On the evening of the May full moon, Indonesians celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. This festival is held in Borobodur, built in the 9th century AD and the largest Buddhist monument in existence - a Wonder of the World which took 100 years and three generations of men to build.
The five-mile pilgrimage from Mendut to the serene sitting Buddha on the top of Borobodur is walked by hundreds of monks in saffron robes carrying offerings of flowers and candles. As the moon rises over the horizon, throwing white light onto the smooth stone exterior of the ancient temple, candles are lit and the monks begin praying, meditating and chanting well into the evening, a vision guaranteed to remain with you forever.
Borobudur is a representation of the Buddhist cosmos. Ascend to the top of the temple and you take a symbolic walk through life. On the lowest level, the vast majority of us mortals are depicted in intricate stone carvings. Our bestiality on display, we are shown to be the pawns of suffering and fate, enslaved to carnal desire and imprisoned by our egos.
Winding gently upwards, the path circles round the monument, presenting stone carvings of those who have followed the Buddha's teachings and have been rewarded by reincarnations into higher forms of life. The lives of warriors and kings, priests, dancers, processions of elephants and voyages over the seas in ships are all carved in stone. Finally, the winding path leads you to a bricks-and-mortar version of Nirvana, wherein is found the absence of suffering and the Buddhist idea of heaven.
Borobodur is an amazing place at any time of year, but the holiness of the site is particularly apparent during this May-time religious festival.
Taken from ISIC.org
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