The Buddhist Kingdoms of Indonesia
Wesak celebration at the Borobudur Temple complex, Central Java.
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Valencia)
Dear readers,
I am very excited to share with you the history of Buddhist kingdoms in Indonesia. Although today Indonesia is famous for having the highest rate of Muslim population in the world, I would like to take you back to a time when Buddhism played a dominant role in this region. During this period, most of the Buddhist Kings and Queens ruled with wisdom in accordance with the teachings of Lord Buddha. Buddhist kingdoms in Indonesia also produced some of the most impressive archeological sites such as Candi Borobudur (the Borobudur Temple) and Candi Sewu (the Sewu Temple). I hope this article will provide a depiction of the era when Buddhism thrived in Indonesia. Enjoy!
Buddhist teachings arrived in the country known today as Indonesia in the 2nd Century CE. Buddhism is the second oldest religion after Hinduism in this region. For the most part, Hinduism and Buddhism co-existed peacefully in Indonesia. Before their arrival, the people in this region believed in animism, the belief in the supernatural power of Mother Nature. They regarded trees and stones as sacred objects and used these for worship to connect with their higher power.
The Buddhist influence was first introduced by the traders and missionaries from Eastern India who travelled to this region via the ancient maritime Silk Road or Silk Route, a route that spanned from China to the Mediteranian Sea and was central to trading and cultural interaction. Over the centuries, for 2,000 years, the traders and missionaries who travelled along the Silk Road played a strategic role in the dissemination of religious beliefs across Eurasia. The traders often built shrines and temples of their own faith during their travels in order to worship their own gods.
Map showing the spread of Buddhism across Asia. Click on image to enlarge.
Since its arrival, Buddhism had gathered a vast following in the area that would become known as Indonesia due to its universal message. Buddhism stems from the belief that earthly life is impermanent and full of suffering, but the painful cycle of birth, death and rebirth can end when one reaches enlightenment through the practice of the Buddha’s teachings.
In this article, I would like to provide information about the three main Buddhist kingdoms that existed in Indonesia: Kalingga, Medang and Srivijaya.
The Kalingga Kingdom
The Kalingga Kingdom existed between the 6th and 7th centuries and was located on the north coast of Central Java, Indonesia. It was the first Hindu-Buddhist kingdom in Central Java, and one of the oldest kingdoms in Indonesian history alongside the smaller Hindu kingdoms of Kutai and Tarumanagara. The precise location of the Kalingga Kingdom is still debated to this day, but it is generally believed to be somewhere between the present day Pekalongan and Jepara.
The possible location of The Kalingga Kingdom. Click on image to enlarge.
The Kalingga Kingdom was described as being surrounded by wooden fortresses, with the King residing in a multiple storied palace covered with a roof made of the leaves of Arengga Pinata trees, or commonly known as sugar palm trees. The kingdom produced commodities such as silver and gold as well as elephant tusks.
Most of the information on this Buddhist establishment can be obtained through a combination of Chinese sources, in which the Kingdom is referred to by the name Ho-Ling, local Indonesian folk tales and written inscriptions such as the Tukmas and Sojomerto. One of the sources of information was a Buddhist monk named Huining who arrived in the Kalingga Kingdom in 664 CE and stayed there for approximately three years. His mission was to reach out and spread Buddhist teachings to the native people. It was during his stay in that region that he translated numerous Buddhist Hinayana scriptures with the help of a Kalingga monk named Jnanabhadra.
The remains of the Kalingga Kingdom
According to local folktales and the Carita Pahrayangan – manuscript written in the 16th century, the kingdom was ruled by Queen Shima in 674 CE. She was famous for legalizing a law against thievery and her passion for truth and justice. Severe physical punishments were given to those who stole. Due to her firm rule, the people of Kalingga were well-known for their honesty. A story is told of a foreign King who tried to test the people’s honesty by placing a bag filled with gold at an intersection in Kalingga. None of the residents dared touch the bag because they were afraid of the consequences that would follow. The bag was left untouched for three years until Queen Shima’s son, the Crown Prince, accidentally touched the bag with his foot. When the news reached, Queen Shima, she issued a death sentence for her son, but the punishment was later lessened to cutting off the prince’s foot after hearing the appeals from her ministers who pleaded for the Prince’s life.
A present day painting depicting Queen Shima ruling with truth and justice.
According to the Carita Parahyangan, Queen Shima was the great grandmother of Sanjaya, the king of the Sunda and Galuh Kingdoms, and the founder of the Medang Kingdom.
There were at least two temples built during the time of Kalingga Kingdom: Candi Angin (the Wind Temple) and Candi Bubrah (the Bubrah Temple). Both temples were located in Tempur Village, the present day Jepara. Candi Angin’s name originated from its resilience against the wind’s pressure although it was located in high altitude.
The remains of the Wind Temple
The remains of the Bubrah Temple
The Sojomerto Inscription. Click on image to enlarge.
The Kalingga kingdom is also known to have produced at least two written inscriptions called the Tukmas and the Sojomerto. The Tukmas Inscription was discovered at the western slope of Mount Merapi in the present day Magelang Regency, Central Java, and it is written in the Pallava script of the Sanskrit language. The inscription describes sacred clear spring water that is said to be as purifying as the holy Ganges River in India. The inscription also contains Hindu signs and imagery.
