Graphic by John C. Huntington
Artist: unknown
Title: Iconographic diagram explaining the Buddhas of The Great Stupa/Mount Meru at Borobudur
Material:
Site: Borobudur, Central Java, Indonesia
Current Location:
Period/Date: ca. end of the 8th - beginning of the 9th century, under the Shailendra Dynasty
Iconography/Iconology: The figure at the top left is an image of Shakyamuni/Vairochana from the image the central stupa's core. It is shown as the dharmadhatu or fully realized state of the Buddha at the immediate moment of enlightenment, during which he appears in various heavenly worlds (depending on the text) and generates the teachings of the Vairochana cycle of Buddhism. Thus, all Buddhas of the mandala are manifestations of Shakyamuni. They are also essentially explanations of his enlightenment. At the top right are two forms of Vairochana/Shakyamuni and Shakyamuni/Vairochana. The top-most figure demonstrates the realization of the dharmadhatu knowledge, while the figure immediately below it displays vitarka, or discourse, gesture and is conceptually teaching the Vairochana cycle. The four Buddhas at the bottom of the drawing are, from left to right, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, and Amoghasiddhi, the other four Buddhas of the mandala who visually describe the qualities and insights of Shakyamuni's enlightenment. These qualities are: 1) mirror-like wisdom in which all things are seen as if reflected in a mirror, without coloration, 2) the knowledge that all things are the same, without absolute reality and therefore illusory, 3) discriminating wisdom by means of examination, 4) all accomplishing wisdom through which the Dharma is taught ot others.
Stylistic Comments:
