Someone just told me that Borobudur is shaped like a mandala which is true if you were to view it from above; it is in fact one giant tantric Buddhist mandala, said to represent the Buddhist cosmology and the nature of mind. My friends and I did not see that of course, since we did not hover over it in a helicopter or a plane but if you are keen, just have a look at a Borobudur miniature; there are lots of them being sold in souvenir stalls outside the gates of Borobudur. You'd notice perhaps that is has a square foundation and nine platforms, the lower six being squares and the upper three are circular in shape. In Jonathan Swift's satire, Gulliver Travels, I think there should be a scene where some people in some strange land tried in futility to build houses like a spider spinning its web, from the top down to the base. If I am not mistaken, I heard our guide said that Borobudur is built from the top downwards! And you'd think it's possible. The masterpiece has been built not on a piece of flat land but on a natural hill... Traveling Tip: Buy some souvenirs!
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