BOROBUDUR AT DOWN

BOROBUDUR AT DOWN
For anybody who has not been here but has seen enough photos of monotone grey structure to lose interest, prepare to be delighted. Watching the sunrise over Borobudur, is indeed (and obviously), a religious experience. There are a few moments are exquisitely serene as navigating Borobudur alone, before the hoarders arrive, and as the sun comes up to illuminate the reliefs, some constructed in the seventh century.
It is devotional practice to circumambulate around the galleries and terraces always turning to the left while either chanting or meditating. After reflecting at a quite spot or finding one’s favorite relief, go in search of Buddha that can be touched through the stupa, and supposedly brings good luck.
For about century and a half the temple, which represents the ten levels of a Bodhisattva’s life, was the spiritual centre of Buddhism in Java, lost until its rediscovery in the eighteen century. Composed of 55,000 square meters of lava-rock, the temple is built in the form of stepped-pyramid of six rectangular storeys, three circular terraces and a central stupa forming the summit. The whole structure is in the form of a lotus, the sacred flower of Buddha.
The lowest and middle levels contain reliefs depicting various stories of the Buddha’s life from the Jataka Tales and the highest level has a circle without beginning or end. There are ninety-two Vajrasattvas or Dhyani Buddhas, many headless due to theft, tucked into small stupas.
Each of these statues has a mudra (hand gesture) indicating one of the five directions; east, for calling the earth to witness; south to symbolize blessing; west, meditation; north, fearlessness; and the centre; teaching.
The Borobudur stupa is also a replica of the universe. It symbolizes the micro-cosmos, which is divided into three levels, in which a person’s world of desire is influenced by negative impulses; the middle level, the world in which people have control of their negative impulses and uses their positive impulses; and the highest level, in which the world is no longer bounded by physical and material desire.