What is a Stupa?
A stupa is a symbol of enlightenment and is one of the most ancient icons of Buddhist art. Stupas are also the oldest and most prevalent forms of Buddhist architecture. More than just being examples of art and architecture, these holy monuments were designed with deep symbolism and sacred geometry. Filled with Buddhist relics, and other holy objects, stupas emanate blessings and peace.
A stupa is the most sacred monument found in all of the ancient Buddhist countries. Unique amongst all forms of sacred architecture, it is the quintessential symbol of enlightenment. Stupas are filled with sacred images, mantras and the relics of holy beings. The foundation, symmetry, orientation and contents of the stupa create incredible power to those who even look upon it. It has the potential to transcend the limitations of language to activate enlightened knowledge.
“A stupa is a place where all the Buddhas are abiding. Those beings who don’t have the karma actually to see Buddha need the holy objects of body, speech and mind – statues, scriptures, stupas – as a field for accumulating merit.”
– Guhyasamaja Root Text
Source www.peacestupa.org
Why Build 100,000 Stupas? A Symbol of World Peace…
Building a stupa can help to develop so much peace and happiness
for numberless beings – to local people and people from all over the world.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Just by coming to a place with a stupa, which embodies the enlightened mind, you can learn to develop a good heart, compassion and loving kindness, tolerance, patience – the most precious human qualities of the mind. Spending time at a stupa can become a psychological method to bring peace of mind and a good heart to all beings. Peace starts with oneself. If you have it in your heart, other people are influenced and inspired by this. In this way peace spreads.
Boundless Benefits!
The final benefit is enlightenment.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
The main purpose of building stupas is to make the lives of all beings, young and old, meaningful. Building a stupa is a way to benefit sentient beings without using words. They are very powerful objects for purifying negative states of the mind. To have such a holy object existing in a country makes that country very rich and very lucky. Wherever a stupa is built, it will become a powerful place for healing and a cause of whatever success visitors are seeking. By coming and seeing such holy objects, each person can have the potential to transform their mind. These benefits apply to all sentient beings that come to the stupa, even dogs that are taken for a walk around it.
100,000 Stupa Project . Land of Medicine Buddha . 5800 Prescott Road . Soquel, CA 95073
Contact: (831) 476 – 0865 .
denice@medicinebuddha.org
Discover The Stupa Project for World Peace
