BOROBUDUR: THE MIDDLE PATH
Borobudur is a 9th Century Mahayana Buddhist stupa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Java. It is the world’s largest Buddhist stupa and consists of stacked platforms and a central stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with low reliefs that are excellent examples of 9th century Indonesian art.
Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. The central stupa is empty, in contrast to the other 72 stupas. In this lecture you will tour the stupa and discover how the superstructure corresponds perfectly with the Buddhist cosmology and conception of the Universe.
You will also learn some of the basic concepts about the different traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices of Buddhism such as circumambulation…walking clockwise around the stupas. The benefits of this practice are well know to Buddhists and are believed to produce purity, make one good, radiant and wise and lead to enlightenment.