The Australian National University (ANU) Library - Asia-Pacific Digital Collections: Boyes/Some Notes on Java

The devout Buddhist who erected the Great Stupa of Boro Bodho in Java in honour of the Teacher must have been as keenly appreciative of the loveliness of nature as of the beauty of holiness. Few more lovely spots in the beautiful isle of Java can exist than that plateau which lies to the south of the Sendoro range, a range which, near Boro Bodho, might fitly be called a sierra, so rugged and sharp in outline are the jagged peaks which rise up into the sky from the main ridge of hills. On this plateau, from which rise the giant volcanoes Merbabu and Merapi and other minor cones right and left as the traveller journeys from Jokyokarta to Magellang, is the residency of Kedu, one of the most interesting, most beautiful and most fertile tracts in the whole island. The river Progo traverses the plateau from north to south and approaches within a couple of miles the range of rocky hills under which has been built the Great Stupa.

The Stupa itself is built on a small natural hill about two hundred feet high, and, as the traveller ascends this, he recognises what an

admirable site was chosen for such an edifice. At his feet lies a plain of unexampled richness, broken here and there by small hamlets embowered in foliage and by other smaller hills such as that on which he stands. Behind him at a little distance flows the Progo, sometimes symbolising in its violence the uncontrolled passions of him who has not found the Path, but now flowing with the peacefulness of a soul at rest; while in front rise the eternal hills, dead silent in their quietness and strength, a fit panorama for the devout one whose method is self-control and annihilation of desire, and whose aim is freedom from all delusion and defilement, freedom from all sense of his surroundings, freedom from all sin and sorrow and the attainment of "Nirvana," that Rest which cannot be shaken, that Peace which can never be lost.

The Stupa occupies the upper part of the, hill, the base of the structure being carried along the sides of the mound about half-way up the ascent, while the topmost cupola rests on the summit of the natural hill. The building, which is pyramidal in form, has thus the hill itself for its support throughout, the massive galleries and terraces, which rise from the base to the summit, having been built on corresponding

stages cut in the sides of the slopes. The whole is built of the volcanic stone which lies, in great profusion all over this part of the plateau, and which is evidently the result of some mighty eruption of Mount Merapi in ages past. It is a stone which lends itself to sculpture and which enables the smallest details to be worked out, while its power Of resistance to sun and rain, even though these be tropical in their destructive strength, is evidenced by the wonderful state of preservation in which most of the work still exists.

The whole is put together without any mortar or cement of any kind, the stones, which are very large, being exceedingly cleanly chiselled and accurately fitted one into the other. The edifice thus gains an elasticity which, combined with the pyramidal form of construction, has doubtless secured it against destruction or excessive damage by earthquakes which are both frequent and severe in Java. At its base the building, as it now exists, is a square, each side being 370 feet in length. Ata distance, however, of 40 feet from each corner the line is admirably broken by the structure being projected forward about eight feet, and after another run of frontage for 6o feet from each corner of this projection the building again

advances eight feet. This variation, in what would otherwise have been a somewhat monotonous frontage, is a most artistic device and proclaims the architect a master. The first terrace to which we ascend is about eight feet above the ground and is quite plain, without any ornamentation, except some lions posted on its edge. A discovery has quite lately been made, since the publication of M. Leeman's splendid monograph, that this first terrace never formed part of the original building, but was undoubtedly added by someone who thought to mend, but very nearly succeeded in marring, the beauty of the pile. This plinth has actually been piled up against what was originally the outermost wall of the Stupa, thus completely hiding from view the beautiful bas-reliefs which adorned that wall and which now lie buried beneath the mass of masonry which forms this superfluous terrace. It is the intention of the Dutch to remove this addition to the Stupa as designed by the Buddhist architect, obtain drawings of the sculptured walls now buried and then replace it, stone by stone, so that the building many remain just as found by them. They would be fully justified in re-moving it permanently. When it is gone, the length of each side of the building will be reduced

The total height from the base of the original structure to the top of the central cupola is about 130 feet. The grand pile rises by a series of galleries and terraces (four of the former and three of the latter) which run round the entire building, the whole leading up to a massively built dagaba in which sits the principal Buddha, in whose honour the Stupa was erected.

Four staircases, one in the centre of each face of the building, give access from below to this shrine, and at the same time enable the pilgrim to reach the galleries which, as he ascends the steps, he finds to the right and left. Each of these galleries is sunk between the parapet (about seven feet high) on the outer side and the wall of the gallery next above, so that, though the whole building were crowded with people, all would appear quiet and solitary from outside.

To the pilgrim passing through these galleries is displayed a superb series of sculptured stories, all in bas-relief, carved in panels on the walls on either side. These beautiful entablatures originally numbered no less than 1,554, of which about 1,350 still exist - all in excellent preservation. The lowest gallery alone contains 346 bas-reliefs, measuring each 10 by 3, besides

496 others, each measuring 3 by 3 or 3 by 2. The second gallery contains 332 such sculptures, the third gallery 162 and the fourth 212. The whole show by their style that they must have been executed by artists who bad not long left India, so clearly Indian in character are both the design and execution. The tale told in the lowest gallery, where the greatest number of panels are crowded on to the walls, is, it would seem, the life of the great Teacher, from the time when his father King Saddhodana received the congratulations of the neighbouring princes on the expected birth of his son until the enlightened one passed away, impressing on the members of his order the efficacy of the Law. The upper galleries appear to be allegorical, illustrating the doctrine of Buddha, points of the law and the power of faith. But much which has been written by Wilson on this subject in Leeman's description of the sculptures appears to be conjectural, and it is not at all certain that we have yet got the clue to this marvellous series of bas-reliefs.

