Buddhism is the second oldest religion in Indonesia, after Hinduism. Before the arrival of these two religions, people believed that nature had super-normal power. Trees, stones and many other such things were worshiped as sacred object. Hinduism came to Indonesia at around second century. The first two major kingdoms, Tarumanegara in Western Java and Kutai in Western Borneo were based on Hinduism. Buddhism came to Indonesia a few hundred years after Hinduism with the trading activity in the early part of 1st century between Indonesia and India. On the fertile ground of Southeast Asia, crossing cultural and national boundaries, Mahayana Buddhism evolved into a new kind of polytheism. These Indian missionaries took Buddhism to Indonesia at a time when the religion was declining in India itself and as Indonesians were ready to go beyond the confines of their indigenous belief systems.
Buddhism reached its peak at the time of the Sriwijaya's dynasty rule, which rose in southern Sumatra in the 7th century and exercised a wide sphere of influence over all of Southeast Asia for more than 400 years. During that time, many Buddhist colleges and monasteries were built. Famous Buddhist scholars like Dharmapala and Sakyakirti were teaching there. Another major Buddhist kingdom was the Mataram kingdom, which was ruled by the Sailendra clan during the eight and ninth century in Central Java. Many Buddhist temples were built and Buddhist texts were inscribed on the stones tablets called prasasti during this time. The world famous Borobudur Temple was one of the most important temples built during this time. In the 10th century Indonesian students were sent to the great Buddhist university of Nalanda in northeastern India. Indonesians even went as far as Tibet for learning and philosophy. Sumatra remained primarily Buddhist, but syn-cretinism eventually appeared on Java, a belief system regarding both Shiva and Buddha as incarnations of the same being.
Buddhism is an important element in Bali Hindu religious practices. Indian merchants first arrived in Bali in about 200 BCE. It was probably these people who introduced Buddhism as well as Hinduism. In 1275, King Kretanagara underwent a tantric Buddhist initiation to protect his kingdom from an expected invasion by Kublai Khan.
During the rule of the Majapahit kingdom between 13th to 15th century, Buddhism and Hinduism coexisted peacefully. After the fall of Majapahit in 1515, Islam was introduced to Indonesia by traders from Gujarat, India. The influence of Buddhism started to decrease substantially after that, and was mainly confined to the areas of Eastern Java and Bali. The whole of Balinese spiritual culture has its roots in Indian Hinduism, Buddhism and ancient animist beliefs. Though adherents of Buddhism and Hinduism were enemies in India, in Bali the followers of these two classical pan-Asian religions lived side by side in peace, blending with and borrowing from one another. Archeological, epigraphic and literary evidence prove that Buddhism existed along side Hinduism on the island for about 700 years.
Buddhism reached its peak at the time of the Sriwijaya's dynasty rule, which rose in southern Sumatra in the 7th century and exercised a wide sphere of influence over all of Southeast Asia for more than 400 years. During that time, many Buddhist colleges and monasteries were built. Famous Buddhist scholars like Dharmapala and Sakyakirti were teaching there. Another major Buddhist kingdom was the Mataram kingdom, which was ruled by the Sailendra clan during the eight and ninth century in Central Java. Many Buddhist temples were built and Buddhist texts were inscribed on the stones tablets called prasasti during this time. The world famous Borobudur Temple was one of the most important temples built during this time. In the 10th century Indonesian students were sent to the great Buddhist university of Nalanda in northeastern India. Indonesians even went as far as Tibet for learning and philosophy. Sumatra remained primarily Buddhist, but syn-cretinism eventually appeared on Java, a belief system regarding both Shiva and Buddha as incarnations of the same being.
Buddhism is an important element in Bali Hindu religious practices. Indian merchants first arrived in Bali in about 200 BCE. It was probably these people who introduced Buddhism as well as Hinduism. In 1275, King Kretanagara underwent a tantric Buddhist initiation to protect his kingdom from an expected invasion by Kublai Khan.
During the rule of the Majapahit kingdom between 13th to 15th century, Buddhism and Hinduism coexisted peacefully. After the fall of Majapahit in 1515, Islam was introduced to Indonesia by traders from Gujarat, India. The influence of Buddhism started to decrease substantially after that, and was mainly confined to the areas of Eastern Java and Bali. The whole of Balinese spiritual culture has its roots in Indian Hinduism, Buddhism and ancient animist beliefs. Though adherents of Buddhism and Hinduism were enemies in India, in Bali the followers of these two classical pan-Asian religions lived side by side in peace, blending with and borrowing from one another. Archeological, epigraphic and literary evidence prove that Buddhism existed along side Hinduism on the island for about 700 years.
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