Nirvana

May 13, 2013. Borobudur Temple, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. 

There’s a prescribed method for exploring this visually astonishing gem of Buddhist architecture that is locally known as Candi Borubudur.  You have to enter the temple from the east entrance and walk around clockwise, moving from one terrace to the next, with each level representing a higher level of enlightenment, until you reach the summit where a giant stuppa sits and the symbolic spiritual journey ends.

The summit represents Nirvana, “a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and samsara.”

The walls leading to the top are adorned with exquisite bas reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Buddha on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.

The temple was already bathing in the soft glow of the early morning sun when we arrived. Just perfect for the serene scene I captured above.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Masterpiece