Indonesia VI: Expedition 2011 - Borobudur, Spirituality And Realistic Theatre
In the morning Wudy picked up us at the hotel. He came in a new minibus, with whom he no problems were noted. He had an interesting way of telling, after every third sentence felt a sort of obligation to laugh. At first I was a bit strange, but later I got used to. Wudy gradually turned out to be a really interesting person and a great guide. "Wudy, you were no longer in any country except Indonesia?" I asked. "I was, hahaha, I was in 32 countries, I have worked as a sailor." And this way he recognized the Europe, Venice, all religions. His interpretations and views of the world were really interesting, a lot of us helped clarify a lot of things possible for us to give up or at least very shocking and surprising new look. He was a Buddhist, my peer and vegetarian, forever smiling.
Meeting with monument
And so we boarded the Wudi´s minibus we drove for a tour of the largest Buddhist structure in the world and also the largest monument in the southern hemisphere - a tour of the temple of Borobudur. Along the way we passed through villages destroyed during the last eruption of Mount Merapi. "That time died 300 people, hahaha. And this is the house is the mayor´s, he said he would not go away, ha-ha, and died," brought us Wudy.
Borobudur was for centuries, mound of dirt, about the locals speak as about holy one, but that is not too interested. Has the situation changed in a short English government after the defeat of Napoleon. Something as an English expeditionary section headed by an English officer Borobudur appeared strong growing plants and trees that had removed and left temple itself seems to dig out from under the debris. Consequently, there is Dutch archaeologists set out to research and temple restoration began. It's an amazing building, consists of six square and three circular floor on which the domes (small shrine called. Pulped) 72 Buddhas hidden life-size. Earth symbolizes the connection with the universe. We were there on Sunday, there were many visitors, especially children. To them we were, the inhabitants of Slovakia (Slovakia, small but nice country in the middle of Euroupe), greater attraction than all Buddhas. "Sir, can I take a picture with you?" came running after us, and of course in English to let us down and thirteen years old girl with a cell phone. And me, me too. So we posed, smiling children, for whom it was a real experience. And for us as well. It was great, the whole atmosphere of the temple of Borobudur, the number of visitors, children, smiles and good cheer along with commentary by Wudy, truly unforgettable.
A touch of spirituality
Into the walls of the temple are carved with scenes from the life of Prince Siddhartha, who first knew life just outside the walls of one of the seven palaces that belonged to him. Once accidentally saw people sick, elderly, lepers, he decided to manage their lives know what it is. He left the palace, lived the life of a monk and gradually developed the principles on which today stands Buddhism - known as the only atheistic religions of the world. To have no gods, does not address the question how many angels can fit on the tip of the needle and how to bless. Compare to Christianity it is focuses not on God, but on man and his psyche. It sets the principles which one has to follow if he wants to live a balanced, contented and happy. It is based on Hinduism, but rejects his caste and predestination. World sees as its reflection in our mind. "The house exists only when we perceive it and therefore is part of our existence. Will not destroy it, we destroy ourselves," told us Wudy. In Europe nailed a German theologian and reformer Martin Luther on the church door in Wittenberg its argument declared him a heretic, was split in the Christian Church and, consequently, the Thirty Years War, in which 30% of people died.
Buddhism has different interpretations, different schools, but it is absolutely tolerant, no religious war in history is not known. It focuses on a man says that if you're balanced, contented and happy depends on what you have, not matter who you are, it depends on the state of your mind.
Afternoon, we still managed to see the Sultan's palace in Yogyakarta - including harem. Have but long defunct, the latest generation of the sultans harem had pleasure to own up. Much more bravely then they fought against the Dutch, and so are in the public Yogyakarta Indonesia arrangement exception. At the head of the province is not worth democratically elected governor, but the Sultan, a descendant of previous rulers.
Theatre, on which one of us is not used
For dinner, they took us on carriages driven by the power of one horsepower that is with a real live horse and driver, that driver. The most interesting while it was just behaviour of the power unit - horse. In this incredible local transport chaos behaved calmly responded to every horseman command and sometimes it seemed that he did not need it. He brought us to a restaurant where we had an excellent dinner at a local singing assembled Art Ensemble of singers and drummers. I have to admit with the excuse that the sounds that they made me sing longer remembered.
After the dinner in a small amphitheatre next to the restaurant we looked at theatre play Ramayana, advertised as Romeo and Juliet. But it is the ancient Indian epic of the heroic period of three thousand years ago. At first I suffered enough, eventually even in the Slovak theatres quite often suffer. Gradually, however, I looked at the scenes on stage solid colours, deployment and artistic inserts. I have not seen in a theatre that actors consecutive shooting real arrows from a bow, founded a real fire on stage, which is rolled or crawled across the roof and jumped from the roll casually, directly on the stone floor. We applaud standing and took with the cast.
Text/photo: Stanislav Lupták
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