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M A N D A L A > |
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S T U P A - M A N D A L A
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BOROBUDUR: There is a very famous stupa in Indonesia. Not only is it probably the best example of a stupa as a mandala – looking from both the side and from the birds-eye view – but it is the largest Buddhist monument in the world. Construction was started about 760 AD. and it is estimated that it took about 70 years to build. Over a thousand years later it was completely dismantled, restored and rebuilt. This work was done by an international team, in association with unesco. With over 1,000,000 stones, each weighing about a hundred kgs., this was quite a job. |
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GALLERIES The stupa is 113 metres wide at the base and 32 metres high. The walls of the four lower galleries are covered in stone carvings depicting the life of the Buddha and his quest for wisdom. Walking around each gallery, rising with each circuit, the carved panels lay out a story; starting with the world of illusion and finishing with knowledge and enlightenment. To see all the panels in the correct order means walking around the stupa ten times. This is done in a clock wise direction (as discussed on page 18) and one walks a distance of over five kilometres. The walkways are just two metes wide and the walls of the lower galleries close one off from the outside world, bringing attention to the carved panels. Having spent so much time ‘closed in’ and focussed on the stories and the teachings, the open spaces of the top three levels are quite a contrast. There is a view of the surrounding countryside and the terraces are very plain, apart from the 72 stupas. These smaller stupas are about 3˝ metres high and are hollow, each with a lifesize Buddha statue inside. |
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