Jataka at Borobudur

Dr.Uday Dokras

 King Goodness the Great [Perseverance]

King Fruitful and Queen Sivali

 Rebirth of the Bodhisattva) [chapter 1]

 Gaining Power [chapter 2]
 Giving Up Power [chapter 3]
 A Gang of Drunkards [Sobriety]
 The Whatnot Tree [Prudence]
 Prince Five-Weapons and Sticky-Hair [The Diamond Weapon]
 A Huge Lump of Gold [Moderation]
 Mr Monkey and Sir Crocodile [Good Manners]
 A Prince of Monkeys [Carefulness]
 Two Ways of Beating a Drum [Excess]
 Two Mothers [Renunciation]
 The Priest Who Gambled With a Life [Misguided Morality]
 The Wicked Lady and the Buttermilk Wise Man [Seduction]
 Country Man and City Wife [Adultery]
 The Wisdom of Queen Tender-hearted [Lust]
 Wife and Mother Who Was a Sister First [An Intelligent Woman]
 The Strong-minded Snake [Determination]
 The Shovel Wise Man [Renunciation]
 The Green Wood Gatherer [Laziness]
 The Elephant King Goodness [Generosity and Ingratitude]
 Four on a Log [Gratitude]
 New Homes for the Tree Spirits [Wise Advice]
 The Fish Who Work a Miracle [Power of Truthfulness]
 The Meditating Security Guard [Fearlessness]

The Dreams

 The 16 Frightening Dreams [chapter 1]

 Roaring Bulls With No Fight [chapter 2]
 The Frightening Sound of 'Munch, Munch, Munch' [chapter 3]
 Teaching [chapter 4]
 Illisa the Cheap [Miserliness]
 A Motherless Son [Betrayal]
 Fear Maker and Little Archer [Self-deception]
 Forest Monks in a Kings Pleasure Garden [Pupils without Teacher]

1
 The Curse of Mittavinda

 Jealousy [chapter 1]
 Greed [chapter 2]
 Pleasure [chapter 3]
 A Hero Named Jinx [Friendship]
 A Question From a 7-year-old [Six Worthy Ways]
 A Lesson From a Snake [The Value of Goodness]
 A Priest Who Worshipped Luck [Superstition]
 The Bull Called Delightful [All Deserve Respect]
 The Phoney Holy Man [Hypocrisy]
 One Way Hospitality [Ingratitude]
 Poison Dice [Deception]

The Mystery of the Missing Necklace

 One Crime Leads to Another [chapter 1]

 The Mystery is Solved [chapter 2]
 The Careless Lion [Circumspection]
 The Holy Man Who Tired To Be Too Holy [Extremism]
 Clear-sighted the Great [Impermanence]

The Prince and the She-devils

 Five Meals in the Forest [chapter 1]

 A Feast in the Palace [chapter 2]
 A Man Named Bad [Self-Acceptance]
 A Man Named Wise [Cheating]
 Achieving Nothing [Nothing]
 A Mother's Wise Advice [Non-violence]

Reliefs in Borobudon Temples

Borobudur in Central Java is the world’s largest Buddhist temple. And the structure is here to stay.
Borobudur has survived volcanic eruptions of Gunung Merapi, terrorist bombings and the earthquake
of 2006. Rising high above the breathtakingly green rice fields and their accompanying kampung, or
rice villages, this monumental structure can make Indonesia’s other temples look pedestrian. It looks
like an ornately carved pyramid with fortified walls surrounding the bottom and five stories worth of
statues ascending to the top. In fact, the central dome is crowned by an impressive 72 Buddha statues.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the monument is that it was built by hand in the 9th century.
And visitors agree — it looks like it will stand forever.
There are 3 papers devoted to this temple
1. General Introduction: Which is a scopic review of general descriptions abpot the Temple
complex with the intent of introducing it to the reader.
2. Reliefs in Borobodur Temples

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 3. Design elements:
4. Archeocosmology

