RELIEFS of Borobudur

Dr Uday Dokras
The stories are compiled in the Dvijavadana (Glorious Heavenly Acts) and the Awadana
Sataka (Hundred Awadanas). The first twenty panels in the lower series of the first gallery
depict, the Sudhanakumaravadana. The series of reliefs covering the wall of the second
gallery is devoted to Sudhana's tireless wanderings in search of the Highest Perfect Wisdom.
The story is continued on the wall and balustrade of the third and fourth galleries. Its
depiction in most of the 460 panels is based on the holy Nahayana text Gandavyuha, the
concluding scenes being derived from another text, the Badracari.

Reading the Bas Reliefs at Borobudur

Reading the bas reliefs at Borobudur requires a specific technique. The panels on the wall
read from left to right, while those on the balustrade read from right to left, conforming with
the pradaksina, a ritual performed by pilgrims who move in a clockwise direction, whilst
always keeping the sanctuary to their right. The story begins and ends at the eastern side of
the gate at every level. Stairs connect each level to the next from each direction of the
compass, but the idea is to always ascend from the stairs at the eastern corner. The panels
depict stories of Karma, of passion, robbery, murder, torture and humiliation. But not all are
negative. Some panels also tell of the cause and effect of good deeds, and describe the
behavior of the Javanese Society of that day, from religion to livelihood to social structure,
fashion, and even the various types of plants and animals. Ultimately, it describes the human
life cycle: Birth – Life – Death.
Kamadhatu is a picture of highly populated world still dominated by Kama, or lust. This
zone is at the bottom level of Borobodur, and is therefore not visible due to some added
construction. Some say these structures were added to strengthen the building's foundations,
while others speculate that they have been added to conceal the obscene content of the reliefs.
For visitors that wish to see these reliefs, the Karmawibhangga Museum displays pictures of
the Kamadhatu.
Lalitawistara are a series of beautifully sculpted reliefs that depict the history of Buddha,
starting from his descent from Heaven, to his enlightenment under the bodhi tree, and finally
to his first teachings in the city of Banaras. Lalitawistara consists of 120 panels, but yet does
not tell the complete story of Buddha. These reliefs are found on the temple walls in hallway
1 on level 2.
Jataka and Awadana are reliefs telling of Buddha, before he was reborn as Prince Siddharta.
These are also engraved in hallway 1 on the second level, and tell of Buddha's kindness and
self-sacrifice as he was reincarnated in various forms of human or animal. It explains of how
good works are what set humans apart from animals, and tells of the stages of preparation to
the next and higher level of Buddha. Awadana also tells the story not of the Buddha figure,
but of the Prince Sudhanakumara. The stories on the awadana reliefs are compiled in the
books Kitab Diwyawadana, (A Diety's noble deeds," and Kitab Awadanasataka, (A hundred
awadana stories.)

Bhadracari is a row of 460 neatly carved reliefs along the walls and balustrades. These
reliefs are scattered throughout various levels of the temple and tell of Sudhana, the son of a
wealthy merchant, who wanders in quest of the ultimate knowledge or truth. These panels are
based on the Mahayana Buddhist scriptures, entitled Gandawyuha. The story tells of 10 great
vows made by Bodhisattva Samantabadhra concerning his Buddhist practice, which later
became the leading guidelines of all Bodhisattvas, and particularly of Sudhana.

1
locations of the Borobudar reliefs

what it might have been like when Borobudur was a working temple

Understanding the Thousands of Relief Panels of Borobudur From the 5th to 7th levels of the
temple, there are no reliefs on the walls. This is because these levels represent the nature of
the “Arupadhatu," which means “without tangible form." At this level, people are free from
all desires of any shape or form, but yet have not attained Nirvana. On this level, there are
several Buddha statues placed inside stupas. At the 10th and highest level of the temple, is the
largest and tallest stupa in Borobudur. Within this stupa

The Story of the GOOD MAN Sudhana: This paper is a preliminary study exploring the
various reliefs on the walls of the temple.To understand the relifs some fundamental buddist

2
beliefs need to be portrayed here albeit in short:

A Buddhist Mahayana Sutra of Indian origin dating roughly c. 200 to 300 CEis known as
the Gaṇḍavyūha Sutra or The Excellent Manifestation Sūtra , Sutra of the Tree's Display; cf.
Skt "gaṇḍi", "the trunk of a tree from the root to the beginning of the branches”) . It depicts
one of the world's most celebrated spiritual pilgrimages, and comprises the 39th chapter of
the Avatamsaka Sutra, or Flower Ornament Scripture. In Buddhabhadra's Chinese translation
of the Avatamsaka, this 39th chapter is entitled "Entrance into the Dharma Realm".The Sutra
is described as the "Sudhana's quest for the ultimate truth", as the sutra chronicles the journey
of a disciple, Sudhana ("Excellent Riches"), as he encounters various teachings
and Bodhisattvas until his journey reaches full circle and he awakens to teachings of
the Buddha. The penultimate master that Sudhana visits is the Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, the
bodhisattva of great wisdom. Thus, one of the grandest of pilgrimages approaches its
conclusion by revisiting where it began. The Gaṇḍavyūha suggests that with a subtle shift of
perspective we may come to see that the enlightenment that the pilgrim so fervently sought
was not only with him at every stage of his journey, but before it began as well—that
enlightenment is not something to be gained, but "something" the pilgrim never departed
from.The final master that Sudhana visits is the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, who teaches him
that wisdom only exists for the sake of putting it into practice; that it is only good insofar as it
benefits all living beings.

