In the Sutra called Casket of Secret Relics it is said:
The Bhagavan spoke: “Vajrapani! If one writes this Dharma teaching and places it inside a Stupa, the Stupa will become the quintessential vajra relic of all the Tathagatas. It will become a Stupa blessed with the secret Dharani essence of all Tathagatas. It will become a Stupa of ninety-nine tathagatas, just as many as there are sesame seeds in a sesame pot. It will be blessed as a Stupa which contains the eyes and Ushnisha (crown protuberance) of all Tathagatas.”
The Eight Types of Tibetan Stupas
In the Tibetan tradition there are eight main types of Stupas (Chöten), each of those is related to a particular event in the life of Buddha Shakyamuni: Birth, Enlightenment, Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, Performance of Miracles, Descent from the Heaven of the 33 Gods, Reconciliation of the Sangha, Prolongation of Life, and Parinirvana.
Although the general structure of all the Stupas is the same (except the Parinirvana Stupa), each Stupa has its own specific features.
Stupas differ from one another by exterior and the shape of steps between the stupa’s lion throne and its vase; for example, the Parinirvana Stupa has no steps in that area at all).
The Lotus Stupa is related to the birth of Buddha Shakyamuni. Right after birth, Buddha took seven steps in each of the four directions – East, South, West and North. From Buddha’s steps lotuses sprang in each direction.
The first Lotus Stupa was built in Lumbini in what is modern-day Nepal – the birthplace of Buddha, during His lifetime. Steps above the lion throne are rounded and decorated with lotus petals.
The Enlightenment Stupa symbolizes Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment under the Bodhi tree near Bodhgaya in India. Through his attainment, the Buddha realized that every living being has the potential for enlightenment, as well.
This type of Stupa also is known as a symbol of the Buddha’s victory over the demon Mara, i.e. over ignorance and all other obstacles and obscurations of the mind.
It is considered the principal type of the eight types of Stupas, and represents the path to full Awakening. Steps above the lion throne are rectangular.
The Stupa of Turning the Wheel of Dharma (or the Stupa of Many Auspicious Doors), commemorates the Buddha’s first teaching. After attaining Enlightenment, the Buddha was requested to “turn the wheel of Dharma” and then gave his first teaching in the Deer park, in Sarnath (Varanasi, India). There, the Buddha gave the teaching of the Four Noble Truths.
On this stupa, the stairs above the lion throne are decorated with open doorways, symbolizing the opening of the doors of Dharma.
The Stupa of Great Miracles was built in Shravasti, India and commemorates various miracles displayed by the Buddha as part of a great debate with non-Buddhist scholars who sought to challenge his enlightenment. Besides presenting teachings, every day for fifteen days, the Buddha displayed miracles, defeating the demon Mara and the heretical teachers, demonstrating the level of His attainment.
In this style of stupa, the central part of the steps above the lion throne is extended.
After the Buddha’s mother Queen Mayadevi passed away, she was reborn the heaven known as the Realm of the 33 Gods. To show gratitude for his mother’s kindness, the Buddha ascended to the Relam of the 33 Gods and gave her and the gods the Dharma Teaching.
The Stupa of the Descent from Tushita Heaven symbolizes the Buddha’s return from the celestial realms in order to continue teaching the path to Awakening for human beings on Earth.
This Stupa originated in Sankashya (also called Sankassa or Sankasya), in the Uttar Pradesh state of India. Nowadays it is a desert place with the ruins of a Hindu temple. But nonetheless, Sankashya is one of the eight places of pilgrimage for Dharma practitioners. In this style of stupa, in the middle of the steps above the lion throne are a set of stairs, symbolizing Buddha’s descent from the Heaven of the 33 Gods.
When envy and controversies appeared within the Sangha (community of the Buddha’s disciples), the Buddha overcame the disputes and reunited the Sangha, and in order to commemorate this event the Stupa of Reconciliation was built. In this style of stupa, above the lion throne there are four octagonal steps with equal sides.
After one of the Buddha’s followers had beseeched him not to pass away, Buddha prolonged his life by three months. This style of stupa, unlike other types of Stupas, the All-Victorious Stupa has only three rounded steps above the lion throne, instead of four rectangular.
The Paranirvana Stupa is related to the Buddha’s passing into Maha Parinirvana. It took place in the city of Kushinigar in India. Laying on his right side and resting in a meditative state, Buddha reminded his disciples they had received all the teachings necessary and urged them to practice diligently to attain Enlightenment, and then passed into Maha Parinirvana.
This style of stupa is also unique from other types, in that It has no steps above the lion throne, and right on the top of the throne there is a bell-shaped vase, symbolizing wisdom.
The Benefits of Building Stupas
The benefits of building stupas is mentioned In the Guhyasamaja tantra:: “A stupa is a palace where all the buddhas are abiding. Those beings who don’t have the karma actually to see a buddha need the holy objects of body, speech and mind – statues, scriptures, stupas – as a field for accumulating merit and virtue.”
Also in the Karmavibhanga Sutra it is said:
The Buddha spoke to the young Brahmin Shuka: “There are eighteen benefits of building a Tathagata Stupa. What are these eighteen?”
- One will be born as the child of a great monarch
- One will have a noble body
- One will become beautiful and attractive
- One will have sharp sense faculties
- One will be powerful and famous
- One will have a great entourage of servants
- One will become a leader of men
- One will be a support to all
- One will be renowned in the ten directions
- One will be able to express oneself in words and verses extensively
- One will receive offerings from humans and gods
- One will possess many riches
- One will obtain the kingdom of a universal monarch
- One will have long life
- One’s body will be like a collection of vajras
- One’s body will be endowed with the major marks and the minor signs (of a Buddha)
- One will take rebirth in the three higher realms
- One will swiftly attain complete nirvana
In the Sutra called Casket of Secret Relics it is said:
The Bhagavan spoke: “Vajrapani! If one writes this Dharma teaching and places it inside a Stupa, the Stupa will become the quintessential vajra relic of all the Tathagatas. It will become a Stupa blessed with the secret Dharani essence of all Tathagatas. It will become a Stupa of ninety-nine tathagatas, just as many as there are sesame seeds in a sesame pot. It will be blessed as a Stupa which contains the eyes and Ushnisha (crown protuberance) of all Tathagatas.
In the Saddharma Pundarika Sutra it is said:
Walls are built from mud and bricks.
And a Stupa of the Jina* is made likewise.
Therefore, even if it is built from heaps of dust,
Whoever builds a Stupa for the sake of the Jina,
In remote places of suffering
Even if it is made of a heap of sand
By children playing games,
(The builder) will reach enlightenment.
*Jina – Victorious One, Buddha
Statement of Lama Karma Drodhul, President of KTD Monastery:
Those are the descriptions of the symbolic meaning of the Eight Great Stupas, including the enlightenment stupa (or awakening stupa) and the benefits that come from building stupas.
The stupa that will be created at Karme Ling will contain many sacred relics from Khenpo Rinpoche’s own collection of blessed and holy objects and his own bone relics.
Building such a stupa will continue the flourishing of Khenpo Rinpoche’s dharma activities, purify our own impure samayas, and gather the accumulation of merit and virtue.
KTD Mandala News 