
At that time, the Syailendra Dynasty adhered the Mahayana Buddhism.

However, there is also a Sojomerto inscription finding which states that initially they
embraced the Hindu theory. At that time, many temples were built in Java and were used as
places of worship.

One example is the Shiwalingga Temple. However, looking at the shape and type of the
stupa, it was agreed that this temple was a relic of the Buddhist kingdom.

This temple is estimated to have been built around the time of 760 to 830 AD. It seems that
Borobudur takes at least 100 years to complete the temple construction and is thought to have
been completed during the reign of King Samaratungga.

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1. 12 Centuries Old
Until now, Borobudur Temple is estimated to be around 12 centuries or 1200 years old. This
is supported by some discoveries which state that the construction of this temple began in the
8th or 9th century AD.

2. Been Neglected
Some historical evidence states that the existence of this great temple was neglected. This
happened around the 14th or 15th century AD, when Hindu Buddhist civilization began to
decline in Indonesia. This year also marks the entry of Islam to Indonesia.

3. Cultural Property Theft

Before being completely restored and preserved, the great Borobudur Temple was the target
of irresponsible people. They take Buddha statues to sell to antique collectors or to museums.
Many parts of the temple were lost and diminished as a result of these looters. That is why
many Buddha statues are headless.

4. Exhibited at Thailand Museum

Apart from theft, the loss of statues and artifacts at Borobudur Temple could not be separated
from the intervention of the Dutch East Indies government. In 1896, the King of Thailand
visited Indonesia and expressed his intention to have several parts of the statue from this
temple.

The request was approved by the Dutch East Indies government. Finally, 5 statues of Buddha,
30 stones with reliefs, two statues of lions, stone shaped kala, stairs and gates, statues of
dwarapala guards were brought to Thailand.

5. Twice Restoration
Borobudur Temple has undergone two restoration works to maintain its integrity. The first
renovations were carried out in around 1907 and 1911. However, due to limited costs, the
restoration could not be done optimally.

This first restoration found several missing Buddha head statues, dismantled and rebuilt the
three terraces and the peak stupa. The second restoration was carried out in 1960 – 1973 with
more intensively to protect this historical monument.

The Indonesian government and UNICEF are jointly undertaking a major repair project to
strengthen and repair all parts of the temple. That said, this project cost nearly 7 million
dollars.

6. Included in the List of World Heritage Sites

In 1991, Borobudur Temple was designated as one of cultural objects from the past or a
world heritage site. This temple is a cultural object that represents a creative and genius
human masterpiece.

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7. Once a Bomb Target
On January 21st, 1985, Borobudur Temple was targeted by a bomb that destroyed 9 stupas
and two Buddha statues. The perpetrator of this bombing was a Muslim preacher named
Husein Ali Al Habsyie.

The background to this bombing was not reported in a clear and focused manner. Several
sources stated that the problems ranged from religious conflicts, conflicts of interest and
many more issues.

8. Rocked by the Earthquake but Stand Still

Borobudur Temple was also rocked by an earthquake measuring 6.2 Richter scale on May 27,
2006. Even though the Yogyakarta earthquake almost destroyed the surrounding area, this
Buddhist temple remained firmly standing without any slightest move.

9. Two Million Visitors Each Year

The popularity of this temple is not in doubt. Borobudur name is increasingly widespread
throughout the world. This can be seen from the increase in the number of visitors every year.
On average, Borobudur visitors even reach 2.5 million people per year.

Location. The address of Borobudur Temple is Jl. Badrawati, Borobudur, Kec. Borobudur,
Magelang, Central Java.

Access. To reach the Borobudur Temple, you can use the Transjogja bus line A to Jombor.
After that, the journey can be continued by bus to Jombor – Borobudur route.

Polysemy is characterized as the phenomenon whereby a single word form is associated with
two or several related senses. It is distinguished from monosemy, where one word form is
associated with a single meaning, and homonymy, where a single word form is associated
with two or several unrelated meanings.The same goes for desihns. When one design
represents many different connotations. These are from "sacred" place to being dubbed "the

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garden of Java" due to its high agricultural area surroundings.Its basic structure resembles
that of a pyramid, yet it has been also referred to as a caitya (shrine), a stupa
(reliquary), and a sacred mountain.

10. Lotus
11. Shape of a Breast
12. Ancient Puzzle
13. Lake
14. A Buddhist mystery in stone
15. Buddhist Mandala
16. Mount Meru

17. Pusaka" or heritage of the past,

The Borobudur temple is a unique work of art, an architectural miracle, a significant place of
religious worship for Buddhists in a Muslim country, and a "pusaka" or heritage of the past,
defining the identity of Indonesia, where nowadays very few remember its Hinduand
Buddhist roots.Borobudur is a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture and monumental art
because it isan original, unique and harmonious combination of the ideas of a stupa, a temple
and a sacredmountain. It symbolises the universe with its constituent elements of the earth,
gods' worldsand the realm of pure lands, which makes this construction a huge mandala,
through whichpilgrims symbolically travel. Every part of the Borobudur temple structure was
built over1000 years ago in accordance with a detailed and meticulous design, with an
awareness offunctionality, aesthetics and religious meanings, making this temple one of the
greatestBuddhist monuments ever constructed.
(7) (PDF) The Borobudur temple: the Buddhist architecture in Indonesia. Available from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338352762_The_Borobudur_temple_the_Buddhist
_architecture_in_Indonesia [accessed May 26 2023].
18. Harmonious combination of the ideas of a stupa, a temple and a sacred mountain.