The Sojomerto Inscription was discovered in Sojomerto village, located in present day Batang Regency, Central Java. It is written in the old Malay language of the 7th century. This inscription tells the story of a ruler named Dapunta Selendra, the son of Santanu and Bhadrawati, and the husband of Sampula. Dapunta Selendra is believed to be the ancestor of the Sailendra Dynasty, which would later rule as one of the most prominent Buddhist kingdoms in Indonesia, known as the Medang Kingdom.
The Medang Kingdom
The Medang or Mataram Kingdom was a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist kingdom. It was located in Central Java and then later moved to East Java. The kingdom was united by King Sanjaya, a Shivaist who came into power in 717 CE. He conquered the area around his kingdom and his reign was characterized with prosperity and peace. King Sanjaya’s name was first revealed in the Canggal Inscription, which dates back to 732 CE.
The location of the Medang Kingdom. Click on image to enlarge.
The kingdom reached its pinnacle of power between the 8th and 10th centuries under the ruling of the Sailendra dynasty. The people of the Medang Kingdom relied heavily on rice farming and maritime trading. According to archeological findings and other sources, the people of the Medang Kingdom were prosperous, sophisticated and civilized. The sophisticated civilization can be proven by various temple constructions. The Sailendra Dynasty were known to be enthusiastic temple builders. The most distinguished of these temples are the Sewu, Borobudur and Prambanan Temples.
Although initially the religion of the Medang Kingdom was predominantly Hinduism, they became a Buddhist kingdom when King Sanjaya’s successor, the Mahayana Buddhist King Panangkaran ascended the throne in 760 CE. The shift was said to have caused a split of loyalty within the kingdom between the Hindu-Shivaists and the Buddhist followers.
King Panangkaran ruled the kingdom from 760 CE to 775 CE. He was an ambitious builder who was dedicated to Buddhism. During his reign, he started at least five temple construction projects. According to the Kalasan Inscription (dated 778 CE), the Kalasan Temple was built under the guidance of Guru Sang Raja Sailendravamcatilaka, the spiritual guide of the Sailendra family. The spiritual guide also persuaded King Panangkaran to construct a holy building for the Goddess Tara (Boddhisattvadevi) and build a vihara (monastery) for Buddhist monks of the Sailendra’s territory. King Panangkaran offered Kalaca Village to the Buddhist Sangha in his kingdom.
Candi Kalasan – the Kalasan Temple
King Panangkaran also constructed Abhayagiri Vihara. The Vihara was initially built strictly for worship, but the presence of gates, ramparts, fortified walls, dry moats, walled enclosures, terraces and building bases suggested that the place may have been used as a fortress or a palace instead.
King Panangkaran was considered the pioneer in constructing the grand Manjusrigrha Temple (The House of Manjushri – the Bodhisattva of Wisdom), the original name of the Sewu Temple complex as suggested in the Manjusrigrha Inscription dated 792 CE. However, King Panangkaran did not have the opportunity to see the completion of this grand project because he passed away in 780 CE, long before the temple complex was completed in 792 CE.
After King Panangkaran’s passing, the Medang Kingdom was ruled by King Dharanindra or King Indra of the Sailendra Dynasty who was ruled from 780 CE to 800 CE. King Indra was hailed as a great conqueror who embarked on foreign military naval expeditions and had won control over Ligor in the Malay Peninsula.
King Indra shared the same enthusiasm as his predecessors in temple construction. He continued the construction of the Manjusrigha Temple (Sewu Temple complex). Today, Sewu Temple complex is the second largest Buddhist complex in Indonesia after the Borobudur Temple. It consists of 249 temples built by the end of the 8th century. The Sewu Temple complex became the most magnificent temple complex of the period and was used as the official state temple to conduct important religious ceremonies. In addition, King Indra also started the construction of the Borobudur Temple, the Mendut Temple and the Pawon Temple. His great influence made him the Maharaja of Medang (the great king of Medang).
The Sewu Temple Complex
The Pawon Temple
Following King Indra’s death, the Medang Kingdom’s throne was passed to King Samaragrawira, who ruled from 800 CE to 819 CE. Unlike his predecessor who travelled to conquer the neighboring kingdoms, King Samaragrawira was deeply inspired by the peaceful Mahayana Buddhist teachings and preferred to focus his attention within the existing area of his kingdom and to continue the construction of the Borobudur Temple. King Samaragrawira was married to Dewi Tara, the daughter of Dharmasetu, an 8th-century king of the Srivijaya Kingdom. This marriage created a political alliance between the Sailendra Dynasty of the Medang Kingdom and the Srivijaya Kingdom.
King Samaragrawira was succeeded by his son, King Samaratungga, who ruled from 792 to 835 CE. Following his father’s example, he chose to focus his effort within his dominion and dedicate his life to the prosperity of his subjects. He was famous for completing the massive stone mandala, the Borobudur Temple, during his reign in 825 CE.
Today, the Borobudur temple is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Borobudur Temple complex and mountain-like structure resembles a mandala layout, which consists of six square platforms. On the top, there are three circular terraces and 72 perforated stupas. Each stupa contains a statue of a seated Buddha inside the dome at the center. The design of the Borobudur Temple is thought to have followed the life journey of Bodhisattvas. On each level, the walls and balustrades are extensively decorated with 2,672 relief panels. Over 500 Buddha statues are found in the Borobudur Temple complex. In 1814, Sir Thomas Raffles, the British ruler of Java Island, discovered the site after being abandoned in the 14th century following the decline of Buddhism in Indonesia. Today, the Borobudur Temple complex is still visited by many pilgrims and used for the annual Wesak festival to celebrate Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death.
