An Explanation of the Pilgrimage of Sudana, from the Gandhavyuha Sutra (English – Italian) – 13/17 April 2017

On the sides of the Borobudur stupa-mandala of Central Java are carved several sutras in the form of bas-reliefs. The longest one with 450 panels is Sudana the merchants son’s quest for enlightenment. The Buddha sends him to the South, to meet Manjushri and then Manjushri sends him on a pilgrimage on which he meets 50 other gurus, in the form of monks, a nun, wives, mothers, businessmen, a sailor, school children, yogis, kings and queens, gods and goddesses, a school teacher, artisans and doctors. Each one explains one aspect of the bodhisattva path to Sudana who under their guidance of the final gurus, Maitreya and Samantabhadra evolves into a bodhisattva with direct understanding of reality, fully commited to working for the benefit of humanity.