Eight kinds of holy stupa of Lord Buddha
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Stupa (Chorten)
Chorten means "the basis of offering") is an important religious monument in Bhutan. This unique religious
architectural form expresses significant religious symbolism and presents Buddha's physical presence. It
generally consists of three parts; a whitewashed base, a whitewashed cylinder and a crowning steeple or
shaft. The square base foundation, representing the Buddha's lotus throne, symbolizes earth, the state of
slidity and five forces (faith, concentration, mindfulness, perseverance and wisdom.) The four stepped base
may or may not have openings. Above the base is a square or hexagon four stepped pedestal which
represents The Buddha's crossed legs. Seated on the base is the cylinder, representing his torso. This
symbolilses water, the state of fluidity and seven essential conditions of enlightenment: concerntration, effort,
equanimity, flexibility, mindfulness, joy and wisdom. Sometimes a stupa has a shield like grillwork in one
face. This allows relics of high lamas, statues and other items to be put inside. Between the cylinder and the
crowning steeple, three is a square box, called Harmika, which represents the Buddha's eyes. It is
considered to be the residence of the gods, symbolizing the eightfold noble path. The crowning steeple, the
Buddha's crown, is usually hand - made of brass and/or covered with gold leaf. It is segmented into 13
tapering rings, a parasol and a twin symbol of the Sun and the Moon. Those rings, representing fire and the
thirteen steps of enlightenment, successively symbolize ten powers of the Buddha and three close
contemplations. The stylized parasol, representing wind, wards off all evil. At the top of the steeple is the twin
symbol of the Sun and the Moon, which represent wisdom and method respectively. A flaming jewel may be
found on the top of the twin symbol, symbolizing the highest enlightenment.
Stupa or Chaitya, which represents the Buddhist Universe, is the Buddhist sanctuary, sometimes square
and sometimes round, with spires or steps on the capital. A Stupa is a tower or steeple erected atop Hindu
and tibetan Buddhist temples. The stupa is a symbol for the elementary organization of the universe
according to Hindu cosmology. Each spire or step represents a heaven, the uppermost protion being a point
which is supposed to be the highest peak of Mount Sumeru, a mythical mountain whence the Bodhichitta
loses itself in sunya. It is composed of four parts (from the base, up), symbolizing the five tattwas, or
elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. On the four sides of the Stupa or Chaitya the figures of four Dhyani
Buddhas; Akshobhya, Ratna Sambhava, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi are placed. The place of Vairochana
is in the centre. In some Stupa or Chaitya Vairochana is placed to the east along with Akshobhya.
HISTORY OF STUPA:
It is well known that stupas are older than Buddhist tradition. In prehistoric times they were just a mound,
tumuli a place to bury important kings away from the village. Twenty-five hundred years ago, at the time of
Shakyamuni Buddha's death, a change came about in the way stupas were regarded. The Buddha
requested that his relics be placed in a familiar stupa, but with a shift in emphasis. Instead of being just a
place of honor where the bones or relics of a cremated king were placed, the stupa was to be located at four
corners (i.e., a crossroads), to remind people of the awakened state of mind. So stupas evolved from
mounds of dirt (In Sanskrit stup means "to heap up, pile, raise aloft, elevate"), to a king's burial tomb, to a
religious monument.
Around the time of the Buddha's death, stupas began to be no longer used as a shrine to the dead, but to
honor the living; to remind people far into the future that they, while living, have the seed of enlightenment. A
stupa is calling to you, and you are the stupa. Its stability and reverence is based on compassion--to project
the mind of the teacher as example, for the benefit of future generations.