19. Architectural miracle

20. Swirling Staircase

21. Religious Aspects of Borobudur

Unlike most temples, Borobudur did not have actual spaces for worship. Instead it has an
extensive system of corridors and stairways, which are thought to have been a place for
Buddhist ceremonies. Borobodur also has six square courtyards, three circular ones, and a
main courtyard within a stupa at the temple’s peak. The entire structure is formed in the
shape of a giant twirling staircase, a style of architecture from prehistoric Indonesia.
Borobudur is a three-dimensional model of the Mahayana Buddhist universe. The climb to
the top of the temple is intended to illustrate the path an individual must take to reach

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enlightenment. At the main entrance on the east side, visitors can not even see the top.
Scholars believed this was intensional. At the top was the ideal of Buddhist perfection, the
World of Formlessness. The architecture and stonework of this temple has no equal. And
it was built without using any kind of cement or mortar!
22. Borobudur is a three-dimensional model of the Mahayana Buddhist universe.

23. Giant Stupa

24. Borobudur is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage.

Borobudur resembles a giant stupa, but seen from above it forms a mandala. The great
stupa at the top of the temple sits 40 meters above the ground. This main dome is
surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa. Five closed square
galleries, three open circular inner terraces, and a concentric scheme express the universe
geometrically. At the center of the top of the temple is a beautifully shaped stupa which is
surrounded by three circles of smaller stupas that have the same shape. There are 72 of
these, each with a Buddha statue inside. Touching them is supposed to bring good luck.
Unfortunately many had their heads lopped off by 19th century explorers looking for
souvenirs. The 72 small latticed stupas look like perforated stone bells. The temple is
decorated with stone carvings in bas-relief representing images from the life of Buddha—
the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world.
Borobudur is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The
ten levels of the temple symbolize the three divisions of the religion’s cosmic system. As
visitors begin their journey at the base of the temple, they make their way to the top of the
monument through the three levels of Budhist cosmology, Kamadhatu (the world of
desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). As
visitors walk to the top the monument guides the pilgrims past 1,460 narrative relief
panels on the wall and the balustrades.
The main temple is a stupa built in three tiers around a hill which was a natural centre: a
pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular
platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated
with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,520 m2. Around the circular
platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha.
25. Pyramid

26. Universe in Buddhist cosmology.

The vertical division of Borobudur Temple into base, body, and superstructure perfectly
accords with the conception of the Universe in Buddhist cosmology. It is believed that the
universe is divided into three superimposing spheres, kamadhatu, rupadhatu, and
arupadhatu, representing respectively the sphere of desires where we are bound to our
desires, the sphere of forms where we abandon our desires but are still bound to name and

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 form, and the sphere of formlessness where there is no longer either name or form. At
Borobudur Temple, the kamadhatu is represented by the base, the rupadhatu by the five
square terraces, and the arupadhatu by the three circular platforms as well as the big stupa.
The whole structure shows a unique blending of the very central ideas of ancestor
worship, related to the idea of a terraced mountain, combined with the Buddhist concept
of attaining Nirvana. The Heart Sutra is the most widely recited scripture in Mahayana.
Buddhism. ... For your reference, I have endeavoured to compare it with a bell. The bell,
it moves back and forth.
27. The Heart Sutra and the Design of the Borobudur

28. The Form of Emptiness and the “Emptiness of Form”

The Heart Sutra is the most widely recited scripture in Mahayana. Buddhism. ... For your
reference, I have endeav- ... the bell, it moves back and forth.

29. Bell or Ghanta

30 . Symbol of Sunya

Introduction - Emptiness is Form refers to a Buddhist text called the Heart Sutra,
which is the distillation of all teachings on Emptiness. Emptiness in Buddhism refers not
to nothingness, but to the opposite: the interdependence of all phenomena, both mental and
physical. Śūnya or śūnya, in the context of buddha dharma, primarily means "empty", or
"void," but also means "zero," and "nothing," and derives from the root śvi, meaning
"hollow" The Heart Sūtra (Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya )is a popular sutra in Mahāyāna
Buddhism. In Sanskrit, the title Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya translates as "The Heart of
the Perfection of Wisdom".

The Sutra famously states, "Form is emptiness (śūnyatā), emptiness is form." It is a

condensed exposé on the Buddhist Mahayana teaching of the Two Truths doctrine, which
says that ultimately all phenomena are sunyata.The Buddhist monument Borobudur, central
Java, Indonesia. It was constructed about 778–850 ce under the Shailendra dynasty and has
three major levels representing individual stages toward perfection. It is designed in a way to
resemble the wheel of life. The dharma wheel, or dharma chakra in Sanskrit, is one of the
oldest symbols of Buddhism. Around the globe it is used to represent Buddhism in the same
way that a cross represents Christianity or a Star of David represents Judaism. It is also one of
the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism.The Borobudur stupa is therefore made in such a
way that the devotees went round and round from a earlier-lower level climbing to a higher
Upper level and reading or looking at the various reliefs carved on one side of the
circumambulatory staircase.