The story goes ( on the Panels) of the visit of the good man, Sudhana who also had a good
track record of his previous lives. There are 460 panels that describe this visits He expressed
his sincere wish to learn the way of Dharma and visited Manjusri asking for his advice.
Manjusri showed him the path. He then visited 53 Kalyanamitras inclusive of Gods,
Goddesses, monks, laymen, travelers, kings and Bodhisattvas. The 53rd visit was to Maitreya
who showed him the door of Dharma and told him to visit Manjusri again. Manju sri
empowered him with wisdom and told him to visit Samantabbadra. Through Samantabbadra's
Adhishthana or aid he reached perfection at the end.

The temple is a massive step pyramid structure made from giant stone blocks, built on a hill,
surrounded by valleys and hills. The levels rise up representing the stages of enlightenment.
Borobudur stupas overlooking a mountain. For centuries, it was deserted.
A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues
seated inside a perforated stupa. It is the world’s largest Buddhist temple, as well as one of
the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.
The journey for pilgrims begins at the base o
f the monument and follows a path around the monument and ascends to the top through
three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology: Kāmadhātu (the world of
desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness).The
monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460
narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades. Borobudur has the largest and most
complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world.

Evidence suggests Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century and abandoned following
the 14th-century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam.
Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles,
then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians.
Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration
project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and

3
UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year, Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate
Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia’s single most visited tourist attraction.

Etymology
In Indonesian, ancient temples are referred to as candi; thus locals refer to “Borobudur
Temple” as Candi Borobudur. The term candi also loosely describes ancient structures, for
example gates and baths. The origins of the name Borobudur, however, are unclear,although
the original names of most ancient Indonesian temples are no longer known.The name
Borobudur was first written in Sir Thomas Raffles’s book on Javan history. Raffles wrote
about a monument called borobudur, but there are no older documents suggesting the
same name.The only old Javanese manuscript that hints at the monument as a holy Buddhist
sanctuary is Nagarakretagama, written by Mpu Prapanca in 1365.
The name Bore-Budur, and thus BoroBudur, is thought to have been written by Raffles in
English grammar to mean the nearby village of Bore; most candi are named after a nearby
village. If it followed Javanese language, the monument should have been named
“BudurBoro”. Raffles also suggested that Budur might correspond to the modern Javanese
word Buda (“ancient”)—i.e., “ancient Boro”. However, another archaeologist suggests the
second component of the name (Budur) comes from Javanese term bhudhara (“mountain”).
The construction and inauguration of a sacred Buddhist building—possibly a reference to
Borobudur—was mentioned in two inscriptions, both discovered in Kedu, Temanggung
Regency. The Karangtengah inscription, dated 824, mentioned a sacred building
named Jinalaya (the realm of those who have conquered worldly desire and reached
enlightenment), inaugurated by Pramodhawardhani, daughter of Samaratungga. The Tri
Tepusan inscription, dated 842, is mentioned in the sima, the (tax-free) lands awarded by Çrī
Kahulunnan (Pramodhawardhani) to ensure the funding and maintenance of
a Kamūlān called Bhūmisambhāra. Kamūlān is from the word mula, which means “the place
of origin”, a sacred building to honor the ancestors, probably those of the Sailendras.
Casparis suggested that Bhūmi Sambhāra Bhudhāra, which in Sanskrit means “the mountain
of combined virtues of the ten stages of Boddhisattvahood”, was the original name of
Borobudur.
Approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of Yogyakarta and 86 kilometres (53 mi)
west of Surakarta, Borobudur is located in an elevated area between two twin volcanoes,
Sundoro-Sumbing and Merbabu-Merapi, and two rivers, the Progo and the Elo. According to
local myth, the area known as Kedu Plain is a Javanese “sacred” place and has been dubbed
“the garden of Java” due to its high agricultural fertility. During the restoration in the early
20th century, it was discovered that three Buddhist temples in the region, Borobudur, Pawon
and Mendut, are positioned along a straight line.A ritual relationship between the three
temples must have existed, although the exact ritual process is unknown.

Borobudur was built on a bedrock hill, 265 m (869 ft) above sea level and 15 m (49 ft) above
the floor of a dried-out paleolake. The lake’s existence was the subject of intense discussion
among archaeologists in the 20th century. In 1931, a Dutch artist and scholar of Hindu and
Buddhist architecture, W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, developed a theory that the Kedu Plain was
once a lake and Borobudur initially represented a lotus flower floating on the lake
Borobudur lay hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. The facts
behind its abandonment remain a mystery. It is not known when active use of the monument
and Buddhist pilgrimage to it ceased. Sometime between 928 and 1006, King Mpu Sindok
moved the capital of the Medang Kingdom to the region of East Java after a series of
volcanic eruptions; it is not certain whether this influenced the abandonment, but several

4
sources mention this as the most likely period of abandonment. The monument is mentioned
vaguely as late as ca. 1365, in Mpu Prapanca’s Nagarakretagama, written during the
Majapahit era and mentioning “the vihara in Budur”. Soekmono (1976) also mentions the
popular belief that the temples were disbanded when the population converted to Islam in the
15th century.

The monument was not forgotten completely, though folk stories gradually shifted from its
past glory into more superstitious beliefs associated with bad luck and misery. Two old
Javanese chronicles (babad) from the 18th century mention cases of bad luck associated with
the monument. According to the Babad Tanah Jawi (or the History of Java), the monument
was a fatal factor for Mas Dana, a rebel who revolted against Pakubuwono I, the king of
Mataram in 1709. It was mentioned that the “Redi Borobudur” hill was besieged and the
insurgents were defeated and sentenced to death by the king. In the Babad Mataram (or
the History of the Mataram Kingdom), the monument was associated with the misfortune of
Prince Monconagoro, the crown prince of the Yogyakarta Sultanate in 1757. In spite of a
taboo against visiting the monument, “he took what is written as the knight who was captured
in a cage (a statue in one of the perforated stupas)”. Upon returning to his palace, he fell ill
and died one day later.