The Borobudur Temple
A closer look of the Borobudur Temple
King Samaratungga was succeeded by Princess Pramodhawardhani, a Buddhist Mahayana princess who was married to the Hindu-Shivaist Rakai Pikatan, the son of a landlord in Central Java. Rakai Pikatan was enthroned as the King of the Medang Kingdom. During the reign of King Rakai Pikatan, Hinduism and Buddhism co-existed peacefully most of the time, and the construction of the Sewu Temple complex was finalized. Later, King Rakai Pikatan decided to abdicate his throne in favor of his youngest son, Dyah Lokapala who rule from 856 to 880s CE. Rakai Pikatan renounced worldly affairs and became a hermit known as Sang Prabhu Jatiningrat. The reign of King Rakai Pikatan also marked the decline of Mahayana Buddhist influence in the Medang Kingdom as it was slowly converted to Hindu-Shivaist.
King Lokapala constructed the Sojiwan Temple which is a 9th century Mahayana Buddhist temple located in Kebon Dalem Kidul Village in present day Klaten Regency, Central Java. He dedicated the Sojiwan Temple to his Mahayana Buddhist mother, Queen Pramodhawardhani. The temple was built between 842 CE and 850 CE. In 1813, the ruins of this temple were discovered by Colonel Mackenzie, a subordinate of Sir Stamford Raffles. It was not until 1996 the Indonesian government decided to reconstruct the temple. However, in 2006 the reconstruction project faced a challenge when an earthquake destroyed most of the efforts. Despite all the challenges, the temple reconstruction was eventually finalized in 2011. It took them 15 years and approximately IDR 8.27 billion (equivalent to USD 620 thousand) to complete the reconstruction process.
The Sojiwan Temple
The Srivijaya Kingdom
The Srivijaya Kingdom was a Buddhist kingdom that existed on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia from 650 CE to 1377 CE. It was regarded as an important center for the expansion of Buddhism from the 8th to 12th century. Its existence was relatively unknown and the information gathered in bits and pieces from a number of stone inscriptions written in the old Malay language, such as Kedukan Bukit, Talang Tuwo, Telaga Batu and Kota Kapur Inscriptions.
Srivijaya Empire Map
According to the existing inscriptions, the city of Palembang, Sumatra was probably the center of the Srivijaya Kingdom. This evidence consists of a rectangular enclosure encircled by a moat, forming a fort known as the Bamboo Fort. The inscriptions tell a story of a war chief named Dapunta Hyang, who waged war against his rivals and won. He managed to gather the support from the neighboring cities along the Musi River that led to the formation of the Srivijaya Kingdom. He was the founder and the first king of the Srivijaya Kingdom. The Srivijaya Kingdom and its kings were influential factors in the spreading of Buddhism as they established and spread the religion in the places they conquered like Java, Malaya and so forth.
Portrayal of King Dapunta Hyang, the founder of Srivijaya Kingdom.
The Srivijaya Kingdom enjoyed prosperity due to its strategic location for maritime trading which provided a link between China, south-east Asia and India. In addition, its close proximity to the estuary of the Musi River had made the soil in the area fertile and ideal for farming. The Chinese often referred to the Srivijaya Kingdom as Jinzhou, or the “Gold Coast” because of the great reserves of gold found in the kingdom.
The Srivijaya Kingdom was also famous for being the center for the practice of Vajrayana Buddhism (the Tantric school of Mahayana Buddhism). According to the Talang Tuwo Inscription (684 CE), the king was a religious ruler who associated himself with the power of a Bodhisattva. Unlike the Medang Kingdom, Srivijaya did not leave much Buddhist archaeological remains, but it had become the Buddhist learning center for the scholars and monks, especially in the city of Palembang.
Evidence of its existence can be traced from the 7th century. A Tang dynasty Chinese monk, I-Tsing wrote that he visited the Srivijaya Kingdom in 671 CE for six months to learn Sanskrit grammar and the Malay language before continuing his journey to study Buddhism at the renowned Buddhist university of Nalanda, in Bihar, India. Upon finishing his 11 years’ worth of learning at the university, he returned to the Srivijaya Kingdom on his way back to China. He stayed in Palembang for two years to translate various original Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures into Chinese. He returned to Guangzhou, China, in 689 CE in order to get some paper and ink because he could not find them in Srivijaya. He returned to Srivijaya in the same year. In 695 CE, he returned to China and brought back approximately 400 translated texts of Buddhist teachings with him. He also wrote two travel diaries entitled Accounts of Buddhism sent from the South Seas and Buddhist Monk’s Pilgrimage of the Tang Dynasty to sum up his 25-year long adventure in the Srivijaya Kingdom and India.
“… Many kings and chieftains in the islands of the Southern Ocean admire and believe in [Buddhism], and their hearts are set on accumulating good actions. In the fortified city of Bhoga [Palembang, the Srivijaya’s capital] Buddhist priests numbered more than 1,000, whose minds are bent on learning and good practices. They investigate and study all the subjects that exist just as in the Middle Kingdom [Madhya-desa, India]; the rules and ceremonies are not at all different. If a Chinese priest wishes to go to the West in order to hear (lectures) and read [the original scriptures], he had better stay here for one or two years and practise the proper rules and then proceed to Central India.”
