Borobudur Buddhist Temple Excursion

This morning we visited Borobudur, the largest Buddhist sanctuary in the world and another UNESCO World Heritage Site, taking in the stunning artistic and architectural marvel that it is. We admired the intricate carvings on the first 9 levels, and came away with a deeper understanding of Buddhist culture here. We also learned about its interesting history and restoration; the site lay undiscovered under layers of volcanic ash until 1815, when the Governor of Java ordered the area to be cleared. The temple represents distinct levels of Buddhist cosmology; Kamadhatu, located at the base symbolizes the “the world of desire”,, where humans are bound by their wants. Rapadhatu, “the realm of forms”, where individuals strive to detach from desires. Finally, Arupadhutu, the topmost level, represents the “formless world”, where enlightenment/ transcendence is achieved. This is symbolized by the central stupa and 72 surrounding stupas.Read more