Buddhist teachings in the Mahakarmavibhangga Relief

Illustration of Rich People Giving Aid to Poor People

If we look further, we can see that the reliefs found at the base of Borobudur Temple are linked to the essence of Buddhism. The reliefs adorning the base of the temple depict teachings about the causes of human suffering and the consequences of human actions in the afterlife. By comparing the relief sculptures with Buddhist scriptures, or sutras, we can see that the temple reliefs are connected to tell a story representing the Mahakarmavibhanga Sutra, or the law of suffering and the consequences of actions.
The 160 panels contain scenes depicting daily life, the good and evil deeds that result, the consequences of actions, and heaven and hell. Twenty-three of the panels are excerpts from the Mahakarmavibhanga Sutra. As the word karma suggests, these reliefs depict various human actions and their consequences. Some scenes can be interpreted as symbols of "samutpada pretitya," a reference to the Tibetan Bhacavakra mandala.

Illustration: Various types of animals symbolize the reincarnation of sinners.

In this mandala, (1) avidya (indifference) is symbolized by a blind woman, (2) samskara (basic urges) is symbolized by pottery made by a craftsman, (3) vijnana (consciousness) is illustrated by a monkey picking fruit, 4) namarupa (personality) is illustrated as a boat on a journey, (5) sadayatana (six sense organs) is a house with many windows, (6) sparsa (relationship) is illustrated by a kiss, (7) vedana (feeling) is illustrated by a man with an arrow in his eye, (8) trsna (desire) is illustrated by a drinking scene, (9) upadana (charity) is illustrated by the activity of picking fruit from a tree, (10) bhava (the process of arising) is illustrated by a pregnant woman, (11) jati (birth) is illustrated by the place of birth, and (12) jaramaranam (old age and death) is illustrated by a corpse being taken to the place of destruction.
The overall meaning of the series of reliefs indicates that the concept of karma is placed within the context of "samutpada pratitya," which consists of 12 chains depicting the causes of human suffering. The series of reliefs has now been closed and formed into the base of the temple. Thus, the base of Borobudur Temple embodies the essence of Buddhism, emphasizing the first of the two Truths: life is suffering, and suffering has a cause.