— From I-tsing’s A Record of Buddhist Practices Sent Home from the Southern Sea.
I-Tsing’s portrayal
The Srivijaya Kingdom was a learning centre for Buddhism that produced many notable Buddhist scholars, including Suvarṇadvipa Dharmakīrti, an illustrious 10th century Buddhist master of Lojong and Bodhicitta. He was known as the teacher of Atisha Dipamkara Shrijñana who went to Srivijaya to study under Suvarṇadvipa’s guidance for 12 years. Atisha was an 11th century Bengali Buddhist scholar, who played a major role in the development of Vajrayana, Dharmapala, a professor of Nalanda, and the South Indian Buddhist Vajrabodhi.
Atiśa was recognized as one of the greatest figures of classical Buddhism and had inspired Buddhist thought from Sumatra to Tibet. Atiśa was born as a Pala Empire Prince of Bengal in 980 CE. Being an avid student, he studied almost all Buddhist and non-Buddhist subjects of his time. He was ordained into the Mahāsāṃghika lineage at the age of twenty-eight by the Abbot Śīlarakṣita. It was believed that Atiśa had more than 150 teachers, but Suvarṇadvipi Dharmakīrti who lived in the 10th century Srivijaya was considered as Atiśa’s main teacher.
Srivijaya was the most influential Buddhist Kingdom ever formed in Indonesian history.
Vajrabodhi, an Indian Buddhist monk and esoteric Buddhist teacher in China during the Tang Dynasty
The decline of the Srivijaya Kingdom began in 1025 after Rajenra Chola, the Chola king from Tamil Nadu in South India, launched a series of foreign raids on this Kingdom. He was attracted to the great wealth of the Srivijaya Kingdom. King Rajenra’s continuous attacks greatly weakened the Srivijaya’s domination, and it eventually resulted in the formation of smaller regional kingdoms such as Kediri, which focused their economical activities on agricultural produce instead of coastal trading. The weakened Srivijaya Kingdom was finally defeated by the Majapahit Kingdom, with its predominantly Hindu culture, in the year of 1290.
Sources:
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalingga_Kingdom
- http://www.sridianti.com/peninggalan-kerajaan-kalingga.html
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medang_Kingdom
- http://epicworldhistory.blogspot.co.id/2012/10/srivijaya-kingdom.html
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yijing_(monk)
- http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/buddhist-pilgrimage-sites-indonesia/
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Indonesia
- http://peterkirby.com/dharmakirti.html
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmakirti
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atisha
For more interesting information:
- 6 Incredibly Stunning Big Buddha Statues in Malaysia!
- Vajravarahi Caves in China
- Ganden Sumtseling Monastery the beautiful
- Chupzang Nunnery
- Twenty-Four Holy Places & Eight Great Charnel Grounds
- The Great Council of Lhasa
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Yesterday Pastor David shared Rinpoche’s trip to Borobudur with Lama Gangchen Rinpoche here https://youtu.be/jufIvbGdbfU. Enjoy ~
Buddhism has a long history in Indonesia, is the second oldest religion in Indonesia after Hinduism, which arrived from India around the second century. Reading this post reveal Indonesia has a rich and intricate history intertwined with colonialism and nationalism. The history of Buddhism in Indonesia is closely related to the history of Hinduism. Buddhists make up a small fraction of the population in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. As a number of empires influenced by Indian culture were established around the early 1st century. Many Buddhist temples were built and Buddhist texts were inscribed on the stones tablets. A number of Buddhist historical heritages such as the 8th century Borobudur mandala monument, ancient temples and numerous of statues or inscriptions were found in Indonesia tells us more about the earlier history of Indonesian Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms. Interesting read.
Thank you Rinpoche and Valencia for this sharing.
Buddhism has a long history in Indonesia, and is recognized as one of six official religions. Numerous stupa, statues , inscriptions from the earlier history of Indonesian has suggested c Buddhism came to Indonesia a few hundred years after Hinduism. Buddhism is the second oldest religion in Indonesia, after Hinduism recording to history. Temples been built since then which still exist and came under the world heritage site. Borobudur,is one of them which is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple, in Central Java, Indonesia. The magnificent Borobudur temple is the world’s biggest Buddhist monument, an ancient site widely considered to be one of the world’s seven wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Amazing just in the Borobudur itself there were over 500 Buddha statues . I have been to there yet , wish I could. Heard from friends the beauty of it, a peaceful place good for meditation and do prayers . Buddhism in Indonesia has an interesting history behind it. The Srivijaya Kingdom and its kings were influential factors in the spreading of Buddhism then. Interesting read.
Thank you Rinpoche and Valencia sharing this interesting article.
Thank you for the sharing of the historical site of Buddhism in Indonesia . Very interesting article provide adequate information on the ancient sites. Amazing and fascinated with the Buddhism journey. A great read to know the nation with the largest Muslim population and Buddhist sanctuary in the world.
Great to know that the oldest religion worshiped the mother nature, with the supernormal power and trully believed in people. Enjoyed the great read of the three oldest Buddhist Kingdom. The Kalingga, the earliest Hindu-Buddhist Kingdom in Central Java, The Medang has become a famous pilgrimage and tourist site of the country, and The Srivijaya the famous of for the practice of Vajrayana Buddhism.