Architecture
The archeological excavation into Borobudur during reconstruction suggests that adherents of
Hinduism or a pre-Indic faith had already begun to erect a large structure on Borobudur’s hill
before the site was appropriated by Buddhists. The foundations are unlike any Hindu or
Buddhist shrine structures, and therefore, the initial structure is considered more indigenous
Javanese than Hindu or Buddhist.

Design

Borobudur ground plan taking the form of a

Mandala
Borobudur is built as a single large stupa and, when viewed from above, takes the form of a
giant tantric Buddhist mandala, simultaneously representing the Buddhist cosmology and the
nature of mind. The foundation is a square, approximately 118 metres (387 ft) on each side. It

5
has nine platforms, of which the lower six are square and the upper three are circular. The
upper platform features seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large central stupa. Each
stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative openings. Statues of the Buddha sit
inside the pierced enclosures.

Stairs of Borobudur through arches of Kala Lion gate guardian

The design of Borobudur took the form of a step pyramid. Previously,

the prehistoric Austronesian megalithic culture in Indonesia had constructed several earth
mounds and stone step pyramid structures called punden berundak as discovered in
Pangguyangan, Cisolok and Gunung Padang, West Java. The construction of stone pyramids
is based on native beliefs that mountains and high places are the abode of ancestral spirits
or hyangs. Thepunden berundak step pyramid is the basic design in Borobudur, believed to
be the continuation of older megalithic tradition incorporated with Mahayana Buddhist ideas
and symbolism.
The monument’s three divisions symbolize the three “realms” of Buddhist cosmology,
namely Kamadhatu (the world of desires), Rupadhatu (the world of forms), and
finally Arupadhatu (the formless world). Ordinary sentient beings live out their lives on the
lowest level, the realm of desire. Those who have burnt out all desire for continued existence
leave the world of desire and live in the world on the level of form alone: they see forms but
are not drawn to them. Finally, full Buddhas go beyond even form and experience reality at
its purest, most fundamental level, the formless ocean of nirvana.The liberation from the
cycle of Saṃsāra where the enlightened soul had no longer attached to worldly form
corresponds to the concept of Śūnyatā, the complete voidness or the nonexistence of the
self. Kāmadhātu is represented by the base, Rupadhatu by the five square platforms (the
body), andArupadhatu by the three circular platforms and the large topmost stupa. The
architectural features between the three stages have metaphorical differences. For instance,
square and detailed decorations in the Rupadhatu disappear into plain circular platforms in
the Arupadhatu to represent how the world of forms—where men are still attached with
forms and names—changes into the world of the formless.
Congregational worship in Borobudur is performed in a walking pilgrimage. Pilgrims are
guided by the system of staircases and corridors ascending to the top platform. Each platform
represents one stage of enlightenment. The path that guides pilgrims was designed to
symbolize Buddhist cosmology.

6
In 1885, a hidden structure under the base was accidentally discovered. The “hidden footing”
contains reliefs, 160 of which are narratives describing the real Kāmadhātu. The remaining
reliefs have short inscriptions that apparently provide instructions for the sculptors,
illustrating the scenes to be carved. The real base is hidden by an encasement base, the
purpose of which remains a mystery. It was first thought that the real base had to be covered
to prevent a disastrous subsidence of the monument into the hills.

A narrow corridor with reliefs on the wall

There is another theory that the encasement base was added because the original hidden
footing was incorrectly designed, according to Vastu Shastra, the Indian ancient book about
architecture and town planning. Regardless of why it was commissioned, the encasement
base was built with detailed and meticulous design and with aesthetic and religious
consideration.

7
Building structure

8
Half cross-section with 4:6:9 height ratio for foot, body and head, respectively

Earlier photo showing drainage of water/ Today pipes are fitted to bolster the ruined drainage
shallows that ferrets the water out of the building thus restricting further rain and water
damage.

Since approximately 55,000 cubic metres (72,000 cu yd) of andesite stones were taken from
neighbouring stone quarries to build the monument the stone had to be cut to size,
transported to the site and laid without mortar. Knobs, indentations and dovetails were used
to form joints between stones. Reliefs were created in situ after the building had been
completed.The monument is equipped with a good drainage system to cater for the area’s
high stormwater run-off. To prevent flooding, 100 spouts are installed at each corner, each
with a unique carved gargoyle in the shape of a giant or makara.

Borobudur differs markedly from the general design of other structures built for this purpose.
Instead of being built on a flat surface, Borobudur is built on a natural hill. However,
construction technique is similar to other temples in Java. Without the inner spaces seen in
other temples, and with a general design similar to the shape of pyramid, Borobudur was first

9
thought more likely to have served as a stupa, instead of a temple. A stupa is intended as
ashrine for the Buddha. Sometimes stupas were built only as devotional symbols of
Buddhism. A temple, on the other hand, is used as a house of worship. The meticulous
complexity of the monument’s design suggests that Borobudur is in fact a temple.