According to Indian Mythology; The stupa is probably derived from a pre - Buddhist burial mound. The oldest
known prototypes (c.700 BC) are the enormous mounds of earth at Lauriya Nandangarh in NE India, which
were the burial places of royalty. The wooden masts embedded in the center of these mounds probably
carried the umbrellas that served as a symbol of royalty and authority; early Buddhists appropriated not only
the royal symbol of the stupa but also used the umbrella as a symbol for the Buddha. The Emperor Asoka
was the first to encourage the building of stupas. The earliest mound forms that can properly be termed
stupas, those at Sanchi and Bharhut, are hemispherical masses of earth raised on a base and faced with
brick or stone. The structure is surrounded by a processional path, the whole being enclosed by a stone
railing and topped by a balcony. Though in its development the stupa often became elaborate and complex,
in its purest form the plan consisted of a circle within a square. Many of the most significant monuments of
the Buddhist world are stupas, and they can be found in every country in which Buddhism has been
practiced. Some examples are the Thuparama dagoba (244 BC) in Sri Lanka, Borobudur in Java (8th or 9th
cent. AD), and the Mingalazedi stupa in Myanmar (AD 1274). In East Asian Buddhist architecture, the function
of the stupa has been taken over by the pagoda.
STUPAS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE:
To inspire people to seek a peaceful and spiritual path.
To help explain Buddhism to anyone interested.
To be a pilgrimage place for Buddhists from around the world.
To provide a refuge of peace and serenity for all and especially those in need.
To be of service to as many beings as possible.
USE OF STUPA:
Stupas always house items that Buddhist hold sacred. Sutra scripts, Buddha statues, Tsa - Tsas, hair
clippings, fingernails, relics and cremation ashes of saints are usually enshrined in stupas along with
jewels, herbs and other objects. They are sometimes used as tombs in which mummified bodies of high
lamas are buried.
Stupas may also be built in commemoration of high Lamas as a sign of merit accumulation, or for their
funerals. Building a stupa and any other work done on it are considered of work of the highest purity and
merit. Buddhists always show their devotion by circling the stupa clockwise. Doing this can also accumulate
merit. The size and style of stupa may passes, to portable ones many Tibetan people carry with them as
sacred objects and amulets.
A stupa is intended to stop you in your tracks. It is an architectural representation of the entire Buddhist path.
The body, speech, and mind of an enlightened teacher is contained therein--a reminder of a timeless quality
which one senses in old monuments. The Tibetan word is choten, meaning a receptacle for offerings and
implying support for lay people to express devotion and connection to the Buddha mind.
Chorten means "the basis of offering") is an important religious monument in Bhutan. This unique religious
architectural form expresses significant religious symbolism and presents Buddha's physical presence. It
generally consists of three parts; a whitewashed base, a whitewashed cylinder and a crowning steeple or
shaft. The square base foundation, representing the Buddha's lotus throne, symbolizes earth, the state of
slidity and five forces (faith, concentration, mindfulness, perseverance and wisdom.) The four stepped base
may or may not have openings. Above the base is a square or hexagon four stepped pedestal which
represents The Buddha's crossed legs. Seated on the base is the cylinder, representing his torso. This
symbolilses water, the state of fluidity and seven essential conditions of enlightenment: concerntration, effort,
equanimity, flexibility, mindfulness, joy and wisdom. Sometimes a stupa has a shield like grillwork in one
face. This allows relics of high lamas, statues and other items to be put inside. Between the cylinder and the
crowning steeple, three is a square box, called Harmika, which represents the Buddha's eyes. It is
considered to be the residence of the gods, symbolizing the eightfold noble path. The crowning steeple, the
Buddha's crown, is usually hand - made of brass and/or covered with gold leaf. It is segmented into 13
tapering rings, a parasol and a twin symbol of the Sun and the Moon. Those rings, representing fire and the
thirteen steps of enlightenment, successively symbolize ten powers of the Buddha and three close
contemplations. The stylized parasol, representing wind, wards off all evil. At the top of the steeple is the twin
symbol of the Sun and the Moon, which represent wisdom and method respectively. A flaming jewel may be
found on the top of the twin symbol, symbolizing the highest enlightenment.
Stupa or Chaitya, which represents the Buddhist Universe, is the Buddhist sanctuary, sometimes square
and sometimes round, with spires or steps on the capital. A Stupa is a tower or steeple erected atop Hindu
and tibetan Buddhist temples. The stupa is a symbol for the elementary organization of the universe
according to Hindu cosmology. Each spire or step represents a heaven, the uppermost protion being a point
which is supposed to be the highest peak of Mount Sumeru, a mythical mountain whence the Bodhichitta
loses itself in sunya. It is composed of four parts (from the base, up), symbolizing the five tattwas, or
elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. On the four sides of the Stupa or Chaitya the figures of four Dhyani
Buddhas; Akshobhya, Ratna Sambhava, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi are placed. The place of Vairochana
is in the centre. In some Stupa or Chaitya Vairochana is placed to the east along with Akshobhya.