Hope to visit and to explore the most incredible heritage site of the Buddhist Kingdoms of Indonesia.
Indonesia has a very fascinating history in the spread of Vajrayana to the East. Many relics in the form of stupas and statues still survive till this day. I can’t wait for more research and discoveries to be uncovered. I wonder if some of these lineages survive in families today.
Very interesting and great write up Valencia! I have seen this place before in a documentary on television many years ago and found it very fascinating.But it wasn’t in detailed. I love the history,religion background and the temples architectures. Thank you for your great effort in writing about Borobudur in great details!
Thank you Valencia really enjoyed reading about the Buddhist kingdoms of Indonesia. All the Buddhist kingdoms has such cool names.
The Buddhist kingdoms in Indonesia provided much colour and flavour to the history and development of Buddhist thought. Lama Atisha one of the key teachers who brought buddhism to Tibet, have received the full teachings of the method/vast path from Survarnadipa an Indonesian master. In doing so Lama Atisha bravd a 3 month journey via ships to arrive at the Survarnadipa’s location.
Thank you Rinpoche and Valencia sharing this interesting article on the history of 3 main Buddhist Kingdoms in Indonesia: Kalingga, Medang and Srivijaya. Despite the Muslim population recorded the highest rate in Indonesia, Buddhism as one of the important religions which is played an important role since 2,000 years ago, when the traders and missionaries who travelled along the Silk Road and reached Indonesia to build shrines and temples of their own faith.
Borobudur temple is one of the famous temples had been completed in the Medang Kingdom’s time. Currently, it is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site. There were over 500 Buddha statues are found in the Borobudur Temple complex. Until today, many visitors would take this place as one of the compulsory places to visit in their itinerary.
Ancient Indonesia is known for its Hindu-Buddhism connection, this article gives depth to this mysterious heritage through the lens of the 3 main kingdoms, namely Kalingga, Medang and Srivijaya. I am especially fascinated by the map shown in the Srivijaya chapter. We can see that Indonesia at that time, is truly a Buddhism centre that blends Buddhism from Indo-China and India, due to its strategic location. And knowing that Buddhism flourished in this region during those days is an encouraging evidence that Buddhism had been accepted and revered. I truly believe that Buddhism will thrive and expand as long as religious freedom is enshrined.
“Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.” – Albert Einstein. (extracted from Rinpoche’s post titled Einstein on Buddhism)
Thank you Rinpoche and Valencia on this insightful article.
Humbly, bowing down,
Stella Cheang
Thank you Valencia for this article on the Buddhist kingdoms in Indonesia. Its was well written with lots of interesting histories for each of the Buddhist kingdoms, the Kalingga Kingdom, the Medang Kingdom and the Srivijaya Kingdom. I had always thought that Buddhism was in small pockets within the vast land of Indonesia and now I learn of them actually being kingdoms covering large part of Indonesia. What an amazing rich history in Buddhism.
Now if we were to have the opportunity to visit these great sites, Borobudur Temple or Sewu Temple, we now have better understanding of the history of the Temples. As I read this article, I kept imagining how far the people of those days travelled from their homes to trade (the time spent on travelling and the way the travelled in) and in the process how religion spread so far. Reading on the monk of China travelling to Indonesia to learn Sanskrit for 2 years before travelling to India to study, I am so thankful that we have our Guru here with us and Kechara the temple from his compassion. And teaching us in English, the language I am comfortable in. How fortunate for us. Thank you Rinpoche. _/\_
Thank you Valencia for this most interesting article on the three Buddhist Kingdoms of Indonesia – the Kalingga Kingdom, the Medang Kingdom and the Srivijaya Kingdom. What interests me greatly is that your article shows that each Kingdom had some features which showed it to be advanced for its time. Today the ruins of temples and artefacts from as early as this period have been discovered. I highlight here points from your article that caught my attention.
The Kalingga Kingdom is known to have produced 2 written inscriptions – the Tukmas and the Sojomerto, which became an invaluable source of information about this earliest Hindu-Buddhist Kingdom in Central Java. During this period, at least 2 Buddhist temples had been built.
The Medang Kingdom reached its peak of power between the 8th and 10th century, under the rule of the Sailendra Dynasty Under this dynasty, great temples were constructed. The most distinguished were the Sewu , the Borobodur and Prambanam Temples. The most impressive was the Borobodur Temple, which was actually a massive stone Mandala. It has become a famous pilgrimage and tourist site today. Today, the Borobudur temple is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Medang Kingdom became a Buddhist Kingdom when the Mahayana Buddhist King Panangkaran ascended the throne in 760 CE. The Sailendra Dynasty were great temple builders. It is interesting to note that the Sailendra family had a spiritual guide Guru Sang Raja Sailendravamcatilaka under whose guidance and advice the following were built :
The Kalasan Temple, a holy building for the Goddess Tara and a vihara(monastery) for the Buddhist monks of the Sailendra ‘s territory.
The most influential of the 3 as a Buddhist Kingdom was the Srivijaya Kingdom.During its peak, the Srivijaya Kingdom was well-known as a learning center for Buddhism. The Srivijaya Kingdom was also famous for being the center for the practice of Vajrayana Buddhism. Furthermore, the Kingdom also attracted renowned Buddhist monks from other parts of the world, such as Atisha Dipamkara, born as a prince of Bengal, who later brought Buddhism to Tibet in the second wave of revival of Buddhism in Tibetan. He came here and studied and mastered Bodhictta of the 2 lineages under his Guru Suvarnadipa. Later, in Tibet, he was to write the famous “Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment” which became the seminal “ Lamrim” .
