Decorated with over 2000 relief panels and housing 504 Buddha statues, Borobudur has a lot to offer a yearning pilgrim. Borobudur consists of passageways that radiate around a central axis. Devotees walk clockwise along the circular walkways to ascend to the uppermost level. The three Realms of Existence–Kamadhatu (the realm of desire), Rupadhatu (the realm of form) and Arupadhatu (the realm of formless) can be experienced first-hand as the pilgrim walks from the base of the pyramid to the top.
At the base sits the realm of desires. Here, relief sculptures depict various events from the Jataka tales. Next, the realm of forms is symbolised by the sculptures in the galleries. The central dome on the top is surrounded by stupas. This represents the realm of formlessness. The pathway from the base to the top recounts the life of Buddha.
The uniqueness of Borobudur lies in its pathways. They instil in us Buddha’s teaching: “There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path.” Walking along the temple’s pathways, we realise that the journey matters more than the destination. And just as we realise this, we begin to see how Borobudur’s physical pathways symbolise the non-physical path to enlightenment.
We emerge from the dark, closed galleries and into the open-sky gallery of the central dome. That is, from the realm of desires, to the realm of forms, and finally into the realm of formless. As the Buddhist belief goes, the closer you are to heaven, the closer you are to the gods. And that is the feeling one leaves Borabudur with.