Borobudur : Pyramid of the Cosmic Buddha

Contents: Foreword/Lokesh Chandra. Preface/Mark Long and Lokesh Chandra. Acknowledgements. Introduction. I. Historical developments: 1. Distant beginnings: i. The EL Dorado of the Asian World. ii. An eclectic approach to cultural borrowing. iii. Early inscriptional evidence...... 2. The rise and fall of Java's "classic age" civilization: i. The illustrious King Sanjaya. ii. Lord of the Mountain. iii. The Maharaja of Zabag........ 3. A Buddhist foundation: i. The one thus come. ii. Challenging the Hindu world-view. iii. Enduring symbols of the Buddha's continuing presence. II. Borobudur and its environs: 4. The magic of location: i. In harmony with the local surroundings. ii. The descent of the cosmic river. iii. Local legends and indigenous practices....... 5. An approach from the east: i. The Bas-reliefs on the monument's "Hidden Foot". ii. Ascending the Eastern Staircase. iii. Entering the bas-relief galleries........... 6. Building and restoration activities: i. The ground plan. ii. Phases of construction. iii. Bringing the temple to life........... III. An architectural reappraisal: 7. The residence of divinity: i. Borobudur's foot, body and head. ii. Like Demi-Gods rushing along the ways of the firmament. iii. Borobudur and the structure of the Vedic fire Altar.......... 8. Numerical, astronomical and dimensional symbolism: i. The numerical symbolism of the Jina images. ii. A "Day" of the Gods on mount Meru. iii. Temporal symbolism on the lower levels............ 9. Candi Mendut: i. The images inside the main Cella. ii. The vestibule reliefs. iii. The  bas-reliefs on the Cella partition walls......... IV. Decoding the message: 10. The Ghost in the machine: i. The matrix and the diamond world Mandalas. ii. Eight great objections......... 11. The unfolding of divinity: i. Pacing the void. ii. The stages of the "Revelation-enlightenment". iii. The Akanistha heaven at Borobudur......... Appendices: A. Architectural drawings. B. Glossary. C. Bibliography. Terms index.

"Borobudur was constructed during the eighth century as a guide to the Noble Path of the Buddha. Born from silence and unfolding into the serenity of the other shore, it expresses the glory of Indonesia's awareness and creativity, the smile of her plastic forms over the centuries as well as he travels along the edge of thoughts that cross the endless corridors of memory.

Though the western world rediscovered this magnificent structure almost 200 years ago, this sacred place nonetheless remains seated in its enigmatic depth, engulfed in vaporous illusions, waiting for someone to find the base simplicity of its truth. This book is a catalyst and invites adventurous minds to find new directions by bringing into focus the vast universe of the Borobudur in order to cultivate the way to weeding out error. The questions posed or solutions offered herein are like water and waves: different yet identical in essence. They stir discussion.

One of the special contributions of this book lies in its correlating the cyclical movements of the sun and moon with the numerical symbolism of Borobudur. The authors cite the magical effect of the sun suddenly appearing out of the volcano Merapi and empowering the Borobudur-mountain with its radiant energy in poetic imagery. This magic moment of Satori or enlightenment echoes the experiences of the unknown Shailendra monarch who had commissioned the monument's construction and the inspiration that made the architect envision this Buddhist wonder." (jacket)