In Feb'14, one day before I was supposed to fly to Jogjakarta, Mt Kelud erupted and my flight was cancelld. My flight to Yogjakarta was cancelled because of Volcano eruption.
Was I upset? Not at all.
I attended a talk by my one of favourite Buddhist Teachers (Ajahn Brahm) that week.
And the topic was
"Good? Bad? Who knows?"
It was an opportunity to practice equanimity.
Yogyakarta
Wiki: "Yogyakarta (/ˌjɒɡjəˈkɑrtə/ or /ˌjoʊɡjəˈkɑrtə/;[1] also Jogja, Jogjakarta) is a city and the capital of Yogyakarta Special Region in Java, Indonesia. It is renowned as a centre of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows. Yogyakarta was the Indonesian capital during the Indonesian National Revolution from 1945 to 1949. One of the districts in Yogyakarta, Kotagede, was the capital of the Mataram Sultanate between 1575 and 1640. The city is named after the Indian city of Ayodhya from the Ramayana epic."
Taken from the top of my hotel
Small, Simple, Comfortable and Cheap hotel.
Some of the local housings
Tradition vs Modernity
Parade along the touristic Malioboro
Surprised to see local Javanese performing Chinese dragon dance
Military Band in Javanese Costume
Drag Queen
Malioboro Street
Very Balinese
Performers
Local Street Vendor selling satay.
Unfortunately, I am a vegetarian.
Prambanan
Wiki: "Candi Prambanan or Candi Rara Jonggrang is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). The temple compound is located approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of the city of Yogyakarta on the boundary between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces.[1]
The temple compound, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia, and one of the biggest in Southeast Asia. It is characterized by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the towering 47-metre-high (154 ft) central building inside a large complex of individual temples.[2] Prambanan attracts many visitors from across the world.[3]"
Candi Siva, dedicated to Shiva the Destroyer
Hindu Mythical Being
Candi Sewu, a large Buddhist temple complex meaning "one thousand temples".
Headless Buddha Statue
A reminder of the Impermanence of Life and non-attachment.
Visiting these Hindu and Buddhist monuments in the largest Muslim country in the world reminds me of the rise of fall of civilization. People changes. Civilization changes. Culture changes.
Beautiful
Legs
Alone in the complex.
Love it. =)
Relaxing in peace.
Meditated for a while. Not bad.
Reminds me of Ang Kor Wat.
Another headless Buddha Statue
Silhouette
Sunset
Silhouette of Candi Sewu
Sunset
Took a local transport back to the town.
Comfortably seated, Good View of Sunset, Strong Wind... feels like sitting in a convertible, except it is nosier and slower. Most importantly, it was an enjoyable ride.
Borobudur
Wiki: "Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.[1] A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside a perforated stupa. It is the world’s largest Buddhist temple,[2][3] as well as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.[4]
Built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, the temple was designed in Javanese Buddhist architecture, which blends the Indonesian indigenous cult of ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of attainingNirvana.[4] The temple also demonstrates the influences of Gupta art that reflects India's influence on the region, yet there are enough indigenous scenes and elements incorporated to make Borobudur uniquely Indonesian.[5][6] The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument and ascends to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology: Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). The monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades. Borobudur has the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world.[4]
Evidence suggests Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century and abandoned following the 14th-century decline ofHindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam.[7] Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[4]
Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year, Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction."
Front View of Borobudur
Sunrise
Beautiful Sunrise
Beautiful Sunrise
Amazing and Peaceful
Lord Buddha Statue in the Stupa
Beautiful Surrounding
Peaceful
Lord Buddha gazing at all sentient beings with compassion and loving kindness.
Lord Buddha: Turning the Wheel of Dharma
_/\_
Stupas
Stupa
Buddhist Stories
More carving
Largest Buddhist Temple in the world.
Located in the largest Muslim country in the world.
Borobudur.
Ended the trip with a good interaction with the local students.
=)
+++
Some thoughts:
- As always, I am grateful for the opportunity to see the world. My forefathers did not have the opportunity, I am just lucky to be born the right place at the right time.
- During this short solo trip, there is a lot of time for self-reflection.
Buddha is not the headless statue in ruin.
Buddha is Dharma.
Seeing the Dharma is Seeing the Buddha.
Dharma is a way of living.
I do not know a better way of living other than practicing compassion and kindness.
- On the flight, I was reading about this book "Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership". It was about oneness with the world, interdependence and openness (at least, that's how I interpreted it). I did not plan much for my trip, since I was traveling solo.
When I was worried about the transport arrangement, at the last minute, the transport appears (what a relief!). When I was worried that I did not have enough local currency to make payment, the money changer appeared at the most unlikely place.
Interestingly, things seemed to work out fine at the end.
=)
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