Dear Valencia,
Thank You for this very enlightening article on the history of Buddhism in Indonesia. I am greatly amazed at the 3 Buddhist Kingdom of Indonesia and I think most people will not associate Indonesia with Buddhism.
I knew of the Borobudur Temple and of Lord Atisa and His main Guru, Dharmakirti of Suvarnadvipa and his teachings on Ultimate Compassion; but did not know of the history of the Kingdoms.
Now I know the greatness of Buddhism in Indonesia and its history. It certainly opens up my mind.
Thanks Again.
Dear Valencia,
Thank you for the writing, you have done a lot of research for the article. I knew about Borobudur and Hindu being the dominant belief in Bali but I didn’t know Buddhism was popular in Indonesia before. Great master like Atisha had also travelled to Indonesia to study from his guru Dharmakirti of Suvarnadvipa for 12 years on Boddhicitta before he went to Tibet. Buddhism must have been so advanced in Indonesia that a Chinese monk, I-tsing who had stayed in Indonesia for many years said for those who wanted to travel to India to study Buddhism should stop over in Indonesia for a few years to prepare themselves before heading to India.
I have learned more about Buddhism in South East Asia in this article. Thank you for the effort.
Thank you Valencia for this informative article about the 3 Buddhist kingdoms in Indonesia of Kalingga, Medang and Srivijaya. Your article refreshed my memories of some of these kingdoms we have read in schools.
I’ve shared this with many friends on facebook and many of them like the article very much and in turn, shared with their friends too.
As our lineage traces its origin back to the Kadampa tradition of the great Indian master Atisha, I rejoice that such great masters like Atisha and Dharmakirti have set food in this region.
It’s great that some of the remains of these kingdoms still exist today, testaments of the Buddhist Kings and Queens who ruled with wisdom in accordance with the teachings of Lord Buddha. Hope to visit these places one day.
I am so excited when I read on Valencia write up on Buddhism Kingdom in Indonesia. I had been Borubudur temple a couple years ago.That time , I know it was registered as UNESCO World Heritage Site but I don’t know much information on this temple.(I am non Kecharian on that time). I like the structure of this temple especially the Buddha statue in perforated stupas.
Besides that , sunrise view from this temple is really beautiful. I can see the sun rise up behind the volcano.
This article really open my mind on Buddhism in Indonesia especially the great Buddhist master Atisa who did major development in Vajrayana was from Sumatra.
Thank Rinpoche for giving Valencia an opportunity to post her write up here.
With folded hands,
Jason
Thank you Valencia for the interesting article about Buddhist Kingdoms in Indonesia. It shows that Buddhism has spread far a wide across the Asian region long before it deteriorated. Very interesting to note that Atisa was also in Indonesia to learn from Dharmakriti and spread Buddhism.
It is good to know that Indonesia is preserving, even though the country is predominantly Muslim, the remains of the temples especially Borobudur Temple complex and still an active Buddhist site in the country. I would definitely love to visit this place in the future.
Thank you Valencia for the overview of Buddhist Kingdoms in Indonesia. Buddhism was pervalent in South East Asia and has a strong link to Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhist masters such as Dharmakirti and Atisha were lineage masters of Tibetan Buddhism.
Even Malaysia used to be a Buddhist country. There were artifacts found and displayed in our National Museum. Dharmapala Setrap’s cudgel is from Malaysia as well. It is clearly written in a prayer to Setrap.
This shows that no matter how great a Buddhist kingdom can be, it will decline. This is an example of the Law of Impermanence. Just like our body we now have, is only temporary.
Personally I have not visited Borobudur before but has always been fascinated about his history, especially who built this monumental beautiful Buddhist structure in Indonesia and it is even known as a ‘mandala’ representing ‘universe’.
Just to share a bit more information on Borobudur here. Source extracted from http://www.sacred-destinations.com/indonesia/borobudur
Borobudur takes the form of a giant mandala, symbolically depicting the path of the bodhisattva from samsara to nirvana, through the story of Sudhana described in the Gandavyuha Sutra, a part of the Avatamsaka Sutra. In total, this massive monument contains over 2 million stone blocks.
Some scholars think that this massive monument is a gigantic textbook of Buddhism to help people to achieve enlightenment. To read this Buddhist textbook in stone requires a walk of more than two miles. The walls of the galleries are adorned with impressive reliefs illustrating the life of Buddha Shakyamuni and the principles of his teaching.
Representing the existence of the universe, Borobudur perfectly reflects the Buddhist cosmology, which divides the universe into three intermingled separate levels. The three levels are Kamadhatu (world of desire), Ruphadatu (world of forms), and Arupadhatu (world of formlessness).
The hidden base of Borobudur was originally the first level, which contains the gallery of Kamadhatu level. It is thought that during construction Borobudur experienced a landfall that threatened the entire building. To prevent the whole monument from collapsing, the Kamadhatu level was closed and made into a new base that holds Borobudur steady.
This level of Kamadhatu pictures the world of passion and the inevitable laws of karma. The first 117 panels show various actions leading to one and the same result, while the other remaining 43 panels demonstrate the many results that follow one single effect. At least 160 relief panels were carved around this level, based on the manuscript of Karmavibhangga. What is left of these can be seen in the Southeast corner of this level.
