Borobudur 10-11 April 2009

Borobudur is the biggest Buddhist monument in the world and I had always wanted to visited it. Finally, I organized a trip over the Easter weekend. It was a pilgrimage for me. Most people visited Borobudur as day trip from Yogyakarta. However, I wanted to spend time at Borobudur. So I stayed at the Manohara hotel which is within the park compound. I found a very good deal on http://www.travelindo.com and paid about SGD$60 for 2 nights (after splitting among 5 people for 2 rooms). The price is inclusive of the entrance fees (which is about USD$11 per entry) and breakfast. It was a fantastic deal. On the first day, my friend Sheung and I spent the afternoon looking at the panels on the lower terraces of the monument. It took us quite a while to identify the panels of scenes from the life of the Buddha. That was the only series which I could make much meaning out of. It was cloudy in the evening and we could not see much of sunset. The monument close at 5pm which was before the sunset. Later, I found out that we could stay till 6pm if we pay Rp150,000. But it would not have worth the money. I must admit that I was actually pretty distressed after my first day at Borobudur. What happened was that Borobudur actually sees far more domestic tourists than foreign tourists. It is no longer a living temple. The authorities disallowed religious ceremonies on the temple and even Vesak celebrations have moved to the Mendut temple 3 km away. Borobudur was very popular with the local Indonesians. It was like park for a weekend fun. Families, couples, groups of school students visited the park. They have picnic in the park. They climbed all over the stupas to take photos, ignoring the signs that say "do not climb". The loud speakers constantly blast out messages telling people not to climb on the stupas. Loud laughter and chatter destroyed any peace that could be found on the temple. It was like an amusement park. I could not find the solemnity and religious feeling at the temple at all. I was distressed to the point that I could not do any homage. I watched on as a group of Thai pilgrims circumambulated the main stupa amid the chaotic noise in a hasty pace. That was the only group who gave any indication that this was a monument with religious significance. I could understand that the Indonesians, being Muslims, would not see Borobudur with the religious significance a Buddhist would. However, I found it disturbing that they are not respecting it as a historical heritage either -- it seemed that they do not care if they would be breaking the monument at all as they climb all over it. That evening, I was a lost pilgrim. The Borobudur park opens from 6am in the morning. However, the sun would have risen by then. But the Manohara Hotel has an Sunrise Package which allows you to go up the monument at 4:30am to watch sunrise. Hotel guest pay Rp150,000 (about SGD$20) while non-guest pay Rp300,000 (which is another reason to stay at the Manohara Hotel). Early morning on the monument was different. There was quite a number of people -- but not as bad as the crowd in the day. Perhaps it was because of the morning quiet, people spoke in hushed tones. Most of them just sat and waited for the sun to rise. I had thought through the night and finally found my peace. I realized that faith and piety is within me. It should not matter what other people was doing at the temple. The temple should be within the mind -- the physical structure is just as structure and in spite of its historical value and significance, would still one day succumb to decay. As I headed up the stairs, I decided that regardless what other people were doing, I would do my pilgrimage. When I got up to the upper terraces, I did my usual morning puja (Veneration to the Buddha, Taking Three Refuges and Five Precepts) and started to circumambulate. I did 3 rounds at each terraces. When I was done, the sky was brightening with the first lights. The eastern sky was glowing red. The distant volcanic Mount Merapi could be seen against the red sky. It was a beautiful sunrise. I took a few pictures. But I decided that instead of snapping pictures away, I should really just appreciate the beauty of the sunrise. I found a corner and sat down. At one point, I closed my eyes briefly, starting to meditate. But when I opened my eyes just a few seconds later, the red glow was gone, replaced by grey blue hues. It disappeared so completely and suddenly that I was struck by a strong sense of anicca I never experienced before. Then I settled into a peaceful meditation. Later, as the crowd started to arrive at the temple, the carnival atmosphere and noise was back again. But I had found my peace. I had done my pilgrimage. I decided that even if the Indonesians friends had not given the respect to the monument that I had expected, at least they are not destroying it. They were genuinely enjoying themselves on the temple. Their interaction with the temple could perhaps later be the connection for them to have more understanding and familiarity with Buddhism. I was back at the temple several more times, wandering among the terraces and stupas before heading back to Yogyakarta after staying 2 nights there. For Buddhists who really wanted to experience Borobudur, do not do it as a day trip. Stay at the Manohara Hotel and spend time to experience the monument. It's worth it.