Introduction
Buddhism
is a religion which has since long been embraced by most of society
archipelago. Srivijaya and Majapahit era was the golden era for
Buddhism. The existence of Buddhism in Nusantara (Indonesia) can be
proven by the existence of a legacy-legacy in the form of inscriptions
and buildings of the temple as well as foreign literature, particularly
literature-originating from China.
The
history of the development of Buddhism in Indonesia can be found from
various sources that refer to a legacies of the past. holdover past
consists of inscriptions that were found and foreign news, i.e. from the
people's Republic of China who visited Indonesia. Inscriptions dating
from the fifth to seventh centuries do not give too much information.
The inscription comes from Borneo, Sumatra and Java. From the
inscription we know that at that time there were Kings name smells of
India, like Mulawarman in Kutai and Purnawarman in West Java. However,
it does not mean that the King was coming from India. The most likely is
that Kings were Indonesia native embraced religion that came from
India.
Many people suspect that the early introduction of Buddhism to Indonesia is on the arrival of Aji Saka to Java
in the early centuries of the Union. These allegations were derived
from etymologically to Aji Saka itself, as well as matters related to
it. The word 'Aji' of Kawi Language may refer to the science that has to
do with the Scriptures, while the 'Saka' is interpreted as the Sakya
who experience the transformation. Thus many words Aji Saka is
interpreted as the title of King Tritustha of experts about the Sakya,
in this case an expert about Buddhist Dhamma, also considered to be the
person responsible for the creation of Java script. If this is true,
that have dates Saka expressed as \ ' Nir Wuk Tanpa Jalu' (Nir meaning
empty (0), Wuk means not so (0), tanpa (without) mean 0 and Jalu equals
1) which at one time intended to capture the first landing of he in
Jepara, Northern Central – Java[3].
Source
of our knowledge of Buddhism was taken from an inscription was found
and from foreign news stories of China, who visited Indonesia.
Inscriptions dating from the fifth to seventh centuries do not give too
much information. The inscription comes from Borneo, Sumatra and Java.
From the inscription we know that at that time there were Kings that
have names that smelled like in India, Mulawarman in Kutai (Borneo) and
Purnawarman in Tarumanagara (West Java). But it does not mean that the
King was coming from India. The most likely is that Kings is the
original that already entered Indonesia religion that came from India.
Furthermore these inscriptions suggest that the religion is embraced
Hinduism. but from the discovery of the statues of the Buddha, it can be
inferred that Buddhism also existed, even though the number is still a
little bit.
Based on research
conducted a number of experts in Indonesia's history, up to now still
there are many different opinions on when masiknya Buddhism in
Indonesia. But one thing that can be recorded in history, based on the
Fa Hien travelogue, a Buddhist missionaries from China, around the year
414 AD, there have been Buddhists on the island of Java, though still in
an amount not much. Then, based on historical records, the Bhikshu
Gunawarman, in 421 AD, came to Java and translated scriptures form
mulasarvastivada sect, also taught Buddhism[4].
began developing in Java. Whereas the development of Buddhism in
Indonesia is recorded on the record of travel I-Tsing, a bhikshu from
China are on the way back to China and lived some time in transit to the
Sriwijaya in Palembang in Southern Sumatra Island (685-695 AD). Bhikshu
Hui Neng in the 664 lives for three years in kalingga (Holing)
translating various Hinayana buddhism with the help of Javanese monk,
Jnanabhadra. One among others, which they translated was Mahaparinibbana
Sutta. According to I tsing, Hui-neng was just one of among 56 chinese
monks who made a pligrimage to india during that period.
Indonesia
especially in Java was not isolated at all from o ther advanced
buddhist development centers in India, Srilanka, and China, before,
during, and probably after Borobudur construction period. There were
probably more two way communications going on among those countries at this early period than what the history might know about.
The
arrival of monks from different countries to java and also the
existence of some highly regarded buddhist Scriptures, e.g.,
Mahavairocana, Vajrasekhara, and Gandavyuha Sutra, known or sculpted in
Borobudur, should explain Java's own legacy of Buddhism and therefore
the existence of Borobudur. On the other hand, the existence of
borobudur also demonstrates the early evidence of international
constructive relationships and fruitful cooperation.