The reliefs of the Rupadhatu level show the stories based on the manuscripts of Lalitavistara, Jataka-Avadana and Gandavyuha. The Lalitavistara reliefs, consisting of 120 panels, tell us about the life of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. It starts with the glorious descent of Buddha from the Tushita heaven. Born as Prince Siddhartha, Buddha’s childhood was isolated from the outside world’s misery. Accidentally witnessing the misery of sickness, decrepitude and death, young Prince Siddharta decided to escape from the worldly life and commencing his search of freedom from suffering. Siddhartha’s long and painful search finally led him to the highest level of enlightenment and made him Buddha, the Enlightened One. This story ends with Buddha’s sermon in the Deer Park near Benares.
Just to reiterate what Pastor Jean Ai wrote above, it is HE Tsem Rinpoche’s wish to make Kechara Forest Retreat (retreat.kechara.com), a Malaysia destination for Buddhist pilgrimage, learning and practice in this region, similar to these Buddhist kingdoms in Indonesia.
Borobodur was built by king sailendra (previous incarnation of Drubwang Lama Gangchen)went in For Three generation.
Wow that is indeed an interesting fact. Thank you for highlighting that about His Eminence Lama Gangchen Mr. Paolo Rossi! Do you know exactly which of the three Kings during the Sailendra Dynasty was the previous incarnation of His Eminence Lama Gangchen?
Thank you Valencia for sharing.
This is an interesting article of Buddhism in Indonesia.Its amazing to know of the history of Buddhism in the world most populated Muslim country.I do enjoyed reading it and hope i can visit such a beautiful Borobudur temple someday.
Thanks again.
Beautiful article about Buddhism in Indonesia. Borubodor, although now from what I heard is pretty much a tourist attraction, it is still a very holy site for Buddhists. It is for this reason that Lama Gangchen and his students have been visiting Borobodur for the last few decades on a yearly basis. And yes, it is a place for Buddhists to make pilgrimage to at least once in this lifetime.
I was never well versed in history, and finding out that Indonesia once had a strong Buddhist population and ruler was very much a surprise for me. Particularly when I first read the Lamrim about Lama Atisha travelling to Indonesia to receive teachings from Dharmakirti. Thank you very much for compiling all these information.
Thank you Valencia. This is an enthralling article and I learned a lot from it. As I read the article, I still find it amazing that Indonesia as it is known today, was once a great source if not centre of the teaching of Bodhicitta. Think about that for a while, and then think about how the once magnificent Borobudur is essentially a ruin today. My point is how true that all things are impermanent and that we should never take for granted that the Dharma will always be there for us. Buddhism went into sharp decline after the fall of the Majapahit empire in the 15th century.
Today, the Buddhist population of Indonesia is remarkably small and that makes works such as those carried out by Valentina Suhendra, and now Valencia as well, extremely important.
Thank you for sharing this lovely post with lovely photos.I always wanted to visit Borobudur in Indonesia since the day my colleague with her family visited the Borobudur Temple on their holiday and told me that it is very beautiful.
It is interesting to know that there are over 500 Buddha statues in the Borobudur Temple complex & also the inscription on the rock which describes the sacred clear spring water that is said to be as purifying as the holy Ganges River in India.. Indonesia is considered a blessed land cos there is Buddhism eventhough majorities are muslims. Thank you,Atisha who went to Sumatra ,studied and brought the scripture back to Tibet.
Hopefully i have the chance to visit soon.
Hi Pat,
Yes Borobudur is lovely and it would be wonderful to visit there. But if we don’t go to holy places with an attitude of ‘holiness’, then it becomes no different to any other place we go on holiday to 🙂 what is an attitude of ‘holiness’? I think for me, it means to go with the motivation that after we leave the place, we will emulate the deeds of the great beings who were there practising before us. After all, a pilgrimage site is just a physical place, and all of them are made out of rocks, stone, cement, mortar, wood, glass, etc. They only became holy and special because of the actions of those who used to inhabit the space before us.
So how is Borobudur any different to, let’s say, KFR? Wouldn’t it be inspirational if we could create our own Borobudur here in Malaysia, with our own attained practitioners so that hundreds of years later wonderful writers like Valencia will be retelling the stories of our own homegrown practitioners like Atisha? It’s totally possible; just like Atisha, we are sentient beings too blessed with the eight leisures and ten endowments 🙂
Time for all of us to work hard to accomplish this!
I really like the Borobudur Temple very much, its vast architectural buildings resembling the mandala shows that the society was very advance at that time. People at that time has no advance machinery, and yet they still able to build a huge temple, this is a prove to us the hardship, efforts and most of all devotion that has been put in to complete the temple. This is definitely one of the greatest pilgrimage place for us.
Thank you Velencia for sharing the history of Buddhist Kingdoms of Indonesia.
I personally like to read historical stories and I would visit these historical sites given the opportunity. This article has widen my knowledge on the Srivijaya Kingdom with I-Tsing and Atisha.?
I had been to The Borobudur Temple in 2013. The place are so sacred until that peacefulness is felt all around this place. It was a joyful experience although having to climb so many staircases to reach to the top. ??
Thank you Velencia, I will make another trip to Jogjakarta again. ??