HISTORY OF STUPA:
It is well known that stupas are older than Buddhist tradition. In prehistoric times they were just a mound,
tumuli a place to bury important kings away from the village. Twenty-five hundred years ago, at the time of
Shakyamuni Buddha's death, a change came about in the way stupas were regarded. The Buddha
requested that his relics be placed in a familiar stupa, but with a shift in emphasis. Instead of being just a
place of honor where the bones or relics of a cremated king were placed, the stupa was to be located at four
corners (i.e., a crossroads), to remind people of the awakened state of mind. So stupas evolved from
mounds of dirt (In Sanskrit stup means "to heap up, pile, raise aloft, elevate"), to a king's burial tomb, to a
religious monument.
Around the time of the Buddha's death, stupas began to be no longer used as a shrine to the dead, but to
honor the living; to remind people far into the future that they, while living, have the seed of enlightenment. A
stupa is calling to you, and you are the stupa. Its stability and reverence is based on compassion--to project
the mind of the teacher as example, for the benefit of future generations.
According to Indian Mythology; The stupa is probably derived from a pre - Buddhist burial mound. The oldest
known prototypes (c.700 BC) are the enormous mounds of earth at Lauriya Nandangarh in NE India, which
were the burial places of royalty. The wooden masts embedded in the center of these mounds probably
carried the umbrellas that served as a symbol of royalty and authority; early Buddhists appropriated not only
the royal symbol of the stupa but also used the umbrella as a symbol for the Buddha. The Emperor Asoka
was the first to encourage the building of stupas. The earliest mound forms that can properly be termed
stupas, those at Sanchi and Bharhut, are hemispherical masses of earth raised on a base and faced with
brick or stone. The structure is surrounded by a processional path, the whole being enclosed by a stone
railing and topped by a balcony. Though in its development the stupa often became elaborate and complex,
in its purest form the plan consisted of a circle within a square. Many of the most significant monuments of
the Buddhist world are stupas, and they can be found in every country in which Buddhism has been
practiced. Some examples are the Thuparama dagoba (244 BC) in Sri Lanka, Borobudur in Java (8th or 9th
cent. AD), and the Mingalazedi stupa in Myanmar (AD 1274). In East Asian Buddhist architecture, the function
of the stupa has been taken over by the pagoda.
STUPAS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE:
To inspire people to seek a peaceful and spiritual path.
To help explain Buddhism to anyone interested.
To be a pilgrimage place for Buddhists from around the world.
To provide a refuge of peace and serenity for all and especially those in need.
To be of service to as many beings as possible.
USE OF STUPA:
Stupas always house items that Buddhist hold sacred. Sutra scripts, Buddha statues, Tsa - Tsas, hair
clippings, fingernails, relics and cremation ashes of saints are usually enshrined in stupas along with
jewels, herbs and other objects. They are sometimes used as tombs in which mummified bodies of high
lamas are buried.
Stupas may also be built in commemoration of high Lamas as a sign of merit accumulation, or for their
funerals. Building a stupa and any other work done on it are considered of work of the highest purity and
merit. Buddhists always show their devotion by circling the stupa clockwise. Doing this can also accumulate
merit. The size and style of stupa may passes, to portable ones many Tibetan people carry with them as
sacred objects and amulets.
A stupa is intended to stop you in your tracks. It is an architectural representation of the entire Buddhist path.
The body, speech, and mind of an enlightened teacher is contained therein--a reminder of a timeless quality
which one senses in old monuments. The Tibetan word is choten, meaning a receptacle for offerings and
implying support for lay people to express devotion and connection to the Buddha mind.
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Meditation Books on Bhutan Lonely Planet Local Writers Local songs
Pen pal Hotels in Bhutan Local Film Industry Business in Bhutan Manufacturing Industries
Tallest Statue of Buddha Nepal Tour Tibet Tour India Tour Bhutanese cuisines