Didactic role of Borobudur, Temple of the Ananda ( Burma) Dr UdaY Dokras (original) (raw)

Borobudur is a mandala, a heteroclite, a prototype that cannot be copied and a mountain. The Ananda Temple (1050-1100 C.E.) at Bagan, in Myanmar comes closest to it and since we know more about the Ananda Temple let us look at its role for example. It has 1500 Buddhas lining the 15m tall walls of its two interior corridors-the equivalent of internal terraceswhile its upper terraces are lined with 547 plaques illustrating each of the jataka or "birth stories" of Buddha's previous incarnations. Most, however, are too high for anyone to see, since the temple was built for "merit," credit against the monarch's karmic debt, not for the edification of his subjects. This may reflect the difference between Ananda's Theravada Buddhism, where release is earned over many reincarnations and the Mahayana possibility for enlightenment in a lifetime illustrated at Borobudur. The Borobudur has a well-defined didactic purpose; their terraces with their bas-reliefs depict a series of episodes in the life of the Buddha which the Anand Temple's reliefs do not show-they glorify the King of Siam. The Borobudur thus has more educational value and a demonstrated learning experience than the Anand Temple-especially for a novice Buddhist Monk.