The basic unit of measurement used during construction was the tala, defined as the length of
a human face from the forehead’s hairline to the tip of the chin or the distance from the tip of
the thumb to the tip of the middle finger when both fingers are stretched at their maximum
distance. The unit is thus relative from one individual to the next, but the monument has exact
measurements. A survey conducted in 1977 revealed frequent findings of a ratio of 4:6:9
around the monument. The architect had used the formula to lay out the precise dimensions
of the fractal and self-similar geometry in Borobudur’s design. This ratio is also found in the
designs of Pawon and Mendut, nearby Buddhist temples. Archeologists have conjectured that
the 4:6:9 ratio and the tala have calendrical, astronomical and cosmological significance, as
is the case with the temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

The main structure can be divided into three components: base, body, and top. The base is
123×123 m (403.5 × 403.5 ft) in size with 4 metres (13 ft) walls. The body is composed of
five square platforms, each of diminishing height. The first terrace is set back 7 metres (23 ft)
from the edge of the base. Each subsequent terrace is set back 2 metres (6.6 ft), leaving a
narrow corridor at each stage. The top consists of three circular platforms, with each stage
supporting a row of perforated stupas, arranged in concentric circles. There is one main dome
at the center, the top of which is the highest point of the monument, 35 metres (115 ft) above
ground level. Stairways at the center of each of the four sides give access to the top, with a
number of arched gates overlooked by 32 lion statues. The gates are adorned with Kala’s
head carved on top of each and Makaras projecting from each side. This Kala-Makara motif
is commonly found on the gates of Javanese temples. The main entrance is on the eastern
side, the location of the first narrative reliefs. Stairways on the slopes of the hill also link the
monument to the low-lying plain.

Reliefs

Reading the Bas Reliefs at Borobudur

Reading the bas reliefs at Borobudur requires a specific technique. The panels on the wall
read from left to right, while those on the balustrade read from right to left, conforming with
the pradaksina, a ritual performed by pilgrims who move in a clockwise direction, whilst
always keeping the sanctuary to their right. The story begins and ends at the eastern side of
the gate at every level. Stairs connect each level to the next from each direction of the
compass, but the idea is to always ascend from the stairs at the eastern corner. The panels
depict stories of Karma, of passion, robbery, murder, torture and humiliation. But not all are
negative. Some panels also tell of the cause and effect of good deeds, and describe the
behavior of the Javanese Society of that day, from religion to livelihood to social structure,
fashion, and even the various types of plants and animals. Ultimately, it describes the human
life cycle: Birth – Life – Death.
Kamadhatu is a picture of highly populated world still dominated by Kama, or lust. This
zone is at the bottom level of Borobodur, and is therefore not visible due to some added
construction. Some say these structures were added to strengthen the building's foundations,
while others speculate that they have been added to conceal the obscene content of the reliefs.

10
For visitors that wish to see these reliefs, the Karmawibhangga Museum displays pictures of
the Kamadhatu.

Lalitawistara are a series of beautifully sculpted reliefs that depict the history of Buddha,
starting from his descent from Heaven, to his enlightenment under the bodhi tree, and finally
to his first teachings in the city of Banaras. Lalitawistara consists of 120 panels, but yet does
not tell the complete story of Buddha. These reliefs are found on the temple walls in hallway
1 on level 2.
Jataka and Awadana are reliefs telling of Buddha, before he was reborn as Prince Siddharta.
These are also engraved in hallway 1 on the second level, and tell of Buddha's kindness and
self-sacrifice as he was reincarnated in various forms of human or animal. It explains of how
good works are what set humans apart from animals, and tells of the stages of preparation to
the next and higher level of Buddha. Awadana also tells the story not of the Buddha figure,
but of the Prince Sudhanakumara. The stories on the awadana reliefs are compiled in the
books Kitab Diwyawadana, (A Diety's noble deeds," and Kitab Awadanasataka, (A hundred
awadana stories.)

Bhadracari is a row of 460 neatly carved reliefs along the walls and balustrades. These reliefs
are scattered throughout various levels of the temple and tell of Sudhana, the son of a wealthy
merchant, who wanders in quest of the ultimate knowledge or truth. These panels are based
on the Mahayana Buddhist scriptures, entitled Gandawyuha. The story tells of 10 great vows
made by Bodhisattva Samantabadhra concerning his Buddhist practice, which later became
the leading guidelines of all Bodhisattvas, and particularly of Sudhana.

what it might have been like when Borobudur was a working temple

Understanding the Thousands of Relief Panels of Borobudur From the 5th to 7th levels of the
temple, there are no reliefs on the walls. This is because these levels represent the nature of
the “Arupadhatu," which means “without tangible form." At this level, people are free from
all desires of any shape or form, but yet have not attained Nirvana. On this level, there are
several Buddha statues placed inside stupas. At the 10th and highest level of the temple, is the
largest and tallest stupa in Borobudur. Within this stupa was found the Imperfect Buddha or
Unfinished Buddha, which can now be found in the The stories are compiled in the
Dvijavadana (Glorious Heavenly Acts) and the Awadana Sataka (Hundred Awadanas). The
first twenty panels in the lower series of the first gallery depict, the Sudhanakumaravadana.
The series of reliefs covering the wall of the second gallery is devoted to Sudhana's tireless

11
wanderings in search of the Highest Perfect Wisdom. The story is continued on the wall and
balustrade of the third and fourth galleries. Its depiction in most of the 460 panels is based on
the holy Nahayana text Gandavyuha, the concluding scenes being derived from another text.

