Lama Chodrak, the executive director of the worldwide Kagyu Monlam (prayer festival), has made a generous gift of a fully consecrated stupa to KSC. The stupa was made by Richard Jackson and Monica Martinez of Questa, New Mexico, and the Lamas were able to bring it back to KSC at the end of their retreat. Clay Colley and Tom Stammers are finishing it with the traditional painted decorations. It will stand in the center of the stone mandala of the front patio when complete.
The Stupa can be seen on the far left.
ACCORDING TO THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITTANICA:
Buddhist stupas were originally built to house the earthly remains
of the historical Buddha and his associates and
are almost invariably found at sites sacred to Buddhism.
The concept of a relic was afterward extended to include sacred texts.
Miniature stupas and pagodas are also used
by Buddhists throughout Asia as votive offerings.