Thank you for this fascinating article. I enjoyed reading it very much. But I think there could be a confusion with regard to the Indian (Brahman) scholar Dharmakirti (ca. 530-600) and Dharmakirti of Suvarnadvipa “the Golden Islands” (name used for Indonesia during the time of Atisha). Suvarnadvipa Guru was Atisha’s teacher and lived during the 10th-11th century, thus much later than the first Dharmakirti. According to some sources, Suvarnadvipa guru was an Indonesian prince who studied in Bodhgaya under Maha Sri Ratna and remained in India for 12 years. Another source says he studied in Vikramashila for 12 years. When Atisha discovered that Suvarnadvipa Guru held the complete set of instructions on bodhicitta, he went to Indonesia in 1012 to receive the complete teachings from this guru. Pabongka Rinpoche, in his “Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand”, said that it was Suvarnadvipa Guru who advised Atisha to go to Tibet.
Dear Sarah
Thank you for catching this confusion. Just do research on this and will make the necessary amendment
Valentina
There are definitely many “dharmakirtis” in dharma. I prefer to use the Tibetan name for Survanadipa Guru which is Serlingpa.
Dear Valencia
Thank you for this wonderful and informative post. I really enjoy working with you on this article and I learned a lot in the process.
My favourite is the Srivijaya Kingdom because although they did not leave much monuments, they have made significant contribution to the growth and spreading of Buddha’s teachings. Even the famed Indian prince Dipamkara Atisha who was one of the pioneers of Tibetan Buddhism met his root guru in the Srivijaya Kingdom.
Thank you again for this article and it was a pleasure working with you
Valentina
Thank you Valencia for writing the Buddhist influence and history of Indonesia. I’ve always wondered how much did Buddhism dominated Indonesia at one point and the story behind Borobudur Temple, now I know 🙂
It’s interesting to know that whenever Buddhism is at its peak in any country there always seem to be more prosperity, justice and peace. This goes to show that Buddhist teachings bring out the positive qualities of people. However it is clear that we need merits to be able to receive such precious treasure as the Buddha dharma and just like how it happened in India and China, the degeneration and lack of merits to support the dharma will result in the plummeting of Buddhist as a whole. However nothing is permanent – what goes up, must come down and what comes down must go up and that’s the nature of samsara until we achieve enlightenment and get out of samsara.
Hi all,
Thank you for the kind feedback. It was refreshing to write about the Buddhist kingdoms in Indonesia. I especially admired the great architectural design of the temples built during those periods, especially Candi Borobudur. I hope you find this article to be easy to read and informative.
Cheers,
Valencia
I knew that Indonesia, especially Java, had a very rich Buddhist history but I had never read a detailed overview of this history before reading this post. Thank you Valencia for sharing this with all of us. I had some inkling as to the rich Buddhist history of Java from passing comments from my mother who studied Buddhist civilization in school but this is really something else.
Buddhist civilization in Indonesia has produced very great masters who have made a very significant impact to Buddhist practice as it exists today, especially Tibetan Buddhism as influenced by the great Dipamkara Atisha, whose teacher was the Indonesian master Dharmakirti. He is also known as Survarnadvipa Guru or the Guru from Suvarnadvipa. I think that perhaps Survarnadvipa is an old Sanskrit term for Sumatra or another island from the Indonesian Archipelago. Meaning ‘golden island’ it may be due to the gold found on the Indonesian Archipelago that it was named as such.
In any case it is really fascinating to read about this rich history and see the pictures of some of these fantastic temples. I hope i can visit these places in the future, it will be wonderful to see such holy places of the past.
Thank for sharing this amazing buddhist history …
I looking and searching for this true history for quiet some times…
Dear Wooishen
Thank you for your kind feedback. I am glad that this post is useful for you :). Do come again to this blog from time to time
I remember in High School, we learnt a little bit of the regional history of the Malay Archipelago. Naturally, we learnt of the Sailendra, Srivijaya and Majapahit maritime empires. I loved it although there were not much emphasis placed on the spiritual traditions of these kingdoms and the accompanying legacies unfortunately but they still intrigued me. I am glad to read more of the spiritual legacies and I am fascinated with Borobuddur, Pawon and Sewu candi. Its so neat!
I would definitely would like to visit and would definitely like to visit particularly Sewu because it is a temple dedicated to the Bodhisattva Manjushri. Too bad there is no surviving images of Manjushri there (I am guessing because I didn’t see any online). Anyway, thank you for revealing a part of the fascinating history here.
It’s interesting how Buddhism thrived in Indonesia way back in the early centuries. To think that Atisha, one of the greatest figures of classical Buddhism and had inspired Buddhist thought from Sumatra to Tibet was here in Sumatra to learn Bodhicitta from Dharmakirti. According to the lamrim, Atisha’s journey took 13 months which reminds me of Odyssey’s journey in the Greek mythology.
I like the map showing the flow of the 3 schools of Buddhism through Asia. Didn’t realize that Vajrayana made it’s way so far south, all the way to Java.
Thank you, Valcencia for a somprehensive and informative article.
Thank you Valencia, for this very comprehensive explanation of Buddhism in Indonesia which is by far considered to be the largest populated Muslim nation in the world.
I have often known of Borobudur being magical and hope that one day I will have the opportunity to visit this holy divine place.
I have also learnt that Atisha, travelled to Indonesia and learnt the scriptures and brought them back to Tibet.
Once again thank you for this well researched work.
Intriguing. Thank you!