The position of narrative bas-reliefs stories on Borobudur wall

Borobudur is constructed in such a way that it reveals various levels of terraces, showing
intricate architecture that goes from being heavily ornamented with bas-reliefs to being plain
in Arupadhatu circular terraces. The first four terrace walls are showcases for bas-relief
sculptures. These are exquisite, considered to be the most elegant and graceful in the ancient
Buddhist world.
The bas-reliefs in Borobudur depicted many scenes of daily life in 8th-century ancient Java,
from the courtly palace life, hermit in the forest, to those of commoners in the village. It also
depicted temple, marketplace, various flora and fauna, and also native vernacular
architecture. People depicted here are the images of king, queen, princes, noblemen, courtier,
soldier, servant, commoners, priest and hermit. The reliefs also depicted mythical spiritual
beings in Buddhist beliefs such as asuras,
gods, boddhisattvas, kinnaras, gandharvas andapsaras. The images depicted on bas-relief
often served as reference for historians to research for certain subjects, such as the study of
architecture, weaponry, economy, fashion, and also mode of transportation of 8th-
century Maritime Southeast Asia. One of the famous renderings of an 8th-century Southeast
Asian double outrigger ship is Borobudur Ship. Today, the actual-size replica of Borobudur

12
Ship that had sailed from Indonesia to Africa in 2004 is displayed in the Samudra Raksa
Museum, located a few hundred meters north of Borobudur.

The Borobudur reliefs also pay close attention to Indian aesthetic discipline, such as pose and
gesture that contain certain meanings and aesthetic value. The reliefs of noblemen, and noble
women, kings, or divine beings such as apsaras, taras and boddhisattvas are usually portrayed
in tribhanga pose, the three-bend pose on neck, hips, and knee, with one leg resting and one
upholding the body weight. This position is considered as the most graceful pose, such as the
figure of Surasundari holding a lotus.
NARRATIVE PANELS DISTRIBUTION

SECTION LOCATION STORY #PANELS

hidden foot wall Karmavibhangga 160

Lalitavistara 120

main wall Jataka/Avadana 120

Jataka/Avadana 372

first gallery balustrade Jataka/Avadana 128

balustrade Jataka/Avadana 100

second gallery main wall Gandavyuha 128

main wall Gandavyuha 88

third gallery balustrade Gandavyuha 88

main wall Gandavyuha 84

fourth gallery balustrade Gandavyuha 72

Total 1,460

Borobudur contains approximately 2,670 individual bas reliefs (1,460 narrative and 1,212
decorative panels), which cover the façades and balustrades. The total relief surface is 2,500
square metres (27,000 sq ft), and they are distributed at the hidden foot (Kāmadhātu) and the
five square platforms (Rupadhatu).
The narrative panels, which tell the story of Sudhana and Manohara, are grouped into 11
series that encircle the monument with a total length of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). The hidden
foot contains the first series with 160 narrative panels, and the remaining 10 series are
distributed throughout walls and balustrades in four galleries starting from the eastern
entrance stairway to the left. Narrative panels on the wall read from right to left, while those

13
on the balustrade read from left to right. This conforms with pradaksina, the ritual of
circumambulation performed by pilgrims who move in a clockwise direction while keeping
the sanctuary to their right.
The hidden foot depicts the workings of karmic law. The walls of the first gallery have two
superimposed series of reliefs; each consists of 120 panels. The upper part depicts
the biography of the Buddha, while the lower part of the wall and also the balustrades in the
first and the second galleries tell the story of the Buddha’s former lives. The remaining panels
are devoted to Sudhana’s further wandering about his search, terminated by his attainment of
the Perfect Wisdom.

The law of karma (Karmavibhangga)

The Karmavibangga scene on Borobudur’s hidden foot, on the right depicting sinful act of
killing and cooking turtles and fishes, on the left those who make living by killing animals
will be tortured in hell, by being cooked alive, being cut, or being thrown into burning house.

The 160 hidden panels do not form a continuous story, but each panel provides one complete
illustration of cause and effect. There are depictions of blameworthy activities, from gossip
to murder, with their corresponding punishments. There are also praiseworthy activities, that
include charity and pilgrimage to sanctuaries, and their subsequent rewards. The pains of hell
and the pleasure of heaven are also illustrated. There are scenes of daily life, complete with
the full panorama of samsara (the endless cycle of birth and death). The encasement base of
the Borobudur temple was dissembled to reveal the hidden foot, and the reliefs were
photographed by Casijan Chepas in 1890. It is these photographs that are displayed
in Borobudur Museum(Karmawibhangga Museum), located just several hundred meters north
of the temple. During the restoration, the foot encasement was reinstalled, covering the
Karmawibhangga reliefs. Today, only the southeast corner of the hidden foot is revealed and
visible for visitors.

14
The story of Prince Siddhartha and the birth of Buddha (Lalitavistara)

The story starts with the descent of the Lord Buddha from the Tushita heaven and ends with
his first sermon in the Deer Park near Benares. The relief shows the birth of the Buddha
as Prince Siddhartha, son of King Suddhodana and Queen Maya of Kapilavastu (in present-
day Nepal). The story is preceded by 27 panels showing various preparations, in the heavens
and on the earth, to welcome the final incarnation of the Bodhisattva. Before descending from
Tushita heaven, the Bodhisattva entrusted his crown to his successor, the future

Prince Siddhartha Gautama became an ascetic hermit.

Buddha Maitreya. He descended on earth in the shape of white elephants with six tusks,
penetrated to Queen Maya’s right womb. Queen Maya had a dream of this event, which was
interpreted that his son would become either a sovereign or a Buddha.

While Queen Maya felt that it was the time to give birth, she went to the Lumbini park
outside the Kapilavastu city. She stood under a plaksa tree, holding one branch with her right
hand, and she gave birth to a son, Prince Siddhartha. The story on the panels continues until
the prince becomes the Buddha.

The stories of Buddha’s previous life (Jataka) and other legendary persons (Avadana)

15
Queen Maya riding horse carriage retreating to Lumbini to give birth to Prince
Siddhartha Gautama

Jatakas are stories about the Buddha before he was born as Prince Siddhartha. They are the
stories that tell about the previous lives of the Buddha, in both human and animal form. The
future Buddha may appear in them as a king, an outcast, a god, an elephant—but, in whatever
form, he exhibits some virtue that the tale thereby inculcates. Avadanas are similar to jatakas,
but the main figure is not the Bodhisattva himself. The saintly deeds in avadanas are
attributed to other legendary persons. Jatakas and avadanas are treated in one and the same
series in the reliefs of Borobudur.

