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93 A Comparative Study of Tabo and Borobudur Chapter 8 Sharing Sacred Space: A Comparative Study of Tabo and Borobudur Natasha Kimmet Abstract This paper compares the sacred space of Borobudur (c. 8th–9th centuries AD) in central Java and the Tabo Monastery’s main temple (founded AD 996) in the Spiti valley, India through an examination of their nearly contemporary use of two prominent iconographic elements: the three-dimensional Vajradhatu mandala and narratives of the Pilgrimage of Sudhana and the Life of the Buddha. These fundamental iconographic elements are combined in each monument to produce two profound Buddhist royal structures that express Mahayanist and Tantric principles and seek to legitimize the authority of their patrons. Borobudur and Tabo’s common textual basis reveals significant information regarding the international character of Buddhism during the period of their construction and the complex historical interactions between the two regions. This paper seeks to explain their iconographic and philosophical connections in the context of the movement of scholars and ideas across Asia during the 9th to 11th centuries. At first glance, the great Buddhist monuments of Borobudur in central Java (c. 8th–9th centuries AD) and the Tabo Monastery’s main temple (gtsug-lag-khang; founded AD 996) in the lower Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh, India do not reveal any striking similarities. Borobudur is a monumental, multi-tiered stone structure situated in the lush Kedu plain, whereas the Tabo gtsug-lag-khang is a single-storied, nondescript mud brick structure in the arid, high-altitude landscape of the Himalayan Mountains. As the viewer moves closer to examine each monument in detail from within, similarities between the two temples become apparent despite their disparate geographies and outward appearances. Borobudur and Tabo share common themes and religious philosophies depicted in their complex iconographic programs and the three-dimensional mandala organization of their architectural space. Introduction In this paper I will compare the sacred space of these two monuments through an examination of their use of two prominent iconographic elements: the three-dimensional Vajradhatu mandala and narratives of the Pilgrimage of Sudhana and the Life of the Buddha. These fundamental iconographic elements are combined in each monument to produce two profound Buddhist royal structures that express Mahayanist and Tantric principles and seek to legitimize the authority of their patrons. Borobudur and Tabo’s common textual basis reveals significant information regarding the international character of Buddhism during the period of their construction and the complex historical interactions between the two regions. I will approach the monuments’ iconographic and philosophical connections in the context of the movement of scholars and ideas across Asia during the 9th through 11th centuries. Interpreting and defining the nature of these two structures has been the topic of much scholarly debate and is, ultimately, beyond the scope of this essay (refer to Lokesh Chandra 1979; Wayman 1981; Woodward 1981; Miksic 1990; Huntington 1994a; Klokke 1996). Rather, I seek to highlight shared characteristics and connections, which hopefully will be of value in future efforts to explain each monument’s overall meaning and function. 93 Connecting Empires hi res combin93 93 8/24/2012 9:46:02 PM 94 Natasha Kimmet Borobudur and the Tabo gtsug-lag-khang are each characterized by a refined artistic program that is integral to an understanding of each structure as a whole. They both have an inward focus, requiring the viewer to physically enter the temple and engage with the painted and sculpted imagery visually and through movement in order to progress through the sacred space of the structure. The Tabo gtsuglag -khang was founded in AD 996 by the royal lama Ye-shes-’od and underwent a major renovation completed in AD 1042 under the patronage of Ye-shes-’od’s great-nephew the Lama King Byang-chub- ’od. The gtsug-lag-khang is comprised of three main sections: the Entry Hall (sgo-khang), Assembly Hall (’du-khang) and the Cella (dri-gtsang-khang) surrounded by an Ambulatory (skor-lam) [Fig. 8.1]. The elaborate decorative program of the Assembly Hall is attributed to the renovation phase of the gtsug-lagkhang in the first half of the 11th century. Borobudur was constructed in the 8th–9th centuries AD during the reign of the Sailendras from the locally available volcanic stone andesite. The nine-tiered structure is navigated through the galleries surrounding each level of the monument. In light of the brevity of this paper, I will forego detailed description of each monument’s organization. The manner in...

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