Contribution – stupa

We are offering the opportunity to order a stupa as a contribution to our foundation.

The stupa was made according to the instructions of Geshe Gyatso.

The proportions have been adjusted to the dimensions of 40 cm in height and 20.6 cm for the base.

The stupa is cast from polymer gypsum, which includes mineral powder and acrylic resin which is an environmentally friendly and weather-resistant material. The polymer used to make the stupa imitates white stone and is lightweight. The stupa is hollow inside which allows it to be filled with items for consecration.

If you are interested, please email: kontakt@drenpa-namkha.org

More about the meaning of the stupa:

The stupa represents the awakened mind of the Buddha and has qualities that represent the body, speech and mind of Enlightenment. It is an object through which, by making offerings to it and showing reverence, we can accumulate an unimaginably great amount of merit and wisdom.

The proportions of the stupa are compared and identical to the proportions of the deity’s body. At the heart of the stupa are relics and scrolls inscribed with mantras representing the Buddha’s speech, and they are tied to a central pole inside the stupa. Representations of the Enlightened Mind include sacred objects and relics of past masters and other blessed objects. Stupa consecration rituals ensure that contact with a stupa results in the same benefits as meeting the Buddha himself. Stupas are seen as highly sacred buildings that emit unlimited rays of the Buddhas’ blessings and compassion.

There are said to be many benefits of building and encircling stupas: it brings one closer to the rapid realization of perfect awakening, helps one to be reborn in the higher realms of existence, and is a support for a happy, long life of prosperity, it purifies karma and negative energies, and creates favorable circumstances.

The blessing of the stupa is felt both by those who participate in its construction, worship it, and by all who live in the area where it rises. It is a source of peace and happiness for all beings visible and invisible.

Description of the importance of the different parts of the stupa:

The foundation of the stupa is equivalent to the nine spaces of the unchanging Yungdrung. The first circular platform corresponds to the element of space. The second is associated with the element of air, the third with the element of fire, the fourth corresponds to the element of water and the fifth to the element of earth. The next part represents Mount Meru, and each side represents one of the four activities: East=Peaceful, North=Expansive, West=Powerful, South=Wrathful, the Center=Continuum.

The next five platforms represent the Discipline of Absolute Pure Ethics, the Immeasurable Quality of Compassion, the Immeasurable Quality of Love, the Immeasurable Quality of Joy and the Immeasurable Quality of Equanimity. Another platform represents the Five Buddha Families and is also the throne for the vase. The vase represents emptiness. Then there is the channel of the vase, followed by a platform representing the 4-fold path of Shenrap. The lotus petals represent the vast space of the Great Mother Satrik Ersang. The next part represents the 13 grounds, 13 cycles of power and 13 wisdom. The 13 outer structures represent male energy, and the 13 inner structures represent female energy. Together they represent the union of male and female. The hat represents the 4 great compassions. The two “Garuda Horns” represent Method and Wisdom. The upper ornament represents the Bon Body, Bonku, the body of great bliss. The sword of activity represents Great Wisdom and all activities that are beyond cyclic existence.

Tibetan culture also has a tradition of post-mortem stupas, to which both lay people and practitioners are subject. The process of creating such a stupa requires the involvement of a lama proficient in astrology and detailed calculations, the gathering of appropriate objects and substances, and finally the performance of a well-defined ritual. It is an excellent opportunity for practice and the accumulation of merit, not only for those associated with the deceased, but for the entire local community or connected by ties of practice and participation in common religious ceremonies.

The purpose of building such a stupa on an individual level is to purify karma, negative energies and lay the groundwork for the accumulation of supportive circumstances and merit. This applies to the deceased person, as well as those involved at the level of material and spiritual support.