The first twenty lower panels in the first gallery on the wall depict
the Sudhanakumaravadana, or the saintly deeds of Sudhana. The first 135 upper panels in the
same gallery on the balustrades are devoted to the 34 legends of the Jatakamala. The
remaining 237 panels depict stories from other sources, as do the lower series and panels in
the second gallery. Some jatakas are depicted twice, for example the story of King Sibhi
(Rama’s forefather).

Sudhana’s search for the Ultimate Truth (Gandavyuha)

Gandavyuha is the story told in the final chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra about Sudhana’s
tireless wandering in search of the Highest Perfect Wisdom. It covers two galleries (third and
fourth) and also half of the second gallery, comprising in total of 460 panels. The principal
figure of the story, the youth Sudhana, son of an extremely rich merchant, appears on the
16th panel. The preceding 15 panels form a prologue to the story of the miracles during
Buddha’s samadhi in the Garden of Jeta at Sravasti.

During his search, Sudhana visited no fewer than thirty teachers, but none of them had
satisfied him completely. He was then instructed by Manjusri to meet the monk Megasri,
where he was given the first doctrine. As his journey continues, Sudhana meets (in the
following order) Supratisthita, the physician Megha (Spirit of Knowledge), the banker
Muktaka, the monk Saradhvaja, theupasika Asa (Spirit of Supreme Enlightenment),
Bhismottaranirghosa, the Brahmin Jayosmayatna, Princess Maitrayani, the monk Sudarsana,
a boy called Indriyesvara, the upasika Prabhuta, the banker Ratnachuda, King Anala, the
god Siva Mahadeva, Queen Maya, Bodhisattva Maitreya and then back to Manjusri. Each
meeting has given Sudhana a specific doctrine, knowledge and wisdom. These meetings are
shown in the third gallery.

After the last meeting with Manjusri, Sudhana went to the residence of
Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, depicted in the fourth gallery. The entire series of the fourth
gallery is devoted to the teaching of Samantabhadra. The narrative panels finally end with
Sudhana’s achievement of the Supreme Knowledge and the Ultimate Truth.

Buddha statues:
Apart from the story of the Buddhist cosmology carved in stone, Borobudur has many statues

16
of various Buddhas. The cross-legged statues are seated in a lotus position and distributed on
the five square platforms (the Rupadhatu level), as well as on the top platform
(the Arupadhatu level).

A Buddha statue with the hand position of dharmachakra mudra (turning the Wheel of the
Law)
Buddha statues inside and outside a stupa

The Buddha statues are in niches at the Rupadhatu level, arranged in rows on the outer sides
of the balustrades, the number of statues decreasing as platforms progressively diminish to
the upper level. The first balustrades have 104 niches, the second 104, the third 88, the fourth
72 and the fifth 64. In total, there are 432 Buddha statues at the Rupadhatu level. At
theArupadhatu level (or the three circular platforms), Buddha statues are placed inside
perforated stupas. The first circular platform has 32 stupas, the second 24 and the third 16,
which adds up to 72 stupas. Of the original 504 Buddha statues, over 300 are damaged
(mostly headless), and 43 are missing (since the monument’s discovery, heads have been
stolen as collector’s items, mostly by Western museums).

At first glance, all the Buddha statues appear similar, but there is a subtle difference between
them in the mudras, or the position of the hands. There are five groups of mudra: North, East,
South, West and Zenith, which represent the five cardinal compass points according
to Mahayana. The first four balustrades have the first four mudras: North, East, South and
West, of which the Buddha statues that face one compass direction have the
corresponding mudra. Buddha statues at the fifth balustrades and inside the 72 stupas on the
top platform have the same mudra: Zenith. Each mudra represents one of theFive Dhyani
Buddhas; each has its own symbolism.

Following the order of Pradakshina (clockwise circumumbulation) starting from the East,
the mudras of the Borobudur buddha statues are:

17
 SYMBOLIC DHYANI CARDINAL
STATUE MUDRA MEANING BUDDHA POINT

Calling the
Bhumisparsa Earth to
mudra witness Aksobhya East

Benevolence, Ratnasambhav
Vara mudra alms giving a South

Dhyana Concentration
mudra and meditation Amitabha West

Courage,
Abhaya mudra fearlessness Amoghasiddhi North

Reasoning and
Vitarka mudra virtue Vairochana Zenith

18
 SYMBOLIC DHYANI CARDINAL
STATUE MUDRA MEANING BUDDHA POINT

Turning the
Wheel
Dharmachakr ofdharma (law
a mudra ) Vairochana Zenith

Gallery of reliefs

19
Borobudur is constructed in such a way that it reveals various levels of terraces, showing
intricate architecture that goes from being heavily ornamented with bas-reliefs to being plain
in Arupadhatu circular terraces. The first four terrace walls are showcases for bas-relief
sculptures. These are exquisite, considered to be the most elegant and graceful in the ancient
Buddhist world.
The bas-reliefs in Borobudur depicted many scenes of daily life in 8th-century ancient Java,
from the courtly palace life, hermit in the forest, to those of commoners in the village. It also
depicted temple, marketplace, various flora and fauna, and also native vernacular
architecture. People depicted here are the images of king, queen, princes, noblemen, courtier,
soldier, servant, commoners, priest and hermit. The reliefs also depicted mythical spiritual
beings in Buddhist beliefs such as asuras,
gods, bodhisattvas, kinnaras, gandharvas and apsaras. The images depicted on bas-relief often
served as reference for historians to research for certain subjects, such as the study of
architecture, weaponry, economy, fashion, and also mode of transportation of 8th-
century Maritime Southeast Asia. One of the famous renderings of an 8th-century Southeast
Asian double outrigger ship is Borobudur Ship. Today, the actual-size replica of Borobudur
Ship that had sailed from Indonesia to Africa in 2004 is displayed in the Samudra Raksa
Museum, located a few hundred meters north of Borobudur.[89]
The Borobudur reliefs also pay close attention to Indian aesthetic discipline, such as pose and
gesture that contain certain meanings and aesthetic value. The reliefs of noblemen, and noble
women, kings, or divine beings such as apsaras, taras and boddhisattvas are usually portrayed
in tribhanga pose, the three-bend pose on neck, hips, and knee, with one leg resting and one
upholding the body weight. This position is considered as the most graceful pose, such as the
figure of Surasundari holding a lotus.[90]
During Borobudur excavation, archeologists discovered colour pigments of blue, red, green,
black, as well as bits of gold foil, and concluded that the monument that we see today – a
dark gray mass of volcanic stone, lacking in colour – was probably once coated
with varjalepa white plaster and then painted with bright colors, serving perhaps as a beacon
of Buddhist teaching.[91] The same vajralepa plaster can also be found
in Sari, Kalasan and Sewu temples. It is likely that the bas-reliefs of Borobudur was
originally quite colourful, before centuries of torrential tropical rainfalls peeled-off the colour
pigments.

Narrative panels distribution

Section Location Story No. of

20
 panels

hidden foot wall Karmavibhangga 160

Lalitavistara 120
main wall
Jataka/Avadana 120
first gallery
Jataka/Avadana 372
balustrade
Jataka/Avadana 128

balustrade Jataka/Avadana 100

second gallery
main wall Gandavyuha 128

main wall Gandavyuha 88

third gallery
balustrade Gandavyuha 88

main wall Gandavyuha 84

fourth gallery
balustrade Gandavyuha 72

Total 1,460

Borobudur contains approximately 2,670 individual bas reliefs (1,460 narrative and 1,212
decorative panels), which cover the façades and balustrades. The total relief surface is 2,500
square metres (27,000 sq ft), and they are distributed at the hidden foot (Kāmadhātu) and the
five square platforms (Rupadhatu).
The narrative panels, which tell the story of Sudhana and Manohara, are grouped into 11
series that encircle the monument with a total length of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). The hidden
foot contains the first series with 160 narrative panels, and the remaining 10 series are
distributed throughout walls and balustrades in four galleries starting from the eastern

21
entrance stairway to the left. Narrative panels on the wall read from right to left, while those
on the balustrade read from left to right. This conforms with pradaksina, the ritual of
circumambulation performed by pilgrims who move in a clockwise direction while keeping
the sanctuary to their right.
The hidden foot depicts the workings of karmic law. The walls of the first gallery have two
superimposed series of reliefs; each consists of 120 panels. The upper part depicts
the biography of the Buddha, while the lower part of the wall and also the balustrades in the
first and the second galleries tell the story of the Buddha's former lives. The remaining panels
are devoted to Sudhana's further wandering about his search, terminated by his attainment of
the Perfect Wisdom.

Borobudur, Indonesia (photo: Claire André, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Why was the original base encased?

22
Many theories and conjectures have been put forwards. These can be summed up in two
trends of thought, whether the base was covered for technical structural/architectural reasons,
or for conceptual/religious reasons. The present author’s study has led her to a conjecture in
favour of the religious reasons.

During the two restorations of the monument, in the 1970s and in the early 20th century,
numerous unexpected technical and architectural features were brought to the light. These
new data could only be explained by one hypothesis: the Borobudur as we see it today is not
the monument that was originally planned. At some point during its construction, the original
plans were changed: not only the base was hidden by a broad terrace, but balustrades were
added and entrances were narrowed. These modifications, probably carried out by the
command of a new architect, possibly reflect a change of the religious tendencies. Certain
aspects of the reliefs of the hidden base would indeed not have been suitable for the
Mahayana teachings as professed in 9th century Java.

Lots have been said about the religiously or conceptually ‘unsuitable’ features of this set of
reliefs in relations to Buddhist thinking, as well as in the eyes of the later priestly architect of
Borobudur, who must have been the one who gave order for the encasement of the old base.
There is violence in many hell scenes, with many gruesome forms of severe punishment
vividly and elaborately unfolded in front of the spectators’ eyes . The ratio with the happy
ones is even-handed - good deeds and their rewards.. And yet, we notice that the ‘positive’
scenes of rewards and of paradises are rather stereotypical and quite cursory unfolded,
usually without any specification or distinguished detail, in contrast with depictions of the
retributions in the hells.

The Karmavibhanga itself actually gives only cursory references to the rebirth in hells,
without further specifications. Vivid, variant descriptions of the many types of hells were
obtained by the priest-designer from other sources (a.o. the Abhidharmakosa). The emphasis
of his intent and his visual presentation did appear to lie heavily and more vividly on such
violent ‘negative’ and gruesome scenes .

Hell scenes usually form part of visual depictions of Buddhist cosmology only when these

23
explain the geography of the universe, but rarely or never are included in such sacred designs
on which worshippers are meant to meditate on. A similar concept, based on the auspicious
features (mangalas/sarvamangala) that will bring good tiding, prosperity and success, is also
found visually depicted and elaborated many times in the reliefs on the 3rd and 4th galleries
of Borobudur itself (reliefs nos. III, 51-77 and IV B 1-17). While the texts repeatedly refer to
‘all dominions of the universe’ where the grace and compassion of the Buddha and the
redeeming force of Buddhahood pervade, no visual depictions of the unhappy worlds of hells
are represented on the upper galleries of Borobudur.

