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The Buddha's Presence
Ven.
Thrangu Rinpoche says [< see end of item 6] that "Even though no living master may be present
to teach the Dharma in actuality, generation after generation, people continue
to see the stupa with their eyes, receive blessings, understand that there are
the Three Jewels in which you can place your trust, and in this way, naturally,
the Dharma continues. In the same way, when building a stupa for the
remains of a great master, his power and blessings will remain. That is the
reason to build a stupa. "
Also, in response to a student's question as to how to deal with
so much suffering in the world, Thrangu Rinpoche recently responded, "Build
peace pagodas (stupas) as they did in Japan, during the time of Nichiren.
His building of so many peace pagodas around the country led to [conditions for]
peace and prosperity in Japan."
Stupas range in size from miniatures
meant to be put on a shrine as reliquary and/or a remembrance of the mind of
the Buddha, to enormous buildings that serve as temples as well as
monuments.
Meaning of the Terms
Stupa is actually Sanskrit for "pile" as in a heap that
gradually accumulates when each visitor to a grave leaves a small stone as a
momento or calling-card. All over the ancient world we
find that the tombs of great individuals were covered in stones so that a tel,
hill or cairn is eventually the result. The erecting of a ready-made
cairn is certainly a related practice.
The Sanskrit word stuupa is also used to designate a
topknot, such as is created when all one's hair is gathered at the crown of the
head.
In regions that are or were Buddhist, the word stupa (or in Tibetan, chorten) is sometimes
used for a chaitya [Skt. sanctuary.] A chaitya is, in fact, an
enclosure -- a building with a stupa inside it, so
that people can be protected from the weather. Chedi is the Pali
term. Sometimes the word tope
is found in older English texts.
A pagoda refers to the same type of monument. The
word is actually a 17th C. European corruption of dagoba, the Sinhalese
(or, Sri Lankan) word derived from Skt. dhatu-garbha meaning repository.
It is usually takes the form of a stepped tower, but serves the same purpose.
Stupa usually signifies a domed memorial that normally contains relics and offerings.
Its shape evokes the seated figure of the Buddha, and there are 8 traditional
variations to the form, each commemorating an event in the life of the Teacher.
They are evocative of the eight chaityas that first held the Master's
relics.
The Eight Types
Each of the eight kinds of stupas commemorates an important
event in Buddha's lifetime:
1. Stupa of Enlightenment (Skt. abhisambuddha bodhi mahacaitya) Tib.
mngon par sans rgyas byang chub mchod rten che,
2. Stupa of many auspicious doors, bkra shis sgo mang sku bltams mchod
rten che
3. Commemorates victory over Mara, byang chub snying por bdud btul mchod
rten che
4. Evokes the lotus heap, theg gsum chos 'khor pad spungs mchod rten che
5. Reminder of miracles gratifying gods and men, lha mi'i yid tshim
cho 'phrul bstan mchod rten che
6. Commemorates Buddha's descent from Tushita, ston mchog dga' ldan lha
las babs mchod rten che
7. Marks the victory over all misadventures, nye zho kun las rnam rgyal
mchod rten che
8. Commemorates appeasing of existence and nirvana, srid zhir mi
gnas myang 'das mchod rten che
Stupas and pagodas may be found either indoors or outside on
open ground where the monument also serves as a landmark.
" . . . the oldest caityas were four in number. These were
located respectively at Buddha's birthplace [jati] (Lumbini), the place
where he attained abhisambodhi (Gaya), the place where he made his first
predication [dharmacakra-pravartana] (Vara.nasi) and the place where he
attained nirva.na (Ku'sinagara). It is not improbable that the first three
caityas were founded before the parinirva.na took place and that is why Harsa
in his poem (text IV) mentions these three as the first caityas . . . . We know from the Divyavadana (389) that A'soka made a pilgrimage
to Buddhist sacred places and established stupas. But his teacher Upagupta
while showing him round at Lumbini says . . . "this is the first caitya of Buddha, the best seer." ~
Bagchi. The Eight Great Chaityas and Their Cult.
T.
W. Rhys Davids wrote (1901): "The oldest authority, the Maha-parinibbana
suttanta, which can be dated approximately in the fifth century B.C.[E.],
states that after the cremation of the Buddha's body at Kusinara, the fragments
that remained were divided into eight portions. . . . allotted as follows:
1. To Ajatasattu, king of Magadha.
2. To the Licchavis of Vesali.
3. To the Sakyas of Kapilavastu.
4. To the Bulis of Allakappa.
5. To the Koliyas of Ramagama.
6. To the brahmin of Vethadipa.
7. To the Mallas of Pava.
8. To the Mallas of Kusinara.
Though the stupa began as a simple pile of stones, it developed into a
complex of symbolism. These shrines are common in most Buddhist cultures
often forming part of architectural mandalas
such as the Khmer medieval site that is Ankhor Wat, and Java's Borobudur. Today
they are also present in the Americas, Europe, the Antipodes and elsewhere.
Of the
8 distinct types of stupa, see a
Vijaya or Namgyal stupa.
Karma
Thegsum Tashi Choling, re: Tashi Gomang stupa of HH 16th Karmapa.
Interior of a stupa
This
is the base of the Third Jamgon Kongtrul's memorial stupa in Pullahari, Nepal. We see the
offerings in the base, and the shrine set up as it was immediately after the
offering ritual. They are placed about the life-tree (sog shig) the
central wooden pole that is at the core of the stupa.
At top left, we can see the green skin of a drum.
Here the chorten itself functions as the highest level of a typical
Tibetan Buddhist prayer shrine, the two lower levels of
which have been set out on the cloth on the cement foundation at foreground's
centre.
At the rear, we see the ladder leaning against the base so that offerings can
be placed inside. At the right, in the background, someone on a
scaffold is painting a mural.
This
is the stupa at its official installation. It has been covered in gold
leaf and encrusted with turquoises, corals, amber and other jewels. There
is a window in gao or amulet-box shape at the third level below the
13-level spire with its lotus crown.
The location of this chorten is the Jamgon
Kongtrul labrang at Pullahari, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.
Examples of the 8 kinds of
stupa are also at Pullahari, which is the home of the Rigpe Dorje Institute as
well.
Building a Stupa
It is not advisable to try this without someone who is knowledgeable about
the proportions, orientation and consecration of the stupa. According to
Lama Tashi Dondup, if any detail is incorrect or incomplete, obstacles are
certain to arise. That is, the project will not benefit you or any
other beings and in fact, it could do more harm than good. The reason may
be that the stupa, like any other form of a buddha, should be perfect. It
is a reflection of the Ideal, and it serves a precise purpose. It must be
consecrated to this purpose that lends it to contemplation, in an extensive
ritual invoking the blessing and protection of all classes of beings.
Lama Tashi Dondup is one of the few
acknowledged specialists in matters relating to the visual supports used
for Tibetan Buddhist practice, from tormas to tangkas, mandalas and stupas.
He was the consultant and manager for the erection of the 16th Karmapa's
stupa in
Crestone, Colorado, among others.
Following the request of the 17th Karmapa, his centre, Karma
Tekchen Zabsal Ling, is now at more accessible quarters in the town of Aurora, Ontario.
It is on top of a small hill on 5 acres of land at the northwest corner
of Bloomington Road and Leslie Street. (One block north of the
previous location.)
As part of a project to help
fund the move, a few cement stupas were especially built that
conform completely to traditional requirements and yet are suited to North
American conditions and lifestyle.
![](images/stupa_KarmaDorje-2.gif)
In the photo, such a stupa is installed on top of a base that is about 20 inches
high, so that it stands at about 6 feet in all. This one is fully
consecrated and contains more than 80 sacred relics, some that date back
more than a thousand years!
Let us clarify: One does not go out and purchase a stupa
of this nature. This stupa was offered as a token
for support of the dharma
projects of Lama Tashi.
Since a stupa is erected to benefit beings, there are certain
requirements concerning the nature of the site. It must be clean,
dignified and well-protected. It would be best if it were accessible to
visitors, if only on a limited basis. That is because, once
consecrated, it will contain many precious, sacred
relics [< follow the link and read about comparable
relics.]
Note also, that the cost of transportation of the four heavy components
comprising the stupa, as well as that of the people and their lodging (if
you choose the option of having it filled and consecrated,)
cannot be covered by this donation to Dharma. A base,
such as in the photo,
consisting of cement blocks or about a 160 landscaping "bricks"
(mortar is not essential) might also be an additional expense.
