Visioning the Spiritual Journey in the Gandavyuha Reliefs: Knowledge Production at Candi Borobudur

Candi Borobudur in Magelang, Central Java has been renowned as a single biggest monument which narrates Buddhist sutras extensively in sculptural work on stones. The main sutra that inspired the whole monument is Gandavyuha (Entering the Dharma Realm), depicted in 460 panels of narrative reliefs, recounts the long and arduous journey to inquire and train in good conduct and knowledge. By employing narrative and comparative methods, this study analyses the artefacts (reliefs) and the manuscripts translated from Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tibetan from the end of the seventh to early ninth centuries CE. By following referrals from virtuous friends (kalyanamitras), the seeker of knowledge, learned from a total of 53-54 virtuous friends of diverse backgrounds and professions about bodhisattvas practice and conduct that lead to knowledge advancement. The knowledge advancement and knowledge production at Candi Borobudur are substantiated by its narrative depiction, the organisation of the scenes, and the manner of presentation. The Gandavyuhapresents both practical and philosophical dimensions of knowledge as means to perfect the accumulation of merit (punyasambhara) and the accumulation of wisdom (jnanasambhara), the prerequisites to achieve the highest human potential: Perfect Awakening. This study, which focuses on the didactic aspects of Gandavyuha, enriches the understanding of Buddhist notions in ancient Java especially during the 8^th to 10^th  centuries CE.