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Impressions
This anthology of accessible written and visual texts provides sets of activities for Years 7-8 English students which bring rich insights into diverse Asia and opportunities to enhance speaking and listening, reading and viewing, and writing skills.
Alignment to the Australian Curriculum is provided for resource activities.
- Index
- Carvings on Religious Buildings
Impressions: Carvings on Religious Buildings
What To Do
- Borobudur is a Buddhist sacred place. The bas-relief shown on page 15 of Impressions is from a temple to the goddess Sita in Java, Indonesia. Buddhism and Hinduism both originated in India and they share some beliefs about the shape and arrangement of the universe.
According to both religions, our lives are carried out in one of many levels of the universe that exist above and below us. - Investigate the following web pages:
- Explore the photo gallery of Borobudur http://www.pbase.com/howardbanwell/borobudur
- Look at the map of the temple at Borobudur and read about its arrangement to reflect beliefs about the organisation of the universe:
http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/Borobudur/E/Bouddhisme.html or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur - Examine an account of life experiences and see carvings showing the everyday life of people:
http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/wat13/zoom.cgi?number=2_27gd - 'Learning' shows Buddha in the centre and followers learning from him:
http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/wat13/zoom.cgi?number=2_11gd - Click on 'Revelation' to see a picture of a stupa representing the soul's attainment of understanding of life:
http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/wat13/zoom.cgi?number=1_49gd - Click on 'Mount Meru' to see a representation of the highest and most perfect place in the Universe, and read a description of the levels of the universe:
http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/Borobudur/E/Meru.html
- Use one or two sentences to describe in your own words what you would find at each level of the universe.
- Why is the depiction of daily life a central feature of temples and other sacred Hindu and Buddhist places? (Discuss with your teacher the likely purposes of temple illustrations, such as to honour gods, and the importance of showing people who may not be able to read about religious beliefs.)
- Prepare a display chart to explain the role of temple decorations and religious monuments in community life.