For further inquiry, please contact Lama Tashi via the Karma
Tekchen Zabsal Ling web site.
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Circumambulation
Pilgrims and travelers circumambulate stupas as a form of respect and
devotion. Movement along the circular path (Tib. kora) is clockwise, so that the
right shoulder is always facing the monument. At Pullahari, the khenpo
said that the dogs are in the habit of doing kora in the evenings.
When we arrive at the stupa, we pause, then contemplate and bow in
recognition that it is the representation of the Buddha. Some people like
to pick up a handful of small stones so they can keep track of the number
of their turns. They can deposit one on a ledge after each turn.
We walk clockwise slowly and mindfully. We can murmur the mantra of
Buddha Shakyamuni while walking. In the Kagyu tradition it is:
OM, MUNI MUNI MAHAMUNIYE, SOHA
If you can do so, it is thoughtful to leave a small offering on a ledge or in
a dish to help with the maintenance of the stupa.
The Vanishing Chorten of Tibet
Vijay Kranti writing to The Organiser (Sept. 15, 2002) had this to say
about chortens in today's Tibet:
"The landscape and house architecture in the Tsang region of Tibet,
housing cities like Shigatse, Gyantse and Tingri, remarkably resembles India's
Ladakh region in Jammu & Kashmir state. The only element that helps one in
knowing whether one is in Tibet or Ladakh is the total absence of Chorten (Stupa)
from the Tibetan countryside. Though almost all stupas were destroyed during
fateful days of Cultural Revolution the two giant stupas guarding the front of
Potala are among those handful ones that appear to be preserved by the Chinese
masters.
However, the strategic placing of these two stupas is enough to explain how
much respect Beijing masters hold for their Tibetan subjects and their
religion. In Tibet it is considered to be sinful and inauspicious to cross a
stupa from the anti-clockwise direction. But the two holy structures have been
positioned in the middle of the majestic 'Beijing Road' in such a manner that
every vehicle must cross them the wrong way. No wonder you see old Tibetans
closing their eyes and raising folded hands in prayer when their bus or
rickshaw crosses each stupa from the wrong side."
The mandala that is the location of the great stupa
at Boudhanath was built by Manadeva (464 - 505 CE). Tibetans
call it Zyarung
Khashor. In
Nepali, the stupa is Khasti Chaitya. It is one of the world's oldest and
consequently, a UNESCO world heritage site.
Some North American stupas
-
Slideshow in 169 images of stupa at KTC Wappinger's Falls, NY, as it
was being constructed.
- Stupa of
Enlightenment in Nova Scotia, built over dismantled weapons.
- Stupas Along the
Rio Grande from Tricycle #24 (summer 1997.)
- Crestone, Colorado:
stupa of the16th Karmapa [link in text
in framed article, above]
- HH Karmapa Rigpe Dorje consecrated the
stupa in Huelo, Maui, Hawai'i.
- Great Stupa of the
Dharmakaya near Boulder, Colorado. Built in honour
of the late, eminent Tibetan teacher, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, who went to Oxford
and became the first to translate Buddhist
teachings into contemporary English, it was begun in 1987. His
skull is entombed there, along with sacred objects, texts and relics of
other Buddhist gurus that all contribute to its sacred
energy. Eventually it will contain 3-dimensional mandalas of
Chakrasamvara and Vajrasattva.
- A Buddha From Brooklyn
describes the circumstances and labor involved in constructing the Migyur
Stupa, Poolesville, MD.
Pema Dorjee.
Stupa and Its Technology, a Tibeto-Buddhist Perspective. Delhi:
1996/2001.
China and Japan
- 10th C. Leifeng, "Xiguan Double Pagoda," held a relic of
Buddha until it was allowed to collapse in 1927. See it now,
with all mod cons.
- The Lotus Sutra
(Tib. dam pa’i chos padma dkar po’i mdo, Skt. Saddharma- pundarika-sutra) promotes a Mahayana doctrine that holds that many
buddhas do/did not pass into final extinction. In chapter eleven,
Prabhutaratna, who had become a Tathagata or Enlightened One long before
Shakyamuni, appears while the Buddha is preaching. The crowd see within his
translucent body, a jeweled stupa.
- Stupa and
pagoda in Japan
[Boudhanath] [Swayambhu
]
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