h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Borobudur - the World's Largest Buddhist Monument - A3246617
Author: kikujiro - U1087378

Here's my first entry, based on a visit and personal interest. Feedback appreciated!

As a first entry, this is really top-class! Well done.

I didn't understand this:

a foot or dharmachakra (Sankrit - wheel of law) - is 'foot' another name for darmachakra?


There are a couple of minor changes needed:

as time past --> as time passed

no human representation was allowed, instead --> no human representation was allowed; instead

1212 --> 1,212

in the Buddhist cannon --> in the Buddhist canon

later temples structures --> later temple structures

Unesco --> UNESCO

statues of lion --> statues of lions

It is top class; I can find very little to fault here.

In footnote 1, it would be good to note that Hinayana is the name Mahayanins use to refer to Theravada, not one Theravadins themselves use.

Say 'rebirths' rather than 'reincarnations'. Reincarnation implies the existence of a self preserved between lives, so the word clashes with the doctrine of Anatta.

'Evidently, it was used as a place of worship.'

Worship of whom, given that the Buddhas are venerated? You go on to talk about Hindus in that paragraph, but it's not clear whether you're talking about Hindu worship.

And that's all I can find to complain about!

Well done.

The only weakness I can see is that it could go a little further to convey a sense of the grandeur of the place. Perhaps you could describe its relationship to the surrounding landscape, the effect of seeing the sun rise or set from the top, or something of the sort.

There is a typo in the 'Today' section: Boddhi

Just a thought - You might want to include a link to the ongoing project to construct a giant Maitreya statue in Kushinagar, India:

http://www.maitreyaproject.org/index.html

JTG

I sse it's been updated.

Normally the BBC does its own self-promotion, though.

Very interesting entry! Well done!

On a small point of style there are a couple of sentences that come across to me as a bit overcomplicated.

"Initially, no human representation was allowed; instead images of the Bodhi tree, under which the Buddha obtained enlightenment, a foot or a dharmachakra (Sankrit - wheel of law) were used".

The following sentense is also a bit perplexing to me : "However, as time passed, the godless philosophy, popularised through the introduction of gods and goddesses, saw the emergence of great Buddhist art." - how can a godless philosophy be popularised through gods and godesses? Is this not a contradiction? And how can a philosophy see the emergence of great art?

"Mahayana. images" - remove full stop?

"The first tier, Kamadhatu - world of desire, depicts a world of suffering and inevitable law of karma (Sanskrit - action)." - I'm wondering if the translation in parenthesis should be sent to a footnote, and whether what you mean by karma should be explained more. Would "inevitable suffering" be appropriate?

Other than that, I think it is excellent.

Woodpigeon

Nice entry, well done!

Nice entry! If this is your first attempt at a Guide entry then you've picked up the style extremely well, and the content's very informative and interesting.

I'm not sure that I understand one bit in brackets:'(stup Sanskrit thup Pali - to accumulate)'. Is Pali a language?

Pali is indeed a language. I think it would be clearer with a comma after Sanskrit in that case.

Pali is the scriptural language of Theravada Buddhism; Sanskrit is the traditional scriptural language of Mahayana Buddhism.

Is the lowest level hidden transitive-of a purpose? or hidden intransitive-plants and debris have grown over it?

I also found many of the sentences overcomplicated, but I personally am not too smart. I liked them anyways for style reasons, many descriptions of far eastern monist thought that I have read tend to have inscrutable passages just like this.

One thing has occurred to me: 'Evidently, the Mahayana Buddha was venerated here' might give the impression that Gautama Buddha isn't shared between Mahayana and Theravada, or that some other Buddha, such as Amitabha, is meant. I should imagine just 'the Buddha' would do; those who know about Amitabha, etc. will know which Buddha is meant.

I've made some changes according to suggestions left. I think it more or less finished now. If anyone would like to add anything,please do. If not, I reckon it's done.

Thanks for all the advice and pointers.

I've just two tiny corrections to suggest:

Put a comma in 1212 in the phrase "1212 decorative panels".

You've spelt architecturally wrong in the last paragraph, as "architectually".

Once you've fixed those, this will be ready to be picked.

All done!

Excellent read!

HELL

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Good stuff!