Site and Structure of The Monument

The monument took-place on 256 m above sea level. Borobudur was built on top of a hill, which has a natural core of volcanic tuff, covered with a variable layer of sandy clay fill. Quit different from many other sanctuaries, Borobudur has no neither clearly marked entrance nor room or receive visitor. It is a massive structure. The monument itself is a kind stpped-pyramid with six quadrangular galleries at the base, followed by three circular terraces and whole surmounted by a big stupa. The three levels of Borobudur may represent the Buddhist three-part division of the universe. The lower level is the Sphere of Desire, where the human spirit is chained to greed. The middle level is the Sphere of Form, where the human spirit is free from greed, but is not yet able to transcend the material world.

The Upper part is the Sphere of Formlessness, where the liberated human spirit has left earthly consideration behind. Hence, the great central stupa, representing Nirvana which contains an empty chamber. Pilgrims are to go around the galleries and terraces always turning from the right to the left (clockwise). Ascending the monument symbolizes the progression from the world of ilussion to enlightenment. There are 1.460 relief panels on Borobudur, each of them tells the story of Buddha Gautama. The lowest level has 160 reliefs depicting the law of cause and effect; the middle level contains various stories of the Buddha's life from the Jataka Tales; the highest level has no reliefs or decorations whatsoever but has a balcony, square and shape with round walls.  

Gallery 3 and 4

• Gandavyuha

Gallery 2

• Gandavyuha (the structure of teh world compared to a bubble).
  Most of the reliefs in Borobudur narrate the tale of Sudhana, a young man seeking the Ultimate Truth. After many encounters with people from all levels of society, the story climaxes when Sudhana finally visits the bodhisattva Samantabhadra and vows to follow his example.
• There are also more stories about Jataka and Avadana.

Gallery 1

• Lalitavista (the unfolding of the play), the stroy of Budhha, showing how his life was a "performance" to educate mankind on how to attain enlightenment.
• Avadana (Heroic Deeds), most of the narratives in this section have not yet been deciphered
• Jataka (Birth Stories), narratives of the many self-sacrifacing act performed by Buddha in his earlier incarnations.

Basement level-"Hidden Foot"

Mahakarmavibhangga (Great Classification of Actions), these reliefs show men and women caught in the cycles of karma and encorage the pilgrim to escape earthly existence and attain Nirvana. The 160 panels do not related a continuous story but it provides one complete illustration of cause and effect. The first 117 panels show various action producing one and same result. While the remaining 43 panels demonstrate the many result that follow one kind effect.

STATUES

Many scholars believe that the 432 Budhha statues on the five balustrades of the lower levels are linked to the 72 statues on the upper round terraces as part of a single metaphor.

Circular Terraces

There are 92 Dhyani Buddhas tucked into small stupas. Each of these statues has a mudra (hand gesture) indicating one of the five directions; North, East, West, and the Center. The tiers just below the central stupa contain a Buddha with the mudra indicating the preaching of Buddha's first sermon carried out on the summit of Mount Semeru. This suggest that Borobudur is a representation of that sacred mountain.

"Kunto Bimo" Statues

Historically speaking, the most popular sattue, "Kunto Bimo" can be found to the right of the stairway on the east side of the first terrace. Bimo was the second of the Pandawa Brothers in the Hindu Ramayana epic. Childless women in particular stretched out their fingers toward him in an attempt to touch his finger as he sat montionless in his "cage" believing that doing so they would be blessed to have their next generation.