Introduction: Borobudur, located in Yogyakarta, Java, is one of the biggest Buddhist monuments in
the world. It was built in 8 th–9th AD as a stepped pyramid with 9 platforms and approximately 2670
individual reliefs which cover its facades and galleries. Among them, 1460 are narratives and 1112
are decorative. The narrative panels are grouped into 11 series and distributed at the hidden foot
(Kāmadhātu) and the five square platforms (Rupadhatu). The hidden foot contains the first series of
the narrative panels of karmic law and the remaining 10 series are distributed in four galleries. They
are Buddhacharita, the life of Buddha; Jakatas, the previous lives of the Buddha, and the story of
Sudhana's visits to the 53 virtuous personalities as given in Gandvyuha, or the chapter of “the Entry to
the Realm of Reality” in the Avatamsaka Sutra.
RELIEFS
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

3
Samantabadhra concerning his Buddhist practice, which later became the leading guidelines of all
Bodhisattvas, and particularly of Sudhana.

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 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

4
"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 of 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 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

5
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 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.

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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 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

7
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.

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.

Building structure

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

Approximately 55,000 cubic metres (72,000 cu yd) of andesite stones were taken from neighbouring
stone quarries to build the monument. The stone was 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 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.

9
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. 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.

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

10
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 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.

11
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

12
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.
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 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.

13
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.

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

14
Prince Siddhartha Gautama became an ascetic hermit.
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 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)

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

15
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 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).

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).

16
A Buddha statue with the hand position of dharmachakra mudra (turning the Wheel of the Law)
Buddha statues inside and outside a stupa

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

Bhumisparsa Calling the Earth

mudra to witness Aksobhya East

Benevolence,
Vara mudra alms giving Ratnasambhava South

Concentration
Dhyana 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
Dharmachakra Wheel
mudra ofdharma (law) Vairochana Zenith

http://artserve.anu.edu.au/htdocs/bycountry/indonesia/borobudur/photos/gal4balus/
index.html
Main

Image: 419 Image: 419

2.JPG 3.JPG Image: 4162.JP
Image: 4166.JPG Series: Mai
Series: Mai G
Series: Main stupa n stupa
n stupa Series:
Plate: IX Plate: IX
Plate: IX Plate: V

Buddha Statues

Image: 418 Image: 4183.JP

Image: 4181.JPG 2.JPG Image: 416
Series: 3.JPG G
Series: Series:
Plate: V Plate: V Series:
Plate: VI Plate: VI

Buddha Statues

19
 Image: 418 Image: 4186.JP
Image: 4184.JPG Image: 416
5.JPG G
Series: 4.JPG
Series: Series:
Plate: VI Series:
Plate: VI Plate: VII
Plate: VII

Buddha Statues

Image: 417 Image: 417

4.JPG Image: 4159.JP
Image: 4158.JPG 3.JPG G
Series: Series:
Series: Plate: I Series:
Plate: I Plate: I Plate: II

Buddha Statues

Image: 417
6.JPG Image: 416 Image: 4177.JP
Image: 4175.JPG Series: 0.JPG G
Series: Plate: II Series: Series:
Plate: II Plate: III Plate: III

Buddha Statues

20
 Image: 4180.JP
Image: 4178.JPG Image: 416 Image: 41 G
Series: 1.JPG 79.JPG Series:
Plate: III Series: Series: Plate: IV
Plate: IV Plate: IV

Buddha Statues

Image: 41
Image: 418
Image: 416 89.JPG
Image: 4187.JPG 8.JPG
5.JPG Series:
Series: Series:
Series: Plate: VII
Plate: VII Plate: VII
Plate: VIII I
Buddha Statues

Image: 41
Image: 419 Image: 416
Image: 4190.JPG 94.JPG
1.JPG 7.JPG
Series: Series: M
Series: Series: Mai
Plate: VIII ain stupa
Plate: VIII n stupa Plate: X
Plate: X
Buddha Statues

Image: 4195.JPG Image: 419 Image: 41

Series: Main stupa 6.JPG 97.JPG
Image: 416 Series: typo Series: ty
Plate: X 8.JPG logy pology

21
 Series: typo
logy Plate: XI Plate: XI
Plate: XI

Gallery of reliefs

22
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.

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

23
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
No. of
Section Location Story
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 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.

24
Borobudur, Indonesia (photo: Claire André, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Why was the original base encased?

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

25
scenes .

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

26
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.

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

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