HoA_Borobudur Temple_Aw Yong Ting Fong

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the 9th century measuring 123 x 123 meters. Borobudur was completed centuries before Angkor Wat in Cambodia. This Buddhist temple has 1460 relief panels and 504 Buddha effigies in the complex. Millions of people are yearning to visit the buildings included in this World Wonder Heritages.Borobudur-shaped building with staircase punden consists of 10 levels. Height 42 meters before it was renovated and 34.5 meters after the renovation because the lowest level is used as a drag. Six lowest level of a square and three levels on top of a circle and one of the highest levels of Buddhist stupa facing to the west. Each level represents the stages of human life. In accordance madhhabs Mahayana Buddhism, every person who wants to reach the level as the Buddha had to through every level of life is.Borobudur was built by King Samaratungga, one of the kings of Old Mataram Kingdom, Dynasty descendant dynasty. Based Kayumwungan inscription, an Indonesian named Hudaya Kandahjaya revealed that Borobudur is a place of worship was completed on 26 May 824, almost a hundred years from the time the construction. Architects who contributed to build this temple according to a story passed down through generations named Gunadharma.

HoA_Tang Wei Teng_ Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Me with my favorite exhibitions

The exhibition that I like the most will be the arms and armour exhibition in the museum especially the flintlock pistol. It is because I was attracted by the unique shape and on the barrel of the pistol which appears to be a leopard's head and the flora pattern crafted on the pistol. According to the information given, the stocks are inlaid with gilt metal and silver, with flora designs. It is an exquisite and fine art of arms.

Flintlock Pistol
Syria or Turkey
19th century AD/ 13th century AH

 Others Exhibition of Arms and Armour

Riffle
Compostire material with bone and ivory inlay
Jaipur, India
c. 1790/1204 H

Double-Barrelled Flintlock Pistol
With concealed dagger
Walnut inlaid with silver and overlaid with gold
Ottoman Turkey
19th century AD/13th century AH

Mace 
Steel
Iran
18th century AD/ 12 century AH

Tang Wei Teng 1107059

HoA_Ng Cheng Ghee_Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Evidence of presence at Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

The most interesting part which I think will be the pattern of the interior side view of the dome of the museum. At first when I saw it, I thought it appeared to be like a kind of roman pattern art. However, after some researches, the pattern of the art called Arabesque, an Islamic art. The reason I like it is the repetition of geometric patterns like the shapes, lines with the combination colours which caught my eyes' attention and it harmonizes with the building structure. 

View of the dome in the museum

Another view of the dome in the museum

Focus view on the pattern art of the dome

Focus view on the pattern art of the dome

Others Exhibition

The Kiswa
The Kiswa is used to cover and wrapped around the walls of the Holy Ka'aba, is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

 Scroll
China
 c. -1980 - 1990 AD
Calligrapher: Ali Abdullah Qasim

Ng Cheng Ghee 1107247

HoA_Borobudur Temple_NCG

Borobudur temple is built to represent many layers of Buddhist theory. From a birds eye view, the temple is in the shape of a traditional Buddhist mandala (an significant religious tradition art that represent sacred and divine) which cab be simultaneously related to Buddhist Cosmology. Hence, according to Buddhist Cosmology, the universe is divided in to three major zones that can be found in three parts of this temple.

1. the hidden base (Kamadhatu)
   It designed in a pyramid shaped and  consists of 160 reliefs depicting scenes of Karmawibhangga Sutra, the law of cause and effect.
2. the four square level of terrace (Rapadhatu)
   They contain tons of carved stone reliefs, as well as a chain of position containing statues of Buddha. In total there are 328 Buddhas on these levels.
3. the three circular terrace and the center dome (Arupadhatu)The terraces contain circles of 72 stupas, an inverted bell shape, and many sculptures of Buddha, who face outward from the temple.

In my opinion, the relationship and similarity between the hero's journey and the Borobudur Temple that related to Buddhist cosmology will be journey of us, the common people. For instance, the desires and struggles of us, the common peoples that face every day whenever a task or temptation appears (woman as temptress/Kamadhatu), peoples and things that  going to help us to get through those difficulties to get ourselves free from temptations and desires from the phenomenal world and realize the true purpose of life(The meeting with Goddess and Apotheosis/Rapadhatu) and finally the true freedom and understanding of life and afterlife with the presence of God together( Master of Two World and Freedom to Live/Arupadhatu).

SourceWikipedia (August 1, 2012). Borobudur. Retrieved August 28, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur

Picture Credit
The Temple of Borobudur. (2010). Retrieved August 28, 2012, from
http://oldmapsexpeditionsandexplorations.devhub.com/blog/576057-the-temple-of-borobudur/

By
Ng Cheng Ghee
1107247
GD

HoA_Borobudur Temple_TWT

Borobudur Temple is a large site with many Buddhist Statues. This colossal temple was built between AD 750 and 842: 300 years. The temple was built in three tiers in the center of a hill with different representative part of the conception of the universe in Buddhist Cosmology:

• a pyramidal base (kamadhatu) with five different concentric square terraces (rupadhatu)
• the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms (arupadhatu)
• a monumental stupa (arupadhatu) at the top

One thing that attracted me the most is the aerial view of the temple. According to information fron Wikipedia, the view from above resembles the form of a giant tantric Buddhist mandala, which has spiritual and ritual significance in Buddhism, and simultaneously representing the Buddhist cosmology and the natural of mind.

The connection between the hero's journey and the Borobudur temple will be the relationship between human and god. In our world, we always encounter with many kind of difficulties such as desire, temptation, lust, negative impulse and so on (Kamadhatu, the world of desires). Well, I guess it is partially resemble to the hero's journey, which the hero who encounter with problems while the journey  is carrying (Road of Trial and Woman as Temptress from Stage 2: Initiation).

Online-source
Wikipedia (August 1, 2012). Borobudur. Retrieved August 25, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur

By
Tang Wei Teng
1107059
GD

DUE DATE CORRECTION

*FINAL DUE DATES*

***CORRECTION: All blogs must be completed and up on line before 12 MIDNIGHT (23:59:59) FRIDAY 31 AUGUST . 

Get your missing assignments together and on-line on your blog. I am extending the due date one more week. We will discuss in class.

NEEDED: Much more writing, discussion , photos and sketches.

ISLAMIC MUSEUM TRIP: What did you find interesting and what did you learn INSIDE the Islamic Museum? Your sketches and statement should be about the same objects.

***ALL SKETCHBOOKS TO BE HANDED IN 4 SEPTEMBER MAKEUP CLASS. 

Thank you, 

Ray 

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