Artist: unknown
Title: The Great Stupa/Mount Meru at Borobudur, detail of original
basement on the south face of the east side.
Material: volcanic rock
Site: Borobudur, Central Java, Indonesia
Current Location: in situ
Period/Date: ca. end of the 8th - beginning of the 9th century,
under the Shailendra dynasty
Iconography/Iconology: Scenes of "cause and effect" in
which the life activities result in higher and lower rebirths are depicted
on the lowest register of the monument. These panels served a didactic purpose
intended to encourage meritorious behavior with a promise of rebirth in
heaven abodes and conversely birth in the various lower realms for those
with negative behaviors.
Stylistic Comments: Much has been made of the fact that this register
has been covered by a broad platform at a time subsequent to the original
construction. It is generally held that the monument had begun to sink immediately
after its construction and the platform was added as a reconstructive measure.
However, as indicated by the cross-section much of the monument rest securely
on flattened native rock with no threat of subsidance. Therefore, it may
be suggested that the wide platform was added to serve as a ceremonial ambulatory,
bringing the total number of walkways to ten. This is the perfect number
as stated in the Avatamsaka Sutra as it is the numer of the ten stages
of a bodhisattva's attainment.
