Karmavibhangga on Borobudur
Welcome to Chandi Borobudur, one of the sacred buildings of Buddhism as a Cultural Heritage site. The splendor and beauty of the aesthetic values of Borobudur and its area make all eyes amazed and inspired by this building. The architectural techniques displayed by the monument have their own noble and historical meaning for Indonesian people. Borobudur and its area have attracted an extraordinary enthusiasm from tourists, to travel and visit the building more closely.
Chandi Borobudur attracts enthusiasm for traveling and visiting on thematic tours, which aim to get to know and study the historical narrative and architecture of this monument more closely. The Indonesian government has designated Chandi Borobudur as a cultural heritage that has a tourist attraction, and has become a priority tourist destination for domestic and foreign visitors.
A friendly tour guide, Pamong Carita, will accompany you on this exciting opportunity, providing and explanation as an appreciation for the participation in maintaining, and preserving the cultural heritage of the ancestors.
Borobudur's reliefs and decorative patterns are in a naturalistic style with ideal proportions and a refined aesthetic taste. These reliefs are very beautiful, in fact they are considered the most elegant and graceful in the Buddhist art. One of the beautiful carvings is the hidden foot - reliefs on the base - an illustrating the working of the law of karma according to the Mahakarmavibhangga text.
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| Illustration of relief story The wall of reliefs, one of the beautiful carvings is the Karmawibhangga reliefs on the walls of the Hidden Foot. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Photo arisguide. |
Wall of Relief
Chandi Borobudur holds a truly special place among Indonesia's monuments, distinguished not only by its extraordinary architecture but also by the richness of its exquisite and captivating relief carvings. The reliefs adorning the temple's walls and balustrades are works of high aesthetic value that reflect its status as a sacred site for Buddhists.
The existence of ancient sites in Indonesia—particularly Borobudur—is truly exceptional, not only for its extraordinary architecture but also for the richness of its beautiful and captivating relief carvings. The narrative reliefs adorning the walls and balustrades are works of high aesthetic value that reflect the monument's status as a sacred site for Buddhists.
Borobudur features exquisite and captivating narrative relief carvings adorning its walls and balustrades, which can be classified into two types: narrative and decorative. The relief carvings at Borobudur are narrative in nature; they are carved directly into the stone and encircle the monument's base. The first series of reliefs—located at the temple's base—is concealed and thus not directly visible; this sequence has been identified as an illustration of the law of karma, as described in the Mahakarmavibhangga text.
The first series of 160 narrative panels are on the hidden foot and consequently not visible. Fortunately, a complete set of photographs was made not long after they were rediscovered, and they can be identified as depicting the working of the law of karma according to the Mahakarmavibhangga text. The other ten series of narrative rupadhatu on the walls and the balustrades of the four galleries.
The first gallery is flanked by four series; the remaining three successively mounting galleries have only two series each. The wall of the first gallery, over 3.5 m high, has two superimposed series of reliefs, each consisting of 120 panels. The upper row relates the biography of the Buddha according to the text. The lower row depicts his former lives, as told in the jatakas and avadanas; these earlier incarnations before being born to become the historical Buddha are also narrated in the two superimposed rows of reliefs on the balustrade.
The balustrade of the second gallery has another and avadanas series, but the wall panels take a new theme. As there is only one row of them on the almost 3 m high wall, they are considerably larger than those on the wall of the first gallery.
The 128 panel series deals with the tireless wanderings of Sudhana in search of the Ultimate Truth, as told in the series of the Gandavyuha text. The walls and the balustrades of the third and fourth galleries are devoted to the further wanderings of Sudhana, terminating with his attainment of the Highest Wisdom. There are in all 1460 panels.
The narrative reliefs on the walls read from the right to the left, those on the balustrades from the left to the right. This was done for the purposes of the procession and the ritual circumambulation which the pilgrim makes, moving in a clock wise direction and keeping the sanctuary to his right. The narrative starts at the left and ends at the right of the eastern stairway, confirming that this stairway is the real entrance to the monument.
Wall of hidden foot; Karmavibhangga
The reliefs on the 'hidden foot' are devoted to the inevitable law of karma. The 160 panels do not relate a continous story, but each provides one complete illustration of cause and effect. The first 117 panels show various actions producing one and the same result, while the remaining 43 demonstrate the many results that can follow from one kind of act.
The 160 relief panels on the hidden base do not form a continuous narrative; instead, each panel presents a complete illustrative story of cause and effect. They depict reprehensible activities—ranging from gossip to murder—alongside their corresponding punishments, as well as praiseworthy deeds—such as charity and pilgrimages to holy sites—and the rewards that follow. The torments of hell and the pleasures of heaven are also illustrated. Scenes of daily life are included, offering a comprehensive panorama of samsara (the endless cycle of birth and death). The chain of all those forms of delusional existence from which Buddhism brings release.
The Karmavibhanga scenes on Borobudur’s hidden base depict, on the right, sinful acts such as killing and cooking turtles and fish; on the left, they show how those who lived by killing animals are tortured in hell—being boiled alive, dismembered, or thrown into burning houses.
The lower sections of the Borobudur relief panels were once dismantled to reveal the hidden base, and the reliefs were photographed by Casijan Chepas in 1890. A collection of photographs of these hidden-base reliefs was previously exhibited at the Borobudur Museum, located north of the monument. During restoration, the casing stones were reinstalled to cover the 'Karmavibhanga' reliefs. Today, only the southeastern corner of the hidden base remains exposed and visible to visitors.
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Wall of hifden foot The southeastern corner of the hidden base remains exposed and visible to visitors. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Photo screenshot arisguide. |
Source: Chandi Borobudur Guidance Techniques arisguide.
Exploring the narrative of Chandi Borobudur on a thematic tour is a truly enjoyable experience. Explore the thematic narrative of Borobudur's cultural heritage with Pamong Carita. Discover explanations in several sections of this blog, and make your Borobudur trip even more engaging with Pamong Carita.
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View of Borobudur from Dagi hill. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide. |
Read narratives about Borobudur Temple in various titles and topics in this blog article. By visiting and making your tour more enjoyable, explore the thematic narrative of Borobudur culture in more detail with Pamong Carita.
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Reading about the history, architecture, and fine arts of Borobudur is more enjoyable in English, and it's also incredibly engaging when translated into accessible and flexible language. Get a detailed read at Welcome to Borobudur Temple the fabric of Life in the Buddhist Culture
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Wall of relief The beauty of the relief carvings of the Borobudur story on the walls and balustrades. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide. |
Exploring Borobudur
Exploring the narrative about Chandi Borobudur in a thematic tour is really fun by visiting and making your tour more complete, explore in more detail the thematic narrative of Borobudur's cultural heritage with Pamong Carita. In the historical narrative of Borobudur, a relief panel carved on the wall at the foot of the temple is mentioned in the Karmawibhangga text, regarding the offering of footwear called 'Upanat' to the Brahmins.
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An explanation of 'Upanat' is the footwear worn to visit Borobudur Temple. The purpose of this visit is to better understand Borobudur, learn about its history, take a thematic tour, and admire the monument's grandeur and artistry. This is a way to appreciate and learn about Borobudur, as well as contribute to the preservation and protection of the world cultural heritage site in Borobudur, Indonesia.
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Welcome to Borobudur A 9th–century Mahayana Buddhist temple, consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide. |
Borobudur
Chandi Borobudur, is a majestic and little-known temple, a mountain of virtue, first of all a sight that, more than a thousand years ago, attracted the attention of people who came on pilgrimage here in search of the inner peace that everyone aims for. Buddhists aspire.
History states that Chandi Borobudur is situated right on top of a hill, built amidst several mountains and hills. To the west are Mount Sundoro and Mount Sumbing. To the east are Mount Merbabu and Mount Merapi. To the north, about 15 kilometers from Borobudur, lies Tidar Hill, and to the south, it borders Menoreh Hill. Borobudur is located at the confluence of two rivers, the Progo and Elo, which are located to the east.
Borobudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple, built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, this temple was designed in the form of Javanese Buddhist architecture, which combines native Indonesian culture, namely ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of achieving Nirvana.
Chandi Borobudur consists of nine terraced terraces, six square terraces and three circular terraces, on top of which there is a large stupa, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.
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Borobudur The beauty of Borobudur view from Dagi Hill. A Buddhist temple built during the reign of Sailendra dynasty. Barabudur or Borobudur is a 9th–century Mahayana Buddhist temple, which consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide. |
Read the full narrative and materials regarding Borobudur Temple, and make your visit even more memorable by delving deeper into the cultural themes of Borobudur alongside a Pamong Carita (cultural guide). Engaging with these narratives is a delightful experience; furthermore, this English-language material lends itself beautifully to translation into simple, fluid language.
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Borobudur A Mahayana Buddhist temple built in the 9th-century. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto screenshot arisguide. |
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