On the parapets of the walls which enclose these galleries there are ranged a large number of life-size Buddhas, each seated under a canopy. They number no less than 336 in all, 88 occupying the lowest rampart, 72 the next,

64 the third, 64 the fourth, and 48 the fifth. The figures are admirably carved, the face having that serene expression of perfect rest and content which is the unvarying characteristic of the Buddha.

Above these again, ranged on three circular terraces around the central cupola, are 72 more Buddhas, also of life-size, seated within chaityas constructed in the form of a bell, the side of the bell being made of open stone-work, the perforations admitting light and allowing the faithful to view the seated saint.

The presence of these Buddhas is a conclusive proof that it was the Northern Buddhist Church the doctrine and ritual of which were observed in Java. That church recognised five principal Manushi or human Buddhas : (1) Krakuchanda, (2) Ranakamund, (3),Kasyapa, (4) Gautama, (5) Maitreya. The three first are supposed to have entered the world in the ages before Gautama (he of the Sakya family), who is the only historical Buddha and the founder of the Buddhist religion. The fifth, Maitreya, the Buddha of loving kindness, has not yet appeared, but is looked for years after Gautama.

The heavenly counterparts of these five Buddhas, called the Dbyani Buddhas, are: (1) Vairochana,

(2) Akshobhya, (3) Ratna-sambhava, (4)Amitabha, (5) Amogasiddha. These inhabit the ethereal mansions, free from the debasing conditions of this material life, while the earthly and mortal (Manushi) Buddhas appear incarnate on the earth. They are the five Dhyani or heavenly Buddhas whose statues to the number of 408 have their places, as mentioned above, on the galleries and terraces of the Great Stupa of Boro Bodho.

Vairochana occupies the three highest circular terraces. He is always represented with the fingers in the attitude of laying down the heads of the "Four Truths" and of the "Noble Eight-fold Path," in the fourth stage of which the seeker after holiness becomes free from all sin and only experiences pure desires for himself, tender pity, and exalted spiritual love for others. This stage in the Path reached, he has attained Nirvana.

Akshobhya, who is always represented with his hand resting palm downwards on his knee, occupies the four lower galleries, looking to the cast, where is his own special Paradise. In this attitude is also found the Buddha in the central cupola which crowns the Stupa.

Ratna-sainbhava, whose hand is always on his knee with the palm upwards, as if asking

for alms, holds his place on the four lower galleries looking south, the direction of his celestial home.

Amitabha, the heavenly counterpart of Gautama, has his hands crossed on his lap, the palms upward, in the attitude of meditation. He is found on the four galleries looking west, the Paradise which he quitted to appear on earth as the "Light of Asia."

Amogasiddha, whose hand is raised in the attitude of blessing, occupies the four lower galleries looking north, the Paradise where he is awaiting his turn to come on earth and bless the world. This Buddha also is found on all four faces of the topmost gallery, just below the terraces occupied by Vairochana, there being a slight difference in the position of the fingers in this representation of him.

The doctrines of the Northern Church were a late development of the Buddhist religion and were, it seems, certainly introduced after the time of Fa Hian, who makes no mention of any, such phase. Fa Hian's note therefore that he found no Buddhists in Ye-pho-ti (Java) is corroborated by the fact that Buddhism, whenever it was introduced, was that of the northern branch, not of the southern. Another much later development was the dea of the Sakti or

female Buddha, the consort of Buddha in heaven. This degenerate idea did not arise until the simple and pure morality of Gautama's system had been invaded by all kinds of metaphysical refinements, the original teaching of the master being lost in a Babel of fanciful discussions tending towards a degraded mysticism. Buddhism adopted this last idea of the Sakti about the twelfth century of our era, and if it is true that on the outside wall of the original lowest gallery we have, in a female figure which continually recurs, the representation of the Sakti, we have the evidence that the Stupa could not have been built earlier than that period. That the figure alluded to is that of the Sakti is, however, exceedingly doubtful, and the male figure with which the female is associated is not of the same simple and severe type as the Buddhas within the galleries. It is possible that these figures on the outside wall represent the prince and princess who erected the Stupa. Setting aside the supposition that this figure is that of the Sakti, there is nothing in any one, of the other sculptures to lead us to infer that the building was erected at any time other than when the Buddhist religion was comparatively pure and simple. One fact seems clear, namely, that Boro Bodho was built when Buddhism

had completely prevailed over Brahmanism, for there is in this building no vestige of the latter religion. In most of the sacred buildings of Java we find traces of the two religions side by side, and even in Mendoet, a temple not three miles from Boro Bodho, while the interior is occupied by Buddha and two Bodhi-satwas, the outside of the building is adorned with bas-reliefs undoubtedly Brahmanical. So frequently do we find this admixture of the two faiths that we should have expected to meet with it in Boro Bodho, but this is not the case: the Stupa is purely Buddhistic throughout.

In the present stage of antiquarian research in Java it is not possible to assign a certain date to the construction of this magnificent Stupa. No certain data have yet been obtained from the buildings themselves. The "Babads,"or chronicles of Java, which are all comparatively recent, speak of Boro Bodho as of very ancient date, but they do not assign it to any particular age or particular kingdom. Their evidence is so far valuable that it is shows from them that the Stupa was in existence when they were written: but these Babads themselves are so contradictory, one of the other, that it is impossible to assign certain

dates even to them. We must wait patiently for satisfactory testimony as to the age in which, and the circumstances under which, this grand building was conceived and executed, and in the meanwhile we may gaze and admire the devotion which could inspire, such a poem.

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Some notes on Java: Appendix