Tea House: Interviews, Commentary, Reviews, Poetry
About Borobudur
Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the world's largest Buddhist temple. The temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa.
Buddhist relics – The ashes of spiritual Masters
Śarīra is a generic term referring to Buddhist relics, although in common usage it usually refers to pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters.
Relics of the Buddha after cremation are termed dhātu in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta.
Śarīra are held to emanate or incite 'blessings' and 'grace' within the mindstream and experience of those connected to them.
Sarira are also believed to ward off evil .
Appearances and Identifications of Vajrapani
Vajrapani is one of the earliest and most recognizable characters of Buddhist art. He is known for carrying a vajra scepter and being a close attendant to the historical Buddha according to the Mahayana Sutras. In Vajrayana, Buddhism Vajrapani is entrusted to safeguard all of the Tantra literature and in this regard, he is known as Guhyapati - the Lord of Secrets.
Different Forms of Vajrapani
Vajrapani manifests in a variety of forms and looks, ranging from placid .
Buddha Vairocana – The embodiment of Dharmakaya
Vairocana is a Buddha who has also known as the embodiment of Dharmakaya and therefore can be seen as the universal aspect of the historical Gautama Buddha. In Sino-Japanese Buddhism, he seems to the embodiment of the Buddhist concept of shunyata or Emptiness. In the fifth Buddhism Conception of Vajrayana Buddhism, he is at the center.
His consort is White Tara. The Vairocana statue in Nara's Todai-Ji which is located in Japan is the largest .