Development of Buddhism in Kingdoms Era
Medang (Early Mataram)
Buddhism
was originally developed in Java and Sumatra were originally developed
by Theravada Monks Gunawarman. Slow-flow is gradually pressed by other
branches coming into Indonesia after they have a strong position in
India.
Compared
to previous days, the source of Buddhism in Central Java a bit more. On
these days in Central Java have been two major Dynasty: the Kingdom of
Syailendra dynasty who embraced Buddhism and Sanjaya dynasty embraced
the religion of Shiva. Presumably this good relationship both kingdoms
once, for news that there is a mention that both kingdoms were helping
each other in the founding of the temple.
In
the Kingdom of Sailendra dynasty embraced religion is Mahayana
Buddhism. It is known from historical relics and artefacts of the Temple
of the Kingdom was the institution of Mahayana Buddhism. It is seen as
the foundation of Kalasan Temple which is dedicated to the goddess of
Aryatara (personification of Prajnaparamita according to the flow of
Tantrayana/Vajrayana (esoteric buddhism), one of the sect of Mahayana
Buddhism) in the year 779 a.d. from the epigraphic record is well known
that one of the Kings of Sailendra dynasty in Java have a teacher named
Kumaraghosa of Gaudidwipa (Bengal) who led the ceremony at the time of
the inauguration of the statue of Manjusri. Likewise reported that there
were other people diprasasti from Gujarat who ever did worship services
in a certain Temple. The allegations date from news in India. King of
the Pala dynasty of Dewapala (Bengal) in his 39th (between
856 and 860) gave some villages for the observance of a monastery at
Nalanda, which was founded by King Suwarnadwipa Balaputradeva (Sumatra),
grandson of the King of Java.
The
kings who reigned in the days of Syailendra dynasty is Bhanu (754-775),
Vishnu (775-782), Indra (782-812), Samarottungga (812-833) and
Balaputra (833-856). Inscriptions of Syailendra Kalasan inscription was
in 778, using letters pranagari and Sanskrit; Kelurak inscription near
Yogyakarta in 782, also wear the letter a pre-nagari and Sanskrit;
Karang Tengah Inscription near Temanggung in 824 in Sanskrit language
and old Javanese Kahulunan Inscriptions, Kedu, in 842 written in Ancient
Javanese language and letters.
An
information coming from the biography of amoghavajra and, at the same
time, his master, vajrabodhi seems to fill this gap. Both of them were
regarded as patriachs of mantrayana school and disembarked in Java in
the first half of eight century AD[5].
Notwithstanding
the foregoing circumstances in Central Java is not the same situation
in South Sumatera. How does the Mahayana developed in Java? That
question is difficult to answer. To note is the Kalurak inscription
(782), which presumably relates also to the inauguration of the statue
of Manjusri, mentioned that Manjusri also likened to the Triratna
(triple gem) is also identified with Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. For
the followers of the Mahayana in Central Java, presumably the
Bodhisattva not distinguished with the gods of Hinduism.
In
addition to inscriptions, there were temples which bear witness to
Buddhism in Central Java. The temple gives a lot more explanation. The
temples that build in this era, that is:
ñ Kalasan Temple, Near Jogjakarta, was built on 778 AD.
ñ Sari Temple, near Kalasan Temple.
ñ Borobudur Temple, near Magelang, was built on 826 AD.
ñ Mendut Temple, eastern side of Borobudur Temple, was built on 809 AD.
ñ Pawon Temple (is gate of the Borobudur Temple), was built on 826 AD.
ñ Ngawen Temples Group, near Muntilan.
ñ Sewu Temples Group, near Prambanan.
ñ Plaosan Temples Group, Eastern side of Sewu Temple.
Kalingga (Ho-Ling)
Based
on the records of the Tang Empire of China, in the mid-7th century in
Central Java, there is an empire that embraced the Buddhist name Kaling.
In China it is colloquially known as Ho Ling. it is very orderly and
serene though led by a woman named Queen Sima. Ho ling then became
science centers of Buddhism, and not least the Chinese from the Chinese
came to the country to study Buddhism, although at the time of the Tang
dynasty Buddhism became the official religion in the country of China.
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