The set up: of Borobudur conforms to that of a diagram for contemplation and meditation,
which should exclude ‘negative’ elements of evil thought and deeds, of mistakes and violence
– the non-beneficial elements that would only gather like dusts of defilement to cloud and
weigh down the mind on its upwards surge to purity and Salvation.

This violent opening scene may have shocked or at least disturbed the new priestly advisor of
the Shailendras, who took charge of the final site.In all panels dealing with suffering and
punishments in hell (reliefs nos. 86-91), and in the unhappy world of the hungry ghosts (relief
no. 95) and the animals (relief no. 93), the victims are all on their own, entirely dependent on
their own karmas. This paradigm of absolute self-reliance would have clashed uncomfortably
with the spirit of the Mahayana, the religion of the Shailendras, which centred round the
worship of the Bodhisattva Saviours and Tara Saviouresses, such as we know from their
monuments and inscriptions, and as being unfolded repeatedly in the reliefs of the 3rd and 4th
gallery of Borobudur itself. The usual Mahayana way of depicting such scenes of torment and
suffering would have been to add an image of the Saviour, either in the form of a

The Mahayana texts Gandavyuha and Bhadracari, visually unfolded on the 3rd and 4th
galleries of Borobudur, consistently emphasise the concept of ‘the Buddhas of all
Dominions’. Furthermore, Maitreya, the Future Buddha, set examples for all the Future
Buddhas including Samantabhadra and Sudhana who play the principal roles in
the Gandavyuha and Bhadracari scenes on these upper terraces, to preach and to save living
beings of all kinds and in all forms, be they high or low, good or wicked, happy or miserable,
in all the six dominions, the ten quarters and the three time spans of the universe (reliefs nos.
III, 67-76 and IV, 2-72).

There seem to have been many ‘unsuitable’ aspects of this set of reliefs in the eyes of the new
priest-designer of Borobudur. Certain changes in religious perception would have been
expected to take place during the construction of Borobudur. The Shailendras’ inscriptions,
dating from 778 CE to the first half of the 9th century, contain indications of new religious
trends that entered their world during this period. One or more of the later gurus, acting as
chief architect-designers of their sacred foundations, must have been responsible for the
change of plan at Borobudur, and likewise to the encasement of its original base. The
decision to remove this series had obviously been taken before the base was entirely finished,
possibly simultaneously with the making of the new structural plan for the monument, which
included a new design for all its terraces. This, according to Dumarçay would have taken
place around 792 CE. This attempt to delete the scenes must have been made before the
architect-designer decided to encase the entire lower base altogether within the new terrace
that formed part of the new structural design of Borobudur.

The main purpose was obviously to blot out this ‘unsuitable’ series from the visions of the

24
on-lookers. The destructive operation would have begun by having the components of the
scenes chiselled away part by part. The damaged panels and their photographic images from
1890-1891 thus tell their story, which is to be interpreted in favour of religious motivations to
encase the original base including - or rather because of - its ‘unsuitable’ or ‘ unhappy’
sculptured components. There could have also been certain technical requirements in the
course of the building operations, but such would not have been essential reasons for the base
to be covered. If structural requirements had actually been the primary concern and a true
necessity, there would have been no need to waste time nor labour to carefully scrape away
the sculptured scenes first before eventually encasing them forever in a shell of stone.

Reliefs depicted at Borobudur’s “hidden foot” are scenes taken from the Karmawibhangga
texts. These reliefs depicted in 160 panels were rediscovered by J.W. Ijzerman in 1885, and
in 1890- 1891 were photographed by Kassian Cephas before the reliefs were closed down
once again. The Karmawibhangga deals with the Law of Cause and Effect, the Karmic Law.
The doctrine was very important for the Buddhist visitors. In order they understand easily the
episodes they saw, the sculptors portray many aspects of the early life in Java from the 9th to
10th century AD, during Borobudur’s era. The reliefs were studied by N.J. Krom, S. Levi,
and Jan Fontein. Fontein studies these reliefs by comparing the episodes with two
Karmawibhangga texts which were translated into Chinese named as T 80 and T 81. The
purpose in writing this paper is to find out the Karmavibhanga text(s) used by the sculptors
in carving the Karmawibhangga at Candi Borobudur. In this case I use the Historical-
archaeology as a method; this approach seeks an equal combination of “historical” and
“archaeological” data to the study of the past Research on the Karmawibhangga reliefs at
“the hidden base” of Candi Borobudur have been carried out by several scholars, among
others are N.J. Krom (1920), Sylvain Levi (1931), and Jan Fontein. The result of the study,
each of them has a specific text related to the Karmawibangga text which deals with the Law
of Cause and Effect, The Karmic Law. In this article I intent to find out which text used by
the sculptors to carve the relief Karmawibhangga at candi Borobudur. 1

By using the Historical-Archaeological approach, the sculptors used only one single text,
which was the original Sanskrit text of T80. According to Fontein the T 80 consists of
paragraphs, and each paragraph consists of 10 types of actions (Cause) and the result for all
beings in their rebirth (Effect). We can see the relationship between the Cause-Effect of the
paragraphs on the episodes of the relief Karmawibhangga at Borobudur, for instance in
paragraph I, “rebirth of short duration” was mentioned as the Effect and we saw a small child
(“short duration”) dead as a result of one of the types of action in paragraph I.

25
 REFERENCE
Identification of Karmawibhangga Reliefs at Candi Borobudur, Hariani Santiko, Researchgate,
Article · December 2016

26
27
28