Pandoraspace

Candi Borobudur is not a temple but a monument

According to the dictionary, a temple is a place of worship and the dwelling place of gods. It is derived from the Latin word templum, which means “open or consecrated space”. The reason I looked up this word is because Aisha and Danang took pains in emphasizing that Borobudur is not a temple but a monument. Aisha even told us that the literal translation of Borobudur is “monument on a hill”. I found this strange because the signs leading to Borobudur say “Candi Borobudur” and candi is the Indonesian word for temple.

Perhaps what Aisha and Danang meant when they said that Borobudur is not a temple is that, although it is a place where one could pray, it is not a place where people go to worship or bring offerings to their gods as there are no religious icons or statues of gods in Borobudur. The only statues one would find are those of Buddha. According to Aisha, Buddha is not a god and neither does Buddhism teach one to worship Buddha. (more…)