Borobudur_ Kang Chai Yuen 1106576

 

Borobudur is a Mahayana Buddhist monument in Indonesia's Central Java. It was the world's largest Buddhist building in 9th century. By the end of June 2012, Guinness World Records recognized it as the largest Buddhist temple in the world. Borobudur built in 9th century during the region of the Sailendra Dynasty. The name Borobudur is likely come from the Sanskrit "Vihara Buddha Ur", means "The mountain of combined virtues of the ten stages of Boddhisattvahood". Borobudur, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian Pyramids and Angkor Wat in Cambodia are four great miracle of ancient oriental.

Borobudur is built as a large stupa, when we looking down from above, it looks like a giant tantric Buddhist mandala, it represents the Buddhist cosmology and the nature of mind. the foundation is a square, 118 metres, side length about 118 metres. It has nine platforms, the lower six are in square, the upper three are in circular. The upper platform has seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large central stupa and each of the stupa is bell shaped, pierced by numerous decorative openings. Inside there sit a statues of the Buddha. The design of Borobudur is actually the form of a step pyramid.

The three parts of the stupa symbolize the three realms of Buddhist cosmology, which is Kamadhatu, Rupadhatu, Arupadhatu. Kamadhatu represented the base, Rupadhatu represented the five square platform and Arupadhatu represented the three circular platforms and the large stupa. [Square and detailed decorations in the Rupadhatu disappear into plain circular platforms in the Arupadhatu to represent how the world of forms – where men are still attached with forms and names – changes into the world of the formless.]

There are many carved rellief on the wall of Borobudur temple. We can do more research about the significant of the carved on the wall and even go there for a look to have depth understanding of Borobudur temple. It is worth for us to go there have a visit since there is a spectacular building in Indonesia.

I found it related to hero's journey. For the first part, ones received a call to enter a world and he or she would face tasks and challenges either alone or with assistance. The second part, ones must solve the problem and survive in challenges. The third part is ones must then decide whether to return to the original world or stay. 

Islam museum Chen Chu Han 1003943

Manuscript

keris

national mosque model
This is my first time to enter this unique Islamic Art Museum . The entrance fee was reasonable  and  it cost only 5 dollar. I also found out the counter guys was very polite . Inside the museum i found out many ancient manuscrpit , craft , utensil food , weapon and buidling model . From there i discover that most of the manuscript described historical islamic culture. Besides, the keris of malay culture as main weapon for man to symbolize honor , responsibility and courage. The buidling model was attracting me by their unique architecture.

 

Chen Chu Han 

1003943

Borobudur_ Ng Yi Ting 1107345

Pyramid of the Cosmic Buddha

It located in close proximity of the geographic center of the Island of Java in Southeast Asia, the man-made pyramid-mountain of Borobudur has puzzled archaeologists and scholars alike since the very day that the western world rediscovered it during the early nineteenth century. Comparable in size to the Egyptian pyramid at Saqqara, this enigmatic structure contains more than 1.6 million stone blocks and measures more than 400 feet along either axis.

   In 1814, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles — acting in his capacity as the British Empire’s Lieutenant Governor on Java — they sent a survey team to investigate incredible rumors about a great ruined sanctuary located deep within the island’s interior. It took six weeks for a crew of two hundred men to clear away the soil, volcanic ash and vegetation that had embraced the monument for centuries. Upon clearing the site, the discoverers were able to discern the foundations of a stepped pyramid, which provides the framework for a series of galleries that collectively contained 1,300 beautiful base-relief carvings that if placed end-to-end would span a distance of more than 1.5 kilometers. The walls of the monument’s galleries in turn were designed to support no less than 432cave-like niches, each of which contained a stone image of the Buddha. Near the top of the pyramid, the exploration team uncovered three round terrace platforms, each of which supported a series of bell-shaped chambers called stupas. Residing within each of the half-dome shells was a statue of a Buddha displaying the symbolic hand gesture known as the ‘Turning of the Wheel.’ 

From the extract, Borobudur is a Buddhist temple created by using repetition of stupas which look like a bell-shaped and  statue of Buddha to form a wonderful pyramid tower.

I'm excited with its form of Buddhist architecture and monumental arts.

The building structure in Borobudur seems to express a complex meaning as the buddha gesture hand like showing something in it, perhaps a code that has to be cracked by someone. However, till now nobody have solve it as it is too difficult.

My opinion for Borobudur in hero's journey is the step of the Borobudur till the top of the temple are connected with the Hero's journey stages changing. You don't know what is it until you reach a stages.

BLOG 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 

Islamic Art museum - winnie wong wei ni 1101745

Winnie Wong Wei Ni 1101745 Islamic art museum day ~

The things i found most interesting is the Islamic architecture around the world.Most of the architecture built based on their country style, for example, The Great Umayyad Mosque, their design is more to western design which located at the site of church St.John The Baptist. The arch they used in the architecture are mostly rounded arch instead of using pointed arch. This is what i found interesting, before it, i thought all the mosque is totally looks alike like what we can see in Malaysia. Another architecture i found it interesting is the Southeast Asia's architectures, they used the pyramid roof construction for their mosque. This is totally different from the others which always include few domes in their mosque. 

Besides the architecture, the element used in the architecture also interesting. The element of water serves as practical, symbolic as immutable force,fluid and fluctuating, static at the same time and decorative function.There are few more elements like caligraphy, light and etc.

There is another thing i found interesting is the Miniature Qurans. It is normally design for soldiers because it is in small size, the soldiers can bring it everywhere. The Qurans housed in attractive cases, works with art with great personal significance. It is so creative, with a magnifying glass some more.

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia - Pang Nian Ching 1201143

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia--Kang Chai Yuen 1106576