Lalitavistara

Welcome to Chandi Borobudur of the sacred buildings of Buddhism as a World Cultural Heritage site. The splendor and beauty of Borobudur has its own historical value for Indonesian people. The government has designated Borobudur as a major tourist attraction, a priority tourist destination for local and foreign visitors.

Traveling and visiting Borobudur have enthusiasm aims to know its monument more closely, learn about its history and admire the splendor and beauty of architectural art, as an appreciation and participation in maintaining and protecting the world cultural heritage site of Borobudur.

Your journey to Borobudur will send to an excellent trip with the hospitality of Pamong Carita who will guide you on a special tour to visit and explore history, admiring the beauty of the arts and architecture of Chandi Borobudur more closely.

Wall relief gallery of the story

The beauty of the carved art of one of the wall reliefs of the Lalitavistara story on the walls and balustrades. Source: Guiding technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. arisguide's photo.

Lalitavistara

Lalitavistara or Lalitawistara is a book in Buddhism which contains the life of Sidharta Gautama as Prince Sidharta, son of King Sudhodana of Kaphilavastu. This book is a depiction of the Buddha's history in a series of reliefs (but not a complete history) starting with the Buddha's descent from the Tushita heaven, and ending with the first sermon in Deer Park near the city of Banaras.

These reliefs line the stairs on the other side south, after passing a row of reliefs of 27 frames starting from the east side stairs. The 27 frames depict busyness, both in heaven and on earth, in preparation for welcoming the arrival of the Bodhisattva's final incarnation as the future Buddha. The relief depicts the birth of the Buddha in this arcapada as Prince Siddhartha, son of King Suddhodana and Empress Maya from the Land of Kapilawastu.

The relief consists of 120 frames, which ends with the first sermon, which is symbolically expressed as the Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. The teachings of the Buddha are called dharma which also means "law", while dharma is symbolized as a wheel.

The Lalitavistara Sutra itself was written around the first to third centuries AD. In this book there are several older aspects that come from oral legends, and also elements that developed later that are not found in older versions of the Buddha's history. This book is very well known among Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhists, but is unknown to Theravada Buddhism. Among all the Borobudur relief series, the identification of the Lalitavistara relief is the most complete.

Lalitavistara Text

Preparations before Buddha's birth

After equipping himself with the Dasa-Paramita (Ten Perfections) in his last life as (a human) Prince of Wessantara, the Boddhisatta was born in the Tusita heaven named Dewa Setaketu. The god Setaketu, the future Buddha Gotama, enjoyed heavenly bliss in the Tusita heaven for 4,000 heavenly years which is the same as 576,000,000 (five hundred and seventy-six million) human years.

After the Bodhisattva had confirmed the last natal family, he returned to the celestial crystal palace and sat on a throne decorated with the ripe fruits of his good karma. After placing Maitreya in the Tusita palace, the form that the Bodhisattva took the form of a mighty and majestic elephant with six tusks, as if wrapped in a golden net, shining brightly, and the head was colored red and very beautiful when it descended into His mother's womb. In the Kapilavastu kingdom, the queen met her husband King Suddhodana and asked for permission to take the eight precepts, to which the king agreed.

Bodhisattva Marriage and Renunciation

That day was the 9th of the month Asalha (June-July) in the year 67 of the Mahà Era, when Queen Siri Mahàmàyà was fifty-five years and four months old, the people of the kingdom were celebrating the Uttaràsàlha star festival, an annual traditional event. Everyone was happy, taking part in this celebration. Siri Mahàmàyà Devi also participates in this festival which takes place from the 9th to the 14th.

During this festival, no one drinks liquor and no one wears floral decorations, uses perfumes and other decorations. On the full moon day of that month, the empress rose early, bathed in fragrant water, and made a large donation by giving money and other objects worth four hundred thousand. Then he changed clothes and ate breakfast consisting of selected foods, then he received the Eight Precepts, from his teacher Sage Devila, then entered the beautifully decorated palace room and spent the day on a beautiful couch, and observed the Eight Precepts.

Full of curiosity, the god-daughters of the Heaven of Desire descended to earth to visit the magnificent city of Kapila, decorated with a hundred thousand gardens, so that they could see the woman who had been chosen to give birth to the Bodhisattva.

When the time comes for the Bodhisattva to descend into the world, many hundreds of thousands of (other) bodhisattvas from the East, as well as many hundreds of thousands of (other) bodhisattvas from the ten directions, will all be born only once more, gathering to pay respects to the Buddha-to-be.

After the Bodhisattva installed himself on the throne of his virtue, he left the Tusita heaven surrounded by a hundred billion kotis of bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, and yaksas. The Bodhisattva descended from the heavenly abode of Tusita and entered His mother's womb in the form of a white elephant with six tusks, complete with all its unblemished bodily organs.

While the queen was sleeping on the couch, she had the following dream: "Like snow and silver, with six tusks, beautiful feet, a fine trunk the color of copper and a reddish head of roses, a mighty elephant has entered my womb, his movements graceful and his legs as strong as gemstone."

That same night, a great lotus bloomed from the deep ocean, split the earth, and ascended to the realm of Brahma, the Lord of Nature. All the seeds of the three million worlds – all their powers and essence – are contained in that lotus like a drop of honey. Brahma took its juice and its power and put it in a lapis-lazuli bowl and offered it to the Bodhisattva, who drank it in honor of the great god.

After he entered his mother's womb, a jeweled pavilion (Ratnavyuha) appeared to shelter the Bodhisattva, who in his final birth did not have the natural form of a fetus. In the pavilion he sat cross-legged, complete with all the organs and signs.

Accompanied by a gathering of celestial beings and carrying drops of sari (lotus), Brahma approached the jeweled palace of the Bodhisattva to gaze upon it, admire and serve it, and to hear the Dharma.

He meditated on everything that belonged to the realm of desire. His hand mudra shows that he is preaching Dharma to Brahma, Indra, and other gods who visit him.

Queen Maya rose from the couch, cheerful in mind and body, full of happiness, enthusiasm, and contentment. Surrounded by a procession of women, he descended from the upper level of the palace and went to the Asoka garden.

Queen Maya sent a messenger to tell the king that she wanted to see him. But when the king tried to enter the garden, he found that he was physically unable to do so.

The king ordered to summon the brahmins. The queen stood before the brahmins and said, “Like snow and silver, surpassing the glory of the sun and moon, majestic and majestic, with six tusks and glory, his limbs as strong as jewels and full of beauty, a mighty elephant has entered my womb. Tell me the meaning of this dream".

The Bodhisattva, appearing after 10 full months, emerged from the right side of His mother's body, perfectly formed, possessing all memory and knowledge and undefiled by the impurities of His mother's womb. This birth was without the mother's pain in the slightest.

Filled with reverence, the gods Brahma and Sakra received the Bodhisattva and wrapped Him in silk cloth of gold and silver threads, recognizing and knowing Him. When the Bodhisattva descended to the ground, the earth opened and lotus flowers grew to receive Him. The Dragon Kings bathed him with streams of warm and cool water, and at the same time the celestial beings sprinkled fragrant water and scattered flowers. The Bodhisattva placed Himself on the lotus and looked in the four directions.

Source: Guide Book arisguide. Guidance Techniques Chandi Borobudur arisguide.

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