Trifter

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The Temple that Embodied the Universe

The Military Engine looked around doubtfully. Purely on the strength of local rumor, he had been dispatched to this ordinary-looking hillock in central Java by the island’s English lieutenant governor, Thomas Stamford Raffles. Although folklore suggested that this was the site of “a mountain of Buddhist sculptures in stone,” on this day in 1814 all that H.C.C. Cornelius could see were trees, shrubs, and the odd block of stone. Reluctantly following orders, Cornelius directed his team to start digging.

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Pilgrim’s Progress – An aerial view of Borobudur (above) reveals the complex design of this ancient Buddhist monument. More than a place of worship, the temple’s symbolic structure represents the pilgrim’s spiritual journey from ignorance to the ultimate Buddhist ideal of nirvana. To achieve true enlightenment, the pilgrim travels through four distinct stages (inset) before reaching the central stupa that marks the end of his journey. The ordinary world is represented by a wide platform, followed by five square terraces symbolizing the preparatory stage of the pilgrim’s spiritual transition. At the seventh level, enlightenment is reached, after which the pilgrim attains his spiritual goal: the state of nirvana.

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Tons of vegetation had to be uprooted and moved, cartloads of earth shifted. The work was difficult and tiring in the relentless jungle heat and after two months there was little to show for it. Then one of the workmen uncovered an intricately carved stone Buddha. With renewed enthusiasm, the workmen continued to clear the site, revealing a temple far more magnificent, vast, and extraordinary than the rumors had been suggested.

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A Cast of Thousands

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The temple dated from the time of the Javanese dynasty of the Sailendra kings, who ruled from about A.D. 740. They inspired such strong religious fervor in their subjects from A.D. 800 many thousands of men worked to construct a Buddhist monument of exceptional scale, beauty, and detail.

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The temple of Borobudur (the word means “the monastery on the hill”) was built around a natural hill. More than two million cubic feet of stone was worked by craftsmen to create a giant symbol of the universe. The symbolism can be fully appreciated only from the air – a view none of the builders could ever have had.

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Covering almost four acres, the pyramid – shaped temple is built on 10 levels. Each corresponds to spiritual stages in the life of a Buddhist pilgrim as he travels from ignorance to nirvana, the ultimate Buddhist ideal. The first six levels are square and represent the preparatory stage of the pilgrim’s journey. Subsequent levels are circular, symbolizing the spiritual transition into a state of (the stupa), rising to a height of more than 120 feet, marks the apogee of the pilgrim’s journey.

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The walk through all the galleries to the top is more than miles. Carved friezes showing scenes of Buddhist teachings decorate the maze of short, right-angled corridors. In niches all over the temple sit hundreds of Buddhist.

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Entombed in Ash

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Once consecrated, the temple became the focal point of Buddhist worship in the Sailendra kingdom. But in A.D. 930 disaster struck. The nearby volcano, Mount Merapi, erupted with great force, spewing out tons of molten lava and volcanic ash. Overnight Borobudur disappeared without a trace, buried under layers of ash and debris.

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For centuries the temple lay hidden in its subterranean tomb, until the curiosity of Raffles inspired it to be revealed once again. Unfortunately, after Raffles left Java, excavation was neglected, and collectors of antiquities stole the priceless treasures. Local people used the stones to build house. Natural elements further battered the temple, undermining the foundations and eroding the many exposed surfaces.

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Restored to Splendor

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It was not until 1900, when Java was under Dutch administration, that action was taken to restore Borobudur. A Dutch engineer, Dr. Theodore Van Erp, was placed in charge of salvaging and reconstructing the temple the temple, but two world wars and financial problems meant that he would never complete the work.

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But in 1973 UNESCO launched the Borobudur Restoration Project. At cost of $25 million, 700 men worked for 10 years to restore the temple to its former glory. They used the best of modern technology to ensure, as President Suharto of Indonesia said at the ceremonies marking the triumphant reopening, “that Borobudur will live a thousand years more.”